Girls in Chains (1943)

When a teacher loses her job because her brother-in-law is a racketeer, she takes a position at a girls' reformatory.

Director:

Edgar G. Ulmer

Writers:

Albert Beich, Edgar G. Ulmer (story)

Stars:

Arline Judge, Roger Clark, Robin Raymond

Cast

Cast overview:
Arline Judge	...	Helen Martin
Roger Clark	...	Frank Donovan
Robin Raymond	...	Rita Randall
Barbara Pepper	...	Ruth
Dorothy Burgess	...	Mrs. Peters
Clancy Cooper	...	Marcus
Addison Randall	...	Johnny Moon (as Allan Byron)
Patricia Knox	...	Jean Moon
Sid Melton	...	Pinkhead (as Sidney Melton)
Russell Gaige	...	Mr. Dalvers
Emmett Lynn	...	Lionel Cleeter
Richard Clarke	...	Tom Havershield
Betty Blythe	...	Mrs. Grey

Storyline

When Ruth Martin is discharged from her teaching position because her sister is married to a notorious criminal (who is basically running the city), she accepts a job at a girls correctional facility. Her intent is to try and prepare the inmates for a better life once they are released. Ruth runs up against the supervisor (who is controlled by her brother-in-law) who is only interested in skimming money off the budget and his gang of matrons who only want to keep the girls in line doing laundry.

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Plot Keywords:

girls' reformatory | taken for a ride | hairdo | drunkenness | prison | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 May 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ragazze in catena

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantis Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in five days.

User Reviews

No Chains Used

This is a very low budget film about women who were put behind bars in a young woman's correction facility which is controlled by a mobster named Johnny Moon, (Addison Randall). Johnney Moon controls the city government and has given his right hand hood the position as warden of this correction facility. The girls are treated like they were in a federal prison, with hard work in a laundry and solitary confinement. There is no hope for these women to rehabilitate themselves in order to obtain training for job positions on the outside in order to adjust to society. Helen Martin, (Arlene Judge) has a sister who is married to Johnney Moon and Helen has lost her job because of the bad reputation of her brother-in-law and has been advised to become a social worker at the prison. As soon as Helen walks into the prison, the story becomes interesting.