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| Joan Crawford’s Lucy Harbin has an ax to grind with cheatin’ hubby and his bimbo, in 1964’s thriller, “Strait-Jacket.” |
Joan
Crawford’s post-studio contract movies had been typically past excessive. However Strait-Jacket is correct up there with Johnny Guitar as a bizarro bonanza.
After the shock success of What Ever
Occurred to Child Jane?, Joan appeared in a solo suspense movie, Strait Jacket, whereas Bette Davis made Useless Ringer.
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| Did Adrian design Joan’s “Strait-Jacket?” |
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| The lighting a match on the report participant scene by no means fails to make me snicker. I want that Carol Burnett had spoofed Strait-Jacket on her basic TV collection. |
A lot
has been written about this camp basic, that I selected to notice issues about Strait-Jacket that I discovered personally
fascinating. The arrange is a couple of younger lady who catches her husband in mattress
with one other lady upon returning dwelling late one night time. She responds by chopping their heads
off with an ax. Carried out and dusted! She then spends the following twenty years in an asylum. Upon
returning dwelling to her grown daughter, creepy issues start to
occur. And when the tensions actually rise, heads start to roll!
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| Frank Harbin and his bar pickup look laid out similar to corpses! That is Lee Majors, in his movie debut, about to get the ax by Joan Crawford in 1964’s “Strait-Jacket.” |
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Lucy Harbin’s scrapbook, with pics of her 7 years youthful hubby Frank, performed by Lee Majors. In actuality, Lee was nearly 35 years youthful than Joan! Word the pics in Strait-Jacket with hubby’s heads lower out. Shades of Uncle Greg in Mommie Dearest! |
Strait-Jacket
was written by Robert Bloch of Psycho
fame. Producer/director William Fortress worshiped Psycho director Alfred Hitchcock, which he demonstrated by completely copying
him! Fortress additionally admired the old-time stars, so getting Joan Crawford for this B thriller was a coup in his thoughts.
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| Ankle straps are a couple of of Joan’s favourite issues, all on show in Strait Jacket! |
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| Joan’s introduction as Lucy Harbin in Strait-Jacket is similar to her Sadie Thompson in Rain, one other “massive” efficiency! |
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| Mama ‘pank arduous! Joan Crawford as a hoochie mama on the choo-choo station makes me consider Bette Davis’ small city overripe vamp in Past the Forest: the black fright wig, drag make-up, peasant clothes, and ankle strap sneakers. |
The
result’s a enjoyable fright flick that’s introduced in a classy manner. What undercuts
Strait-Jacket is the dialogue and the story’s plotting. All this and Joan Crawford working extra time to promote
you that she’s 29 and later 49 at nearly 60 sends the film straight into camp orbit.
Joan offers it her all and works properly with Diane Baker, as her daughter. However Joan stands out in
the mistaken manner towards the weathered character actors who’re her age, and the youthful actors who truly look youthful. Contrasted towards all of this
is Joan, wanting like a hillbilly Natasha Fatale.
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| Word the clap board. Joan performs 29 as Lucy Harbin within the opening set piece of Strait-Jacket. Crawford then performs her at 49 thereafter; Joan was 60-ish on the time. |
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| “My mom, an ax assassin! Aren’t the pie slices dangerous sufficient? Should you degrade us?” Diane Baker as daughter Carol remembers her mom’s historical past for the viewers and her boyfriend in Strait-Jacket’s prologue! |
Strait-Jacket
was made on a good smaller finances than Child
Jane however was a reasonable hit, helped by Joan’s tireless promotion. The
draw back was that it additional stamped Joan as a hag horror movie star.
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| Joan Crawford promoted her later motion pictures and Pepsi with equal vigor. She even acquired Pepsi’s PR vice-president a job as her psychiatrist in “Strait-Jacket!” |
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| George Kennedy, as Strait-Jacket’s farm hand, who leers in his spare time. Isn’t it fascinating that future “sensible” stars like Kennedy, Bruce Dern, James Caan, and Donald Sutherland began out taking part in “challenged” characters? |
Time
is a superb healer and Joan’s star fame has overcome the latter day
downturns of Crawford’s life and profession. Get pleasure from Strait-Jacket for what it’s, one among Joan’s final gaudy jaunts at
the Hollywood rodeo.
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| I really like this candid from the wardrobe checks for Strait-Jacket. Joan’s silvery grey hair, easy make up, and smiling. That is way more interesting than the more and more grim drag queen look Crawford sported in her later years. |
Right here’s
my deep dive into Joan’s Oscar-winning Mildred
Pierce, made 20 years earlier than Strait-Jacket:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-joan-crawford-became-mildred-pierce.html
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| So my mom’s an ax assassin! Mainstreaming Mommie has its challenges in 1964’s Strait-Jacket. Joan with Rochelle Hudson, Diane Baker, and Leif Erickson. |
