User reviews

Bluebeard is probably most notable for the fact that its lead star, John Carradine, famously named his role here as his favourite across his lengthy list of film credits. It's easy to see why the man himself enjoyed playing this part so much too - Carradine's role in Bluebeard allows him to act at his most sinister, and the film really depends on him as this is very much a one-man story. Carradine has just the right look for this sort of role also, and all these elements combine nicely to ensure that Carradine's part in this film is a success. The base for the plot is one of cinema's most common and most prolific, but this film is notable for being one of the earlier films to use it. We follow a deranged madman who likes to paint girl's pictures before he strangles them to death. The man himself is famous for two completely different lives; in one, he is the notorious serial killer 'Bluebeard', who prays on beautiful young women - and in the other he's Gaston Morrell, a dapper up and coming young painter. This film's major problem is certainly not with the plot, stars, or style; it's with the plotting.

Bluebeard falls down primarily because it moves at snail pace. The plot is intriguing, but the way it presents itself is the opposite, and it's a shame because, if handled with care, this film could have been really good instead of just being good. Director Edgar G. Ulmer is most famous for his directing credit on classic film 'The Black Cat', and is lesser known for his set design on films such as Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen, M and Metropolis; as well as silent classics; Sunrise and Der Golem. Ulmer's previous experience helps him with Bluebeard, as the film is constantly atmospheric, and the director makes best use of his simple sets by way of his use of the camera and the murky black and white cinematography. The film is very bleak throughout, and this massively helps the plot as it gives the film just the right amount of foreboding. Plots like this have been turned into better films since the release of this film over sixty years ago; but Bluebeard is still well worth seeing. The film starts out slow, but it does pick up and not even an extremely overlong puppet sequence can fully degenerate the film into the realms of absolute boredom. It's not must see; but worth seeing if the chance presents itself.

This is a decent little film but more importantly it's a chance for the star (John Carradine) to show he COULD be a leading man and not just a cheesy supporting actor. In fact, I was THRILLED to see this film because only a couple weeks ago, I saw Carradine's worst film (BILLY THE KID VERSUS Dracula). This film helped to wash away the foul stench of failure from my mind--at least temporarily.

The film is, not surprisingly, a low-budget movie. Carradine played in many of these type of films but this one is different because it is actually well written, acted and engaging. And while it is NOT going to change your life by watching it, it does deliver excellent B-movie thrills.

Paris ,France , a tormented painter and puppeteer called Gaston Morrell (one of John Carradine's best vehicles) has a psychopatic urge to strangle gorgeous women . As he contacts Parisian women through his paintings posing as models he seduces and eventually kills them in order to carry out his dark purports . Among those getting the ending curtain call from "bluebeard" (is a type of serial killer ; specifically, it is a man who murders his wives or lovers , this type is named after the fictional "Bluebeard") are Francine Lutien , Lucille Lutien and Renee Claremont .

This chiller is based on lady killer Henry-Denise Landru who seduced and murdered several women . The flick realized Noir style packs thrills , chills , drama , suspense and a lot of murders . Good acting by John Carradine as an artist hires portrait models, and after he finishes their portraits, he strangles them . It features John Carradine's own favorite performance . Furthermore , there appears Jean Parker as Lucille Lutien and Nils Asther and Inspector Jacques . And film debut of actress Sonia Sorel -Mrs. John Carradine- , who went on to do several more titles for director Edgar G. Ulmer.

The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely and usually badly edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duplicated from second- or third-generation or more copies of the film . Eugen Schüfftan was actually the director of photography but could not be credited on screen because he was not yet a member of the cinematographer's union . So he was credited as production designer, the job actually done by director Edgar G. Ulmer, while the camera operator Jockey Arthur Feindel was credited as director of photography . This Noir film was professionally directed by Edgar G Ulmer , being filmed in six days . Edgar was born on September 17, 1904 in Olmütz, Moravia, Czech Republic as Edgar George Ulmer. He was a director and writer, known for Satanás (1934), Detour (1945) and People on Sunday (1930) , Aníbal (1959) , The Amazing Transparent Man (1960) , Beyond the Time Barrier (1960) , among others .

