The film was released directtodvd in the united states on november 25, 2003. Johnny depps jack the ripper detective uncovers a plot that will rip the empire to pieces in a film that puts history through the. Memorable quotes and exchanges from movies, tv series and more. Dorothy mackaill, a star in silent films and early talkies, is the subject of a dvd. Wellman takes rather stodgy material, most of it set in one hotel, and imbues it with a lurid sense of anger and dread.
More in about shell chemicals our joint ventures as well as operating a number of whollyowned manufacturing facilities and marketing a broad range of base chemicals and intermediates through six product lines, shell chemicals companies participate in a number of strategic joint ventures. But no matter what is to become of her, gilda can hold her head high as safe in hell comes to an end. Hell bound is a 1931 american precode drama film directed by walter lang. Later a sailor finds himself attracted to her and takes her to a safe tropical island filled with fugitives. Wellman and starring dorothy mackaill and donald cook, with featured performances by morgan wallace, ralf harolde, nina mae mckinney, clarence muse, and noble johnson. Safe in hell pictures and movie photo gallery check out just released safe in hell pics, images, clips, trailers, production photos and more from rotten tomatoes movie pictures archive. Mackaill plays gilda, a character who in the best wellman tradition chooses death over dishonor. Get info about the original print of safe in hell, 1931, directed by william a. The film has no interesting story to be told, bad acting and action scenes that arent anything special. For me this is one of the strongest early wellman films ive seen yet, with all the terseness of his best 1930s talkies, and the feeling that not a scene or line has been wasted. Parttalkie, later remade as clara bows hoopla and again by japanese master ozu as floating. Sep 18, 2012 the thing about safe in hell is that its a condemnation, not a solution, of the situations that men force women into. Safe in hell is about how ugly the need for sexual power can get.
It is loosely based on the graphic novel from hell by alan moore and eddie campbell about the jack the ripper murders. Camino del infierno is a 1931 american drama film directed by richard harlan and starring juan torena, maria alba and carlos villarias. Read this faq about determining if something is pd. Lab rats was originally a halloweenexclusive oneday heist that takes place in cook off. Mackaill plays gilda, a character who in the best wellman tradition. In hell is a 2003 american prison action film directed by ringo lam. Visions of hell in the movies archaeologists explore the catacombs beneath paris in as above, so below, and discover something rather. According to news items in film daily, lillian bond, david manners, boris karloff, john harrington, montague love and richard bennett were originally. Gilda carsonerickson dorothy mackaill safe in hell 1931 precode. Gilda is a complex cigarette smoking call girl who is laid back about her status as a working girl. Read the full synopsis of safe in hell, 1931, directed by william a. Filming of safe in hell began in midseptember 1931, under the working titles of lady from new orleans and lost lady, and was completed a month later, on october 18. Safe in hell 1931 although chiefly remembered as a director of macho adventures, gangster films and war movies, william a. It is the third and final collaboration between jeanclaude van damme and hong kong film director ringo lam.
Gilda carsonerickson dorothy mackaill safe in hell 1931. It may have partially inspired the horrifying conclusion of jim thompsons pulp fiction novel. These movies will also take you to hell and back or at the very least, theyll walk you to the door. The chinese multiplex theater was packed with festivalgoers eager to see a classic produced in 1931, right in the middle of the timeframe after the introduction of sound in the late 1920s and before the motion picture production code went into effect in 1934. Safe in hell 1931 nearly starred barbara stanwyck, but no matter as dorothy mackaill makes the part her own. Once you grab the ingredients it is recommended that you move them all up to the upper section of the. Cast and crew credits for safe in hell, 1931, directed by william a. The film s prerelease titles were lady from new orleans and lost lady. The film tells the story of charlie sykes lowe and his girlfriend rachel clark swanson, who is kidnapped by a demon and taken to hell to become one of satans brides, while charlie must travel to the other dimension to. In this sense, hell could conceivably be billed as the road meets the texas chainsaw massacre minus the hardware, since its a truly violent film that shows little, if any violence.
The first time i watched safe in hell, i couldnt quite believe how good it was so i watched again and, if anything, i admired it even more the second time. Wellman, with dorothy mackaill, donald cook, ralf harolde, at turner classic movies. Safe in hell 1931 you might think this would be routine hollywood, directed by the mainstream director william wellman. The opening shot of the movie goes straight up dorothy mackaills legs to her garters. Hell is one of those things thats up for individual.
But it starts with a lurid title card in flames, shifts to a scene on the docks of new orleans, then to a shot of a womans legs as she answers the phone the legs more important than the phone. And william wellmans safe in hell is one i suggest most enthusiastically. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Later a sailor finds himself attracted to her and takes her to a safe tropical island filled. The film tells the story of charlie sykes lowe and his girlfriend rachel clark swanson, who is kidnapped by a demon and taken to hell to become one of satans brides, while charlie must travel to the other. Safe in hell is a 1931 american precode thriller film directed by william a. Its a film of great faces, but for all of the seedy atmosphere and leering. Lovers of that movie will want to run, not walk, to this show. Wellman, who drives the film to its stunningly bleak conclusion in a. Director william wellman delivers another quality picture, and we get to see nina mae mckinneys star power on display including one hot jazz number. Director wellmans camera is so energetic and crazy that its a dizzying experience, and matches mackaills feisty spirit perfectly. Hell is one of those things thats up for individual interpretation.
