STRAIGHT-JACKET hacks sensibilities from the get-go, with the axe decapitations of a cheating hubby and his lady friend. The dead guy is Lee Majors, 23 in his debut (a year later he landed 112 episodes of The Big Valley), and he should have known better to scamp out on someone as formidable as Joan Crawford, star of this 1964 schlock shocker, directed (badly) & produced (cheaply) by William Castle, written (terribly) by Robert Bloch. Camp fun-for-all, made surprisingly watchable by the legendary diva’s fearless, no-holds-barred performance. *

“I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! No I didn’t mean that, I love you. I hate you!”

Twenty years after the murders that kick (or chop) it off, convicted murderess ‘Lucy Harbin’ (Joan, 59) is released from a mental institution. Cured. At least that’s the hope of her now-grown daughter ‘Carol’ (Diane Baker, 25) who was the three-year-old witness to the killings. A sculptress and artist, concerned and content Carol is set to wed a rich local swell, and jittery Lucy tries to regain normal life staying at her brothers farm. Then…more nosy noggins are separated from their twitching torsos.

Much—most—of Straight-Jacket is a mix of either dull or laughable but Crawford’s star quality manages to both consume and rise above the material. She has a good many moments where she’s over-the-top (those insisting on seeing her as a case of self-parody will have a field day) but then there are also sections when there’s nothing at all wrong with her emoting, in expressions or vocalizing, especially given what (and who) she had to work with. Hysterically funny stuff (the wigs and costuming) balance with some felt pieces of confusion, pathos and anger. Joan may have been a “piece of work” but she knew her trade inside out. Now, with apologies for lacking a little gallantry…someone has to explain to me how Diane Baker got so much work…? **

Crawford was the widow of Alfred Steele, CEO of the Pepsi-Cola Company. At her insistence, not only was Pepsi on view in some scenes (early example of product placement) but the role of her psychiatrist was given to non-actor Mitchell Cox, who happened to be Pepsi’s V.P. of Public Relations: his awkwardness is embarrassing, yet it suits the tackiness of the endeavor.

Ad campaign tag line: HER HUSBAND…HER BED… ANOTHER WOMAN… AND THE SHINY AX… SO CLOSE! SO CLOSE!

Made for $550,000, it tagged as a win when grosses came to $6,300,000, ranking #45 in ’64. This may have the first lopped head shown in a mainstream feature. 89 daffy minutes to savor, with Leif Erickson (a sympathetic part for a change), George Kennedy (in lumbering hulk mode), Howard St. John, Rochelle Hudson and John Anthony Hayes.

* Crawford did another thriller for Castle the following year, the less successful I Saw What You Did.

Bonkers ’64—the seriously disturbed were on the loose, especially distressed/distressing ladies: Joan’s rival Bette Davis had two, the big hit Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (with Olivia de Havilland replacing Crawford) and Dead Ringer, Hitchcock offered Tippi Hedren as Marnie, Barbara Stanwyck did The Night Walker, plus there were Shock Treatment (Carol Lynley and Lauren Bacall), Lilith (Jean Seberg), Psyche 59 (Patricia Neal and Samantha Eggar) and The Third Secret (Diane Cilento and Pamela Franklin). Safe to say, Straight-Jacket is the looniest (and most purely enjoyable) in the lineup.

** Diane Baker: sorry, but, go figure. And then tell me—The Diary Of Anne Frank, Journey To The Center Of The Earth, The Best Of Everything, Hemingway’s Adventures Of A Young Man, The 300 Spartans, Nine Hours To Rama, The Prize, Marnie, Mirage. Crawford liked her, they worked together three times, and saw to it Baker replaced Anne Helm when casting this one. Helm was devastated. Show biz.