The Big Cube
Encyclopedia
The Big Cube is a 1969 Warner Bros.
thriller directed by Tito Davison
and starring Lana Turner
, Karin Mossberg (in her first and only role), George Chakiris
, Dan O'Herlihy
and Richard Egan
; it was one of Lana Turner's last movies. It is notable for its aggressive portrayal of LSD use and the 1960s youth counterculture
as vicious evils.
– a charge exacerbated by Adriana's threat, as per her late husband's instructions, to disinherit
Lisa if she marries Johnny.
Johnny and Lisa conspire secretly to dose Adriana's sleeping pills with enough LSD to drive her insane
. Though they accomplish their goal – and Adriana is committed to a mental hospital
– a playwright friend of Adriana's (Egan) suspects foul play. He writes a play detailing Adriana's traumatic experiences and casts her in the lead role, hoping that replaying her experience on stage will cure her.
Caged
and the film that gave Joan Crawford
her last starring role, Freddie Francis
' Trog
.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
thriller directed by Tito Davison
Tito Davison
Tito Davison was a Mexican film director and screenwriter. He directed 60 films between 1937 and 1982.-Selected filmography:* Sombras de gloria * Murió el sargento Laprida...
and starring Lana Turner
Lana Turner
Lana Turner was an American actress.Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget . She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy...
, Karin Mossberg (in her first and only role), George Chakiris
George Chakiris
George Chakiris is an American-Greek dancer, singer and actor.-Early life:Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio, to Steven and Zoe Chakiris, immigrants from Greece. Chakiris studied at the American School of Dance....
, Dan O'Herlihy
Dan O'Herlihy
Daniel O'Herlihy was an Oscar nominated Irish film actor.-Early life:O'Herlihy was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1919. His family moved to Dublin at a young age...
and Richard Egan
Richard Egan (actor)
Richard Egan was an American actor. In some films he is credited as Richard Eagan.-Career:Born in San Francisco, California, Egan served in the United States Army as a judo instructor during World War II...
; it was one of Lana Turner's last movies. It is notable for its aggressive portrayal of LSD use and the 1960s youth counterculture
Counterculture of the 1960s
The counterculture of the 1960s refers to a cultural movement that mainly developed in the United States and spread throughout much of the western world between 1960 and 1973. The movement gained momentum during the U.S. government's extensive military intervention in Vietnam...
as vicious evils.
Plot
Lana Turner plays Adriana Roman, a successful stage actress who retires to marry Charles Winthrop (O'Herlihy), a wealthy tycoon. Winthrop's daughter, Lisa (Mossberg), is instantly distrustful of Adriana. When Charles is killed in a boating accident, Lisa's new boyfriend Johnny (Chakiris) capitalizes on that distrust to lead Lisa to believe that her father's death was murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
– a charge exacerbated by Adriana's threat, as per her late husband's instructions, to disinherit
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
Lisa if she marries Johnny.
Johnny and Lisa conspire secretly to dose Adriana's sleeping pills with enough LSD to drive her insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
. Though they accomplish their goal – and Adriana is committed to a mental hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
– a playwright friend of Adriana's (Egan) suspects foul play. He writes a play detailing Adriana's traumatic experiences and casts her in the lead role, hoping that replaying her experience on stage will cure her.
DVD release
The Big Cube was released in 2007 as part of Volume 2 of Warner Brothers' Cult Camp Classic's "Women in Peril" series, a three-part series that included John Cromwell'sJohn Cromwell (director)
Elwood Dager Cromwell , known as John Cromwell, was an American film actor, director and producer.-Biography:...
Caged
Caged (1950 film)
Caged is a 1950 film released by Warner Bros. It tells the story of a teenage newlywed, who is sent to prison for being an accessory to a robbery...
and the film that gave Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
her last starring role, Freddie Francis
Freddie Francis
Frederick William Francis BSC was an English cinematographer and film director.He achieved his greatest successes as a cinematographer, including winning two Academy Awards, for Sons and Lovers and Glory...
' Trog
Trog
Trog is a 1970 science fiction horror film starring Joan Crawford in a story about the discovery of a caveman. The screenplay was written by Peter Bryan, John Gilling, and Aben Kandel, and the film directed by Freddie Francis...
.