Lady in a Cage (1964)

Lady in a Cage: Directed by Walter Grauman. With Olivia de Havilland, James Caan, Jennifer Billingsley, Rafael Campos. A woman trapped in a home elevator is terrorized by a group of vicious hoodlums.

“u0026quot;Lady In A Cageu0026quot; was far ahead of its time. Compared to the rest of the lurid shockers produced in the early 1960s featuring aging Hollywood stars (including de Havillandu0026#39;s other 1964 appearance in u0026quot;Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotteu0026quot;) this film, along with u0026quot;What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?u0026quot; transcended the genre. But while u0026quot;Baby Janeu0026quot; had a lot to say about the price of fame, u0026quot;Lady In A Cageu0026quot; rightly predicted the impending chaos of a rapidly changing society.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNothing about the basic premise (a middle-aged woman trapped in her house is terrorized by vagrants and thugs) suggests a deep sociological study. What elevates the ensuing events are the sharply observed details: the neighborhood in transition, the alienated masses isolated by endless traffic, the hoodlumsu0026#39; utter lack of conscience, and most of all, de Havillandu0026#39;s expert performance as the lone representative of the civilized world. Her undoing serves as a cautionary tale for a society on the brink. de Havilland makes this otherwise unsavory film exceedingly watchable. As her secrets are uncovered, she finds herself culpable as well. Everyone is caught in the inexorable downward spiral.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite the heavy themes, the film is highly accessible, even fun, if you take a jaundiced view. Not quite as campy as u0026quot;Baby Janeu0026quot; perhaps, but on some level, just as iconic. Itu0026#39;s a film that stands up well to repeated viewings. Great graphic title sequence reminiscent of Saul Bass, compelling modern score by Paul Glass, sharp- focus black and white photography. Overall, fine work by everyone involved.”