Other films dealing with this known character , Henry ¨Bluebeard¨ Landru , -who was really father of various children, disposed and married 11 wives and killed them in order to feed his little family , being subsequently beheaded- , are the followings : ¨Bluebeard¨ (1901) by George Melies ; ¨Monsieur Verdoux¨ (1947) with Charles Chaplin and Martha Ryer ; ¨Bluebeard's 10 honeymoon¨ by W.L. Wilder with George Sanders , Patricia Roc and Corinne Calvet ; ¨Bluebeard¨(1963) by Claude Chabrol with Charles Denner , Stephane Audran , Danielle Darrieux , Michele Morgan and Hildegarde Neff ; soporific remake titled ¨Bluebeard¨(1972) by Edward Dmytryck with Richard Burton, Joey Heatherton , Rachel Welch , Sybil Danning , Natahalie Delon , Virna Lisi ; and ¨¨Bluebeard¨(2009) by Catherine Breillat with Dominique Thomas and Lola Creton .

John Carradine had always considered his role as Gaston Morrell in Bluebeard as his favorite and since it's one of his few starring ones it's easy to see why. Director Edgar G. Ulmer makes the most of the low budget he had working for poverty row studio PRC in making one of the most atmospheric horror films of the '40s. Most of the supporting cast also do well here especially Jean Parker as Lucille who Gaston falls head over heels for and Ludwig Stossel as Jean Lamarte. The woman who played Renee, Sonia Sorel, would later marry Carradine and bear kids Keith and Robert with him. Iris Adrian lends some humor in a brief court sequence. Well worth seeking for old movie horror fans.

I saw this on a cheap DVD copy, and the film may have lost a bit in translation, but time has not been kind to the soundtrack, the dialogue muffled, and the background music overbearing. Even so, this is clearly a very uneven production saved mainly by the two leads and the high notes of artistry within an overall muddy piece.

Carradine is fantastic. This is a great role for him, displaying diverse talents. He is unfortunately not directed with any subtlety, and it is clear that he is the villain from the beginning, so this becomes more a story of "will the villain be redeemed by love?" That makes this film more interesting than a standard thriller.

Jean Parker is really luminous and lovely, and is the only young female in the cast that captures the feeling of the time period. The actress playing her sister is arch and tart enough to be playing a film noir gun moll, and the other young actresses are just horrible, and horribly directed, and completely out of place in a period film... they must all have come from the local bar.

The movie has elements that make it interesting and artistic, the focus on painting style, the accomplished and beautiful puppet show. It becomes fairly clear that this movie should have been called The Puppetmaster... that kind of "just missed the mark" moment mars many elements of this film. It starts with the title BLUEBEARD, which is bandied about, but never followed up on, and continues. THE PUPPETMASTER would have been a great premise and title for this film that could have unified it.

Others have mentioned this being a poverty row film, and that does endear it to me... but being from 1944, this is not that early a film, and it is simply a grade B shocker - a precursor to Vincent Price's wonderful performances in many B thriller shockers. If this was an attempt to make a period film in film noir style, it was a mismarriage.

Still, I give it a 4 - slightly below average, because in the overview of film history, we have much higher budget films that are infinitely worse on all levels. A similar, earlier film, but much better on all levels, is John Barrymore's SVENGALI. If you liked this, you will LOVE that.

* out of ****

Every once in awhile you see a well-regarded older movie you expect to enjoy and come away bitterly disappointed. I'm a big John Carradine fan, but even his wonderfully restrained performance could not get me interested in most of BLUEBEARD. Indeed, this film was so boring that I had a hard time believing that director Ulmer had given us his excellent 1934 masterpiece, THE BLACK CAT (and that goes double when I watch his AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN, but that's best saved for another review).

There was a lost opportunity in that there was never anything really developed in the area of Carradine's psychotic persona, and that silly musical score went on and on continuously, getting in the way.

A PRC poverty row production that makes the most of its limited budget. A lot of credit should go to production designers Eugene Shufftan and Edgar Ulmer who collaborated on the movie's sumptuous look. Even when the middle part drags, the visuals remain arresting. Note too how the meagre exterior sets are stylized to make up for the limitations. Of course, cult director Ulmer was no stranger to transforming army surplus material into artistic effects. The overall result is an atmospheric recreation of 19th century Paris.

