So Evil, So Young

One of a couple of colour co-features the Danziger Brothers made around the turn of the 1960s, this was written by an American and follows the American "women in prison" stereotype except that of course it has no teeth. The reform school inmates are all well turned-out young ladies and it's absurd that one of them is described as having "a distinct Cockney accent" because everybody uses RP. There's a brief riot; but the main appeal for lads at the time would have been the girls in bed scenes. There's also a hint of lesbianism. The coffee bar looks nothing like one and the pop star who's performing (John Charlesworth) doesn't open his mouth while the track is playing! (Charlesworth finished his role then killed himself). Watch out, during the penultimate scene, for the actress who flinches before she's slapped. The film probably inspired "House of Whipcord". Some of the lines are identical and the parts of the lesbian wardress played here by Ellen Pollock and in "Whipcord" by Sheila Keith are basically the same. The film's currently on You Tube.

An innocent girl, Ann (Jill Ireland) is framed by an evil girl, Lucy (Jocelyn Britton) and sent to a borstal (British girls prison). There we have an evil prison guard, suicides, cat fights, riots and a strong suggestion of lesbianism.

For what it is, it's not bad. It's made in bright, strong colors and has a fairly decent script. Jill Ireland is actually pretty good as Ann, Sheila Whittingham is equally fine as a fellow inmate and Ellen Pollock amusingly chews the scenery as the evil Miss Smith. Also the lesbian suggestions were pretty strong for its time. But I can only give this a 5.

For some reason, they play sleazy music almost constantly in the background. It never matches whats playing on the screen and totally destroys any dramatic impact. Also, you can tell the actors are doing a good job, but the music is really distracting. At some points the music almost drowns out the dialogue! What's the point of all that?

So, without the music I would probably give it a higher rating but, as it stands, I can only give this a 5.

"Girls Caged Without Their Guys!" That's what the poster for this movie promises, with some kind of leering suggestion of depravity. The film is about a young girl--Ann, played by a young Jill Ireland--who is falsely accused of a crime. She is sent to a reformatory where there is another girl who is out to get her. But the real villain of the film is Miss Smith, a vindictive martinet who seems to enjoy punishing the girls in her care. A regular Captain Bligh, she runs her tight ship solely for the pleasure of exerting power over the young women. She uses a cane and exudes a flawed psyche like Nurse Ratched or the commandant of a Nazi POW camp.

The story is simplistic--suitable for a cheap drive-in double header. The acting is satisfactory, but uneven.

What most annoys is the cheery jazz score that accompanies every scene, regardless of the dramatic content. It proves very distracting and laughable at times. It's not that the music is bad; it's just inappropriate, undermining the emotional impact of scenes.

This rather reminds me of Boys in Brown because the inmates,who would be in their teens,are played by actresses who were in their mid twenties.Some of the dialogue is priceless eg"tell it to the marines".As has been mentioned by others the music is a major irritation,drowning out dialogue.Ellen Pollock as Chief Warden is a real hoot.She reminds me of Cloris Leachman as Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety.

Before I talk about the movie, there is a bit of confusion that Americans might feel when they see this film about a women's reform school. Apparently, the person running the prison is called the 'matron' and the women working under her are called 'wardens'. In the States, it's the other way around...there is only one warden and that's the boss of the prison.

The story is about Ann Turner (Jill Ireland), a nice young girl who is sent to prison for a crime she didn't commit. Her adjustment to the prison life is tough at first, as the lady who lied and got her sent to prison is there! Fortunately, the nice Matron takes a liking for her and gives her a chance. But this chance is jeopardized when one of the wardens pushes one of the ladies to kill herself. Ann refuses to help her or the matron because she feels the riot that resulted from this was justified.

This film is an incredibly mild women in prison sort of picture-- nothing like the American versions such as "Caged". So, while the treatment by the warden is supposed to be harsh, it all seems incredibly lame when compared to the much tougher and more violent American women in prison films. American films have a strong suggestion of lesbianism and sadism...whereas this one looks like a prison film written by a charm school graduate! Not a bad film...but one that is incredibly tame and 'nice'!