Black Mama White Mama
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Black Mama, White Mama is a 1972 women in prison film with elements of blaxploitation, starring Pam Grier and Margaret Markov, and directed by Eddie Romero.
Plot
The action opens in the South Seas. Lee Daniels (Pam Grier) is the girlfriend of the island's biggest pimp and drug dealer, and she just ran off with $40,000.00USD of his money. Karen Brent (Margaret Markov) is a leading member of the local anarchist group. Lee and Karen are two of the newest inmates at an all-woman's penitentiary.
It's not too long before the Warden ships the pair off to another facility - where they are stopped in route by a group of Karen's fellow revolutionaries who are keen to free her. During the big gun battle, things go horribly wrong - the federals find reinforcements, the revolutionaries run, and Lee and Karen flee chained together. So begins their flight across the island. Each girl wants to go different directions - with Karen wanting to overthrowing the government and Lee wanting to leave the island with her money - but they can't unchain their handcuffs. Eventually, the two put aside their differences long enough to save their skins. Meanwhile, hunting the pair is Sid Haig as a displaced cowboy.
Cast
- Pam Grier — Lee Daniels
- Margaret Markov — Karen Brent
- Sid Haig — Ruben
- Lynn Borden — Matron Densmore
- Zaldy Zschornack — Ernesto
- Laurie Burton — Warden Logan
- Eddie Garcia — Captain Cruz
- Alona Alegre — Juana
- Dindo Fernando — Rocco
- Vic Diaz — Vic Cheng
- Wendy Green — Ronda
- Lotis Key — Jeanette
- Alfonso Carvajal — Galindo
- Bruno Punzalan — Truck driver
- Ricardo Herrero — Luis
Trivia
- Several Volkswagen Country Buggies are used in the film; these were based on the VW Beetle chassis originally for the Australian market. The Country Buggy was locally produced in the Philippines as the Sakbayan using VW powerplants sourced from either Brazil or Mexico.
- Part of the story involves a prison break with Grier and Markov escaping while chained together. This is partly an homage to the 1958 classic The Defiant Ones, with Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis.
