Product Details

• Actors: Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Jennifer Billingsley, Rafael Campos, William Swan
• Directors: Walter Grauman
• Writers: Luther Davis
• Producers: Luther Davis
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Subtitles: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630021575X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,286 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Past Look At A Scary Future., July 7, 2002

By 

Hillary (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady in a Cage [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Walter Grauman directs star Olivia DeHavilland, as a woman who is trapped in her own home, when the power is cut on her electric elevator. She is recovering from a hip injury, and cannot reach out for help beyond screaming, and ringing an alarm hooked up the the elevator.

The story is in black and white, and this adds to the mood, like in Alfred Hitchcocks "Psycho". Sure, they could've used color for this 1964 film, but you'll see for yourself why the lack of color, matches the noir and bizarre mood here.

DeHavilland is over-dramatic, but superb too, as the "Lady" of the title, her facial expressions are so fitting of her consuming exasperation at the frustrating situation. You can feel the sweat as she swelters in the summer heat, trapped helplessly. DeHavilland also has her son Malcomb, from whom she ponders a letter while trapped. She finds out that sonny boy, whom she idolizes with a devout reverence, hates her. She agonizes over his plea "Release me from your love", leading to the great exclamation "I AM a MONSTER!"Wait, it gets even better.

As DeHavilland rings her alarm relentlessly, hoping someone will save her, she attracts the attention of an old pathetic semi-mute wino, wandering around the neighborhood. He comes into the house, ignores DeHavillands' pleas, and steals her wine cellar contents instead. He leaves, and comes back with a shady lady played by Ann Southern, who further ransacks the house. DeHavilland can't believe what's happening. That's just the start.

The nerve jangling intensity increases, upon the arrival of three beatnik punks, one geeky weirdo clownish guy, a positively filthy looking girl, and her abusive group leader boyfriend, an early role for a then 26 year old future star, James Caan. When this trio of trouble enters, the real show begins, as they let Southern and the wino know, they're in charge. All sorts of games begin, especially wild, is the psycho-sexual headgames an insidious Caan inflicts upon DeHavilland, as he enters the "cage" and starts in on her son, and the kind of mother he speculates she is. Caan is slimy, sinister and completely lacking in moral compunction, as are his two cohorts. You will watch this with a very uneasy feeling and you will be left with that feeling after viewing this as well. For a movie that was released in 1964, it is even shocking by TODAY'S standards. Way ahead of it's genre in that era, it stands up to the test of time quite well as a high quality, unique suspense thriller.

"Lady In A Cage" is a sad social commentary about isolation, cruelty, and dysfunctional sociopaths that is so far ahead of it's time, it must be seen, to be believed. The graphically gory and shocking ending, only adds to the surreal nightmarish feel of what has led up to the culmination of all the gruesome events of a horrid day. This is a definite must for anyone who wants to see a film unlike any other, and a truly shocking one in it's time, and today.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sadly overlooked gem was way, way ahead of its time!, September 13, 2000

By 

chad edwards (cincinnati, ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady in a Cage [VHS] (VHS Tape)

An invalid is trapped in her private elevator while a local gang ransacks her house. Unfairly underappreciated psychological thriller was way ahead of its time, but today it serves as a painfully accurate depiction of the senseless violence that exists in our society. Acting, writing, direction, and cinematography all achieve consistently high standards; Hollywood legend Olivia de Havilland is perfection in one of her best latter-day screen roles. Ann Sothern steals just about every scene she's in as an overweight hustler, and James Caan effectively displays the animal magnetism that later helped to make him a star.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AHEAD OF IT'S TIME, January 12, 2000

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lady in a Cage [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Unpleasant yet always fascinating LADY IN A CAGE stars Olivia as a wealthy widow who's trapped in her home elevator while she's being terrorized by various street people and hoodlums. Considered shockingly violent and not very successful upon it's initial release in 1964, this movie has practically cult status among afficianados. James Caan is impressive as a young tough as is Ann Sothern in her role as a fat floozie.