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Crime Cult Classic

A schoolteacher battles corruption and cruelty inside a girls' reformatory run by a city racketeer.

GIRLS IN CHAINS

Girls' Reform-school Racket Exposed!

1943 · 1h 15m · PG · Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Mystery / Romance · IMDB TMDB

When a teacher loses her job because her brother-in-law is a racketeer, she takes a position at a girls' reformatory.

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Vault Note

From the bargain-basement era when even reform schools couldn’t afford fresh laundry—or honest wardens.

Programmer's Pick

Edgar G. Ulmer delivers a Poverty Row punch with this tale of reform-school intrigue, where the laundry piles up almost as fast as the double-crosses. Watch for Arline Judge navigating a sea of tough matrons, gangster connections, and that ever-present scent of low-budget resourcefulness.

— SassyFlix Programmer
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Quick Answer
What is Girls in Chains about?

Girls in Chains is a 1943 American crime drama directed by Edgar G. Ulmer about a teacher who, after losing her job due to her criminal brother-in-law, works in a corrupt girls' correctional facility.

Details & Specs
Director
Edgar G. Ulmer
Writers
Edgar G. Ulmer, Albert Beich
Release
1943
Runtime
1h 15m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Genres
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery, Romance

Synopsis

When Ruth Martin is discharged from her teaching position because her sister is married to a notorious criminal (who is basically running the city), she accepts a job at a girls correctional facility. Her intent is to try and prepare the inmates for a better life once they are released. Ruth runs up against the supervisor (who is controlled by her brother-in-law) who is only interested in skimming money off the budget and his gang of matrons who only want to keep the girls in line doing laundry.

Why Cult

Reform School Exposé

Peek behind the barred windows of a girls' correctional facility, where corruption and exploitation run the show.

Poverty Row Noir

Directed by cult favorite Edgar G. Ulmer, this B-movie gem wrings maximum drama out of minimal means.

Cat Fights and Crooks

Rival inmates, jealous matrons, and a city run by a racketeer provide plenty of pulp drama and backstage brawling.

Female Lead Struggles

Arline Judge's Ruth Martin faces off against systemic injustice and personal guilt, embodying the classic damsel-in-distress with grit.

Trailer

Scene Gallery

Questions from the Vault

What is Girls in Chains about? +

Girls in Chains follows a teacher who, after being dismissed because her brother-in-law is a racketeer, takes a job at a girls' reformatory rife with corruption and exploitation.

Who directed Girls in Chains? +

Girls in Chains was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer.

When was Girls in Chains released? +

Girls in Chains was released in 1943.

How long is Girls in Chains? +

Girls in Chains has a runtime of 75 minutes.

What genre is Girls in Chains? +

Girls in Chains is a crime, drama, film-noir, mystery, and romance film.

Where can I watch Girls in Chains? +

Girls in Chains is available to stream on SassyFlix.

Themes & Keywords

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