Lady in a Cage (1964)

[lester1/2jr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3P6KSOXQJ0


^funky /edgy opening credit sequence

       My guess is the reason this is not as well known as, say, "whatever happened to Baby Jane", is that it was simply too over the top for 1964.  it's over the top now!  Hollywood legend olivia de haivalind, who it shuold be said had a pretty nice rack for a woman her age (50's),  gets trapped in an elevator she'd had installed  in  her huge house so she wouldn't have to walk up and down the stairs with a broken hip.    If it weren't for bad luck,  she would have no luck at all as this and that happens to the point where she is fighting for her life (alot like the 70's movie "fight for your life" actually) against a band of home invading thugs who have no moral compunction about anything.  the screewriter must have been catholic  as the poor woman comes to the conclusion that it's her fault, except for the thugs, who are products of "the welfare state" !    In his mind, the 50's were WAY over if they ever really existed and cynicism about modern american society  had by then exploded into this, a hellacious torrent of realism that makes the people who ignored that lady in NYC who was stabbed seem practicly like good samaritans.


     De havilands  Hollywood A-list reputation works in her favor as she is very believable in the role of a  defenseless, well bred , poetry writing rich lady.   I can't believe this was made over 40 years ago.

       

[RCMerchant]

 Wow. Never heard of it! But it looks real far-out!!! Gonna have to try and dig it up!!

[lester1/2jr]

as you can see, I was pretty impressed.  at the same time, it is, on some level, a B movie.  just a really really good one

[peter johnson]

De Haviland could do anything --
Ever see "The Snakepit"?
De Haviland gets trapped in a mental hospital & fights her way back to sanity -- Even with the conventions of the day, it's a stark and wrenching exercise --
I've shown "The Snakepit" to people who claim to not "get" black-and-white movies, and think anything made before 1980 is "too old" to enjoy.  They end up being severely affected & having to rethink their position.
Nah, Olivia is, as you say, a great actress, & like Susan Hayward, never made it into the hallowed Upper Echelon of Stars like Bette Davis & Joan Crawford, always thought of as the nice sister of the more interesting "Star" lead actress.  Yet there's a huge body of great work that stands any test of time --
peter johnson/denny crushes on old stars

[BoyScoutKevin]

For this type of film, it has a fairly strong cast. Besides Olivia De Havilland, it also stars Jeff Corey, Ann Sothern, Rafael Campos, Scatman Crothers, and Richard Kiel in an uncredited role. And this would be James Caan's first credited screen performance.