The Big Doll House

1971 "Their bodies were caged, but not their desires. They would do anything for a man - or to him."
5.8| 1h35m| R| en| More Info
Released: 30 April 1971 Released
Producted By: New World Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Female prisoners in a Phillippine jail are being subjected to sadistic torture. Five of the women--along with the help of two men--plot an escape.

Genre

Drama, Action

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Director

Jack Hill

Production Companies

New World Pictures

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The Big Doll House Audience Reviews

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?
Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.
garyldibert TITLE: THE BIG DOLL HOUSE was release in theaters in the United States on January 1, 1971 and it will take you 101 minutes to watch this movie. The Big Doll House is a 1971 women in prison film starring Pam Grier, Judy Brown, Roberta Collins, Brooke Mills, and Pat Woodell. The film follows six female inmates throughout daily life in a gritty, unidentified supra-tropical prison. Later the same year the film Women in Cages featured a similar story and setting, much the same cast, and was shot in the same abandoned prison buildings. A non-sequel follow-up, titled The Big Bird Cage, was released in 1972.SUMMARY: Collier (Brown) enters prison, having been found guilty of killing her husband. She is loaded in a bus and taken to a new part of the prison. I this prison the woman where orange jump suits. When they arrive at the prison s front gate woman prisoner hanging above the ground in a cage greets them. After the women get a walk through the place, they are placed on a table for a complete nude body search. Collier then goes to see the doctor where she bares all in front of the doctor. The Guard comes along and tells collier it's time to go. She is introduced to the pulchritudinous companions of her cell, in for crimes ranging from political insurgency to heroin addiction. The women trade tiffs, which leads to their torture by sadistic guard Lucian (Kathryn Loder). The torture ceremonies are viewed by an impassive cloaked figure. Later in the night, one of the inmates while Collier is sleeping starts a fire beside her bed. One of the girls thinks she is a spy. Therefore, Grier and her cell mates decide to break Collier down only to have Bodine come to her rescue. Later 2 guys named Fred and his friend show up in a truck loaded with vegetables and other sorts of supplies. Fred offers Grear some cigarettes and all she has to do to get them is let Fred touch her. Collier's cellmates Alcott and Bodine (Collins and Woodell) plan to escape. Collier and another cellmate Ferina (Gina Stuart) agree to go along. Assisting is their other cellmate Grear (Pam Grier); though there are doubts, Grear's heroin addict girlfriend Harrad (Brooke Mills) will be equipped to escape.QUESTIONS: Who was the person in the chair while the girls were tortured? What were the girls fighting about in the fields? Why did the girls want to escape? Why did the girls get into a food fight? How did the guards stop the food fight? Who was snooping around the guard's office? MY THOUGHTS: I thought this movie was great. It had action and drama right from the start and it kept you guessing as the movie went along. Pamela Grier role as Grear was good. The movie was able to show you some of here good looking body. Pat Woodell role is Bodine was good also. Roberta Collins was bad in her role as Alcott. However, the star of this movie to me was Judy Brown. With beautiful body and that, gorgeous red hair made her the star of the movie. Brown role as Collier was excellent and she the reason I give this movie 10 weasel stars.
gavin6942 Beautiful women prisoners are abused in a Philippine prison, until five of them plot an escape by taking the evil female warden hostage with the reluctant help of two male fruit vendors.I have to say this film is an exploitation movie, and therefore has some aspects that many people might find objectionable -- gratuitous nudity, sexual assault and some scenes of torture. This is not just a fun film to watch with your kids.That being said, director Jack Hill makes the most of the exploitation genre and does it in a stylish, colorful way that sets this movie apart from the scores of others in the same category. And he utilizes Sid Haig well, in a way that no other director ever has. Thanks for introducing Pam Grier to the world, too.
