Swamp Women (1955)

Swamp Women was the first movie directed by Roger Corman, back in 1955. It tells the story of a female cop who goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of vicious women jewel thieves. She persuades them to break out of gaol with her in the hope they’ll lead her to a cache of stolen diamonds hidden somewhere in the bayous of Louisiana. It’s an enjoyable romp of an exploitation movie, with lots of fist-fights between girls as they squabble over the loot and a hunky male hostage. Since they’re in a swamp the gals naturally wear incredibly skimpy shorts, as you would if you were trudging through a swamp. Like most of Corman’s movies it looks better than its limited budget would lead you to expect. Most of the film takes place in the swamps and the atmosphere is rather well done. It might be cheap but it doesn’t look amateurish. The acting is what you’d expect in an exploitation B-movie but it’s fun. If you’re a devotee of bad girl movies then this one is an absolute must-see.