Joan crawford became a star because joan crawford decided to become a star. Straitjacket by william castle joan crawford, diane baker. Written by robert bloch, who penned the novel psycho, straitjacket is one of the many bsuspense films produced in the 1960smostly by william castle or hammer pictures. Screen legends bette davis and joan crawford star in the 1962 boxoffice champ that became a classic. In 1964, william castle would employ the biggest gimmick of his movie making career joan crawford as an ax murderer in straitjacket. Get ready for some creepy joan crawford via william castle tonight on metv as a motherdaughter reunion after mom has been away at a psychiatric asylum coincides with a sudden rash of axe murders. In straitjacket, scripted by robert bloch, prosperous farm owner lucy harbin crawford returns unexpectedly from a trip to find her younger husband. With her threeyearold daughter accidentally witnessing the grisly act, lucy axes the couple to death. There is no explicit gore, but there are still a few genuinely scary moments. She is quite effective as the unbalanced lucy, who shifts from withdrawn former patient to. After a twentyyear stay at an asylum for a double murder, a mother returns to her estranged daughter where suspicions arise about her behavior. Rent homicidal straitjacket 1961 starring joan crawford and patricia breslin on dvd and bluray.
The original scream queen delivers in two classic campy thrillers from the 60s, straitjacket and berserk. Crawford plays lucy harbin, a woman who goes berserk when she finds her husband in bed with another woman. Straitjacket is a 1964 american horrorthriller film starring joan crawford and diane baker in a. Like all william castle films, the story of straitjacket is slight, full of holes, and often silly to the point of absurdity. By the time she was born, her parents had separated, and by the time she was a teenager, shed had three stepfathers. Straitjacket, which premiered back in 1964, the year following that backstabbing oscars ceremony depicted on feud, starred crawford and diane baker as a murderous motherdaughter duo.
She was a talented dancer and worked as a showgirl before starting her long career. Jan, 20 joan crawford strikes a match in a great scene from strait jacket 1964. Jun 20, 2011 strait jacket 1964 is a columbia pictures feature film starring joan crawford and diane baker in a macabre mother and daughter tale about a series of axemurders. The former is actually a very good film while the latter is often derided as one of the low points of her film career though i. Joan crawford strikes a match in a great scene from straitjacket 1964. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing straitjacket near. For straitjacket, castle jumped at the chance to lure a real movie star into one of his commercial exploitations. The key attraction of strait jacket is joan crawford, who tears into her role with all the vigor her camp devotees would expect. Judith crist commented in the new york herald tribune that its time to get joan crawford out of those housedress horror b movies and back.
This is a wonderful psychological thriller that is also part earlyslasher. She had had a large lull in her career, and i think it pretty much devastated her to lose straitjacket. This tense psychological drama tells of the psychopathic relationship between two sisters, one a former child vaudeville star and the other a crippled exsilent star of the screen, who are bound together in hate in a house of fear. Straitjacket 2004 stream and watch online moviefone. Although ive seen this joan crawford movie dozens of times, i still go back to it whenever i want a postbaby jane fix. A terrifying still of joan crawford and her best friend, an axe, from the 1964 film, straitjacket. Straitjacket is no great example of 1960s filmmaking at its best, but it is a mildly enjoyable timepasser that. Search, discover and share your favorite strait jacket gifs. Released by columbia pictures, the film was directed and produced by william castle, and coproduced by dona holloway. What ever happened to baby jane joan crawford was born lucille fay lesueur on march 23, 1906, in san antonio, texas, to anna belle johnson and thomas e. Strait jacket is a 1964 american horrorthriller film starring joan crawford and diane baker in a macabre mother and daughter tale about a series of axemurders. Aug 20, 2018 in 1964, william castle would employ the biggest gimmick of his moviemaking career joan crawford as an ax murderer in straitjacket.
Never mind either that it was faye dunaway impersonating joan crawford in mommie dearest, not crawford herself. Whatever happened to baby jane, and old joan crawford melodramas like mildred pierce in equal measure. An axwielding joan crawford headlines straitjacket on. This is a fun murder mystery, you think you know whats going on, but.
Joan crawford in a shlocky classic b thriller and all about axe murders. A wife joan crawford literally axes her cheating husband and his lover, witnessed by her threeyearold daughter. The huge and unexpected success of whatever happened to baby jane. Joan made over 83 films from 1925 to 1970, which are listed below chronologically, along with us premiere date, studio, role played, general notes, and dvdvhs availability. Rock n roll high school is a prime example of a 1970s movie phenomenon. Joan stars as lucy, a woman who after axemurdering her husband and his lover, spends 20 years in a mental asylum. The former is actually a very good film while the latter is often derided as one of the low points of her film career though i think it still has its moments.
The key attraction of straitjacket is joan crawford, who tears into her role with all the vigor her camp devotees would expect. An ax murderer joan crawford comes home to her daughter diane baker. The film was directed and produced by william castle, and coproduced by dona holloway. Basically the movie is about a woman who spent 20 years in an. This black and white cult classic is creepy, campy, and humorous all in one. Joan crawford gives a great performance as an axe murderer who just finished 20 years in the asylum and is released to reconnect with her daughter. Joan s last film, another cheapie by cohen shot in england. Movie queen joan crawford gives a chilling performance in this rousing shocker about a jealous wife with a hasty. Strait jacket is a 1964 horror film starring joan crawford in a terrifying tale about a woman invited to live on a farm after serving a long prison sentence for a grizzly murder, where the. Straitjacket is a movie that has to be seen to believed. In 1964, william castle would employ the biggest gimmick of his moviemaking career joan crawford as an ax murderer in straitjacket. Straitjacket 2004 though still mentally shaky, convicted axemurderess lucy harbin joan crawford is released from the asylum where she was sent 20 years ago for slaying her unfaithful husband. John the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 29 min, and received a score of out of 100 on.
