Swamp Women (1955)
An undercover policewoman poses as a convict to infiltrate three women breaking out of prison in search of diamonds hidden in the Louisiana swamps, where greed and betrayal turn the gang against itself.
Swamp Women was one of Roger Corman’s earliest pictures as director, a cheap Woolner Brothers quickie shot on location in the Louisiana bayous with a cast of future stars — Beverly Garland and a pre-stardom Mike Connors, still billed as Touch Connors; its reputation has only grown over the decades as an object lesson in what Corman could wring from almost nothing.
Background
Swamp Women was made for the Woolner Brothers, who wanted a cheap women-in-prison picture in colour. Corman shot it on location in Louisiana, where the cast endured real swamp conditions for very little money. Marie Windsor, often called the Queen of the B’s, leads the gang, with Carole Mathews and Beverly Garland. Mike Connors appears under the name Touch Connors.
What to watch for
It is a good early example of Corman’s working method: a simple premise, a fast schedule and a cast of capable actors given room to do more than the script required. Windsor and Garland are the reason to watch, and their scenes together are lively. The plot, an undercover policewoman posing as a convict, is nothing new, but the locations look striking in colour. If you want to see how Corman made a living before he turned to horror and biker pictures, this is a good place to start.
