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The Janes

Police arrested seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE.

Director

Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes

Year

Genre

Box Office

N/A

Production

HBO Documentary Films,Pentimento Productions,Elsewhere Films

Awards

4 wins & 10 nominations

Homepage

https://www.hbo.com/movies/the-janes

Self

Jane Member

Audio Description Narrator

Self

Richard J. Daley

Jane Member

Jane Member

Self

Jane Member

Patricia Novick-Raby

Self

Jane Member

Jane Member

Clergy Consultation Service

Jane Member

Jane Member

Self

Self

Self

Jo-Anne Wolfson

Jane Member

Self

View All Cast

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Explore 523 Clips

"Call this number and ask for Jane." - The Janes

"Call this number and ask for Jane."

Traveling under the radar
of the Chicago Mafia - The Janes

Traveling under the radar of the Chicago Mafia

That was a case where
men's underestimating women's abilities - The Janes

That was a case where men's underestimating women'...

As a member of Jane,
I knew the risk I was taking. - The Janes

As a member of Jane, I knew the risk I was taking.

I knew that it was possible
that I could go to jail - The Janes

I knew that it was possible that I could go to jail

But at the time, I was...
I could care less. - The Janes

But at the time, I was... I could care less.

If you start getting serious - The Janes

If you start getting serious

You won't get anything done.
You won't get anything done. - The Janes

You won't get anything done. You won't get anythin...

A lot of things were going on in Chicago - The Janes

A lot of things were going on in Chicago

I wouldn't say I went to Chicago
with a particular interest in abortion. - The Janes

I wouldn't say I went to Chicago with a particular inte...

Like other women in Jane, - The Janes

Like other women in Jane,

You smell like pigs,
that's why we don't want you! Pigs! - The Janes

You smell like pigs, that's why we don't want you!...

At the open housing demonstrations
on the southwest side of Chicago, - The Janes

At the open housing demonstrations on the southwest side of ...

- Your mother is a whore!
- I said, "Here's an opportunity - The Janes

- Your mother is a whore! - I said, "Here's an opp...

I can assure you that the hatred
and the hostility here - The Janes

I can assure you that the hatred and the hostility here

People were throwing bags of shit at us, - The Janes

People were throwing bags of shit at us,

But, you know,
I was a warrior for justice. - The Janes

But, you know, I was a warrior for justice.

I had started
at the University of Chicago, - The Janes

I had started at the University of Chicago,

I went to Mississippi to support
the voter registration effort. - The Janes

I went to Mississippi to support the voter registration effo...

And during that summer, - The Janes

And during that summer,

And sometimes there are unjust laws
that need to be challenged. - The Janes

And sometimes there are unjust laws that need to be challeng...

I came back to campus, - The Janes

I came back to campus,

I went with her to Student Health, - The Janes

I went with her to Student Health,

And I was outraged. - The Janes

And I was outraged.

Women were at a total disadvantage
when it came to our reproductive rights - The Janes

Women were at a total disadvantage when it came to our repro...

Women didn't have the power
to make decisions. - The Janes

Women didn't have the power to make decisions.

When the pill came in, - The Janes

When the pill came in,

Contraceptives were not widely,
freely, openly available. - The Janes

Contraceptives were not widely, freely, openly available.

When I went to college, - The Janes

When I went to college,

Then tell the doctor that your name
is Mrs. Somebody-or-Another - The Janes

Then tell the doctor that your name is Mrs. Somebody-or-Anot...

I became more engaged
on women's issues, - The Janes

I became more engaged on women's issues,

I went to the doctors
who were in the medical arm - The Janes

I went to the doctors who were in the medical arm

The Mississippi White Citizens' Council - The Janes

The Mississippi White Citizens' Council

He had been a civil rights
activist in Mississippi - The Janes

He had been a civil rights activist in Mississippi

And then his name appeared
on a Klan death list - The Janes

And then his name appeared on a Klan death list

He was very responsive.
He said he would take care of it. And... - The Janes

He was very responsive. He said he would take care of it. An...

I put that person
in touch with Dr. Howard, - The Janes

I put that person in touch with Dr. Howard,

And so it only dawned on me
over time how big an issue this was. - The Janes

And so it only dawned on me over time how big an issue this ...

It was at the end of school,
so there weren't many kids in the dorm. - The Janes

It was at the end of school, so there weren't many kids...

She knocked on the door
and said she was in trouble, - The Janes

She knocked on the door and said she was in trouble,

She said, "I had an abortion
and I'm bleeding - The Janes

She said, "I had an abortion and I'm bleeding

He said, "How much is she bleeding?" - The Janes

He said, "How much is she bleeding?"

She said, "Don't tell anybody.
Don't tell my boyfriend." - The Janes

She said, "Don't tell anybody. Don't tell my ...

