Strait-Jacket

Released Jan 19, 1964

1h 29m

Horror

List

89%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Though still mentally shaky, convicted axe-murderess Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford) is released from the asylum where she was sent 20 years ago for slaying her unfaithful husband. Lucy goes to stay at her brother's farm and reconnect with her grown daughter, Carol (Diane Baker), who saw her mother chop her father to pieces as a tot. Carol helps Lucy regain her old glamorous look -- but suspects that history might be repeating itself when anyone who angers her mother turns up hacked to death.

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David W

Strait-Jacket would otherwise have been a fun but forgettable horror film if not for the outsized performance offered by Joan Crawford. The peculiarities of her career's trajectory have given audiences a much-loved cult classic. I would absolutely watch this again!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

Full Review

Steve D

Even Crawford's acting is mixed.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/26/24

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Mike F

Really enjoyed watching Joan Crawford in this role for which she is perfectly suited. While a bit predictable, the story was fun and while this has some horror attributes this feels more like a comedy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

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Philip C

Crawford gives a great and meaty performance amidst farm animals, dust and small town vibes. The story holds its own and had me in suspense until the very end. There's a scene involving laundry hanging in the wind, which is very similar to a scene from Halloween. And the end credits are a brilliant touch. The axe scenes are void of any blood; however it was more graphic than I was expecting. Look out for the case of Pepsi on the counter...Joan Crawford is a true movie star and a must for any fans. Fun fact, Lee Majors played the young husband, which is uncredited.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/28/23

Full Review

michael b

This Is One Of My Faverit Horror Movies ,Thank You Jone,God Bless.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/24/23

Full Review

dave s

Joan Crawford plays Lucy Harbin, a woman held in an asylum for twenty years after murdering her husband with an axe. Upon her release, she reunites with her daughter, who resides on a farm with Lucy's brother. All is fine until, as quickly as you can sharpen an axe blade, heads start to roll. Director William Castle handles things nicely, avoiding the silly gimmicks that plagued some of his earlier films. Despite the wildly unsurprising surprise at the end and the unnecessary epilogue that explains everything you've just seen, the movie is helped along by some effective lighting, most notably during the murder scenes, and a standout late-career performance by the always reliable Crawford.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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William Castle

Director

Joan Crawford

Lucy Harbin

Diane Baker

Carol Harbin

Leif Erickson

Bill Cutler

Howard St. John

Raymond Fields

John Anthony Hayes

Michael Fields

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Daniel Barnes

Dare Daniel

Strait-Jacket is a middling Psycho meets Gaslight proto-slasher that telegraphs its plot twists more than Western Union. But it’s elevated by Joan Crawford’s remarkably possessed and highly physical turn as an ax murderess returning home from the asylum.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 8, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The twist ending is one of the most obvious ever put on film, but Crawford's campy histrionics and some neat stylistic flourishes make this worthy entertainment.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 7, 2021

Full Review

Sean Mulvihill

FanboyNation.com

In 1964, William Castle would employ the biggest gimmick of his moviemaking career - Joan Crawford as an ax murderer in Strait-Jacket.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 29, 2018

Full Review

Chris Alexander

Alexander On Film

(Crawford) may have been mourning her glory days and miserable that the bloom was off her rose, but she remained until the end a major artist and a consummate professional.

Aug 30, 2018

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

This one has a very high quality of dialogue and performance.

Oct 23, 2009

Full Review

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Joan Crawford in a shlocky classic B thriller and all about axe murders.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 9, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

Though still mentally shaky, convicted axe-murderess Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford) is released from the asylum where she was sent 20 years ago for slaying her unfaithful husband. Lucy goes to stay at her brother's farm and reconnect with her grown daughter, Carol (Diane Baker), who saw her mother chop her father to pieces as a tot. Carol helps Lucy regain her old glamorous look -- but suspects that history might be repeating itself when anyone who angers her mother turns up hacked to death.

Director: William Castle
Screenwriter: Robert Bloch
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Columbia Tristar
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 19, 1964, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 29m
Sound Mix: Mono

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