Caged Heat

Caged Heat
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Produced by Roger Corman (uncredited)
Sam W. Gelfman
Evelyn Purcell
Written by Jonathan Demme
Starring Juanita Brown
Roberta Collins
Erica Gavin
Ella Reid
Rainbeaux Smith
Barbara Steele
Music by John Cale
Cinematography Tak Fujimoto
Edited by Johanna Demetrakas
Michal Goldman
Carolyn Hicks
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release date
  • 1974 (1974)
Running time
 83 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $180,000[1]

Caged Heat, also known as Renegade Girls, is a 1974 women in prison film. It was written and directed by Jonathan Demme for New World Pictures, headed by Roger Corman. The film stars Juanita Brown, Roberta Collins, Erica Gavin, Ella Reid, Rainbeaux Smith, and Barbara Steele.

John Cale wrote and performed its soundtrack music, which features the guitar playing of Mike Bloomfield.

Two later features, Caged Heat II: Stripped of Freedom (1994) and Caged Heat 3000 (1995), made use of the Caged Heat name and the women-in-prison situation, but are unrelated films.

Premise

Caged Heat centers on the story of Jacqueline Wilson (Erica Gavin). Wilson is sentenced to a women's prison after her conviction on illegal drug offenses. Wilson, naturally, becomes associated with a group of fellow female convicts, and they fight against the repressive policies of the prison's warden (Barbara Steele).

Cast

  • Erica Gavin... Jacqueline Wilson
  • Juanita Brown ... Maggie
  • Roberta Collins... Belle Tyson
  • Ella Reid ... Pandora
  • Cheryl Smith... Lavelle (as Rainbeaux Smith)
  • Warren Miller ... Dr. Randolph
  • Barbara Steele... Supt. McQueen
  • Crystin Sinclaire ... Crazy Alice (as Lynda Gold)
  • Mickey Fox ... Bernice
  • Toby Carr Rafelson ... Pinter (as Tobi Carr Refelson)
  • Ann Stockdale ... Bonnie
  • Irene Stokes ... Hazel

Production

Demme had produced two films for Corman, including the women in prison picture The Hot Box (1972). He wanted to turn director and wrote a script for Corman, but the producer did not want to fund it, as he thought the cycle had peaked. However, Demme succeeded in raising the finance on his own and Corman agreed to distribute through New World Pictures.[1]

Critical reception

The film was Jonathan Demme's debut as a film director. Producer Roger Corman thought that the content of his company's previous "women in prison" films was inadequate, so he instructed Demme to create a screenplay that would bring something novel to this genre. However, Corman also wanted Caged Heat to retain most of the violence and nudity that audiences for this genre had come to expect.

Demme introduced new aspects to Caged Heat, including a satirical approach and making the sadistic warden female instead of male.[2] To a lesser degree, Demme also incorporated elements of liberal politics, feminism and social consciousness into his screenplay. Because of all these new elements introduced to the "women-in-prison" genre, and because of the film's status as Demme's first feature, some movie critics consider it to be more interesting than the run-of-the-mill, women-in-prison exploitation movie.[3]

Further reading

  • Bliss, Michael, and Banks, Christina: What Goes Around Comes Around: The Films of Jonathan Demme (1996): ISBN 0-8093-1984-5

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Christopher T Koetting, Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Hemlock Books. 2009 p 64
  2. ↑ Maltin, Leonard. "Roger Corman Interview". Caged Heat [Motion Picture, DVD version]. USA: New Concorde
  3. ↑ TV Guide Movie Reviews. Accessed 25 Jul 2009
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