Some things one never forgets. I laughed out loud this morning when I watched "Strait Jacket" again (the first time was 40 years ago at a midnight movie at the Dakota Theater). Joan Crawford lighting a kitchen match using the grooves of a jazz record playing on the "hi-fi" is definitely on my top ten list of great scenes, kamp or otherwise. I wonder if that was in the original shooting script or, if not, whose idea it was.
shareBest scene is without a doubt when Joan is flirting with her daughter's boyfriend! Priceless!
Professional Jayne Mansfield fanatic/lover™ since 1980.
I saw the title of this thread, and I was thinking of the same scene!!!! lolol!!!!! The thing is, though, Crawford acted pretty drunk, or maybe she wasn't acting. She was notorious for drinking vodka all day long on her film sets.
Also, I think this movie is quite underrated, especially her performance. I know its considered a schlocky William Castle horror film, but she really put a lot into the character, and I though the direction was pretty good, too. I've got the dvd, and find myself watching it several times a year.
No, no..."cruelty." I always think that has a nobler ring to it.
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ekentb,
I think you're right that this is underrated. I'll admit, I may not have been much of a judge of movie excellence when I saw this on TV in the 70's, but at the time, I judged it the best movie I'd ever seen. It's a real shocker, and the performances of Crawford and the person who played her daughter are really terrific.
(Spoiler alert)
My favorite scene (in retrospect) is the one near the beginning where Crawford throws her arms around her daughther, and you see the unaffectionate look on her daughter's face. I have to admit, I didn't understand the significance of that until I'd seen the rest of the movie. The scene where you think Crawford axes her former psychiatrist was a real shocker to me. I had to ask, after I knew who it really was, "what was he thinking at that moment?" It was a terribly sad thing.
Also, to realize that the real villain is the person who did the narration at the beginning was a shocker. (Maybe I'd better clarify that when I say 'the real villain,' I'm not implying that the Crawford character didn't kill her husband and his girlfriend. I mean the person who kills the kindly psychiatrist.)
Yes, I'm sure this is underrated. It's funny how today in 2006, people look at movies from 40 years ago and apply all the standards of special effects, etc., of today to those times. But they do it selectively. Because they've heard of the original King Kong as a "classic," they ignore the cheesy special effects in that, but they demand perfection of a "B" movie from the 50's or 60's.
"Extremism in the pursuit of moderation is no vice."
I have not seen the movie in *years*. What I remember most (other then the fact it scared me to death when I was 10 years old) was that jingle-jangle garish bracelet that she bought when shopping with her daughter.
Ghastly.
I also remember feeling really bad for Joan upon finding out what a little "you-know-what" her daughter turned out to be.
I would love to see the movie again.
"Are you HIGH?!?"
I love when she is staring at her sister in law slicing the roast beef and when she freaks out after the hired help slaughters a chicken.
shareThe seduction scene and many others are great, but I think one of the most priceless scenes is the one with the psychiatrist, in which Joan starts knitting (and then unravelling) like she was possessed by a demon. I laugh hysterically during that one. And, for the record, her performance was fantastic overall. One need only consider the look of both tenderness and extreme uncertainty on her face when she is first reunited with her daughter and they embrace to realize how truly gifted an actress Joan Crawford was.
shareMy favorite scene is the dinner party, being rudely questioned by snooty Mrs. Fields; then snapping and screaming..Crawford in total control and frightening. Reminds me of silent movies (didn't Crawford get her start in silents?) She uses her face and body like a psychotic pantomime..really intense, powerful
shareYes, I agree. My fave scene is that one, too. I love how Mrs. Fields is such a great match for Joan. Those two bitches really have it out!
shareShe did get her start in silents, and let me tell you - she was gorgeous and fascinating.
"It's as if God created the Devil...and gave him...JAWS"
I agree that her slutty behaviour doesn't make sense at that point in the film; but that and the priceless scene of her knitting as if possessed by a demon were necessary in order to make the viewer think that Joan was going insane again, whereas, in fact, it was her daughter who was the real psychopath. If Joan had acted sedate throughout the first part of the film, one might not have suspected her of the killings and thus not have been surprised at the end (as I was, when I first saw it). And, yes, what great scenes in this movie!
shareThis movie makes a lot more sense if you view it as Joan Crawford, freaked out by the state of her career. The bizarre sense of entitlement with her daughter's boyfriend, the frightening non sequitur outbursts, the final tussle with... herself? The best portrait of a movie star ever caught on film?
shareI've always thought this was one of her all time best performances and not in a "campy" way. She is so restrained and poignant as the just released Lucy. Then her daughter has her dress like, as my mom said "a floozy" and whenever she puts those "old Lucy" clothes on, she pretty much becomes her old self. That's why she attempts that embarassing seduction of her daughter's suitor. She is totally insecure so she loses herself in an exaggeration of her old, sexually agressive personality. Remember old Lucy is "ALL WOMAN," as her daughter's(hilarious)narration says at the beginning.
shareCrawford was a professional, and she always did her professional best, even in campy nonsense such as this or real dregs like TROG.
"I don't use a pen: I write with a goose quill dipped in venom!"---W. Lydecker
...and strangely enough..Trog is coming to DVD this summer....
No, no..."cruelty." I always think that has a nobler ring to it.
This movie makes a lot more sense if you view it as Joan Crawford, freaked out by the state of her career. The bizarre sense of entitlement with her daughter's boyfriend, the frightening non sequitur outbursts, the final tussle with... herself? The best portrait of a movie star ever caught on film?
Well, that's true!!
The moments that stay with me are:
* Lucy screaming in her straight-jacket
* Lucy appearing at the top of the train steps to wailing trumpet music (while Diane Baker says some fuzzy mish-mash statement about what kind of "woman" this garish Lucy Harbin is)
* OMG, that crazy record player scene (!!) (Which, as another thread points out, makes absolutely no sense) why doesn't it make sense?
* The powder room with no door! you can clearly see the door to the powder room, on top of the screen, it was the design of the wall paper that freaked Lucy out
* Dueling Crawfords (Lucy, and Carol in her Lucy mask)
Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...share
The one that made me laugh also was at the dinner party, where she is confronted by Mrs. Fields. It was just so over the top and laughable. And I must say I really enjoyed Diane Baker throughout the movie. She does a great job of playing the sweet, caring daughter, all the while feeling very different about her mother.
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Lucy went overboard at the bar to loosen up just before meeting Carol's boyfriend and her inebriated playfulness got the best of her. The "bizarre" reaction underscores Lucy's insecurity and potential lability (aided in part by Carol) to slip back in time to her earlier murderous self, so it advances the story, which doesn't have to or strive to hang together too logically. Also, Joan was playful with the dimensions of the role and given a lot of latitude here as to how her scenes could be played out.
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I think my favorite scene is when she initially kills her no good husband and his girlfriend...at the time it probably scared people out of their minds but if you watch you'll see it's put together a bit clumsily but it's still a fun movie to watch.
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