The Boston Strangler (1968)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Edward Anhalt (screenplay)
Gerold Frank (book)

Release Date:

16 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Why did 13 women willingly open their doors to the Boston Strangler?

Plot:

Boston is being terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders of women. Based on the true story...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Courtroom | Fetish | Place Name In Title | Gay Bar

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Tony Curtis	...	Albert DeSalvo
Henry Fonda	...	John S. Bottomly
George Kennedy	...	Det. Phil DiNatale
Mike Kellin	...	Julian Soshnick
Hurd Hatfield	...	Terence Huntley
Murray Hamilton	...	Det. Frank McAfee
Jeff Corey	...	John Asgeirsson
Sally Kellerman	...	Dianne Cluny
William Marshall	...	Atty. Gen. Edward W. Brooke
George Voskovec	...	Peter Hurkos
Leora Dana	...	Mary Bottomly
Carolyn Conwell	...	Irmgard DeSalvo
Jeanne Cooper	...	Cloe
Austin Willis	...	Dr. Nagy
Lara Lindsay	...	Bobbie Eden

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Norway:11 (DVD rating) (2006) | Canada:18A (video rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U (re-release) | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (original rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (re-rating) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Shortly before filming was set to begin the real Albert DeSalvo escaped from the mental institution where he was imprisoned. He was later captured after being on the run for 33 hours.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the film it is assumed DeSalvo was guilty, and it portrays him as suffering from multiple personality disorder and committing the murders while in a psychotic state. DeSalvo was never diagnosed with, or even suspected of having that disorder.

Quotes:

Capt. Ed Willis: Everybody's banging everybody. It's a horny world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: (#2.22)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

There Will Never Be Another You

Curtis Riveting As Is The Entire Film

Like most people, I'm fascinated with serial killers and why they do what they do. I don't need the gory details: just what makes them tick. I know some people here are turned off because they say that the killer - Albert DeSalvo - was not the mental personality he was portrayed in the last 30 minutes of this film. Personally, I don't care. I realize this is Hollywood, and how often is the film world historically accurate? Almost never.

So....just enjoy the acting, the camera-work, and the suspense because there is a lot to like here if you are entertained by crime stories.

I, for one, liked the split screen technique presented in this film. It gave a unique feel to the film, seeing the crimes from all kinds of angles at once. Rarely has this been done in films before or since. (I presume because it didn't go over that well to most people.)

Anyway, the story is riveting start to finish and Curtis gives a memorable performance, even though he isn't in the movie until the last segment. How some "critics" can label him a sub-par actor is beyond me. He is amazing in here, as he was in "Sweet Smell Of Success," "Some Like It Hot," and other films.

His fellow actors - Henry Fonda,George Kennedy, Hurd Hatfield, Murray Hamilton, Jeff Corey and Mike Kellin - all add to this excellent drama. It was a long wait for the DVD but at least that finally came out in 2005.

This film was originally released about the time the rating system began to be employed and films changed drastically. Although there is very little offensive language, there is nudity and some shocking scenes with the intense horrific subject matter.