Making Carradine's Bluebeard a puppeteer is a novel and interesting wrinkle. Then too, I can't help thinking there is more plot potential in continuing with Bluebeard the puppet master than in shifting the story line over to Bluebeard the painter, as the screenplay does. Nonetheless, those early scenes in the park are good ones. However, the cadaverous actor who can be as florid and intense as anyone seems a little too understated here. While physically he looks the part of the grim reaper, Carradine is simply no good as a simpering lover, while too many of his scenes lack the menace the role calls for. Unfortunately, the result compares unfavorably, for example, with Laird Cregar's riveting Jack the Ripper in that Gothic thriller The Lodger of the same year. It appears Ulmer is much more the visual artist than the thespic coach.

Nonetheless, the movie remains an interesting curiosity. Consider the sheer wackiness of presenting Iris Adrian whose cheap Brooklyn accent can barely be disguised as a Parisian. Still, it does amount to an amusing turn. Also, note the off-angle camera staging of Carradine's flashback sequence, which is both effective in identifying the sequence and artfully composed. Such camera effects were hardly a Hollywood staple at a time when producers generally felt they would confuse the audience.

Of course, there's the question that always arises for fans of Ulmer. What would he have done with an A-budget and A-material in a career spent in the lower depths of Hollywood production. Hard to say-- perhaps he needed the challenge of PRC-type constraints. However, I think it's fair to say that none of his poverty row productions are without genuine points of interest and entertainment, and-- as is the case with Bluebeard-- may even rise at times to artistic levels.

The French legend of Bluebeard the famed wife killer serves as the background for this film about an artist who paints strikingly realistic female portraits only to kill the models he uses for them. A man with some serious issues.

John Carradine is the artist/strangler who has now turned to puppets in an effort to cure himself of this nasty habit. 19th century Paris is as frightened of Bluebeard as London of the same period is frightened of Jack the Ripper.

Bluebeard is an independently made film from the small poverty row picture company Producers Releasing Corporation. The film does not have any great production values, but probably the lack of them helps with the murky and moody atmosphere of the film. It certainly contributes to Carradine's portrayal.

The film borrows liberally from the Jack the Ripper story and the final chase when the French Gendarmes are closing in on Carradine is taken right from Phantom Of The Opera. John Carradine who did not get to star in too many good films creates a great Gothic character. If your taste runs to that kind of cinema, Bluebeard is the film for you.

John Carradine plays Blubeard--he paints women and then strangles them to death. He doesn't want to do it but is compelled to (we find out why at the end). Then he falls in love with beautiful Lucille (Jean Parker) and tries to fight his desire...

John Carradine said this was his best performance--he's right! He's dead on target in the title role. He shows that Bluebeard is not evil and driven by impulses beyond his control. He uses body language and facial expressions perfectly. Also director Edgar G. Ulmer directs this beautifully with strange camera angles and lots of shadows making this very atmospheric. Also there are some beautifully done background paintings.

But this was done over at PRC--a poverty row studio. Unfortunately it shows. The furnishings and costumes look pretty tacky and it just FEELS low budget. Also the biggest problem is constant background music. It's ALWAYS playing and very annoying. Half the time the music doesn't even match the mood of what's being acted! These prevent the film from becoming a true classic.

As it stands I'm giving it an 8 for Carradine and Ulmer. It should be seen just for them. Also this is one of the few films that prove what a good actor Carradine actually was.

PRC thriller has a few things going for it. First, John Carradine in one of his rare starring roles. Carradine was proud of his performance and he should have been. He's excellent. Second, the radiant Jean Parker. She always had a sweet gentility about her. Such a beauty. Third, director Edward G. Ulmer, who deservedly has a cult following. He uses quite a few interesting angles and techniques, never letting his limited budget stop him from being creative. There's a great moody atmosphere to this film, due in large part to his use of shadow and music. There's also a good supporting cast, including Nils Asther as the inspector on Bluebeard's trail, Ludwig Stossel as the disreputable accomplice of Bluebeard, and the beautiful Teala Loring as the sister of Jean Parker's character. Speaking of sisters: Loring was the sister of actresses Lisa Gaye and Debra Paget. Talk about good genes!

