Jack Hill directed this alternately brutal and campy look at desperate women behind bars. An American named Collier (Judy Brown) has been convicted of murder in the Philippines and is sentenced to a grim women's prison in the jungle, where a mysterious German woman, Miss Deitrich (Christiane Schmidtmer), is the warden, and her head guard, sadistic Lucian (Katheryn Loder), keeps her charges in line through intimidation and violence. Collier shares a cell with tough-talking bisexual prostitute
Grear (Pam Grier), hard-boiled political prisoner Bodine (Pat Woodell), thick-skinned but good-humored Alcott (Roberta Collins), drug-addicted Harrad (Brooke Mills), and tight-lipped Ferina (Gina Stuart). Bodine's boyfriend is the leader of an underground revolutionary faction, and when she learns he and his comrades are in danger, she begins to plot an escape for herself and her cellmates, with travelling peddlers Harry (Sid Haig) and Fred (Jerry Frank) becoming her unwitting collaborators. Meanwhile, Lucian is stepping up her torture of the prisoners at the behest of a mysterious masked stranger, and Collier is determined to find out who is behind the systematic brutality. The Big Doll House was the first "Women In Prison" exploitation epic produced for Roger Corman's New World Pictures; it was a big hit on the dive-in and grind house circuit, and spawned dozens of imitations (which are still being produced today). By the way, that's Pam Grier singing the theme song! ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
A first-person lament, the title song establishes that the story will be told sympathetically from the point of view of the female inmates, even if their humiliation and suffering (and their communal showers) are the film's raison d'etre.
When the skin factor is low, Sid Haig saves the show! Sure, overall it's a piece of crap, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a piece of crap film finer than this one.
One of the really good "women in prison" exploitation classics, from none other than genre director Jack Hill and producer Roger Corman. The Big Doll House may be cheap on budget but damn is it ever entertaining. The ridiculous dialogue and acting combined with a really cheesy storyline that has every cliche in the
book: implied lesbianism, mud wrestling, shower scenes, female torture, male torture by angry females... well, you get the idea. This is one of the best of the genre, for sure, with lots of nudity and even a bit part for Corman regular Sid Haig - and, of course, the always lucious Pam Grier along with a host of other hotties. Very much enjoyed this one.
September 28, 2011
Tim Salmons
Super Reviewer
I've never understood the appeal of the women behind bars genre, but this movie wasn't all that bad, not good, but not horrible.
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