Le navire des filles perdues

Raffaello Matarazzo's colorful SHIP OF CONDEMNED WOMEN is an 18th century- set "penny dreadful" cross between a WIP (women-in-prison) flick and a swashbuckler with beautiful May Britt as an innocent girl convicted of murder and sentenced to a penal colony. She's thrown into a ship's cargo hold with a bunch of other female convicts (led by exotic belly dancer Kerima who's top-billed here for some reason) while topside are the real killer (a villainess worthy of Milady De Winter) and the young lawyer who defended and fell in love with May during her trial, stowing away just to be near her. Melodramtics of the highest order ensue, culminating in a "jail break" where the women use sex to make the sailors revolt against their corrupt captain. There's an "orgy" right out of Cecil B. DeMille (lewd dancing, passionate embraces, bare breasts, and women being carried off) just before a hurricane turns this over-the-top MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY into TITANIC. Don't miss it!

"La Nave delle Donne Maledette" (the ship of the damned women) is one of the strangest films that I've ever seen. The only point of comparison that I can find are the wonderful Mexican melodramas of the 50s – films like "Aventurera" and "Victimas del Pecado".

"La nave delle donne maledette" mixes melodrama, WIP, exploitation, sea adventure, love, rage, violence, tears and death. Some scenes look like a wild party - the ship and its human cargo(female prisoners, sailors, captain and several different characters) could very well be a circus tent with clowns and acrobats.

The story takes place in 18th century. In a noble but nearly-ruined family, a girl (Isabella) gets rid of her new-born baby. This is made in secrecy, but the facts become known and the police want to arrest the woman responsible for the crime. The family is anxious to avoid a scandal that would soon be followed by financial ruin. So they manage to convince Consuelo, a poor relation, to take on her shoulders the responsibility for the baby's death. In the judgment she is condemned to 10 years of forced labor in a colony. The sentence is harsh and Consuelo is embarked with other "damned" women, in a ship destined for a distant colony. What now? Consuelo is innocent. She will probably never return – hard work, unhealthy sanitary conditions, poor nutrition, and in the end a shallow grave - there seems to be no hope for Consuelo. Her rich family (in spite of their promises) seems to have forgotten her. Something must happen, but what will happen? I won't tell. Anyway, the voyage is long and things could change in between.

This is a strange film, it's intense and over-the-top, in short, it's like a tornado, and it will leave you staring in disbelief. I would like to see this film in a restored, remastered copy. I don't understand why "La nave delle donne maledette" wasn't given the DVD treatment in Italy. It really deserves it!

I was attracted to this film initially because it was filmed by Aldo Tonti in Gevacolor, an affiliate of Agfacolor and scored by Nino Rota. This is directed by Raffaelo Maturrazo whose films were despised by the critics but loved by the paying public. It does indeed look good and Rota's score is fabulous but to be frank I was not prepared to enjoy it as much as I did. Ones heart goes out to May Britt as the maid who is condemned to years of hard labour for a crime of which she is innocent. She is eventually saved by a lawyer, played by handsome hunk Ettore Manni and by a sequence of events which are too outrageous for words. Kerima plays another 'donna maladetta'. A previous reviewer has expressed surprise at her being given top billing. Although the part itself does not really warrant it, her notoriety as Aissa in Carol Reed's underrrated 'Outcast of the Islands' and in the title role of La Lupa, would surely guarantee it. Tania Weber is wonderfully seductive and manipulative in her role and one wonders why she only made eight films in her short career. May Britt had 'ingredient X' of course and it was only a question of time before Hollywood beckoned. Although she was good as Lola-Lola in a poor remake of the 'Blue Angel' her best role by far was as Gretchen in the 'Young Lions' before giving it up to marry Sammy Davis Jnr. Easy to spot Edouardo Cianelli as the ship's cook. A marvellous character supporting player who made his film debut in 1933 and still working until the year of his death. The taking over of the ship by the condemned women and the scenes that follow are simply staggering and a tribute to both director and editor Leo Catozzo. Yes, it might be a tad tacky, it might be outrageous but it is utterly mesmerising. Far worse films than this have achieved cult status.