Scarecrow-88 Women in prison. So many films featuring women behind bars desiring to break out. Luscious women in the shower, naked and yearning for the sexual contact of a man. The sadistic warden who makes life a living hell for the girls, and it's at times a woman who runs the show. The cat fight in the mud or the food fight that breaks out usually resulting in the whole group being punished. The torture sequences featuring prisoners being whipped by a bull dike guard who really seems to be enjoying herself. The planned break out often assisted by outside help. Those who punished and harmed the girls while they were in prison get their comeuppance.Many of the girls are tough talking, strong willed, incredibly sexy, and(..my favorite part)push the guys, that do appear, around. I've seen quite a few of these types of movies, but can not really consider myself an expert because there are still many staples of the genre I haven't viewed as of yet. This has to be the sexiest female cast I've seen in one of these movies..Pam Grier, Judy Brown, Roberta Collins, Brooke Milles(..my girl of the film), and Pat Woodell all preparing for a great escape just so they can be free of the sweaty, trashy confines of their Banana Republic prison cell. Christiane Schmidtmer is Miss Dietrich, the tyrannical ruler over the prison and Kathryn Loder is her ruthless head guard with an affinity for acquiring jungle snakes as a torture(..or murdering)method to extract information regarding possible illegal activities or plotting(..she likes to let her hair down when it's time to whip or pummel a girl). Sid Haig, a prominent Jack Hill regular, has a field day as a food(..among other items of interest)supplier, assisted by Jerry Franks(..who is actually accosted by Collins, who forces him to sex with a knife she confiscated from the kitchen area!).I will admit that I love beautiful women. Especially, beautiful women wearing merely a raggedy dress that barely covers their panties, revealing their wonderful curves and sexy legs. This movie was more violent than I was expecting, but it isn't anything worse than what we normally see in today's cinema containing the damaging treatment towards women. In my opinion you couldn't assemble a more sexy group of gals to spend 90 minutes with. These were the days when inhibitions run amok and women weren't as prudish in endowing upon us their alluring naked bodies. I feel like the 70's featured some of the most stunning women, often barely starring in anything other than a few movies within the exploitation genre, before moving on to other things. I don't know where Corman and Hill were able to secure so many of these delcious sex pots, but they kept them a comin'. Unfortunately two of my favorite scenes feature a character in a heroine induced bliss, addict Harried prancing around in her cell, as if performing some type of yoga exercise, and the other where she's showering, making this little giggling sound with her face just lit up.
lost-in-limbo New meat enters the big house, in the shape of Collier and she learns that it won't be an easy walk in the park. Grear, Alcott, Bodine, Harad and Ferina welcome her to the rough and tumble endurance of prison life and the importance of holding your own to stay alive. Be it, from your inmates or that of their sadistic prison warden named Miss Diestrich. Then there are two peddlers, Harry and Fred who play off the inmates to get what they want. Roger Corman sent out exploitation director Jack Hill to the Banana republic (Philippines) with very little money, but on-hand he had a group of stunning women to work with. Though, to Corman's surprise, the end result was nothing but phenomenal, since it did extremely well with moviegoers. Its been done before, but this old hat Women-In-Prison concept for "Big Doll House" became revolutionary by giving it an ounce of fresh treatment (or maybe it was just great timing) that simply appealed to the drive-in audience to ensure the genre would erupt again. Hill's film is quite watered-down for a WIP exploitation feature (compared to its European cousins), but there are enough nitty, gritty elements involving random drug abuse, sadistic torture, and sexual antics, pumping gunfights and wild cat fights in a very energetic pattern. Production-wise, it's very solid for a meagre budget with it drumming in with a saucy score (and also Pam Grier's tantalisingly, groovy title song) and workman-like camera-work that had a great eye to detail. The bang-up story mainly focuses on a group of well-rounded and strong willed, firebrands who are not easy pushovers. Where they're trying to keep their spirit, pride and dignity in tack. A nice dash of snappy humour is worked into the salty dialogues and fiery language. There are some silly aspects, but it does bust out surprises, spontaneous inventions and comic relief, thanks largely to the minor turn by the charismatic character actor Sid Haig. But it was the memorable Pam Grier's steamily, spruced performance that steals every frame. She was the full package and afterwards would go on to be a true Blaxploitation star. Although, the attractively biting Roberta Collins holds her own quite well and Judy Brown, Pat Woodell and Brooke Mills add to the unique, spicy ensemble. Kathryn Loder performance makes headway too, as the stern and lean prison warden. Director Jack Hill's hardened direction is extremely sturdy and he keeps a quick rapid throughout.An American WIP exploitation flick that keeps it rather tasteful, but still highly entertaining b-grade material with a well-fitted cast.

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