Girls in Prison

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

Anne Carson is in prison as accomplice to a bank robbery. Everyone but muscular priest Rcihard Denning thinks she knows where the loot in buried, and is willing to offer her favors for a cut. Denning believes her claims of innocence.

It's an ambitious little film with a good story and not much in the way of direction; an accomplished cast makes it work, including old-timers like Mae Marsh, Jane Darwell, and Raymond Hatton, and the frisson of lesbianism that had rapidly become standard for this sort of movie helps too. However, the direction by Edward L. Cahn is never more than adequate.

Edward L. Cahn was a master of some campy films in the 50s and early 60s, and this is one of them.

It's all about a large stash of stolen bank loot squared away somewhere, and the good gal versus the bad to get it all. But first, there's a classic prison escape, due to mother nature --EARTHQUAKE! Rare for 50s films, but a real treat with lots of shakin' and screamin' and cardboard sets rockin'.

Adele Jergens, popular blonde in lots of B films, plays the toughest cookie, and she's fantastic in this type of role. Many other familiar actresses on board, including veteran Jane Darwell and tv's first Lois Lane, Phyllis Coates. Richard Denning plays the good guy slash minister, following the trail which leads to the broken down house of an old man, related to one of the gals. The old bird is tough enough in his own way, and is the cash hidden with him?

There's lots of scrambling and gunplay, and somehow it all jives in classic black and white. Watch Adele Jergens right to the bitter end.

Cahn did an excellent job directing. His next classic would be THE SHE CREATURE.

The finale is memorable, in that sort of campy 50s style we all love. A special thank you to MOVIES Net for rerunning this classic on its late show lineup lately.

Always on dvd for collectors. A Must.

I don't get it. Many of these grade D- movies are often well written. The acting is sometimes very good and they move - no boredom. This one is good and has a couple surprises along the way. The earthquake is a ball. Gotta admire writers who were hired for schlock and gave it something. Compare something like this to 1956's Oscar winner "Around the World in Eighty Days." Do you really think that was as entertaining as "Girls in Prison."

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.