STRAIT-JACKET (1964) ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: William Castle
Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson,
Edith Atwater, George Kennedy, John Anthony Hayes,
Howard St. John, Rochelle Hudson, Mitchell Cox
Camp horror with Joan Crawford as an ax-murderer who's released from the asylum after 20 years and returns home to her devoted daughter, played by Diane Baker. So she's out, but is she sane, and is it a good idea to let her get within range of the ax farmhand George Kennedy uses to dismember chickens? Better be careful. Part of a cycle of movies that followed in the wake of "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?", geriatric thrillers that helped aging stars like Crawford, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland and Tallulah Bankhead extend their careers. Crawford goes all-out - over the top, over the edge, off a cliff and down the next ravine. Keep an eye on the Columbia Pictures logo at the very end and see if you notice anything unusual.
