Strait-Jacket
Directed by William Castle
Written by Robert Bloch
1964/USA
William Castle Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Carol Harbin: I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! No I didn’t mean that, I love you. I hate you![/box]
Another fun over-the-top thriller from William Castle. And what could be more fun than Joan Crawford as an axe-murderer!
As the story begins, party girl Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford) unexpectedly comes home and finds her studly husband in bed with another woman. Her young daughter is cowering in another room. This does not deter Lucy from slaughtering the adulterous couple with an axe. She is found to have been insane and sent away to the state asylum for twenty years.
Segue to 20 years later and Lucy has been declared sane and returns home to the family farm. She reunites with her daughter Carol who has grown up to be Diane Baker. Carol is almost engaged to the wealthy Michael. The couple are afraid to declare their intentions to his straight-laced parents. For reasons that will become only too clear, Diane decides what her mother needs is a make-over. New clothes, shoes, and wig make Lucy look just like she did 20 years ago. Will she feel the same as well?
I enjoyed this. Crawford, who does most of her acting with her eyebrows, pulls out all the stops!
