Kampf der Hyänen

Less-than-thrilling, the film drags but the ending is goofy enough to make it possibly worthwhile. Features earthquakes that come from nowhere, a boxing preacher, and girls in prison who seem not to have been quite locked up. Trouble ensues.

Ann Carson is convicted and sentenced to prison for robbing a bank. The money was never recovered and the alleged third party went free. The bad news for Ann is that everyone thinks she has the money...the matron, her fellow inmates, and the third party who escaped! The only person who even questions her innocence is the prison reverend played by handsome Richard Denning.

A lot of stony faces and rough women in this gritty film that primarily takes place inside a women's prison.

This is by no means my favorite women's prison film... that might go to Ida Lupino or Barbara Stanwyk's previous offerings, but it was just different enough for me to recommend a watch. The film is a little slow but does have a good climax at the end.

I bought a VHS copy of this odd little women-in-prison film on eBay because it featured the sublime Phyllis Coates (the first "Lois Lane" on television and, arguably, the best ever) in a supporting role as 'Dorothy', a disturbed inmate. A small but memorable role for Phyllis here: oddly enough her character assumes every new female inmate is a woman named 'Lois' who broke up her family and led her to murder someone.

Lots of great-looking women inmates throughout the film. Prison life is pretty rough, with lots of meaningless busywork for the inmates.

The opening scene is pretty avant garde; the director deserves credit for his experimental approach to introducing the characters.

For those of you that enjoy mindless but fascinating "theme" movies of the '50s, then this one is for you. Adele Jergens steals the film as the prison bully that befriends Ann. The best scene is at the end of the film where Richard Denning, a minister that was a star boxing champ at college mind you, dukes it out with the bad guy. There's an earthquake (makes no sense) and a windstorm. For highlights on the making of the film, check out American International's producer/founder Sam Arkoff's book, "Flying Through Hollywood by the Seat of My Pants," and he'll explain the reasons for the natural disasters. Overall the film is interesting, since it makes you wonder how the prison women manage not a hair out of place or smeared makeup after the fights. Cute stuff.

Who played the blonde dance partner of Paul Anderson (Lance Fuller) in the opening nightclub scene?