Prehistoric Women
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Gregory G. Tallas
Laurette Luez
Allan Nixon
Joan Shawlee
Judy Landon
Mara Lynn
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Under a full moon, a prehistoric, tree-dwelling tribe of women dance with abandon and listen as the tribe's elder tells the story of how the tribe was founded by Tana, mother of the current leader, Tigri: A generation before, women were slaves to the men. One day, Tana threw a rock at the tribal leader, and she and the other women fled into the jungle with their daughters. The women eventually became proficient at hunting and fishing, and lived quite happily until Tana was mortally wounded by Guaddi, a savage giant who had roamed the jungle for years. At the end of the story, the Wise Old Lady tells the women that they must find and capture husbands by the next full moon, to ensure the tribe's survival. The next morning, Tigri and five other women set out on their mission. When the women come across Engor and members of his cave-dwelling tribe, they attack the men and tie them up. Engor escapes, but the rest are taken back to the women's camp, where they are inspected by the Wise Old Lady. Several weeks later, when Engor has recovered from wounds suffered while wrestling with a panther, he vows to rescue his tribesmen and bring the women back as slaves. Along the way, Engor loses his club fleeing from an elephant, and while making a new club, he strikes two stones together and discovers fire. The women ambush Engor as he approaches their camp, and the handsome captive's presence sparks a rivalry between Tigri and Arva. The two women fight fiercely, but Tigri prevails and claims Engor for herself. The next day, Engor fashions a torch out of some sticks and furtively pounds some rocks together, managing to light the torch just in time to defend the tribe against a flying dragon attack. Still wielding the torch, Engor orders the men to subdue the women, who are then forced to serve the men like slaves. Engor soon misses his own people, and he tells the men to prepare for the journey home. With the captive women in tow, the men make their way through the jungle, where they encounter the terrifying Guaddi. They take refuge in a cave, and the men trap the giant in a circle of fire, leaving him to perish in the flames. Tigri, now in love with Engor, asks him to return to the women's camp and start a new tribe, and when he agrees, the other men follow suit. That night, around the campfire, the couples pair off, and the Wise Old Lady performs the marriage ceremony. The women dance to express their happiness.
Director
Gregory G. Tallas
Cast
Laurette Luez
Allan Nixon
Joan Shawlee
Judy Landon
Mara Lynn
Jo Carroll Dennison
Kerry Vaughn
Tony Devlin
James Summers
Dennis Dengate
Jeanne Sorel
Johann Peturrson
John Merrick
Janet Scott
David Vaile
Crew
Sam X. Abarbanel
Sam X. Abarbanel
Rudolph E. Abel
Howard A. Anderson
Albert J. Cohen
Glen Glenn
James Graham
Sam Kaufman
Raoul Kraushaar
Lillian Lashin
Bella Lewitzky
Lionel Lindon
Kitty Mager
Jerome Pycha Jr.
Gregory G. Tallas
Al Westen
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The onscreen producing credits for this picture read: "Produced by Albert J. Cohen in association with Sam X. Abarbanel." The film features a running commentary by an unidentified, present-day narrator, who describes the action and translates the invented language spoken by the characters. Hollywood Reporter production charts list director/writer Gregory Tallas, who began his career as a film editor, as the editor; however, the onscreen credits list James Graham as the editor. According to a Hollywood Reporter news item, producer Albert J. Cohen was so impressed with the performance of Johann Petursson, the eight-feet, two-inch tall circus entertainer who portrayed the giant "Guaddi," that he extended the shooting schedule and had two new scenes written for him. Portions of the film were shot on location in Whittier, CA.
According to a memo in the file on the film in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, the film was originally rejected because it "dealt with the subject of procreation of a race by women who steal men for that purpose solely." The film was later approved when numerous references to the women starting a new tribe were deleted. Despite the film's generally negative reviews, Prehistoric Women turned out to be very profitable, and modern sources recognize it as one of the most successful exploitation films of its time.
