From farm girl to gangster's moll—Polly Franklin takes on Chicago's criminal underworld.
THE LADY IN RED
She's made of bullets, sin & bathtub gin!
This 1930's set film that tells the crime story of Polly Franklin, a poor farmer's daughter who leaves for Chicago, where she is sent to prison, serves as a prostitute, falls in love with the gangster known as John Dillinger and attempts a bank robbery.
Even Dillinger had to watch his back around Polly Franklin.
John Sayles pens a pulp-fueled ride through the gangster heyday, with Pamela Sue Martin dodging heartbreak, handcuffs, and bank alarms. Lewis Teague keeps the bullets and betrayals flying, while Christopher Lloyd and Dick Miller pop up for extra grit. It's the 1930s as only exploitation cinema can spin it.
— SassyFlix Programmer
The Lady in Red is a 1979 American action crime film directed by Lewis Teague about Polly Franklin, a farmer's daughter who escapes her rural past, becomes entangled with John Dillinger, and navigates the harsh realities of 1930s Chicago.
Synopsis
Why Cult
The film plunges headlong into 1930s Chicago, serving up speakeasies, outlaws, and the infamous John Dillinger.
Polly Franklin's evolution from farm girl to bank-robbing moll is a rare spotlight on a woman navigating—and surviving—the criminal underworld.
John Sayles's hardboiled script and Lewis Teague's sharp direction give the film its pulpy snap and period sting.
Christopher Lloyd and Dick Miller bring extra B-movie cred to a cast already laced with genre talent.
Questions from the Vault
What is The Lady in Red about? +
The Lady in Red tells the story of Polly Franklin, a poor farmer's daughter who leaves for Chicago, ends up in prison and prostitution, falls in love with John Dillinger, and gets caught up in bank robbery during the gangster era of the 1930s.
When was The Lady in Red released? +
The Lady in Red was released in 1979.
Who directed The Lady in Red? +
The Lady in Red was directed by Lewis Teague.
How long is The Lady in Red? +
The Lady in Red has a runtime of 93 minutes.
What genre is The Lady in Red? +
The Lady in Red is an action, crime, romance, and thriller film.
Where can I watch The Lady in Red? +
You can watch The Lady in Red on SassyFlix.
