When one of her parolees is killed in prison, "Sandra Parker" (Lois Nettleton) decides to investigate by going into the prison disguised as a convict under the name of "Sally Porter". The only person who knows of her ruse is her fellow parole officer "Helen Anderson" (Penny Fuller). Unfortunately, Helen is killed in the line of duty and nobody else is aware of Sandra's plan. So now she has to contend with a sadistic chief matron named "Claire Tyson" (Ida Lupino) who has developed an intense dislike for her. To help the chief matron are two informants named "Dee Dee" (Jessica Walter) and "Leila" (Barbara Luna). Anyway, rather than divulge what happens next I will just say that this was very suspenseful for a made-for-television movie. Naturally, there is no nudity or graphic language due to the restrictive format. However, the acting and the storyline were both top-notch and everything seems to flow together quite well. Definitely worth a watch.
9 Reviews
Ida Lupino in prison AGAIN!
mls418215 May 2022
The last time, she played a sadistic warden in 1955's Women's Prison. This time she plays a sadistic prison guard with too much power.
The premise, which I will not give away, is pretty preposterous. Thats okay. This is pure camp.
Poor Lois Nettleton. She was a good actress and quite attractive. She deserved better than the awful TV she got stuck in.
Apparently, the only privilege these women DON'T get taken away is their false eyelashes.
The premise, which I will not give away, is pretty preposterous. Thats okay. This is pure camp.
Poor Lois Nettleton. She was a good actress and quite attractive. She deserved better than the awful TV she got stuck in.
Apparently, the only privilege these women DON'T get taken away is their false eyelashes.
Hell without men !!
searchanddestroy-12 August 2009
I would say it's a mix up between WOMEN'S PRISON and BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. Not less. Take the topic: A female probation officer decides to watch prison system first hand. So, she arranges fake identity with the help of a girl friend of hers - the ONLY person who is aware of that situation. The probation officer actually wants to denounce the "inside" system: brutality, violence, sadistic behaviors, and not only from the inmates...
And, of course, as in WOMEN's PRISON, 18 years earlier, we can find Ida Lupino again, in a sadistic warden character. What a delight !!!
I will not insist on the first rate strength of this movie about inside daily life. As many films of this kind, it's very realistic, fierce but poignant too. Characters are outstanding. I am also pleased to find Jessica Walter, I knew through PLAY MISTY FOR ME. Remember, the waco girl who was in love with Clint Eastwood...
And the link between the feature and Fritz Lang's masterpiece: BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT is the fact that a person - Dana Andrews for instance in Lang's film - wants to denounce something - death penalty for BEYOND... - and the the only person who can testify of his try dies.
So...
For God's sake, don't miss this terrific TV movie. You won't regret it.
And, of course, as in WOMEN's PRISON, 18 years earlier, we can find Ida Lupino again, in a sadistic warden character. What a delight !!!
I will not insist on the first rate strength of this movie about inside daily life. As many films of this kind, it's very realistic, fierce but poignant too. Characters are outstanding. I am also pleased to find Jessica Walter, I knew through PLAY MISTY FOR ME. Remember, the waco girl who was in love with Clint Eastwood...
And the link between the feature and Fritz Lang's masterpiece: BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT is the fact that a person - Dana Andrews for instance in Lang's film - wants to denounce something - death penalty for BEYOND... - and the the only person who can testify of his try dies.
So...
For God's sake, don't miss this terrific TV movie. You won't regret it.
Women In Chains
BandSAboutMovies25 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The ABC Movie of the Week for January 25, 1972, Women In Chains brings Ida Lupino to TV for her first made-for-TV movie, as well as bringing her back to the WIP genre that she made such a mark on with 1955's Women's Prison.
She plays prison guard Claire Tyson (Ida Lupino), a woman who can get away with anything that she wants to, as long as its within the prison walls. Parole officer Sandra Parker (Lois Nettleton, who was on the TV series form of In the Heat of the Night) gets the idea to make herself over as junkie Sally Porter to the protests of Assistant District Attorney Helen Anderson (Penny Fuller).
Helen is the only one who knows about this undercover work, but when she's shot and killed by the boyfriend of one of her cases our heroine is stuck in the big house. Her goal is to save an innocent girl named Lemina (Belinda Montgomery, Dooger Hauser's mom) but she runs into Tyson's henchwoman Leila (BarBara Luna, who was in the "Mirror, Mirror" episode of the original Star Trek). After asking so many questions, the word comes down. Helen/Sally is going to get killed, so she makes a daring escape that brings her directly into physical combat with Tyson.
Written by Rita Lakin (who wrote 464 episodes, eight movies of the week and two miniseries in her career, as well as the Gladdy Gold Mystery book series) and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski (Night of the Blood Beast, Sssssss), don't go into this movie expecting the normal WIP hallmarks. After all, this aired on broadcast TV. That doesn't make this a bad film, however.
She plays prison guard Claire Tyson (Ida Lupino), a woman who can get away with anything that she wants to, as long as its within the prison walls. Parole officer Sandra Parker (Lois Nettleton, who was on the TV series form of In the Heat of the Night) gets the idea to make herself over as junkie Sally Porter to the protests of Assistant District Attorney Helen Anderson (Penny Fuller).
