Black Mama, White Mama (1973)

Director:

Eddie Romero

Writers:

H.R. Christian (screenplay)
Joe Viola (story) ...

Release Date:

19 January 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

Where they come from this is fun!

Plot:

When two troublemaking female prisoners (one a revolutionary, the other a former harem-girl) can't seem to get along...

Plot Keywords:

Bare Breasts | Tragic | Women Fight | Dead Woman | Fight

Cast

Pam Grier	...	Lee Daniels
Margaret Markov	...	Karen Brent
Sid Haig	...	Ruben
Lynn Borden	...	Matron Densmore
Zaldy Zshornack	...	Ernesto
Laurie Burton	...	Warden Logan
Eddie Garcia	...	Captain Cruz
Alona Alegre	...	Juana
Dindo Fernando	...	Rocco
Vic Diaz	...	Vic Cheng
Wendy Green	...	Ronda
Lotis Key	...	Jeanette
Alfonso Carvajal	...	Galindo
Bruno Punzalan	...	Truck driver
Ricardo Herrero	...	Luis

Also Known As:

Chained Women
Chains of Hate
Hot, Hard and Mean
Women in Chains (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

87 min | Germany:83 min

Country:

USA | Philippines

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-16 (with warning) | Netherlands:16 | Spain:18 | Chile:18 | Canada:R (video rating) | Portugal:M/18 | USA:R | UK:18 (cut) | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Philippines

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Several VW Country Buggies are seen in the film - these were manufactured by Volkswagen of Australia between 1968-72. Fewer than 2,000 were manufactured - these vehicles were imported into the Philippines and have been sought-after by classic vehicle collectors.

Quotes:

Ruben: I don't like cops. And cops don't like me.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Defiant Ones (1958)

Grier and Haig a winning combo

Hellcats/The Hot Box duo Viola and Demme next paired the winning combination of Pam Grier and Sid Haig in yet another prison film, Women In Chains/Black Mama White Mama. Blonde revolutionary Margaret Markov and sworn enemy Grier, who thinks Markov's revolution is "jive-ass", bust out of prison chained together in a 70s gender reversal of The Defiant Ones. They continue to bitch and scratch each other as they head across the countryside (at one point dressed as nuns!) to meet up with Markov's bandit buddies. Sid Haig is the comedy relief in a cowboy hat as the lead bandit, and in one scene has two naked women riding him like a horse. Haig continued to work with Pam in Coffy and Foxy Brown, and was much later cast by Tarantino in a fitting touch as the sympathetic judge across from Grier in Jackie Brown.