Swamp Women (1955)

User Rating:

2.3/10   

Director:

Roger Corman

Writer:

David Stern (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 November 1956 (Denmark)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Flaming passions against a background of weird adventure!

Plot:

An undercover policewoman helps three female convicts escape from prison so that they can lead her to a stash of stolen diamonds hidden in a swamp.

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Police | Prison | Swamp | Convict

Cast

Marie Windsor	...	Josie Nardo
Carole Mathews	...	Police Lt. Lee Hampton (as Carole Matthews)
Beverly Garland	...	Vera
Mike Connors	...	Bob Matthews (as Touch Connors)
Susan Cummings	...	Marie
Lou Place	...	Police Captain J. R. Goodrich
Jonathan Haze	...	Charlie the Pickpocket
Ed Nelson	...	Police Sergeant (as Edward Nelson)
Jil Jarmyn	...	Billie

Directed by
Roger Corman

Writing credits
David Stern		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bernard Woolner	....	producer

Original Music by
Willis Holman

Cinematography by
Frederick E. West		(as Fred West)

Film Editing by
Ronald Sinclair

Makeup Department
Carlie Taylor	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bartlett A. Carre	....	production manager (as Bart Carre)

Sound Department
Ben Winkler	....	sound

Stunts
Luke Saucier	....	stunt double: Mike Connors (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Hannawalt	....	head grip (as Charles Hanawalt)

Music Department
Willis Holman	....	musical director

Other crew
Jonathan Haze	....	fight advisor (as Jack Hayes)

Thanks
John Dayries	....	thanks (as Police Chief John Dayries)
Robert Kennon	....	thanks (as Governor Robert Kennon)
De Lesseps Morrison	....	thanks (as Mayor De Lesseps Morrison)

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Bernard Woolner Productions

Distributors

• Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc. (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• International Film Distributors (1958) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Favorite Films (????) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)

Also Known As:

Cruel Swamp (USA) (reissue title)
Swamp Diamonds (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

USA:67 min | USA:84 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Portugal:17 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Bayou Lacombe, Louisiana, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

One of the films included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the alligator fight, the side of the swimming pool can be clearly seen, as can the bare feet of one of the crew.

Quotes:

Billie: [digging for diamonds] Ouch! I busted the only nail I had left!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Directors: The Films of Roger Corman (#1.5)" (1999)

Hooray for feminism!

This 'Swamp Women' was one of the very first films Roger Corman directed (he was still in his 20's around the time it got released) but it immediately becomes clear how he built up of the reputation of being the 'King of the B's'. Swamp Women is short, only 67 minutes, and it looks like the whole thing only cost 50$. Still, it's a fun quickie handling about a gang of female cons who break out of prison accompanied by an undercover cop. They flee their way through a filthy swamp where a diamond-loot is hidden. Things get a little more complicated when they take a young couple, of which the male (Mike Connors) is a stud – hostage. The acting is lame and the scenery is weak (rubber crocodiles!!) but you'll still have a good time. It feels like watching a vicious exploitation gem with situations and plot ahead of their time. If the actresses would have been a bit bustier, this easily could have been a Russ Meyer flick.