House of Women
| House of Women | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Walter Doniger Crane Wilbur (uncredited) |
| Written by | Crane Wilbur |
| Produced by | Bryan Foy |
| Starring | Shirley Knight Andrew Duggan Constance Ford Barbara Nichols Margaret Hayes Jeanne Cooper |
| Cinematography | Harold E. Stine |
| Edited by | Leo H. Shreve |
| Music by | Howard Jackson |
Production company | Bryan Foy Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
House of Women (also known as Ladies of the Mob[1]) is a 1962 American crime film directed and written by Crane Wilbur, starring Shirley Knight and Andrew Duggan.[1] Walter Doniger, who was hired to direct the film, was fired and replaced by Wilbur 10 days into shooting.[2]
Plot
Erica Hayden is a young expectant mother wrongly implicated in a crime and sent to prison for five years. Erica learns that she must find a guardian for her daughter or her daughter will become a ward of the state. Frank Cole, the warden, becomes infatuated with Erica and effectively blocks her chances for parole.
When another inmate's child dies, the woman becomes deranged. Erica prevents a tragedy and earns the right to be freed to be with her daughter, and Warden Cole's unethical methods come to light.
Cast
- Shirley Knight as Erica Hayden
- Andrew Duggan as Warden Frank Cole
- Constance Ford as Sophie Brice
- Barbara Nichols as Candy Kane
- Margaret Hayes as Zoe Stoughton
- Jeanne Cooper as Helen Jennings
- Virginia Gregg as Mrs. Hunter
- Patricia Huston as Doris
- Jason Evers as Dr. F.M. Conrad
- Jennifer Howard as Addie Gates
- Caroline Richter as Clemens
- Gayla Graves as Jackie
- Colette Jackson as Aggie
- Jacqueline Scott as Mrs. Stevens
- Paul Lambert as Richard Dunn
- Lyle Latell as Sam
- Jeanne Carmen as inmate
Reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A plea for more humane treatment of unmarried mothers which veers from mawkish banality to hysterical violence. Shirley Knight is an irritatingly starry-eyed heroine, and Andrew Duggan can make nothing of the infatuated warden."[3]
The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "House Of Women is a brisk and business-like prison melodrama with an unusual framework for a fairly usual setting, handled with taste, suspense and quite a bit of good character. Bryan Foy's production is modestly-budgeted by today's stratospheric standards, and will undoubtedly do well in the kind of dual bookings for which it was designed and executed."[4]
Variety wrote: "Miss Knight gives a fragile, pure-as-the-driven-snow portrayal. Duggan is a composed, distracted villain. Among the flashier inmates, or cell block-busters, are Constance Ford as an anguished mother and Barbara Nichols as an ex-stripper with heart of gold, turned contented prisoner (she deesn't want out). ... Doniger's direction tends to be rather stilted and theatrical."[5]
References
- ^ a b "House of Women". American Film Institute Catalog. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
- ^ Richard Harland Smith. "Cult movies: House of Women". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ "House of Women". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 29 (336): 53. January 1, 1962. ProQuest 1305821054.
- ^ "House of Women". The Hollywood Reporter. 169 (39): 3. April 6, 1962. ProQuest 2339668253.
- ^ "House of Women". Variety. 226 (7): 26. April 11, 1962. ProQuest 962752474.
External links
- House of Women at IMDb
- House of Women at the TCM Movie Database (archived version)
- House of Women at Rotten Tomatoes