In every decade since the birth of film has their been a flick about the dangers (for teens) of behaving contrary to established rules? Yes, and "High School Hellcats" falls into that genre.
Don't you just love titles like this? Even the staunchest of movie buffs won't recognize any of the players here unless you've got stuff like "Dragstrip Riot" or "Hot Car Girl" in your film library.
A new girl at high school is coerced into joining a girl's gang, even as her dad harshly judges her social life.I guess this is cut-rate AIP's female answer to The Blackboard Jungle (1955).
****SPOILERS*** This gang of high school Tomboys-girls in boys clothing-have new girl in school pretty and sensitive Joyce Martin, Yvonne Lime, go bad by dressing herself up in slacks as well as stealing other girls boyfriends and shoplifting in order to join their exclusive club the Hellcats. The Hellcats lead by what seem like a closeted lesbian Connie Harris, Jana Lund, gets Joyce to attend a party at a deserted house, the owners are on vacation in Florida,to have a good time only that Connie ends up , when the lights are turned off, falling down a flight of stairs leading to the cellar and dies from a cracked skull.
Released in 1958, "High School Hell Cats" is a 1950's teenage exploitation flick about a new girl at a high school (Yvonne Lime) who joins a group of 'bad girls' called the Hellcats. The Hellcats get bad grades, steal earrings and meet at a dilapidated movie theater on the other side of town.
In October 1958, at an American-International Pictures luncheon for the Theaters Owners Association of America, producer Jerry Wald said that movies like High School Hellcats were "not the type of picture on which we can build the market of the future. While they may make a few dollars today, they will destroy us tomorrow.
This movie begins with a new student in high school by the name of "Joyce Martin" (Yvonne Lime) being informed by the leader of an all-female gang known as the Hellcats that Joyce will have no prospects in her new school unless she joins them. "Connie Harris" (Jana Lund) then tells her that in order to join her gang Joyce will need to pass three specific tests first.
This is a film that might have shocked some viewers back in 1958, but seen today it just seems laughable. It's supposed to be an exposé about wicked high school girls, but it never is particularly wicked...
"High School Hellcats" doesn't quite live up to the title, but it turns out that it's a pretty good movie, especially for its time. Coming from the American-International production team of Nicholson and Zarkoff, it surpasses the standards of most of their efforts.
