FAQ

Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford), who murdered her husband and his lover with an axe, is released after 20 years in a psychiatric asylum. Her brother Bill Cutler (Leif Erickson), Bill's wife Emily (Rochelle Hudson), and Lucy's daughter Carol (Diane Baker), who witnessed the murders when three-years old, are delighted to see her back. Soon, however, a series of axe murders begins again. Everything points to Lucy as the murderer.

Strait Jacket is based on a screenplay by American fiction writer Robert Bloch.

After their disastrous dinner party in which Lucy stomped out, Raymond Fields (Howard St. John) goes upstairs to get into his pajamas while his wife, Alison Fields (Edith Atwater), waits downstairs for their son Michael (John Anthony Hayes), Carol's fiancé, to return. As Raymond enters the closet to remove his dinner jacket, he is suddenly attacked by a woman bearing an axe. After a while, Mrs Fields goes upstairs to see what is taking Raymond so long. She walks through the study, bathroom, bedroom, and sees nothing until she gets to the closet and finds Raymond's body. She races out the bedroom door, but someone dressed like Lucy tries to stop her. The real Lucy enters the room, and the two Lucies struggle until the real Lucy is able to remove the mask from the imposter's face to find that it is her daughter Carol. Lucy runs out of the house, bumping into Michael on his way in. Carol tries to convince Michael that Lucy is the murderer, but Lucy shows Michael the mask. Carol confesses that she planned everything from the beginning because she knew his parents would never sanction their marriage. 'I hate her...I love her!' Carol screams repeatedly. In the final scene, Lucy and Bill are packing away Carol's sculptures. Lucy reveals to Bill that she's going to take care of Carol in the asylum. 'She's needed me for a long time,' Lucy says. 'Maybe now I can help her.'