Black Mama, White Mama (1973) on Netflix
Lee Daniels, a prostitute, and Karen Brent, a revolutionary, share a tropical women's prison and cannot get along. A rebel raid frees them chained together, and soldiers give chase.
- Netflix2.8/5
- IMDb5.6/104,239 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Trailer
Plot summary
Lee Daniels, a prostitute, and Karen Brent, a revolutionary, land in the same prison in a tropical country. The two quarrel and make enough trouble that the authorities arrange a transfer to a maximum-security prison. On the way, Karen's rebel friends attack, and the pair escape still chained to each other. Captain Cruz and his soldiers search for them, and Cruz enlists a gang led by Ruben to help. Lee wants to get back the money she took from Vic Cheng, her former pimp, and leave the island by boat. Karen must reach her gun contacts on time, or they will turn on her rebel friends.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Black Mama, White Mama (1973)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Pam Grier fell seriously ill while making the film and spent a month in bed with a temperature of 105 degrees. She said it was a tropical disease caught from food or from water, and that she lost her hair, couldn't see or walk, and had a doctor "freeze" her to kill the cell in her brain.
- During the shoot, Sam Arkoff of AIP phoned director Eddie Romero unhappy with the lack of coverage. Romero invited him to check the dailies for any coverage he thought was needed, and never heard from Arkoff again.
- The film is screened in John Sayles's 1996 movie Lone Star. Sayles said even that film "is about people of different races being chained together whether they want to or not."
