Shirley Knight plays a wrongfully convicted woman named "Erica Hayden" who is 5 months pregnant when she is sent to prison. Not long after she is sent there a new warden, "Frank Cole" (Andrew Duggan) arrives as well. Because his wife had run off with a paroled convict prior to his new assignment, he harbors a great deal of animosity toward all convicts. This leads him to make several bad decisions which lowers the morale of the inmates. Erica has her child, but she is taken away right before her 3-year birthday party. Because of the tactless way it was handled the female inmates stage a riot. Attracted by her good looks, the warden requests Erica to be his housemaid. Willing to do anything for a parole which will reunite her with her child, she takes this opportunity for all it is worth. At any rate, rather than give away the entire plot I will just say that there are several unexpected events that occur afterward. Although I was a little bit disappointed with the quality of the action, overall, I thought that the acting was pretty decent. Shirley Knight, Andrew Duggan and Jeanne Cooper (as a prison matron named "Helen Jennings") all performed quite well. And while this film may seem tame by today's standards, it's still somewhat enjoyable and worth a look.
Review of House of Women
