Nightmare in Badham County is a women's prison exploitation movie. The surprise is that is a network American television movie. It was spiced up for its European release with some gratuitous nudity and lesbianism.
Cathy Phillips (Deborah Raffin) and Diane Emery (Lynne Moody) are California college students driving in the deep south. After having some car trouble they upset redneck Sheriff Danen (Chuck Connors) by rejecting his amorous advances.
The sheriff has them locked up in jail for 30 days thanks to his cousin, the judge. In prison they are used as slave labour. Other women are used as playthings by the prison guards and the warden. If you step out of line you are severely spanked.
Cathy and Diane need to escape as their families are unaware of their predicament.
The movie covers the main elements of this type of genre. Racism also has a part to play as Cathy and Diane find themselves segregated with black prisoners being treated worse. As this was originally made for television, the exploitation part is toned down. The acting is a lot better with a cast that includes Della Reese, Robert Reed and Fionnula Flanagan.
It is not a great movie, a bit silly, camp and downbeat. The film ends with a drama documentary caption about the commercial exploitation of prisoners hoping that would justify is sleazy underpinnings.
Cathy Phillips (Deborah Raffin) and Diane Emery (Lynne Moody) are California college students driving in the deep south. After having some car trouble they upset redneck Sheriff Danen (Chuck Connors) by rejecting his amorous advances.
The sheriff has them locked up in jail for 30 days thanks to his cousin, the judge. In prison they are used as slave labour. Other women are used as playthings by the prison guards and the warden. If you step out of line you are severely spanked.
Cathy and Diane need to escape as their families are unaware of their predicament.
The movie covers the main elements of this type of genre. Racism also has a part to play as Cathy and Diane find themselves segregated with black prisoners being treated worse. As this was originally made for television, the exploitation part is toned down. The acting is a lot better with a cast that includes Della Reese, Robert Reed and Fionnula Flanagan.
It is not a great movie, a bit silly, camp and downbeat. The film ends with a drama documentary caption about the commercial exploitation of prisoners hoping that would justify is sleazy underpinnings.