The Caretakers

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The Caretakers

Released Aug 21, 1963

1h 37m

Drama

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2 Reviews

23%

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100+ Ratings

Dr. MacLeod (Robert Stack), an idealistic psychiatrist, has developed a new type of therapy for severely disturbed individuals at a mental institution. However, head nurse Lucretia Terry (Joan Crawford) resists these changes, feeling that the only effective ways of dealing with patients are force and punishment. Even though MacLeod is rebuffed by many of the hospital staff, his methods show promise on some patients, including the frenzied Lorna Medford (Polly Bergen).

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

The only good thing in this campy Joan Crawford mental hospital flick is the Oscar-nominated cinematography by Lucien Ballard.

Rated: C

Aug 23, 2012

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

An unintentionally funny overwrought melodrama.

Rated: C-

Mar 22, 2008

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SICKS6SIX S

Anyone who didn't understand this film hasn't been sectioned yet. They are brutal. Drug crazed murderers in white coats. The only way you will understand this film is by becoming their victim and you don't want that. The word CARE should be deleted from their job reference. They create nightmares for people of all ages 6 to 60 everyone's catered for.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

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steve d

A few good performances, some terrible ones and a weak script.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

This movie is SOOO poorly made. In most sciences you can see the shadow of the microphones. Several reviews state how good it is because of how it deals with mental health issues. That maybe but has really poorly predictable acting

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/10/19

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ashley h

The Caretakers is a decent film. It is about the trials of the mentally ill and their care-givers in an over-crowded ward of a hospital. Joan Crawford and Robert Stack give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Hall Bartlett did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Decent little melodrama about waring philosophies of how to treat patients at a mental hospital. Joan Crawford is the old school head nurse who wants to lock up and isolate the crazies, while Robert Stack is the young idealistic doctor who sees them as patients and wants to treat them with his radical new ideas around "group therapy". The script is pretty smart and there are some good performances, but the film feels like a poorly edited TV movie. Not as good as it could have been, but not bad either.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

Dull, trite insane asylum story

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Hall Bartlett

Director

Robert Stack

Dr. Donovan MacLeod

Joan Crawford

Lucretia Terry

Polly Bergen

Lorna Melford

Diane McBain

Alison Horne

Janis Paige

Marion

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Synopsis

Dr. MacLeod (Robert Stack), an idealistic psychiatrist, has developed a new type of therapy for severely disturbed individuals at a mental institution. However, head nurse Lucretia Terry (Joan Crawford) resists these changes, feeling that the only effective ways of dealing with patients are force and punishment. Even though MacLeod is rebuffed by many of the hospital staff, his methods show promise on some patients, including the frenzied Lorna Medford (Polly Bergen).

Director: Hall Bartlett
Producer: Hall Bartlett
Screenwriter: Henry F. Greenberg
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Hall Bartlett Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Runtime: 1h 37m