THE
BIG DOLL HOUSE (1971)/THE BIG BIRD CAGE
(1972)Director: Jack Hill
New Concorde
THE
BIG DOLL HOUSE (1971)/THE BIG BIRD CAGE
(1972)Very few directors of the exploitation business in the 1970s were able to successfully create one classic film after another and have each one of them develop a firm cult following in the ensuing years. One of these filmmakers is Jack Hill, whose films in the decade began with THE BIG DOLL HOUSE in 1971 and ended with SWITCHBLADE SISTERS in 1975. It cannot easily be determined which of his 70s films is his best, but his two entries in the women-in-prison genre remain just as memorable as they were 30 years ago.
THE BIG DOLL HOUSE starts off well enough: young Pam Grier croons the theme song "Long Time Woman" as the audience sees young redhead Collier (Judy Brown) being transported to a women's' prison deep in the jungle. After a perverse body search, Collier is escorted to her cell, where she is introduced to one of the best exploitation casts ever assembled: Grear (played by Pam Grier...hmmm...), the tough black lesbian; Alcott (the wonderful Roberta Collins), the tough blonde chick; Harrad (Brooke Mills), the junkie whom Grear holds under her thumb; Ferina (Gina Stuart - who?), a Hispanic inmate with a pet cat; and Bodine (Pat Woodell), a political prisoner. The prison is run by Miss Dietrich (Christiane Schmitdmer), a distant, uncaring floozy who leaves the dirty work, such as the beatings, the psychological torture, the threats, to head guard Lucian (the completely over-the-top Kathryn Loder).
BIG DOLL HOUSE is not a plot-driven film. The girls do the stuff girls usually do in women-in-prison films (showers, manual labor, lesbian gropings, mudfights, ya know, like in real life), only Hill was a groundbreaker in being there first. DOLL HOUSE practically invented the WIP subgenre, for better or worse, and only New World's CAGED HEAT equals it in terms of excellence and entertainment value. The key to the film's success is its rapid pacing. Director/screenwriter Hill is known for keeping his films interesting even when it's merely a dialogue scene. DOLL HOUSE runs at 100 miles an hour and rarely slows down to gaze at the scenery. There's a male rape scene, a mudfight between Grier and Collins, a revolt with lots of machine gun fire and explosives, a cockroach race, nude showers, a head slammed into a toilet, and more action, humor, and entertainment than can be described here. Not only does DOLL HOUSE stand up just as well as it did in 1971, it is probably even better all these years later. Of the cast, Roberta Collins and Pam Grier are the two stand-outs and both have deservedly earned cult status among film fans. It's interesting to see Pat Woodell ("Petticoat Junction") in a tough chick role, and Brooke Mills finally turns interesting just before she kicks the bucket. Judy Brown is lovely to look at and has some choice dialogue, but cannot compare in terms of screen charisma or personality to her co-stars. And who could forget Sid Haig, a brilliant screen actor who steals every scene he is in. The scenes he shares with Grier are something truly special; the real-life friendship between the two shines through, regardless of the situation. The ending is a real kick in the face, and will leave you frothing at the mouth for more WIP madness. The remedy for this thirst? Watch the movie again from start to finish!
New Concorde had previously released BIG DOLL HOUSE on DVD in a fullscreen presentation with only a trailer and a Leonard Maltin/Roger Corman interview as an extra. This new "Special Edition" (as it is labeled) isn't that much more special than its earlier incarnation. It's still full-frame when the ratio should be at least 1.66:1 (a la COFFY). The video is full of muddy, blurry colors, never bright or clearly defined. The transfer is really lacking in digital quality, and the audio isn't anything to brag about either. It's a pretty weak mono, and to add insult to injury, the film's audio track heard in the background during Hill's commentary is stronger and more vibrant than the film-only soundtrack!! The back cover lists a Leonard Maltin/Roger Corman interview. It isn't available through the Special Features menu, but look hard enough and you'll find it embedded in Roger Corman's biography page. The film's theatrical trailer is here, as well as the trailers for BIG BIRD CAGE, WOMEN IN CAGES, and THE ARENA (what, no CAGED HEAT?). There are some interesting bios, but no new information to be savored for veterans of these performers. The highlight of the disc is the audio commentary by the always interesting Jack Hill, who might be the only director alive who has provided audio commentaries for every single one of the films he wrote and directed, from SPIDER BABY through SWITCHBLADE SISTERS. He talks more in this commentary than he does for his commentaries for MGM's Soul Cinema discs, and provides invaluable insight on making films overseas, shares memories of the star-studded cast, and generally will keep you alert for the 94-minute running time.
