Beautiful women prisoners are abused in a Philippine prison, until 5 of them plot an escape by taking the evil female warden hostage with the reluctant help of 2 male fruit vendors.
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Title: The Big Doll House (1971)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Judith Brown | ... |
Collier
(as Judy Brown)
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Roberta Collins | ... |
Alcott
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| Pam Grier | ... | ||
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Brooke Mills | ... |
Harrad
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Pat Woodell | ... |
Bodine
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| Sid Haig | ... |
Harry
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| Christiane Schmidtmer | ... | ||
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Kathryn Loder | ... |
Lucian
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Jerry Franks | ... |
Fred
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Gina Stuart | ... |
Ferina
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Jack Davis | ... |
Dr. Phillips
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Letty Mirasol | ... |
Leyte
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Shirley de las Alas | ... |
Guard
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Myrna De Vera | ... |
Guard
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Siony Cordona | ... |
Guard
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Beautiful women prisoners are abused in a Philippine prison, until 5 of them plot an escape by taking the evil female warden hostage with the reluctant help of 2 male fruit vendors.
Taglines:
Naked lust that builds to a climax of death See more »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
26 February 1972 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
Women's Penitentiary III See more »Filming Locations:
PhilippinesBox Office
Budget:
$125,000 (estimated)Gross:
$10,000,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Jack Hill added a dance scene for Brooke Mills to perform in the movie after he found out that Mills was an experienced ballet dancer. See more »Quotes
Grear: You son of a bitch! This is for Bodine. You're rotten, Harry. You know why? 'Cos you're a man. All men are filthy. All they ever want to do is to get at you. For a long time I let them get at me. That's why I'm in this dump. But no more. You hear me? I'm not going to let a man's filthy hands touch me again.See more »
The Big Doll House was followed-up by The Big Bird Cage a year later. The two films do not follow on from each other; but are very similar in style and content. While this film is not quite as great as the later one; it's still an excellent women in prison flick. The film was shot in the Philippines and set in some backwater country; but we don't get the same great outdoor shots that we got in the later film, and most of this film takes place in the classic, dingy, prison setting. That, however, is not a problem; as a constant stream of sleaze and action will keep most viewers from worrying about where it's taking place. Naturally, the film takes place in a prison where most of the prisoners have little chance of release. A new girl enters the prison and is put in with a motley crew of female prisoners. It's not long before the conditions inside the jail force the girls into planning an escape; but not before various rivalries amongst themselves are sorted out.
This film is just great fun to watch, and that's what makes it so successful. The script is rather ridiculous; but there's plenty of laughs to be had with it too so it doesn't matter. The biggest names in the cast belong to Sid Haig and Pam Grier; although neither one of them is the star. As would be the case with the later film, Sid Haig provides the most memorable role; this time as a pervy bloke that goes round delivers various goodies to the female prisoners. Most of the rest of the cast are nice to look at, as is standard for films like this. The Big Doll House is a rather lighter affair than the women in prison films by the likes of Jess Franco et al; but it's all the better for it. There's plenty of action to keep the pulses racing, including various cat fights, arguments and gun fights. There's also a series of rather trippy torture scenes, which seem weirdly out of place in the film. The Big Doll House boils down to an explosive ending and overall I wouldn't hesitate to name this as one of the all time best women in prison films (although The Big Bird Cage is slightly better).