The Big Bird Cage (1972)

Grier and Haig are thieving mercenaries who engineer a prison break from the outside.

Director:

Jack Hill

Writer:

Jack Hill

Stars:

Pam Grier, Anitra Ford, Candice Roman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Pam Grier	...	Blossom
Anitra Ford	...	Terry
Candice Roman	...	Carla
Teda Bracci	...	Bull Jones
Carol Speed	...	Mickie
Karen McKevic	...	Karen
Sid Haig	...	Django
Marissa Delgado	...	Rina
Vic Diaz	...	Rocco
Andres Centenera	...	Warden Zappa (as Andy Centenera)
Rizza	...	Lin Tsiang (as Rizza Fabian)
Subas Herrero	...	Moreno
Wendy Green	...	Gertie

Storyline

Terry, a social-climbing young woman accidentally gets caught up in the activities of two revolutionaries, Blossom and Django, and finds herself in a concentration camp for women. In the center of the camp is a towering wooden machine ("The Big Bird Cage") in which the women risk their lives processing sugar as the evil warden looks on. The prisoners are subjected to sadistic cruelty from the guards and fellow prisoners, and all attempts at escape are dealt with...permanently. Terry's only hope for escape lies in Blossom and her revolutionary allies.

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Plot Keywords:

escape | revolutionary | prison | waterfall | non statutory female on male rape | 

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Taglines:

Men who are only half men and women who are more than all woman!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Philippines USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Women's Penitentiary II

Filming Locations:

Banaue Rice Terraces, Ifugao, Luzon, Philippines

Company Credits

Production Co:

New World Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 96 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anitra Ford was placed in a harness for the scene where she gets hung up by her hair.

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Goofs

When Blossom (Pam Grier) falls backward into the pig wallow, her left breast is exposed, but when the camera cuts away and then back to her, it's covered again.

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Connections

Referenced in Jackie Brown: How It Went Down (2002)

User Reviews

You can't keep these birds caged!

Jack Hill is back again (a year after 'The Big Doll House'), to write and direct another low-budgeted drive-in Roger Corman produced women-in-prison joint in the tropics of the banana republic. This second run-of-the-mill dig is meaner, snappier, sweatier and is a lot more accomplished technical production, but I really do have a soft spot for rough-around-the-edges, but enjoyable 'Big Doll House' that sees me actually favour it over this particular effort… plus it had the feisty blonde buxom Roberta Collins! Nonetheless Hill competently engraves the prominent staples (even adding few new novel ideas) and patterns one hope for from its exploitative subject matter, which is handled in a brightly lit manner than truly beating it down with despair. Sleaze, violence, profanity and a whole lot of socking personality all rolled in one. There's no better to deliver it… a lively Pam Grier and charming Sid Haig come to the show with such an electric chemistry. When they go missing-in-action, you simply crave for them to appear again. Vic Diaz is delightfully amusing as camp gay prison guard and Anitra Ford adds brazen class, but seems to be struggling to keep a straight face. Saying that it seemed more comically daffy, as the script holds a cheeky edge amongst it harden dialogues. In the latter half it became insanely humorous and hysterical. Hill confidently executes it with a little more briskness and latitude, concentrating not only on the posing drama at hand, but detailing the exotically open locations with crisp photography work despite the limitations. The story can open up a notable can of worms, but it's in-your-face and well-rounded flavor made it hard not to simply enjoy.