Strait-Jacket 5:15pm • sept 30 • the Guild

Lucy Harbin (Joan crawford) has been in an asylum for 20 years after axing her husband and his mistress during a crime of passion, witnessed by her young daughter, Carol (Diane baker). Now newly released, Lucy is having some difficulty getting used to living with other people again, but blossoms thanks to the efforts of her daughter, who sees that she’s comfortable and takes her on shopping trips. But despite a makeover, Lucy can’t find stability - besides succumbing to the temptation to seduce young men (including her daughter’s date), she experiences hallucinations harking back to the axe murders that put her away: “Lucy Harbin took an axe/Gave her husband 40 whacks.” (USA, 1964, 89 min, b/w, dir: William Castle)