Directed by: Rolf Olsen
Stars: Essy Persson, Helga Anders, Erik Schumann, Margot Trooger, Karin Field, Jane Tilden, Dominique Boschero, Gabriella Giorgelli, Ellen Schwiers, Angelica Ott, Ilse Peternell
Language: English
Country: Germany | Imdb Info
Also known as: Das Rasthaus der grausamen Puppen,
Description: “The Devil’s Girls” (1967), directed by German filmmaker Rolf Olsen, unfolds on a dark and stormy night in Glasgow, Scotland. The film follows amateur thieves Betty Williams (played by Essy Persson) and her boyfriend Bob Fishman (Erik Schumann) who botch a smash-and-grab heist, resulting in the accidental death of a police officer. While Betty is captured and sent to a local prison, Bob escapes into the night. In prison, Betty aligns herself with a group of notorious female inmates. Seizing an opportune moment, she orchestrates a daring escape by murdering the prison’s warden, and flees with her newfound allies. The group manages to evade law enforcement and find refuge in a remote inn in the Scottish countryside, where Bob is hiding under a false identity. As they plot their next move, internal tensions and unexpected complications threaten to unravel the group.
Shot primarily in Italy, despite its Scottish setting, “The Devil’s Girls” is a unique blend of European casting and aesthetics with an attempt to mimic American drive-in cinema of the 1970s. The film is characterized by a mix of melodrama and action, typical of drive-in films, with a significant portion of the dialogue and scenes believed to be improvised on set. Despite its energetic setup, the film falters in its execution, maintaining a conservative approach that likely aimed at securing distribution within Germany. This conservative approach contrasts sharply with the potential sleaze and graphic visuals that directors like Roger Corman or Jack Hill might have employed to meet drive-in expectations more fully. Olsen’s direction, coupled with Karl Lob’s cinematography, reflects a missed opportunity to capitalize on the raw elements of the genre, despite Lob’s prior acclaimed work with Fritz Lang.
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