BLONDE BAIT/WOMEN WITHOUT MEN
US, 1956, 71 minutes, Black and white.
Beverly Michaels, Jim Davis, Thora Hird, Joan Rice, Richard Travis, Paul Cavanagh, Gordon Jackson, Valerie White.
Directed by Elmo Williams.
There may be quite some confusion about these two films and the apparent similarities.
In fact, Women Without Men was the original film, made at Hammer Studios in England, a story of women in prison, focusing on Angela, Beverly Michaels as an entertainer who assaulted her agent and was sentenced to prison. In prison, she reminisces about her life and her plans to meet her fiance at New Year. In prison, she is aided by Granny (an enthusiastic performance by Thora Hird) to escape. Joan Rice appears as a bigamist and is seen in flashback with Gordon Jackson who boards with her and the two husbands.
The film was re-edited for an American version with a plot about the American government tracking down a traitor, with Angela in love with him, assaulting her agent, getting the prison sentence, but the American authorities collaborating with the English authorities (with scenes with Richard Travis and Paul Cavanagh added in) and the warden of the prison to allow Angela to escape so that they will be led to apprehend her criminal fiance.
Basically, the same plot about women in prison, the political dimension is added for the American version.
This was the last film for Beverly Michaels who had made films from 1949 to 1956, initially seen as a vamp while in this film she has quite a dignified bearing. She married director Russell Rouse, had two children and they were married for almost 30 years.
Director Elmo Williams was an editor who won an Oscar for High Noon.
1. The women in prison film? The basis for the British version? And the addition of American government and espionage for the American version?
2. The added American settings, Washington, official offices? The ordinary settings of Britain, theatre, life in prison, the escape? The musical score, songs? Traditional British songs?
3. The focus on Angela, American, in Britain, in theatre, the assault on her agent, his charging her, her being sentenced to prison? Life in prison, the details, the other prisoners? The friendship with Cleo at her bigamy charges, flirtation? The friendship with Granny? With Marguerite and her baby? Angela wanting to escape, the concert, Granny and the organising, the three escaping, in London, the baby, Granny’s friend Grace, Granny’s threats, the talks with the police? The variations on the American version, Angela’s fiance, his traitor background, the plan to meet at New Year, her determination to get there, the American authorities collaborating with the warden, allowing the escape, the pursuit?
4. The fiance, his background, the American authorities? Angela in prison, determined to find him, at the rendezvous, the police and the authorities following, the shootout?
5. The characters in prison, the guards and their severity, the warden, collaborating with the authorities? Cleo, cheerful, the two husbands? Getting out, welcoming the
escapees? Granny, long time in prison, helping with the escape, the performance of the concert, her friend Grace and the threats, the contact with the police?
6. Happy ending for Angela – and the newspaper with the command performance?
