Judy Robinson in House of Whipcord (1974)
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Review
House of Whipcord (1974) is a British Horror/Thriller. First let me warn you to ignore all of the usual sources of information on this film. The summary at IMDb is so far wrong it is frightening, Bare Facts says there is no nudity, CNDB has never heard of it, and SONDB has it, but lists a wrong actress as having the exposure. Part of the reason for the confusion is probably that the film has been released in a heavily censored 88 minute edition, while the full Region 2 PAL version is around 102 minutes.
The story is an interesting and somewhat unique one, but the execution (excuse the pun) could have been far better. I young French model is at a party with her London flat mate, and is a little embarrassed by a nude photo of her on display, the shooting of which got her arrested. She meets a young man at the party, and accepts a dinner invitation from him. They get along well, and he invites her to meet his parents. He neglects to mention that his father is a retired judge, and his mother a discharged prison matron, and that the two of them live in an old prison, where they punish young women they feel the courts were too easy on. It is the son's job to lure them there.
Conditions are awful, and there are many rules. For your first infraction of any rule, it is two weeks solitary. The second results in 40 lashes with a cat 0 nine tails, and you are hanged for the third. Although the judge, who is blind and forgetful, doesn't realize it, no prisoner has ever been released. The French girl (Penny Irving), reminds the matron of the French prisoner that caused her to be sacked. Irving's flat mate, Ann Michelle, is worried, but has no idea where to find her. The conclusion is not what I would call a feel-good sort of ending.
The story could have been made into a first-rate genre film with more budget, better acting, and better direction/editing. D.
Nudity Report: Irving shows all three Bs after a shower with her flat mate, and again in jail being strip-searched. Michelle shows breasts after sex with her boyfriend.
IMDb Summary: IMDB readers say 4.6 of 10, which may be about right.
DVD Info: This 4/3 transfer is dismal quality.
Written by: Tuna …courtesy of Scoopy.net