Strait-Jacket (1964)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robert Bloch (writer)

Release Date:

19 January 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

HER HUSBAND...HER ROOM... ......AND ANOTHER WOMAN

Plot:

After a 20 year stay at an asylum for a double murder, a mother returns to her estranged daughter where suspicions arise about her behavior.

Plot Keywords:

Asylum | Murder | Axe Murder | Mother Versus Daughter | Product Placement

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Lucy Harbin
Diane Baker	...	Carol Harbin
Leif Erickson	...	Bill Cutler
Howard St. John	...	Raymond Fields
John Anthony Hayes	...	Michael Fields
Rochelle Hudson	...	Emily Cutler
George Kennedy	...	Leo Krause
Edith Atwater	...	Mrs. Fields
Mitchell Cox	...	Dr. Anderson

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:18 | Portugal:M/16 | USA:Approved | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | UK:X (theatrical release) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1964)

Company:

William Castle Productions

Trivia:

The sound effect for the heads being chopped off was the prop man wielding an ax and cutting a watermelon in half.

Goofs:

Continuity: Opening sequence includes close-up of front page newspaper story announcing that Lucy has been declared insane. But photo used to illustrate story shows character wearing earrings that weren't purchased until years later, after her release.

Quotes:

Lucy Harbin: [to Michael] You sit down here with Carrol because I wouldn't want her to think I was taking her father away from her.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmare Theatre's Late Night Chill-o-Rama Horror Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

There Goes That Song

''The Best In Axe-ploitation!''

No matter what script she was given to do, Joan Crawford was a pro. In this William Castle classic, she proves it again. The plot has been rehashed in previous reviews, so I can get to the heart of the matter here. Joan plays an ex-axe murderess with typical fury, beautifully combined with a poignancy which may be completely unexpected, but nevertheless completely appropriate. Well supported by the underrated Diane Baker, Leif Erikson, Rochelle Hudson and George Kennedy, she gives meaning and depth to what otherwise would have been just another horror film. Whether playing scenes with daughter Baker's boyfriend (John Anthony Hayes) or his snobbish parents, (Howard St, John and Edith Atwater), Crawford is on the money, using her years of experience to transcend her material. Thanks to her, "Strait-Jacket" is a worthy thriller from a Legendary Star and a fondly remembered director. See Castle's other collaboration with Joan, "I Saw What You Did" (1965). It's a winner, too!