For many years I have owned a blurry bootleg of this movie, and now it's been given a beautiful Blu-ray treatment from Film Detective.
Jerry Gross directed this classic tale about three civil rights workers who get caught in the small southern town by a very crooked Sheriff's Department.
They are framed, arrested and thrown in jail by Sheriff Sonny Lew Wymer (William Watson) in his film debut. There has never been a more corrupt Sheriff in any other movie. The two men of the group, Ted Branch (Ron Segal) and Audie Dixon (played by an uncredited actor) are shot and killed by the sheriff and his men in a prison break set up.
The woman with them is Jean Rollins (Julie Ange). The sheriff rapes her in jail and they set up a kangaroo court and sentance her to 90 days at a "correctional" farm where black males are chained together and forced into slave labor.
Of course, everyone wants Jean and the sleaze ball who runs the chain gang is determined to make her his own. It really doesn't help that Jean is very attractive.
This is a very depressing film on many levels and the court sequence has to be seen to be believed. The jusy of 12 consists of one man who represents all 12 people, and the judge is a drunken bum who yawns during the trial and has a great way of saying "order in the court".
Jean manages to escape with one of the prisoners and all does not end well for Sheriff Sonny. This black and white gem was actually filmed on Long Island, but it passes for the south, and it's done very well.
If you think you've seen it all, this movie will give you a little bit more. Julie Ange is a standout and quite a looker. It's about time this film was brought out to the public, and I cannot recommend it enough.
A shower might be good after the film, but you gotta see it!!
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