''Women of Devil's Island'' (, ) is a 1962 Italian-French adventure-drama film written and directed by

Domenico Paolella Domenico Paolella (18 October 1915 – 7 October 2002) was an Italian director, screenwriter and journalist. Born in Foggia, between 1933 and 1935 Paolella won several contests for amateur directors; in the same years he started working as a jour ...

and starring

Guy Madison Guy Madison (born Robert Ozell Moseley; January 19, 1922 – February 6, 1996) was an American film, television, and radio actor. He is best known for having played Wild Bill Hickok in the Western television series ''The Adventures of Wild Bill ...

and

Michèle Mercier Michèle Mercier (born 1 January 1939 as Jocelyne Yvonne Renée Mercier) is a French actress.

Plot

In the late 18th century, a group of French female convicts - among them streetwalkers, murderers, and revolutionaries - are shipped to Devil's Island penal colony. They join the other female convicts already on the island and are forced by the cruel Lefèvre and his abusive guards to pan gold for the French king

Louis XVI of France Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...

and his Austrian queen

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...

. Lefèvre hopes for a promotion, but a new prison governor arrives with a letter from the king and takes command, also putting in place a more humane prison regiment for the women. In reality, the letter is a fake. He is the revolutionary Henri Vallière and in league with the pirates, who in a daring coup help him steal the gold and overturn Lefèvre's rule.

Cast

as Henri Vallière *

Michèle Mercier Michèle Mercier (born 1 January 1939 as Jocelyne Yvonne Renée Mercier) is a French actress.

as Martine Foucher *

Federica Ranchi Federica Ranchi (5 May 1939 – 15 May 2025) was an Italian actress. Life and career Born in Trieste, while a student at liceo linguistico Ranchi was noted by a Cines employee through a picture of her ballet company, and subsequently won an ...

as Jeanette * Marisa Belli as Melina * Paul Muller as Lefèvre *

Tullio Altamura Tullio Altamura (born 18 July 1924) is an Italian actor, best known for his roles in spaghetti westerns and action films in the 1960s. Life and career Born in Bologna, the son of a career officer in the Italian army, Altamura grew up in Rome ...

as Dubois * Antonella Della Porta as Louise *

Carlo Hintermann Carlo Hintermann (2 April 1923 – 7 January 1988) was an Italian film, television and stage actor and voice actor. He was sometimes credited as Carlo Hinterman. Life and career Born in Milan into a family of ancient German origin, Hintermann ...

as Capt. Duval * Gisella Arden as Maeva * Fernando Piazza as Michael * Margaret Rose Keil as Rosy * Claudine Damon as Pauline *

Roldano Lupi Roldano Squassoni, known professionally as Roldano Lupi (8 February 1909 – 14 August 1989) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1942 and 1967. He was born in Milan, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography ...

Release

On DVD, the film has been released in the United States by Mill Creek Entertainment on 7 February 2006 as part of the "Drive-In Movie Classics 50 Movie Pack", and in Germany under the title ''Frauen für die Teufelsinsel'' in a licensed limited edition with German and English audio.

References

External links

* 1962 adventure films Italian adventure films French adventure films Films directed by Domenico Paolella Films set on Devil's Island Women in prison films 1960s Italian-language films 1960s Italian films 1960s French films Films scored by Egisto Macchi {{1960s-adventure-film-stub