Strait-Jacket (1964)

Directed by William Castle [Other horror films: Macabre (1958), House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Tingler (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Homicidal (1961), Mr. Sardonicus (1961), The Old Dark House (1963), The Night Walker (1964), I Saw What You Did (1965), Let’s Kill Uncle (1966), The Spirit Is Willing (1967), Shanks (1974)]

I’ve not seen Strait-Jacket in some time, and it was an enjoyable movie to revisit. Admittedly, if not for Joan Crawford’s stellar performance, this might be a more generic William Castle fair, but because of Crawford, and some other factors, it turns out quite a solid film.

A lot of the ideas in this one seem similar to Castle’s Homicidal. Honestly, I think I enjoy the both of them equally, though in a somewhat interesting fashion, this movie doesn’t necessarily feel quite as campy as some of Castle’s previous films (such as House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler).

I did like the plot here, though, with a woman twenty years in a mental institution being released, only to possibly be facing a relapse. It’s nothing that’s quite new, and the finale felt rather like the end of Psycho, but the performances and occasionally tense story allow it to work well.

Naturally, Joan Crawford (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Trog, Berserk) did great here, and you can really see the emotional range she has throughout the film. Admittedly, Diane Baker (The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre) isn’t a name I know that well, but she did a great job also, especially toward the finale. The last individual to really make an impression was Leif Erickson (I Saw What You Did, Invaders from Mars, Night Monster), who played a pretty gentle individual.

Others aren’t bad, though – George Kennedy (Death Ship, Wacko, Creepshow 2, Uninvited, Demonwarp, Just Before Dawn) had some good scenes, reminding me a little of Henry Jones’ role in The Bad Seed. A couple of other performances – John Anthony Hayes, Rochelle Hudson (Gallery of Horror), Howard St. John, Edith Atwater (Die Sister, Die!, The Body Snatcher), and Mitchell Cox (who wasn’t even an actor, but did just fine) – didn’t really have enough room to breathe, which isn’t a surprise, given this is largely the Crawford show.

A few other notes – I enjoyed the decapitations we get. The first pair was shown in the shadows, which had a nice vibe to it, but we do get an on-screen decapitation, and while it doesn’t look amazing, nor is it gory whatsoever, it was fun to see. Also, the finale does feel a little silly, mainly around the mask we’re shown, but as much as it feels like Psycho, I still found it fun.

Strait-Jacket isn’t a movie I think is amazing, but it’s a solid movie, and a quality entry in William Castle’s filmography.

8/10