STRAIT-JACKET (1964)

• Director: William Castle
• Cast: Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson
• Film: 93mins | USA | Subtitles + Intermission
• Event: 20:45 – 23:10 [18+]

“WARNING! ‘STRAIT-JACKET’ VIVIDLY DEPICTS AX MURDERS!”

After a 20-year asylum stay for a double ax murder, suspicion arises about Lucy Harbin’s behaviour. Soon, heads begin to roll again. Is Lucy repeating her past?

Cult film night BAR TRASH continues with CELLULOID JAM, an unofficial celebration of 50 years of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975).

Having created the ROCKY HORROR role of Dr. Frank N Furter — a scientist! — on stage and screen, Tim Curry was often asked about the inspirations behind his performance:

“When I first did the show, one of the games that the critics played was trying to decide what Frank N Furter was a combination of. The favourite one was Joan Crawford and Vincent Price.”

Tim Curry

Crawford’s psychotic performance as Lucy Harbin in STRAIT-JACKET (1964) may well have provided one of the specific inspirations for Curry and ROCKY HORROR director Jim Sharman when the crazed scientist dispatches failed experiment Eddie (Meatloaf) with an ice pick.

STRAIT-JACKET brings Crawford back to BAR TRASH after an earlier screening of her missing-link melodrama TROG back in Season 3. Here, she delivers an unhinged caricature of her own well-established big screen persona, ranging from iconic Hollywood glamour to berserk ax-wielding motherly mayhem, making sure “Joan’s fans will not be disappointed” (Time Out).

Token Homo has a tradition of re-creating director/showman William Castle’s promotional gimmicks for our screenings of his films in Bar Paragon. He has previously delivered DIY versions of seat-buzzing system PERCEPTO! for THE TINGLER (1959), and a flying skeleton fourth-dimensional thrill system, EMERGO, for HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959). STRAIT-JACKET comes later in Castle’s career, but you should still expect the unexpected…

Polite notice: A ‘Coward’s Corner’ will be provided for customers unable to endure the final 10 minutes of this feature. We are showing STRAIT-JACKET with subtitles from the best available digital source.

// Part of BAR TRASH: CELLULOID JAM, a fan-powered celebration of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Hosted by queer film fanatic Token Homo (creator of BAR TRASH and QUEER HORROR NIGHTS), all films screen with an introduction, intermission, and subtitles/captions (where possible!). Tickets from £3.50. Adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for news and updates. //