Strait-Jacket [DVD] [1964] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

This William Castle shocker has the best opening EVER! A scream, shattering glass, and Joan Crawford's contorted face filling the screen followed by the announcement "Lucy Harbin was declared insane today!", before abruptly segueuing into brash Jazz music! I guarantee, you will be blinking, and pressing rewind to relish this moment. The film is a schlocky thriller in which an aging Crawford appears to be responsible for a spate of axe murders following her release from an asylum. She has a great role in this, especially in scenes where she tries to turn back the clock by dressing up as a 1940's tart with jangly bangles and jet-black wig. Most memorable is the scene where she gets drunk and tries to seduce her daughter's fiance, but watch out also for the moment when she laconically strikes a match on an LP record as it is playing...another classic moment.

The film belongs entirely to Crawford, who chews up the scenery in a way echoed by Faye Dunaway's camp performance (as Joan!) in "Mommie Dearest". Amusingly, here's your chance to spot the real Joan wielding an axe, long before Faye Dunaway took one to those rose bushes! Having said that, it would be unfair to suggest that Joan's performance in "Strait Jacket" is just to be poked fun at, because she still brings 100% of her considerable skills to the screen and even though her talents were in something of a decline by this stage of her career, she is able to make you believe in the character of Lucy Harbin...an impressive achievement that raises "Strait Jacket" above the level of many other Castle films.

The rest of the main cast do very well too, especially Diane Baker as Lucy's daughter, although many of the cast taking smaller roles are as wooden as any Castle ever used. But there are some great scenes involving axe beheadings, and Joan's nightmares in which severed heads appear to haunt her. That and the wild ending...what a shame that too many reviews have revealed the ending, because it's a cracker. If you do know it in advance, try not to let this put you off, as the plot is handled with unbelievable bravado, and the whole viewing experience is great fun. One of Castles best.

Classic 60s horror starring Joan Crawford and Diane Baker. The teaming of these two great actresses would prove so successful, they were reunited again just a year later to make the classic TV movie 'Della' in 1964.

Strait-Jacket is a great suspense thriller/horror with a fabulous story and plot. Full of nerve-jarring moments with a shock at every turn. It also boasts a sensitive script about two different aspects of being both a reformed murderess, and her daughter, and its damaging and long-term effects on their lives.

Also stars Leif Erickson and George Kennedy, and a young uncredited Lee Majors.

This film has a great twist to the ending, and is not to be missed.

.....when she saw what she had done, she gave his girlfriend 41

Strait-Jacket is produced and directed by William Castle and written by Robert Bloch. It stars Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson, Howard St. John, Rochelle Hudson and George Kennedy. Music is by Van Alexander and cinematography by Arthur E. Arling.

Lucy Harbin (Crawford) has spent 20 years in a mental asylum for the brutal axe murders of her husband and his mistress. Released back into society, Lucy goes to live at the farm of her brother Bill (Erickson), where Lucy's grown up daughter Carol (Baker) also resides. Pretty soon, though, Lucy is plagued by horrible visions and begins to hear upsetting things, and now it seems that the people she is coming into contact with are being brutally murdered....with an axe.

Grand Dame Guignol

It seems on odd blend on first glance, Oscar winner Crawford paired up with Castle, maestro of the gimmick led movie, producing a film written by Bloch, author of the novel that would become Hitchcock's Psycho. Yet while it's hardly a true horror picture, the kind to have you gnawing away at your nails, it's unashamedly fun whilst carrying with it a bubbling under the surface sense of dastardly misadventure. Sensibly filming it in moody black and white, Castle, who certainly wasn't the most adventurous of directors, did have a sense for tone and an awareness of what worked for his target audience. Strait-Jacket is a solid murder mystery on the page, and on the screen it's coupled with some flashes of axe wielding terror. Having a woman who is the protagonist-who may be the antagonist-also adds bite to Castle's production, but he, and his film, are indebted to Crawford and her wonderful OTT trip into self parody.

Joan Blondell was all set to play Lucy Harbin, but an accident at home meant she was unable to fill the role. Castle got lucky, he needed a star, and with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Reinvigorating Crawford's career two years previously, Crawford was once again a name actress. Bumping into Crawford at a party, Castle sold the pitch to her, even bluffing her that the part was written with her in mind. It was a goer, but Crawford held sway with all the decisions, including script rewrites and choice of staff to work on the picture with her. It paid off, because after what was largely a trouble free shoot , film was a success and Castle had one of the best films of his career. Here Castle had the ultimate gimmick to sell his film, Crawford herself, although he couldn't resist some sort of tie-in so had millions of tiny cardboard axes made up to give to paying punters at the theatre.

Sure it's a film that nods towards Psycho, Baby Jane et al, but the denouement here more than holds its own, and there's also a glorious bit of fun to be observed at the end with the Columbia Torch Lady logo suitably tampered with. Those actors around Crawford invariably fall into her shadow, but it's a mostly effective cast and Arling's photography blends seamlessly with the unfolding story. So not outright horror, then, more a psychological drama with some horror elements. But which ever way you look at it, Crawford's performance is value for money a she files in for a bit of psycho-biddy. 7.5/10