Lady in a Cage (1964)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Walter Grauman

Writer:

Luther Davis (writer)

Release Date:

8 July 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Do not see "Lady in a Cage" alone!

Plot:

The lady is Mrs. Hilyard, a wealthy poetess who lives in a three-story city mansion and her cage is her elevator...

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Elevator | Prostitute | Trapped In Elevator | Stabbed In The Eye

Cast

Olivia de Havilland	...	Mrs. Cornelia Hilyard
James Caan	...	Randall Simpson O'Connell
Jennifer Billingsley	...	Elaine
Jeff Corey	...	George L. Brady Jr. aka Repent
Ann Sothern	...	Sade
Rafael Campos	...	Essie
William Swan	...	Malcolm Hilyard
Charles Seel	...	Mr. Paul, Junkyard Proprietor
Scatman Crothers	...	Junkyard Proprietor's Assistant

Runtime:

94 min | UK:92 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1964) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2005) | UK:18 (video rating) (2000) | UK:R (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (2005)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

AEC

Trivia:

Although he had made an appearance in Irma la Douce (1963), this was James Caan's first credited feature film role after getting his start with sporadic television parts.

Goofs:

Continuity: The battery for the alarm is shown as it runs down; but later in the movie the battery works like new.

Quotes:

Mrs. Hilyard: When will we go back to the gods of our childhood?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Last House on the Left (1972)

A terrific, edge-of-your seat thriller with excellent performances.

Released back in the mid-'60's, this sadly overlooked thriller was way ahead of its time and foreshadows the senseless violence that exists in our society today. Olivia de Havilland gives a stunning performance as a partially crippled woman who becomes trapped in her private elevator during a power failure. Meanwhile, three vicious thugs(led by James Caan in his film debut) ransack her house and contemplate murdering a hustler(Ann Sothern) and a wino(Jeff Corey) who are unwittingly along for the ride. It's a gripping, chillingly realistic tale, with first-rate performances by the superb cast. Not only did James Caan make his debut with this film, but LADY IN A CAGE also marked the return of the great Ann Sothern who had been absent from the big screen for ten years to star in the popular TV shows "Private Secretary" and "The Ann Sothern Show".