Very strong women in prison film benefiting from J. Lee Thompson at his peak and a memoir by Joan Henry who would soon marry the director... and usher in Thompson's peak years.
It's a film with a great deal of empathy and warmth particularly the friendship between Glynis Johns and Diana Dors. Johns is fine - a solid medium level star. It's not her fault her character learns that having a man is the most important thing in life. Dors is very good - she looks like she should be in prison and down playing her glamour is effective. It's so nice to see her have a female friend.
There's a strong support cast including Rachel Roberts, Jane Hylton (a devastating subplot where she plays a mother whose kid dies), Sybil Thorndike.
The storyline about the two old biddies who poison an old guy probably becomes too late in the day. The subplot with John Gregson as the boyfriend going off to Rhodesia seems wonky, though Gregson is an ideal romantic lead for something like this he's not too wet. The guy who plays the reverend is creepy and the nice warden scary - but that feels authentic. Good movie.
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