Swamp Diamonds

Swamp Women
Promotional release poster
Directed by	Roger Corman
Produced by	Roger Corman
Written by	David Stern
Starring	Beverly Garland Carole Mathews Mike Connors Marie Windsor Jil Jarmyn Susan Cummings
Music by	Willis Holman
Cinematography	Frederick E. West
Edited by	Ronald Sinclair
Distributed by	Woolner Brothers Pictures Inc.
Release date	April 1, 1956
Running time	84 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Swamp Women is a 1956 American adventure crime film, and was one of the first films directed by Roger Corman. It stars Carole Mathews, Beverly Garland, and Marie Windsor, with Mike Connors and Ed Nelson in small roles.

The film follows undercover police officer Lee Hampton, who infiltrates a band of three female convicts authorities allow to escape from prison. The escape is part of a larger plot to uncover a cache of diamonds hidden deep within the swamps of Louisiana. This film is sometimes also known as Cruel Swamp or Swamp Diamonds.

Swamp Women is currently in the public domain. In July 1993, the film was featured in the movie-mocking television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 under the title Swamp Diamonds.

Three escaped female convicts, along with an undercover policewoman, Lee Hampton, begin a search for stolen diamonds in the Louisiana swamps. The escape, allowed by the authorities, is part of a larger plan by the authorities is to trail the convicts and recover stolen diamonds. When notified that the stolen diamond cache has been recovered by the undercover officer, they plan to rearrest the women and return the diamonds to their rightful owner. The plan fails to work as designed.

During the inmates' search of the swamp, they steal a boat from a research geologist and his girlfriend, resulting in the girlfriend's death from the attack of indigenous alligators.

After recovery of the diamonds, one of the convicts double-crosses the others, attempting to sneak off with the guns and diamonds, but she is killed by the one of the other convicts. The two remaining convicts begin to suspect the undercover cop, and threaten to kill the geologist if she doesn't reveal herself.

A fight ensues between the convicts and the undercover officer, assisted by the geologist. which allows the authorities enough time to show up and regain custody of the two remaining fugitives.

Corman and his production partner Jim Nicholson were completing a long road trip searching for backers for their movies, often from drive-in theater owners, when they met the Woolner brothers -- Lawrence, Bernard and David -- who had opened New Orleans' first drive-in theaters.Looking to get into the production business, Corman said, the brothers agreed to help finance Swamp Women for Corman, who returned to Louisiana with his cast and crew for the production.