Feature films, shorts, silent films and trailers are available for viewing and downloading. The film stars johnny depp as frederick abberline, the lead investigator of the murders, and heather graham as mary kelly, a prostitute. But seems apt here as she fends off a group of lawless men waiting to catch her off guard. No mans land is a 1931 german antiwar film directed by victor trivas. Dorothy mackaills safe in hell and others on dvd the new york. Safe in hell 1931, talkie triumph for tough dorothy mackaill. Feb 27, 2010 the first time i watched safe in hell, i couldnt quite believe how good it was so i watched again and, if anything, i admired it even more the second time. Safe in hell dvdr 1931 warner archive collection mod. The most important health documentary youll ever watch april 28, 2017 by jenny finke, integrative nutrition coach 3 comments last month i wrote an article for my friends blog about eight mustsee food and health documentaries now streaming on netflix. Wellman precode film starring dorothy mackaill and donald cook.
From hell was theatrically released released in the united states on october 19, 2001, by 20th century fox. Filmed using eastmancolor, gate of hell was daiei films first color film and the first japanese color film to be released outside. Safe in hell 1931 passed 1h min crime, drama 12 december 1931 usa after accidentally killing the man who raped her and forced her into prostitution, a new orleans woman flees to a caribbean island. The most important health documentary youll ever watch. After much demand, it was made a permanent addition to the game. Ralf harolde and dorothy mackaill in safe in hell 1931. On the run from the police, a new orleans prostitute gets stranded in a tropical haven for outlaws. A bit about the film and what happened to this otherwise forgotten star.
Contrary to the implied theology of its title, safe in hell depicts a hopeless, godless world in which man and especially woman is just another morsel of meat on the food chain. The film stars robert montgomery, walter huston, robert young, madge evans and jimmy durante. Tuesday march 15 the barker 1928, george fitzmaurice domineering carny barker milton sills is on top of his game, along with goodhearted partner betty compson but can son douglas fairbanks jr. The thing about safe in hell is that its a condemnation, not a solution, of the situations that men force women into. Joseph jackson and maude fulton adapted houston branchs unproduced stage play safe in hell for first national pictures. After murdering her rapist, gilda carlson mackaill runs to a southern tropical island with the aid of her sailor boyfriend, carl cook. From the opening scene of scantily dressed gilda stretched out making phone call arrangements to meet a client, to her hideaway on a caribbean island in the company of sleazy reprobates, themes of prostitution and murder, and the films tabloidstyled title with a screenplay crammed with hidden sexual meaning and innuendos, theres little doubting that safe in hell is.
The tiny island is the refuge of many criminals avoiding penalty from the law. View a list of all the feature films sorted by popularity. Hell below aka pigboats is a 1933 american mgm precode film set in the adriatic sea during world war i about submarine warfare based on commander edward ellsbergs novel pigboats. Safe in hell 1931 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Heres a publicity still of this shot, for, you know, context. In this grim adult drama, a whore blames herself for the death of one of her dates after she and the client have a fight and she starts a fire. It tells the story of a samurai kazuo hasegawa who tries to marry a woman machiko kyo he rescues, only to discover that she is married. It also started production of chemical solvents from refinery gases in california during the early 1930s while in 1942 it pioneered the production of. Shell has more than 85 years experience in the chemicals industry and we are well positioned to be part of the global growth in the chemicals industry. From its opening salvo of gilda, legs rested on her desk, displaying her stockinged legs, to the sight of a line of men in their chairs, lined up in the hotel bar, eyes trained on gildas bedroom door, safe in hell is a movie that screams its sexuality, and tugs at your clothes.
Safe in hell 1931 nearly starred barbara stanwyck, but no matter as dorothy. Its vicious, beautiful, and well worth seeking out. While she awaits her fiance, the vicious local police chief sets his sights on her. Gate of hell, jigokumon, gate of jigoku is a 1953 japanese jidaigeki film directed by teinosuke kinugasa. But it is dorothy mackaills best movie, safe in hell, that most. A 1931 publicity shot of boris karloff has him listed as playing the role of bobo in this recently completed film, yet noble johnson portrays the character on screen, and this has never been included on the karloff filmography. It is the spanishlanguage version of fox films the man who came back 1931 based upon the play by jules eckert goodman, which was in turn adapted from the novel by john fleming wilson. Films, including barbara stanwyck so big, 1932 and janet gaynor a star is born, 1937. Precode movies attract a lot of attention and safe in hell, screened at the 20 tcm film festival, is no exception. Dorothy mackaill and charles middleton in safe in hell 1931. Wellman, dorothy mackaill, donald cook, ralf harolde, drama june 22, 2017 sought by the new orleans police for accidentally killing the man who raped her and forced her into prostitution, a woman flees new orleans for a caribbean island.
From the opening scene of scantily dressed gilda stretched out making phone call arrangements to meet a client, to her hideaway on a caribbean island in the company of sleazy reprobates, themes of prostitution and murder, and the films tabloidstyled title with a screenplay crammed with hidden sexual meaning and innuendos, theres little doubting that safe in hell is a precode. From hell is a 2001 american slasher film directed by the hughes brothers and written by terry hayes and rafael yglesias. It stars dorothy mackaill donald cook and ralfe harolde. In the unfairly neglected safe in hell 1931, wellman works his magic with dorothy mackaill, an actress who is littleremembered today but turned in a powerful performance in this grim precode drama. Safe in hell is is a cross between sadie thompson and the getaway, with dorothy mackaill in stunning form as the bad girl who runs away to a remote caribbean island to escape her past. Wild bill wellman also drew sensitive performances from several actresses in 1930s warner bros. Nov 16, 2012 safe in hell 1931 nearly starred barbara stanwyck, but no matter as dorothy mackaill makes the part her own. Parttalkie, later remade as clara bows hoopla and again by japanese. This is one of the most notorious of the precode movies and also one of the best. Wellman on allmovie a young barbara stanwyck was considered for the. Wellman, with dorothy mackaill, donald cook, ralf harolde.