Within These Walls: Prison Cat (ITV 13 Sep 1975, with Sally Sanders)

In Prison Cat, pregnant Poppy Hall is distraught when her boyfriend breaks it off. Prison officer Worth decides to try and get him to change his mind but instead becomes romantically involved with him.

Meanwhile Amaryllis Royal, who is also having a baby, threatens to sue Stone Park because she has to have her baby in prison.

Poppy gives birth and because she thinks her boyfriend Ted will take her back if she doesn’t have the baby. She kills the infant and blames it on the prison cat. At the baby’s funeral Poppy escapes and discovers Ted with Officer Worth. Ted makes it clear to both of them that all he wants is some fun. Worth persuades Poppy to return to prison but she herself has had enough.

This was the second script for the series by Kathleen J. Smith, she was a former Assistant Governor at Holloway. According the Kathleen the story “was not based on fact, but the characters are, and so are the stresses that face them. You could say the story is based on possibilities.”

production details
UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast Saturday 13 September 1975 at 9.00pm

Writer: Kathleen J. Smith / Production Design: Bryan Bagge, Michael Oxley / Director: Paddy Russell

Series: Within These Walls Season 3 Episode 2

cast
Googie Withers as Faye
Mona Bruce as Mrs Armitage
Jerome Willis as Charles Radley
Elaine Wells as Officer Spencer
Denys Hawthorne as Dr Mayes
Freda Dowie Elsie Storbridge
Sally Sanders as Officer Worth
Miranda Forbes as Officer Parsons
Freda Dowie as Elsie Storbridge
William Wilde as Ted Bennett
Maureen Morris as Poppy Hall
Alison King as Sadie Bell
Joan-Ann Maynard as Mavice
Heather Canning as Amaryllis Royal
Doreen Andrew as Sister Baxter