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Edgar G. UlmerBluebeard (1944)

Young female models are being strangled inexplicably. Will law enforcement be able to stop the crime wave before more women become victims?

You can find more information regarding this film on its IMDb page.

John Carradine .... Gaston Morrell
Jean Parker .... Lucille
Nils Asther .... Inspector Lefevre
Ludwig Stössel .... Jean Lamarte (as Ludwig Stossel)
George Pembroke .... Inspector Renard
Teala Loring .... Francine
Sonia Sorel .... Renee
Henry Kolker .... Deschamps


This movie is part of the collection: Sci-Fi / Horror

Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Producer: Leon Fromkess
Production Company: PRC Pictures, Inc.
Audio/Visual: mono, B&W
Keywords: 1940s; murder; horror; John Carradine

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Aitchondo - - January 14, 2009
Subject: Bluebeard
You go guy! The boys were okay, but dad was great! Loved this movie. John Carradine, that voice, that face, the expressions... wow.
Thank God for film.

Reviewer: specs - - December 12, 2005
Subject: carradine's best
Over the years, I have seen Mr. John Carradine
in many roles, ie the gambler in Stagecoach, Dracula in numerous universal pictures, even to playing the villian in Silver Spurs (Internet
Archive}. He, like Karloff, was typecast in many films and only did them for survivial of his craft. Bluebeard is different. It gives Mr. Carradine opportunity to expand his artistic muscles beyond the usual one dimensional character to protray a character who the viewer feels absolute apathy for. Also the choice of music by Eurody is an interesting one with snipets of Modest Morousky's Pictures at an Exhibition intersperse through the film is an excellent touch. The film is worthy of a viewing, perhaps many times.

Reviewer: Grimwig - - September 12, 2005
Subject: Underappreciated Cinematic Literature
Like novels, cinema has 'literature' that deserves to be distinguished from the 'popular' material used as pure entertainment. Stephen King makes more money than James Joyce could have imagined HIS novels making, yet who will last? Likewise, Bluebeard is worthy of a certain level of literature (not necessarily canonical, but still a worthy) that separates it from the crowd-fodder we find in Hollywood today.
Distinguishing this film is the use of usual literary techniques, namely themes, motifs, symbols, decent characterization and almost postmodern treatment of the narrative at times. To give a few examples without spoilers, I submit as a theme that of redemption, which is a possible motivation of Bluebeard, as you'll see. This theme is bolstered by the use of Goethe's Faust as a puppet-play within the film, Gaston (Carradine) himself singing Mephisto's part, which is noteworthy.
Another theme is that of determinism, as supported by the puppetization. Goethe's Faust could have been performed a number of ways, but instead it was by puppets. The climax of the film, Bluebeard's confession, supports this idea.
A motif to look for is that of fine art, which is rather prominent in the film. Another is artifice; Lucille makes clothes, and clothes hide people's nakedness. Bluebeard hides his true identity. Other characters also hide their identities in the film. This hiding of nakedness alludes to Adam and Eve hiding their nakedness from God after eating the 'forbidden fruit'. Naturally, such an allusion ties in very much with the theme of redemption mentioned earlier.

There are a host of other things to discover in this film; these are all very rich avenues. John Carradine himself found this his favorite film, and I can see why. The character of Gaston is moving, sympathetic, drawing the viewer into conflict.
Overall, I say that this film is not only eminently watchable, it begs to be rewatched. Any time spent watching this, even multiple times, is far from wasted. I only scratched the surface in this review.

Credits

Production Manager: C.A. Beute
Assistant Director: Raoul E. Pagel
Art Director: Paul Palmentola
Assistant Art Director: Angelo Scibetta
Set Decorator: Glenn P. Thompson
Sound Engineer: John Carter
Master of Properties: Charles Stevens
Director of Photography: Jockey A. Feindel, A.S.C.
Wardrobe: James H. Wade
Coiffures: Loretta Francel
Makeup: Milburn Moranti
Supervising Film Editor: Carl Pierson
Marionettes by Barlow & Baker

Musical Score Composed & Conducted by Erdody

Production Designer Eugen Schufftan

Associate Producer Martin Mooney

Produced by Leon Fromkess

Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer

Cast includes John Carradine, Jean Parker, Nils Asther, Ludwig Stossel, George Pembroke, Teala Loring, Sonia Sorel, Henry Kolker, Emmett Lynn, Iris Adrian, Patti McCarty, Carrie Devan, and Anne Sterling.