Captive Women

Captive Women is a 1952 American black-and-white post-apocalyptic science-fiction film. It stars Robert Clarke and Margaret Field. The film has a running time of 64 minutes. It deals with the effects of a nuclear war and how life would be afterwards.

Captive Women
Directed byStuart Gilmore
Produced byJack Pollexfen
Aubrey Wisberg
Written byJack Pollexfen
Aubrey Wisberg
StarringRobert Clarke
Ron Randell
Margaret Field
Gloria Saunders
Music byCharles Koff
CinematographyPaul Ivano
Edited byFred R. Feitshans Jr.
Production
company
Albert Zugsmith Productions
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Release date
  • October 10, 1952 (1952-10-10) (U.S.)[1]
Running time
64 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The movie opens with war footage from a World War Three ending with a nuclear attack

Long after the nuclear war, the last human survivors are divided into three tribes. Robert (Clarke) and Ruth (Field) are about to be married in the ruins of a post-apocalyptic New York City during a brief interlude in ongoing hostilities between their tribe, the Norms, and the rival tribe the Mutates. The Mutes try to adhere to the tenants of the Christian Bible, while norms reject this.

But raiders from a third tribe, the Upriver People, attack through the Hudson Tunnel, capturing Ruth and with several other women. The warring tribes must put aside their differences to rescue the women, a joint effort which takes up rather little time in this short film. The Upriver people need fertile women.

Ultimately the Upriver tribe is defeated and they are trapped in the Hudson River Tunnel as it is flooded. With the women recovered, there are improved prospects for a more peaceful tribal coexistence as the film concludes.

Cast

Reception

Variety found the movie's plot to be plodding and most of the good ideas left off screen, although the camera work was good as was Ron Randall's acting. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction found the movie of some importance as one of if not the first science fiction film to consider what the world might become some time after a nuclear war. TV Guide found that the movie was often inane and silly, but that the halfway decent visual effects help this shaky film. [2]

Production

The original title was found 1,000 Years from Now, but RKO wanted a more sensational title.[3] The ruins of New York are briefly shown in matte paintings by Block.[4] In 1956, it was re-released by the name 1000 Years from Now.[5] In the United Kingdom the movie is known as 3000 A.D., the film's original title.

It was one of three films Albert Zugsmith made for RKO.[6] It was Ron Randell's first science fiction film.[7]

References
  1. "Captive Women: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  2. https://www.tvguide.com/movies/captive-women/review/110325/
  3. https://archive.org/details/variety188-1952-10/page/n21/mode/2up
  4. http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/captive_women
  5. Parla, Paul; Mitchell, Charles P. (2000). Screen sirens scream!: interviews with 20 actresses from science fiction, horror, film noir, and mystery movies, 1930s to 1960s. McFarland. p. 96. ISBN 0-7864-0701-8.
  6. Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (1975). "Albert Zugmsith". In Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (eds.). Kings of the Bs : working within the Hollywood system : an anthology of film history and criticism. E. P. Dutton. p. 413.
  7. Vagg, Stephen (August 10, 2019). "Unsung Aussie Actors – Ron Randell: A Top Twenty". Filmink.
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