Atmospheric period noir, not unlike Brahm's pair of Laird Cregar pictures, with John Carradine doing a fantastic job in the mysterious and haunted Cregar role. Ulmer brings his German expressionist roots with him, crafting some wonderfully off-kilter sequences and areas rich with sharp, deep shadows. The story is tight but not rushed, and the piece as a whole has a creepy mood to it, with a compelling central character. There are two problems, one small and one large. The smaller one is Teala Loring, not the lead female role (which is done quite nicely by Jean Parker) but a fairly significant one, and her delivery is godawful. The larger problem is the score by Leo Erdody. It's not a particularly bad score, but it's layered over single second of the film and mixed very high in the soundtrack. It's far too distracting and overwhelming. I kept waiting for the orchestra to take a break, just for a goddamn minute. Otherwise it's a good film, but once you realize the music is continually going it's hard not to keep thinking about it.

Released in 1944, "Bluebeard" stars John Carradine as a puppeteer in Paris who, apparently, kills young women on the side.

This is one of the dullest 'horror' movies I have ever seen. It took me three nights to try to watch it and I still had 20 minutes to go. I fell asleep on all three attempts and don't plan on finishing it anytime soon. I always finish movies with few exceptions and this is one of those exceptions. It's just too dull to finish!

The leading lady is a babe (Jean Parker), Caradine is charismatic and the puppet sequences are well done, even amazing, but these are the only positives that come to mind. This movie spends more time wrapped around the investigation of a painting, clothing for puppets, and droll dialogue than anything interesting.

"Bluebeard" was shot in B&W and is old as dirt, but this wouldn't matter if the story were actually entertaining. There are a lot of ancient movies that stand up to this day because they're great, like "King Kong" (1933), "Tarzan and His Mate" (1939) and "The Wizard of Oz" (1934). Needless to say, "Bluebeard" doesn't rank with them.

The movie runs 72 minutes.

GRADE: D

this isn't a bad movie,, not a classic either, but somewhere let's shall we say right in the middle of the road for me. John Carradine did an excellent job in the lead role,, painter by day, and killer by night,, he likes to paint his victims first before killing them. I did like a lot of the set pieces used in this film. I guess the title kinda thru me for a minutes I was expecting pirates to jump out at me and onto the big screen any minute but I guess that wasn't gonna happen it really didn't disappoint me either,, this movie is kinda sorta like Jack the Ripper in a way but in this one you know who the killer is from the beginning, the comparison is that they both have day jobs and do their killing at night.

I really like the great director Edgar G. Ulmer, although Hollywood didn't have a chance to making A-movies, always a low budge, second class casting as well, but even so he made a remarkable career under such conditions, he took expressionist style from germany and end up making several valuable Science fictions on the 50', this picture was made by PRC studios which Ulmer was a high status, this picture maybe could be a proto-noir style mixing with thriller, John Carradine still young as main character played perfectly a serial killer, anyway a movie that really deserves to be known by new generation of movie fans due their roots on your director's skills as Edgar G. Ulmer, a true forgotten genius!! Recorded at TCM this gem wasn't available officially in Brazil!!

Resume:

First watch: 2011 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 7

This telling of French serial killer Bluebeard (why was he called Bluebeard?) is notable for two reasons - one is John Carradine's haunting yet believable portrayal of a madman's psyche, and the other is for Edgar G. Ulmer's ability to create mood and even grandeur on a tiny budget. While Carradine's acting skills have never been in question, his over-the-top scene stealing in many small roles would make one approach him with caution in a leading role. However, Carradine manages to restrain himself enough to never grow old or cumbersome in the role, while simultaneously delivering his lines memorably - leading to the excellent final crescendo. The plot never tires, the direction is masterful, the ensemble acting (especially the devious art dealer Lamarte) far better than expected, and the final feeling one of satisfaction. While all of this is unadulterated praise, the movie does appear a tad bit stagey (via budgetary concerns) at times, and also moves slowly at certain points. Despite this, Bluebeard is not merely an excellent time-waster, but a movie worthy of any viewer going out, renting, and popping in.

This movie is boring. Resembling a bit the same storyline as I forgot the title but it end in fire with a piano, it follows a killer and the police trying to investigate the matter, but unfortunately it never gets interesting. And John Carradine is portraying one of his most boring roles ever.