Lady in a Cage (1964)

A woman trapped in a home elevator is terrorized by a group of vicious hoodlums.

Director:

Walter Grauman

Writer:

Luther Davis

Stars:

Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Jennifer Billingsley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Olivia de Havilland	...	Mrs. Cornelia Hilyard
James Caan	...	Randall Simpson O'Connell
Jennifer Billingsley	...	Elaine
Rafael Campos	...	Essie
William Swan	...	Malcolm Hilyard
Jeff Corey	...	George L. Brady Jr. aka Repent
Ann Sothern	...	Sade

Storyline

The lady is Mrs. Hilyard, a wealthy poetess who lives in a three-story city mansion and her cage is her elevator, which stops a dozen feet short of the main floor due to an electrical failure on a July 4th weekend. She rings her outside alarm, eventually noticed by a drunken derelict, who breaks into the house, ignores her plight and helps himself to various items and alcohol. He leaves with his loot but returns a while later with a plump prostitute and three teenage hoodlums, who proceed to terrorize Mrs. Hilyard as they wreck her home.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | mansion | elevator | grande dame guignol | perversity | 

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Taglines:

What happens in this elevator is not for the weak!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 June 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Une femme dans une cage

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

AEC, Luther Davis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 92 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First of two pictures in a row in which Olivia De Havilland stepped into a role originally announced for Joan Crawford; the following year, she replaced Crawford in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte.

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Goofs

Early in movie, a defective power cable leading to house causes some electrical appliances to lose power, but not other - -for example, a fan shuts off but not lights or elevator. In a private residence of this size with one wire supplying electricity to entire home, there would be either power to all appliances, or none at all.

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Quotes

George L. Brady Jr.: Repent! Repent!

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Crazy Credits

The opening Paramount logo is done in vertical stripes to reflect the cage motif.

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

User Reviews

Crazy, Wierd, and I Love It

Saw this film on TV as a kid for the first time ( The 4:30 Movie on Channel 7 for you New Yorkers old enough to remember that) and it definately startled me and I never forgot it.

The basic tale is about this rich old woman (Olivia DeHavilland)who gets stuck in her elevator which resembles a bird cage in the middle of her living room. A power failure is responsible for her predicament. Three thugs (which includes James Caan as lead thug !) take advantage of the situation and terrorize the crap out this helpless woman (or is she helpless????????).

In my opinion, this film still packs a helluva wallop today despite its age. It has its brutality at points both physically and psychologically. The ending is very violent and still leaves me stunned (my hair is standing up as I write this just thinking about it again). There is one line uttered by James Caan in this movie which had to be considered so offensive back then (about the old lady's son), I still consider it pretty low yet strangely classic as part of the film.

As of this writing, this film comes on AMC once in a blue moon. Catch it if you can. A commendable effort for a 1964 film that i think successfully conveyed that innocent times in America have been forever lost.

Check out the bit part by none other than the bowlegged Scatman Crothers !!!!!!