THE BIG BIRD CAGE was a semi-sequel to DOLL HOUSE. It featured Pam Grier and Sid Haig, and was written and directed by Jack Hill, but the similarities really end there. This time around, Grier and Haig are mercenary lovers who kidnap sultry Terry (the underrated Anitra Ford) during a nightclub hold-up. Upon their capture, Terry is mistaken for a member of the gang and is thrown into an exotic jungle prison without trial! Once again, the audience is provided with an ensemble cast of exploitation greats: Carol Speed is the spunky black hooker inmate, Candice Roman is Carla the blonde nymphomaniac, Teda Bracci is the loud-mouthed comic relief, Karen McKevic is the threatening lesbian, and Marissa Delgado is the fragile, borderline-insane inmate. Follow Ford as she witnesses "bodies broken" in the Bird Cage, parties where inmates are forced to sleep with government officials, and is hung by her hair for a day for attempting to escape! To make matters worse, all the guards (including Filipino exploitation veteran Vic Diaz) are gay! Good Lord!! Enter Grier, 50 minutes into the film, who takes charge over her fellow inmates. Haig infiltrates the prison by feigning interest in Diaz, and we're on our way to another violent climax that leaves everyone biting the dust and the audience craving more, more, more!! You know a movie is good when it leaves you so excited and energetic that you want to watch the movie all over again, so do yourself a favor: watch the movie all over again!
BIG BIRD CAGE was not as successful in theaters as DOLL HOUSE. Some attribute this to the fact that BIRD CAGE was facing off against other WIP films, but I don't think this is a valid argument. The problem may have been that the film just isn't as good as its predecessor. It has all the right elements and the final 40 minutes are a slam-bang non-stop ride, driving along at the prescribed Jack Hill speed of 100 mph. But prior to Grier's imprisonment, BIRD CAGE runs at a paltry 65 mph, rarely picking up. Part of this is Even the luscious Anitra Ford and the always interesting Carol Speed in a supporting role just isn't enough to keep the audience's interest. Candice Roman is obviously a weak replacement for the far superior Roberta Collins (the two look identical from a distance) and Teda Bracci is not only unfunny, but resembles an uglier, toothier version of Bette Midler. Her nude scenes will provoke more eye-covering than eye-opening. The most physically interesting character is the lesbian giant Karen, performed to underplayed perfection by Karen McKevic. Sid Haig and Vic Diaz (as the gay comic relief) are hilarious, despite the politically correct climate of today.
BIG BIRD CAGE's DVD presentation is much more satisfactory than DOLL HOUSE's so-called "Special Edition." This is labeled a "Special Edition," as well, but delivers the goods this time around. The fullframe presentation is still wrong (what happened to New Concorde's letterboxing? HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD? ROCK'N'ROLL HIGH SCHOOL?), but the colors are sharp and well-defined. All night scenes are bright and easy to see, and the audio is clear and satisfying. Once again, the trailers for BIG DOLL HOUSE, BIG BIRD CAGE, WOMEN IN CAGES, and THE ARENA are present. Bios are offered (none featuring any new, interesting information). The Jack Hill audio commentary is once again highly entertaining, never boring, and historically significant. Hill's commentaries rank with David F. Friedman's and Sam Sherman's for importance in the history of exploitation cinema, and even casual fans of the genre will find themselves revisiting Hill's audio essays repeatedly.
New Concorde has made available two sorta-Special Editions: one falls short because of the film's transfer (DOLL HOUSE) and one falls short because of the film's flaws (BIRD CAGE). Both discs are well worth having for the price (in some outlets $12 or less!), and as a double feature for your next action fix or keg party, THE BIG DOLL HOUSE and THE BIG BIRD CAGE cannot be beat. (Casey Scott)