La dama de rojo

Lewis Teague gave us this crime drama from the seventies, and I can still think of BLOODY MAMA or BIG BAD MAMMA, also produced during the same decade. I guess Lewis Teague had some link in common with Corman's "family", so was under influence of the master. This movie is not genuinely a gangster film in the first part, but mostly a drama, only the second part, at long last, will satisfy the gangster element buffs. There is also a bit of women's prison scheme in the first part; again a Corman's production influence. A curiosity but not a masterpiece, not a must see. Good little film to discover if you are curious enough. Note that Robert Conrad played in YOUNG DILLINGER, back in 1965, where he was Pretty Boyd Floyd. And I also like the supporting characters, who arrive late in the story, whom we can feel attached to, and who suddenly die. I love this. And this film with a strong, but also believable, female lead could easily be remade now, in 2024, the modern fashion. This is for me my favourite from director Lewis Teague, with also CUJO. One last thing, Louise Fletcher plays here, but no in the cruel matron prison warden.... As she did in ONE FLEW OVER A CUCUU NEST.

If they had called it "The life of a Gun Moll", nobody probably would have gone to see it. So they went with the Dillinger angle, but forget it this is Pamela Sue's film.

If you ever wondered how "good little" girls end up being window dressing for some of the most notorious gangsters that ever lived, this film gives a good look at her rebellion against her strict religious up bringing and her descent into crime and prostitution.

Pamela Sue is so cute, you have a hard time believing she is a hardened criminal, but she just about pulls it off.

Fans of 1930's "pre-code" gangster flicks will probably love "The Lady In Red," a beautiful and realistic love letter to films such as "Scarface" (1932) and "Public Enemy." Pamela Sue Martin is ultra lovable as Polly, the rebellious farm girl who just seems to attract trouble like a magnet. At the wrong place at the wrong time, Polly is used as a human shield by the Dillinger gang as they speed away from a bank robbery. They ditch her after she serves her purpose, but a chain of events leads Polly down a very winding road that includes sweat shops, prostitution, a prison stint, and culminating with Polly and her friends picking up the machine guns, John Dillinger style, after the authorities do her wrong. Episodic in structure, which is not a problem, as every 'episode' in Polly's journey is more fascinating and just plain wild than the previous chapter. Now people refer to this as a low budget "B" movie, but the production values are very sleek, with stunning attention to period detail; the cars, the clothes, the hairstyles, the sets and the music, are all completely realistic in a way that is seldom seen in even higher budget films. The cinematography is stunning and this movie is gorgeous. The scenes in the brothel are reminiscent of the Storybook era sets of Louis Malle's "Pretty Baby," while the prison episode is more powerful and realistic than the roughest "women in prison" movie...and YES; that is Beula Ballbreaker from "Porky's," as the evil prison matron, turning in a perfectly savage, evil performance as a hate-filled racist lesbian guard. "Lady In Red" is the perfect balance of exploitation and Hollywood productions like "Bonnie & Clyde," but this is actually more fun than "Bonnie & Clyde." It deserves more recognition.

"The Lady in Red" is the kind of movie that those of us fans of cult cinema and b-movies live for. It's an unheralded classic, and a movie that totally rises above its inauspicious "grindhouse" or exploitation roots.

I believe the movie's success may have been undercut by advertising that suggests it is about Dillinger. It isn't. It's the story of Dillinger's alleged girlfriend, the one who supposedly betrayed him to the feds. The story is, if anything, more interesting than Dillinger's, and packs a feminist punch. It shows a path to crime more heartbreaking than any famous bankrobber's.

The protagonist is thrown out of home and ends up in jail. There's a whole genre of women in prison movies, and they almost all feature a sadistic lesbian guard. Yet, none of them are this good, and none of the guards are as horribly believable as the one in this movie.

The movie only spends about half an hour there, and is yet more believable and impactful than all the women in prison movies combined. The only way out for the protagonist is prostitution, which is where she comes into contact with crime figures she is destined to join.

Dillinger is, in fact, just another guy she meets, and that's a massive strength. To her, he was no hero. He was just another man, a potential user, thief, murderer, whatever.

This is the world through the eyes of a down-on-her-luck woman who had little choice but to turn to crime.

How fitting that it would be so roundly ignored, even after all these years.

Polly Franklin (Pamela Sue Martin) is an innocent farm girl obsessed with 42nd Street. She gets caught up with the Dillinger gang's bank robbery. She gets a red dress from a reporter and loses her virginity to him. Her father beats her and she runs away. She is befriended by Rose at a sweatshop but her life descends into prison and forced into prostitution by the ruthless warden.

It's produced by the Roger Corman family. It's a bit rambling. Pamela Sue Martin used to be a star in the 70s and 80s. I missed most of that since I didn't watch Dynasty. I don't really see the range although she has some charisma. The biggest issue is that this story is simply a series of incidents. Some parts are less compelling than others. This could have been an interesting prison movie but that part is pretty quick. The sweatshop confused me a bit. This needs some better directing.