Caged Heat (1974)

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writer:

Jonathan Demme (written by)

Release Date:

14 June 1975 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

Women's prison U.S.A. - Rape Riot and Revenge! White Hot Desires melting cold prison steel!

Plot:

A girl is caught in a drug bust and sent to the hoosegow. The iron-handed superintendent takes exception...

Plot Keywords:

Prisoner | Superintendent | Prison Escape | Fire | Woman With Glasses

Cast

Juanita Brown	...	Maggie
Roberta Collins	...	Belle Tyson
Erica Gavin	...	Jacqueline Wilson
Ella Reid	...	Pandora
Cheryl Smith	...	Lavelle (as Rainbeaux Smith)
Warren Miller	...	Dr. Randolph
Barbara Steele	...	Supt. McQueen
Crystin Sinclaire	...	Crazy Alice (as Lynda Gold)
Mickey Fox	...	Bernice
Toby Carr Rafelson	...	Pinter (as Tobi Carr Refelson)
Ann Stockdale	...	Bonnie
Irene Stokes	...	Hazel
Cynthia Songé	...	Rosemary (as Cynthia Songey)
Carmen Argenziano	...	Undercover Wrestler
John Aprea	...	Dream Man
Leslie Otis	...	Station Mechanic
Mike Shack	...	Jake
George Armitage	...	Family Car Driver
Patrick Wright	...	Cop at Gas Station
Joe Viola	...	Sports Car Driver
Gary Littlejohn	...	Cop at Bank
Hal Marshall	...	Bank Guard
Carol Miller	...	Carol
Cydoni Cale	...	Cindy
Essie Hayes	...	Essie
Layla Bias Galloway	...	Shower Guard (as Layla Gallaway)
Dorothy Love	...	Kitchen Matron
Rob Reece	...	Mickey Mouse Robber (as Bob Reese)
Valley Hoffman	...	Val
Amy Randall	...	Amy
Keisha	...	Unknown
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brent Armitage	...	Family in Car (uncredited)
Sharon Armitage	...	Family in Car (uncredited)
Amy Barrett	...	Amy (uncredited)
Gene Borkan	...	Unlikely (uncredited)
Stuart Brandt	...	Donald Duck Robber (uncredited)
Hugh Corcoran	...	Sharpshooter (uncredited)
Desiree Cousteau	...	Debbie (uncredited)
Bob Fontaine	...	Sharpshooter (uncredited)
Tak Fujimoto	...	Sex Emporium Patron (uncredited)
Gary Goetzman	...	Sparky (uncredited)
Mike Gray	...	Gate Guard (uncredited)
Donald Heitzer	...	Arresting Narc (uncredited)
Cicely Johnston	...	Cicely (uncredited)
Kathy Jordan	...	New Prisoner (uncredited)
Ginna Martine	...	Dream Guard (uncredited)
Susan Nelson	...	New Prisoner (uncredited)
Jack O'Riley	...	Sharpshooter (uncredited)
David O.	...	Captain (uncredited)
Vi Oliphant	...	Vi (uncredited)
Bruce Pearn	...	Getaway Driver (uncredited)
Gwen Sawe	...	Gwen (uncredited)
Carol Terry	...	Kitchen Guard (uncredited)
Marsha K. Viola	...	Liberated Prisoner (uncredited)
James Watkins	...	Sharpshooter (uncredited)

Directed by
Jonathan Demme

Writing credits
Jonathan Demme		(written by)

Produced by
Samuel W. Gelfman	....	producer (as S.W. Gelfman)
Evelyn Purcell	....	producer
Roger Corman	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Cale

Cinematography by
Tak Fujimoto		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Johanna Demetrakas
Michal Goldman
Carolyn Hicks

Casting by
Eddie London

Art Direction by
Eric Thiermann

Makeup Department
Rhavon	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gary Goetzman	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Darryl Levine	....	second assistant director
David Osterhout	....	assistant director

Art Department
Wayne Cartwright	....	assistant art director
Richard Fernau	....	assistant art director
Mike Shack	....	props and weapons
Bob Sheridan	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Curt Holzer III	....	boom operator
Clara Noto	....	additional sound editor
Alex Vanderkar	....	sound

Special Effects by
Charles Spurgeon	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Terry Bowen	....	assistant camera
Jim Morris	....	gaffer
Jack O'Riley	....	grip
Leslie Otis	....	assistant camera
Bruce Pearn	....	best boy (as Bruce Pern)
Brian Swain	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Paul	....	wardrobe assistant

Transportation Department
Billy Davis	....	transportation

Other crew
Donald Heitzer	....	production coordinator
Lenna	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Sullivan	....	script girl

Production Companies

• Artists Entertainment Complex
• New World Video
• Renegade Women Co

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Indipendenti Regionali (1978) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• New Horizons (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• New Concorde Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• New Horizons Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Zircon Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Modern Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Victor Ray Agency  casting

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-16 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Finland:K-16 (1989) | Finland:K-18 (1983) | West Germany:18 (cut) | New Zealand:R18

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Artists Entertainment Complex

Trivia:

Film debut of Desiree Cousteau (as Deborah Clearbranch).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Supernatural: Caged Heat (#6.10)" (2010)

Demme's directorial debut is a Women In Prison classic!

Ahhh... 'Caged Heat'! I get a big grin on my face just typing the title! Look, you either dig Women In Prison movies or you don't, and if you do 'Caged Heat' is the second best one ever made, in a tie with Jack Hill's 'The Bird Bird Cage'. (The best for me is still 'Chained Heat' starring Linda Blair and Tamara Dobson, made a few years after this genre is generally regarded as being at its peak). I think the only thing stopping it from being number one is the absence of Pam Grier. If she had played the character of Pandora instead of Ella Reid, 'Chained Heat' would be IT. Funnily enough, three of the major cast members (Juanita Brown, Roberta Collins and Rainbeaux Smith) had co-starred in various Grier vehicles ('Foxy Brown', 'The Big Doll House', and 'Drum' respectively). This is Jonathan Demme's directorial debut after serving his apprenticeship with Roger Corman as a writer and producer, and he really came up trumps. Demme manages to make a tough and tense W.I.P. movie and a playful, tongue in cheek parody of one simultaneously. He has made more accomplished and successful movies since this, but arguably none more entertaining. The cast is an impressive one, not just Brown, Collins, Smith and Reid, but Russ Meyer bitch goddess Erica Gavin ('Vixen!') and horror legend Barbara Steele ('Black Sunday', 'Pit And The Pendulum', 'Night Of The Doomed', 'Shivers',etc.). I also liked the perverted Dr. Randolph played by Warren Miller. 'Caged Heat' is first class trash, and a perfect example of 1960s/70s exploitation movies exemplified by the energetic and fun output of American International and New World Pictures. We will never see their likes again! Enjoy!