Slaves in Bondage | |
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Directed by | Elmer Clifton |
Produced by | J.D. Kendis |
Written by | Robert Dillon |
Starring | See below |
Cinematography | Edward Linden |
Edited by | Earl Turner |
Distributed by | Jay-Dee-Kay Productions |
Release date
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Running time
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70 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Slaves in Bondage (1937) is an American film directed by Elmer Clifton. It stars Lona Andre, Donald Reed, and Wheeler Oakman.
This is a low-budget, independently produced exploitation film presented as a cautionary tale about the evils of white slavery prostitution rings operating in America's larger cities.
The film is typical of the many exploitation film features of its time that claimed to warn the public about various kinds of shocking sin and depravity corrupting today's society. In reality, these films were cynical, profit-motivated vehicles that wallowed in lurid, taboo subjects such as drug abuse, promiscuous sex, venereal disease, polygamy, child marriages, etc. Some even included brief nude scenes such as Sex Madness (1937), Marihuana (1936), and Assassin of Youth (1937) — also directed by Elmer Clifton.
The story tells the tale of how naive country girls are lured to the big city with the promise of employment only to be abducted and forced to work as prostitutes in decadent, high-class brothels.
The film is loaded with scenes of scantily-clad prostitutes waiting for their next "appointment", performing risque dances or engaging in fetishistic entertainments for their clients. If for nothing else, this film is notable for being one of the first (if not the first) to depict certain fetishes as a sexual specialty. For example, Belle, the brothel madam, shows Dona her Oriental Room ("reserved for the exotic") where two masochistic, lingerie-clad women are grappling on a bed and taking turns spanking each other. There is also an eroticized "catfight" scene with energetic wrestling, slapping, hair pulling, and tearing of clothes staged for the patrons' amusement.
Ed Carey, Martha Chapin, Donald Kerr, Eddie Laughton, Sam Lufkin, Murdock MacQuarrie, Carl Mathews, Fred Parker, Henry Roquemore, Lottie Smith and Arthur Thalasso appears uncredited.