The Honeymoon Killers (1970)

Director:

Leonard Kastle
(more)

Writer:

Leonard Kastle (writer)

Release Date:

4 February 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

One of the most bizarre episodes in the annals of American Crime.

Plot:

Based on the true story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, who met through a lonely-hearts correspondence club...

Plot Keywords:

Suicide Attempt | Serial Killer | True Crime | Child Murder | Hammer

Cast

Shirley Stoler	...	Martha Beck
Tony Lo Bianco	...	Raymond Fernandez
Mary Jane Higby	...	Janet Fay
Doris Roberts	...	Bunny
Kip McArdle	...	Delphine Downing
Marilyn Chris	...	Myrtle Young
Dortha Duckworth	...	Mother
Barbara Cason	...	Evelyn Long
Ann Harris	...	Doris
Mary Breen	...	Rainelle Downing
Elsa Raven	...	Matron
Mary Engel	...	Lucy
Guy Sorel	...	Mr. Dranoff
Michael Haley	...	Jackson (as Mike Haley)
Diane Asselin	...	Severns
William Adams	...	Justice of the Peace (as Col. William Adams)
Eleanor Adams	...	Mrs. Hand

Directed by
Leonard Kastle
Donald Volkman		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Leonard Kastle		writer

Produced by
Paul Asselin	....	associate producer
Warren Steibel	....	producer

Cinematography by
Oliver Wood		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Brophy
Stanley Warnow		(as Stan Warnow)

Production Management
Michael Haley	....	production manager

Sound Department
Tom Dillinger	....	sound mixer
Fred Kamiel	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Berger	....	assistant camera
Mike Grover	....	lighting assistant
Richard Tenneson	....	lighting assistant
Spencer Trova	....	assistant camera
Bobby Vercruse	....	head gaffer (as Robert Veracruse)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martha Fogg	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Tikki Goldberg	....	assistant editor
Janet Lauretano	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Diane Asselin	....	script girl
John Haley	....	production assistant
Warren Steibel	....	presenter
Paul Sweeney	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Roxanne

Distributors

• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• International Film Distributors (1970) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• DV1 (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (VHS)
• Palace Video (1982) (UK) (video) (Betamax)
• Vestron Video (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Dear Martha (USA) (working title)
The Lonely Hearts Killers

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating) (2005) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Finland:(Banned) (original rating) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (re-rating) (cut) | Australia:M (re-rating) (2004) | France:-16 | Norway:16 (1971) | UK:18 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Company:

Roxanne

Trivia:

Originally to be directed by Martin Scorsese, but he was replaced after a week of shooting due to creative differences by Donald Volkman who was subsequently replaced by Leonard Kastle. Scorsese was fired because he was filming every scene in master shots and not shooting close-ups or other coverage, making the film impossible to edit.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene on the bus with the dead victim of Martha and Ray, there is a long shot of the woman's face with her eyes somewhat googly and her tongue sticking out, as you hear the bus driver exclaiming her death, etc. Towards the end of the shot, if you watch the woman's face, you can see her tongue move.

Quotes:

Martha Beck: [after making their first kill] Do you want the light on or off?
Raymond Fernandez: Leave the light on. I want to make love.

Movie Connections:

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

Soundtrack:

Symphonies Nos. 5, 6 & 9

Simply one of THE great American movies!

'The Honeymoon Killers' is easily one of the most underrated movies of all time. Often unfairly ignored as "just" a b-movie, or half remembered as trivia - the movie Scorsese nearly directed - it is in fact close to perfect, and one of the finest of all American movies dealing with murder. Why writer/director Leonard Kastle didn't make any other movies after this brilliant debut is both a mystery and a tragedy. His work is so impressive and fresh here, who knows what he could have been capable of. He may have turned out to be one of the greats, and even rivaled Scorsese, or Coppola, both having had a similar starts with low budget genre material (see 'Bloody Mama' and 'Dementia 13', their respective collaborations with king of the quickies Roger Corman).

The late Shirley Stoler is a knockout as bored nurse Martha Beck, and Tony Lo Bianco is equally impressive as her Spanish con man boyfriend Raymond Fernandez. Sadly neither actor got the career breaks they deserved. Stoler had small supporting roles in credible movies like 'Klute' and 'The Deer Hunter', and cult favourites like 'Frankenhooker' and 'Miami Blues', but always seemed to overlooked because of her weight. Lo Bianco starred in excellent sleepers like 'The Seven-Ups' and 'God Told Me To', but more often than not ended up as second-Mafioso-on-the-left in crappy movies like 'Boiling Point' and 'The Juror'. Too bad, both are brilliant here and had the potential to go on to better things.

'The Honeymoon Killers' is a minor masterpiece and should be essential viewing for all movie buffs. Don't miss this one!