Seven Women from Hell

1961 film by Robert D. Webb

Seven Women from Hell

Directed by| Robert D. Webb
Written by| Jesse Lasky Jr. and Pat Silver-Lasky
Produced by| Harry Spalding
Starring| Patricia Owens
Denise Darcel
Cesar Romero
John Kerr
Margia Dean
Cinematography| Floyd Crosby
Edited by| Jodie Copelan
Music by| Paul Dunlap

Production
company

Associated Producers (API)

Distributed by| 20th Century-Fox

Release date

* October 1961 (1961-10)

Running time

| 88 min.
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $300,000[1]

Seven Women from Hell is a 1961 war drama directed by Robert D. Webb and starring Patricia Owens, Denise Darcel (in her final film), Margia Dean, Yvonne Craig and Cesar Romero about women prisoners in a Japanese World War II prison camp, interned with other prisoners.[2][3][4]

## Plot

[edit]

When the Japanese invade New Guinea in 1942, Grace Ingram (Patricia Owens), an Australian member of a scientific expedition, is captured and then imprisoned in a women's detention camp. She shares her prison barrack with six other women: Janet Cook (Yvonne Craig), a pregnant American teenager; Ann Van Laer (Sylvia Daneel), a tightlipped but sympathetic German widow; Claire Oudry (Denise Darcel), a French waitress; Mai-Lu Ferguson (Pilar Seurat), a Eurasian nurse; and two other Americans, Mara Shepherd (Margia Dean), an ignorant rich woman, and Regan (Evadne Baker), a soft-spoken young lady.

During a bombing raid, Janet's baby is born dead and the humane Captain Oda (Bob Okazaki) is killed. Sergeant Takahashi (Richard Loo), his sadistic assistant, assumes command of the camp, and a friendly Japanese, Doctor Matsumo (Yuki Shimoda), helps the women escape.

Mara is recaptured and tortured to death, and Claire and Regan are killed by rifle fire. The surviving four encounter a wounded American flyer, Lt. Bill Jackson (John Kerr), who helps them make their way to the beach but dies before they can reach safety. A wealthy planter, Luis Hullman (Cesar Romero), finds the girls, feigns friendship, and then attempts to hand them over to the Japanese. But the women learn of his plan, kill him, and escape by boat to the Allied lines.[5]

## Cast

[edit]

* Patricia Owens as Grace Ingram
* Denise Darcel as Claire Oudry
* Cesar Romero as Luis Hullman
* John Kerr as Lt. Bill Jackson
* Margia Dean as Mara Shepherd
* Yvonne Craig as Janet Cook
* Pilar Seurat as Mai-Lu Ferguson
* Sylvia Daneel as Anna Van Laer
* Richard Loo as Sgt. Takahashi
* Evadne Baker as Regan
* Bob Okazaki as Capt. Oda
* Yuki Shimoda as Dr. Matsumo
* Lloyd Kino as Rapist Guard
* Kam Fong as House Guard
* Robert Ishibashi as Truck Driver

## Production

[edit]

The film was written by Jesse Lasky Jr. and his wife, Pat Silver-Lasky for producer Robert Lippert, who had a deal with Fox to make low budget films.[6] John Kerr was signed to star.[7]

The film was shot in Hawaii in June 1961.[8][9]

## See also

[edit]

* List of American films of 1961

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Solomon, Aubrey. Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History (The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1. p253
2. ^ The New York Times Movies
3. ^ "SEVEN WOMEN FROM HELL". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 29\. 1962. p. 41\. ProQuest 1305823520.
4. ^ "SEVEN WOMEN FROM HELL". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 29, no. 336\. London. Jan 1, 1962. p. 41.
5. ^ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=89661 [bare URL]
6. ^ Hopper, H. "Entertainment". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167907873.
7. ^ Hopper, Hedda (May 23, 1961). "Entertainment: Red Skelton Will Star in Own Story Filming Planned in Tokyo; Chevalier in 'The castaways'". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
8. ^ Dexter, Maury (2012). Highway to Hollywood (PDF). p. 109.
9. ^ Scheuer, P. K. (Jun 6, 1961). "Randall envisions malibu pied piper". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 167915352.

## External links

[edit]

* Seven Women from Hell at IMDb
* Seven Women from Hell at AllMovie
* Seven Women from Hell at the TCM Movie Database
* Seven Women from Hell at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Robert D. Webb

* The Caribbean Mystery (1945)
* The Spider (1945)
* The Glory Brigade (1953)
* Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
* White Feather (1955)
* Seven Cities of Gold (1955)
* On the Threshold of Space (1956)
* The Proud Ones (1956)
* Love Me Tender (1956)
* The Way to the Gold (1957)
* Guns of the Timberland (1960)
* Seven Women from Hell (1961)
* Pirates of Tortuga (1961)
* The Cape Town Affair (1967)
* The Jackals (1967)

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