An axwielding joan crawford headlines straitjacket on blu. Straitjacket 1964 stars joan crawford, diane baker, george kennedy, and lee majors. As for the bluray disc, it is lacking in several ways. In this chilling bloodtale in psycho style, robert bloch modernizes the lizzy borden story. On the road with joan crawford interview with publicist richard kahn 6. They brought me in very early on, when joan blondell was scheduled to star, and then joan crawford got ahold of the script. Free after twenty years in an asylum, she is reunited with her beloved daughter, now an adult. Working at columbia pictures, straitjacket would turn out to be william castles most respectable movie to date, with a screen legend front and center and psycho author robert bloch penning the screenplay. May 10, 1977 was an american film and television actress who began her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting as a chorus girl on broadway. Free after twenty years in an asylum, she is reunited with her beloved daughter, now an adult, who witnessed the gruesome murders two decades before. The following interview with actress anne helm is from the book i was a monster movie maker by tom weaver, 2001 what was great about straitjacket, and very sad for me, too, is that i felt very much like family. Lucy harbin crawford goes berserk when she finds her husband in.
Straitjacket cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. Joan crawford went on to star in producerdirector william castles contribution to the genre, straitjacket 1964, as the axemurderer of her husband and his mistress. Strait jacket 2004 though still mentally shaky, convicted axemurderess lucy harbin joan crawford is released from the asylum where she was sent 20 years ago for slaying her unfaithful husband. Straitjacket boasted the biggest gimmick of them all, however. Yeah there are axes killing people and its pretty cool but the meat of the movie is crawford adjusting to life on the. Just when it seems as though her hysterical extremes as lucy harbin have to be a big puton, it becomes obvious that joan is playing it perfectly straight. This one is a castle production and, while it pales next to his classic homicidal 1961, it provides a juicy role for joan crawford. Crawford doesnt just chew the scenery, she outright devours it. As a horror film, as a camp classic, and a great vehicle for joan crawford, as a guilty pleasure, and as a fun saturday afternoon popcorn movie. Straitjacket movie queen joan crawford what ever happened to baby jane. Released february 22nd, 2004, straitjacket stars joan crawford, diane baker, leif erickson, howard st. Though she was widely vilified by the gossip columnists of her time and is best recalled today for being a very bad mommie, it is impossible to dispute the fact that joan crawford was one hell of an actress. With joan crawford, diane baker, leif erickson, howard st. Rent homicidal straitjacket 1961 on dvd and bluray.
But, anyway, i was delighted, i thought, god, joan crawford. Apr 09, 2017 strait jacket, which premiered back in 1964, the year following that backstabbing oscars ceremony depicted on feud, starred crawford and diane baker as a murderous motherdaughter duo. Vhs, dvd, bluray as part of psycho biddy double feature with strait jacket 91870. Straitjacket by william castle joan crawford, diane. Persuaded by daughter carol diane baker that shes ready to meet her potential inlaws, recovering axemurderess lucy joan crawford travels with brother bill leif erickson and his wife emily rochelle hudson, in william castles straitjacket, 1964.
Film legend joan crawford gives a terrific performance in this chiller from pioneer horror movie producer william castle. Straitjacket is a 1964 horror film starring joan crawford in a terrifying tale about a woman invited to live on a farm after serving a long prison sentence for a grizzly murder, where the. Its a b horror movie, but entertaining nonetheless. Joan crawford was born lucille fay lesueur on march 23, 1906, in san antonio, texas, to anna belle johnson and thomas e.
Basically the movie is about a woman who spent 20 years in an insane asylum for axe murdering her cheating husband and his lover. Straitjacket is a 1964 american horrorthriller film starring joan crawford and diane baker in a macabre mother and daughter tale about a series of axemurders. The result is too derivative to be considered a classic, but its blend of campy thrills and surreal shocks make it a lot of fun. Click on a title to go to this sites page for that film, which will have more complete information. Ok, not really audience members were given fake plastic axes when they entered the theater to see straitjacket, but for my money, joan crawford was the biggest gimmick, and boy, was it a doozy. This movie was written by robert bloch, the guy who wrote psycho, which was made into the classic movie by alfred hitchcock. Strait jacket is a black and white film about an insane axe murderess. Basically the movie is about a woman who spent 20 years in an insane. For straitjacket, castle jumped at the chance to lure a real movie. Mill creek entertainment pairs up two joan crawford films in the form of 1964s strait jacket and 1967s beserk for a fun budget priced double feature bluray release.
Straitjacketmovie queen joan crawford what ever happened to baby jane. Mill creek entertainment pairs up two joan crawford films in the form of 1964s straitjacket and 1967s beserk for a fun budget priced double feature bluray release. Written by robert bloch, who penned the novel psycho, strait jacket is one of the many bsuspense films produced in the 1960smostly by william castle or hammer pictures. Crawford then signed a motion picture contract with metrogoldwynmayer in 1925. Straitjacket 1964 is a columbia pictures feature film starring joan crawford and diane baker in a macabre mother and daughter tale about a series of axemurders.
Watch straitjacket movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at. An aerial shot of crawford in the striped dressing room. Working at columbia pictures, straitjacket would turn out to be william castles most respectable movie to date, with a screen legend front and center and psycho author robert bloch penning. Mainly because the performance by joan crawford is practically beyond description. The screenplay was the first of two written for castle by robert bloch, the second being the night walker 1964. For most casual movie fans, the distinctions are not likely to matter. Youll find so much sleeve and so much horror in the 1964 chiller straitjacket. And blondell had a nervous breakdown over this, cause straitjacket was a very big break for her.
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