Strait-Jacket (1964)

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robert Bloch (written by)

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 | Female Protagonist | Pepsi

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. Alison Fields
Mitchell Cox	...	Dr. Anderson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vicki Cos	...	Carol Harbin: age 3 (uncredited)
Patricia Crest	...	Stella Fulton (uncredited)
Laura Hess	...	Second little girl (uncredited)
Howard Hoffman	...	(uncredited)
Patty Lee	...	First little girl (uncredited)
Lynn Lundgren	...	Beautician (uncredited)
Lee Majors	...	Frank Harbin (uncredited)
Robert Ward	...	Shoe Clerk (uncredited)

Directed by
William Castle

Writing credits
Robert Bloch		(written by)

Produced by
William Castle	....	producer
Dona Holloway	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Van Alexander

Cinematography by
Arthur E. Arling		(director of photography) (as Arthur Arling)

Film Editing by
Edwin H. Bryant		(as Edwin Bryant)

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by
Frank Tuttle

Makeup Department
Virginia Jones	....	hair stylist
Ben Lane	....	makeup creator
Peggy Shannon	....	hair styles: Miss Crawford
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist: Miss Crawford (as Monte Westmore)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Herbert S. Greene	....	assistant director (as Herbert Greene)

Sound Department
Lambert E. Day	....	sound (as Lambert Day)
Charles J. Rice	....	sound supervisor

Special Effects by
Richard Albain	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bettcher	....	first assistant camera

Music Department
Paul Tanner	....	musician: electro-theremin (uncredited)

Production Companies

• William Castle Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (William Castle Collection)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2009) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1964) | Germany:18 | Portugal:M/16 | USA:Approved (No. 20618) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | UK:X (theatrical release) (cut)

Company:

William Castle Productions

Trivia:

Mitchell Cox (Dr. Anderson) was not an actor but was actually the vice-president of the Pepsi-Cola Company. Joan Crawford had made this arrangement without consulting with producer William Castle.

Goofs:

Factual errors: There are several references to the Fields' farm being a dairy farm. However, in multiple scenes, you can see that they are Black Angus beef cattle.

Quotes:

Carol Harbin:Their first mistake was thinking that the child was asleep, the second mistake was that the wife had decided to come home that night on the train.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Die, Mommie, Die! (2003)

Soundtrack:

All of Me

Who says Castle couldn't direct?!?

This is one of the most enjoyable horror films ever. The closing credits gag reveals the spirit of the picture - it is not to be taken seriously. By the way don't spoil a great laugh by reading what that gag is, in the "crazy credits" section. This is pure camp fun, played brilliantly by Joan Crawford in an Oscar worthy performance. The opening narration is hilarious - and Joan's get-up (black fright wig, clinging floral dress and clanging bangles) is outrageous. You'll probably guess the surprise ending - but that's not what this film is about. Besides the fun element there is also a subversive political statement - Castle sets his axe-murder horror on a sweet little farm, that looks like a set from a family sit-com. And the family that live in it are too good to be true as well. But all this is a facade, as insanity, lust and murder lie just below the surface.

Also of note in the cast are George Kennedy - excellent as the twisted handy-man, and Diane Baker as the perfect daughter. And apparently that's Lee Majors being hacked up at the start of the film. Castle does a brilliant directing job, but it's Joan's film all the way - what she can do with knitting and matches is truly amazing! And the scene where she attempts to seduce her daughter's boyfriend is nothing short of magic. I can't believe that an actress who could play this scene with such good humour, could have taken herself as seriously as "Mommie Dearest" suggests. Do not miss this over-looked classic.