Helen is the only one who knows about this undercover work, but when she's shot and killed by the boyfriend of one of her cases our heroine is stuck in the big house. Her goal is to save an innocent girl named Lemina (Belinda Montgomery, Dooger Hauser's mom) but she runs into Tyson's henchwoman Leila (BarBara Luna, who was in the "Mirror, Mirror" episode of the original Star Trek). After asking so many questions, the word comes down. Helen/Sally is going to get killed, so she makes a daring escape that brings her directly into physical combat with Tyson.
Written by Rita Lakin (who wrote 464 episodes, eight movies of the week and two miniseries in her career, as well as the Gladdy Gold Mystery book series) and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski (Night of the Blood Beast, Sssssss), don't go into this movie expecting the normal WIP hallmarks. After all, this aired on broadcast TV. That doesn't make this a bad film, however.
Campy fun!
Hoohawnaynay4 January 2002
One of those made for TV movies of the week. Campy fun, just don't take it too seriously. Lois Nettleton as a parole agent who goes undercover in a women's prison to investigate brutality. Of course, once she's inside her friend (who is the only one who knows who she really is) is killed, leaving her to fight for her life. Ida Lupino gives an over the top performance as a "butch" prison matron who gets her thrills beating up the inmates. Very entertaining movie if you like unbelievable fare and performers who have fun with their roles. I wish there was a cable channel showing these made-for-TV flicks, they were quite memorable.
Plot holes big enough to drive a truck through them!
planktonrules7 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Women in Chains" is a film you can only enjoy if you turn off your brain and don't think too hard about what is happening. After all, the film is filled with huge plot holes...holes that SHOULD have been taken care of before they filmed this.
When the film begins, a sadistic prison matron, Claire (Ida Lupino) beats an inmate to death. It's all chalked up as an accident but a parole officer, Sandra (Lois Nettleton), decides to investigate by posing as a prisoner. So, she pretends to be a parole violator and has her friend, another parole officer, lock up 'Sally' so she can investigate. Once there, the sadism and despair of the place begins to take its toll on Sally and her only way out disappears.
Big dumb plot problem #1 is that any parole officer would be recognized by many of the inmates of any prison. After all, a parole officer routinely sends folks back to prison for violating parole. Evidently the writer of this film had no idea WHAT a parole officer does. Big dumb plot problem #2 is that Sandra goes into prison and NO ONE OTHER THAN HER FRIEND KNOWS THIS. So, if anything happens to her friend, Sandra/Sally is totally screwed...so you KNOW what's coming next!! All in all, a brainless little film that could have been so much better. Fun...but mindless fun. The only thing (other than better writing) that might have made this better was to make it more sensationalistic and sleazy...at least then it wouldn't have mattered how bad the writing was!
When the film begins, a sadistic prison matron, Claire (Ida Lupino) beats an inmate to death. It's all chalked up as an accident but a parole officer, Sandra (Lois Nettleton), decides to investigate by posing as a prisoner. So, she pretends to be a parole violator and has her friend, another parole officer, lock up 'Sally' so she can investigate. Once there, the sadism and despair of the place begins to take its toll on Sally and her only way out disappears.
Big dumb plot problem #1 is that any parole officer would be recognized by many of the inmates of any prison. After all, a parole officer routinely sends folks back to prison for violating parole. Evidently the writer of this film had no idea WHAT a parole officer does. Big dumb plot problem #2 is that Sandra goes into prison and NO ONE OTHER THAN HER FRIEND KNOWS THIS. So, if anything happens to her friend, Sandra/Sally is totally screwed...so you KNOW what's coming next!! All in all, a brainless little film that could have been so much better. Fun...but mindless fun. The only thing (other than better writing) that might have made this better was to make it more sensationalistic and sleazy...at least then it wouldn't have mattered how bad the writing was!
Exciting, tense, and amazingly sexxy even 30 years later
rtroy5 July 2003
This movie would be a real hoot even 30 years after it came out. DVD for a restored copy would be great. From my view one of the best of the so-called sexploitation films of its era. And unlike most, the uniforms used are actually authentic to that period. And great looking, too!
This is a really good movie, esp. for camp and childhood memories!
Skoz653 May 2003
I have waited a long time to re-watch this film and it is certainly as good and campy as I remembered it!! I have no idea (yet some idea) what makes this TV Movie of the Week stand out, but it does...as well as some others. Anyone else remember Five Desperate Women? or Weekend of Terror? or The Screaming Woman? or Bad Ronald? What happened to "fun" ABC-TV Movies-of-the-Week like these? These film styles should be revitalized and introduced to the new generation of "bad taste" watchers who pay $10 a film for bad acting and "modified camp" films from one-hit-wonder singers, teenage bimbo "superstars," and wannabe-actor/rap artists. Can't you see J Lo and Eminem and Nelly together in some loopy Made-for-TV or Lifetime movie re-make of "The Philadelphia Story"? Anyway "WIC" is a must see for several reasons, so see it!!
Watched once: Never forgot it...
heavenschild-9592510 June 2022
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