Strait-Jacket (1964)

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

Director:

William Castle

Writer:

Robert Bloch

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Lucy Harbin
Diane Baker	...	Carol Cutler
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

Storyline

Lucy Harbin has been in an asylum for twenty years after axing her husband and his mistress during a crime of passion, witnessed by her young daughter, Carol. While trying to renew ties with Carol, who is now a young woman about to be married, heads begin to roll again. Is Lucy repeating her past?

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Plot Keywords:

altered version of studio logo | dark comedy | mother daughter estrangement | asylum | visit | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Zwangsjacke

Company Credits

Production Co:

William Castle Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cast boasts two Oscar winners: Joan Crawford and George Kennedy.

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Goofs

When Lucy commits a double ax murder at the beginning of the film, there is absolutely no blood on ax blade or blood splattering during her brutal attack.

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Quotes

First little girl: Lucy Harbin took an axe, gave her husband forty whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave his girlfriend forty one.
Carol Harbin: [Lucy storms out to find two girls playing jump rope] What is it, Mother?
Lucy Harbin: I heard them...
First little girl: London bridge is falling down, falling down, London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.
Carol Harbin: It's just a nursery rhyme, mother.
Second little girl: Take the key and lock her up, lock her up, lock her up, take the key and lock her up, my fair lady.

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Crazy Credits

The Columbia Pictures logo at the end of the film features the classic woman with torch, only her head has been chopped off and it's sitting at her feet.

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Connections

Featured in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

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Soundtracks

There Goes That Song Again
(Written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn)

User Reviews

Classic Crawford

Wow, where to begin with 'Strait-Jacket'? First of all, people who aren't keen on either Crawford or 60's horror movies shouldn't, and probably wouldn't, bother with this in the first place. That being said, its great fun. Joan Crawford is the film's main - perhaps only - asset. Crawford is considered by many now as a camp icon. This does her a great disservice because it undervalues her talents as an actress. Quite simply, she was the greatest (female) movie star. One of the best - and paradoxically saddest - things about Crawford was that whatever she was in, she always gave maximum efforts to her performance. This is sad because a movie like this isn't really worthy of the depth that she adds to the character. Adding Mildred Pierce-level emotion to 'Strait-Jacket' is almost tragic to watch if you think about how her career had gone. One of the trademarks of a truly great actor is the ability to rise above the material, and Crawford certainly does this here, cranking up the acting-ometer up to 150.

'Strait-Jacket' certainly compares well with others in its genre. Personally, I found it a lot more enjoyable that 'Whatever Happened...' perhaps because Bette Davis wasn't in it. It may not have the subtext of 'Baby Jane' or 'Lady in a Cage' but, no other words to really explain it, it is simply more fun to watch.