We're sitting around smoking
some dope and I'm like, "What?" - The Janes

We're sitting around smoking some dope and I'm lik...

All of a sudden,
I'm riding my bike in the night going, - The Janes

All of a sudden, I'm riding my bike in the night going,

It just stayed with me because it seemed
so wrong that this was going on. - The Janes

It just stayed with me because it seemed so wrong that this ...

I was a medical student
at Cook County Hospital. - The Janes

I was a medical student at Cook County Hospital.

What was seared into my brain is
what desperate people will do - The Janes

What was seared into my brain is what desperate people will ...

Women would come in
with some type of a complication, - The Janes

Women would come in with some type of a complication,

Women would use objects - The Janes

Women would use objects

I recall one woman
who tried carbolic acid. - The Janes

I recall one woman who tried carbolic acid.

We would see 15 to 20 people a day. - The Janes

We would see 15 to 20 people a day.

They either went to the operating room, - The Janes

They either went to the operating room,

I just remember walking into the unit - The Janes

I just remember walking into the unit

Either self-induced or somebody did it,
and why can't we save them - The Janes

Either self-induced or somebody did it, and why can't w...

One girl, I remember the doctor saying, - The Janes

One girl, I remember the doctor saying,

She never woke up. I still see her face. - The Janes

She never woke up. I still see her face.

I called the morgue every week
that I was on that ward - The Janes

I called the morgue every week that I was on that ward

Over time, it expanded
to other people in Chicago. - The Janes

Over time, it expanded to other people in Chicago.

After a few years,
I lost contact with Dr. Howard. - The Janes

After a few years, I lost contact with Dr. Howard.

I only learned later
that he had been arrested. - The Janes

I only learned later that he had been arrested.

Did any of the doctors I knew
know anyone else to refer me to? - The Janes

Did any of the doctors I knew know anyone else to refer me t...

And finally, I got the name
of someone named Mike. - The Janes

And finally, I got the name of someone named Mike.

When I first learned it, - The Janes

When I first learned it,

He started on... He was a surgeon, - The Janes

He started on... He was a surgeon,

I stood behind him, I watched him,
I handed him the tools. - The Janes

I stood behind him, I watched him, I handed him the tools.

And then he said, "Come here. You do it." - The Janes

And then he said, "Come here. You do it."

And then after I learned it,
I didn't need him anymore. - The Janes

And then after I learned it, I didn't need him anymore.

I thought it was probably Mob-connected, - The Janes

I thought it was probably Mob-connected,

We met at a Walgreens
that was downtown in Chicago. - The Janes

We met at a Walgreens that was downtown in Chicago.

I told her what all the arrangements
had been with Dr. Howard, - The Janes

I told her what all the arrangements had been with Dr. Howar...

Even talking about performing
an abortion - The Janes

Even talking about performing an abortion

I was worried about being arrested.
I didn't want to be arrested. - The Janes

I was worried about being arrested. I didn't want to be...

We were aware of the Red Squad, - The Janes

We were aware of the Red Squad,

You might say even
communist revolutionaries. - The Janes

You might say even communist revolutionaries.

My husband, Al Raby, was a leader
in the Chicago Civil Rights Movement. - The Janes

My husband, Al Raby, was a leader in the Chicago Civil Right...

One day, I forgot my keys, - The Janes

One day, I forgot my keys,

I was representing young men
who were subject to the draft - The Janes

I was representing young men who were subject to the draft

The way they accumulated
bodies for the war - The Janes

The way they accumulated bodies for the war

Every night, you could watch
the war on television. - The Janes

Every night, you could watch the war on television.

It was 1968, and then hell broke out. - The Janes

It was 1968, and then hell broke out.

I spent the whole convention
in the National Guard - The Janes

I spent the whole convention in the National Guard

When the convention came to Chicago, - The Janes

When the convention came to Chicago,

And while we're sitting there, - The Janes

And while we're sitting there,

They saw the youngsters
as against God and everything decent. - The Janes

They saw the youngsters as against God and everything decent...

I was in shock.
The cops going in there with just... - The Janes

I was in shock. The cops going in there with just...

At one point, somebody raised
the Viet Cong flag - The Janes

At one point, somebody raised the Viet Cong flag

And the combat veterans
of three wars proceeded to beat - The Janes

And the combat veterans of three wars proceeded to beat

It reinforced our negative feelings - The Janes

It reinforced our negative feelings

I was helping bail out people
who had been arrested. - The Janes

I was helping bail out people who had been arrested.

The Janes poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Police arrested seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes

Writer: N/A

Production: HBO Documentary Films,Pentimento Productions,Elsewhere Films

Genre: documentary

Year: 2022

MetaScore: 81/100

ImdbRating: 7.5

BoxOffice: N/A

Released: 08 Jun 2022

Awards: 4 wins & 10 nominations

Homepage: https://www.hbo.com/movies/the-janes