sol- Taunted by phone calls from a serial killer who dons a different disguise every time he kills, a New York detective struggles to get an upper hand in this odd 'Boston Strangler' variant with comedic touches. As the murderer in question, Rod Steiger delivers a terrific performance, preying on the insecurities of his female victims whilst remaining completing in character until he has won their trust and has the opportunity to strike. George Segal is also fine as the baffled detective and the film gets very riveting in the final quarter as Segal finds ways himself to play mind games with Steiger and prod him into inadvertently revealing personal details. While solid as a thriller, the movie is uneven as a comedy. Eileen Heckart is irritatingly shrill as Segal's henpecking mother, and while there is something to be said for how her pestering is just as annoying for Segal as the killer's taunts, the exchanges between Heckart and Segal are generally unfunny and feel like a distraction from the Steiger main plot. Lee Remick only fares slightly better than Heckart as Segal's love interest and her subplot feels like a distraction too. The film consistently works though when Steiger is in focus with a lot of delicious dark comedy derived from how he manages to constantly con all his victims. His exchanges with Segal (each time affecting a different accent) sparkle too and he has one surefire memorable final scene. The title also has a curious double meaning here; Heckart says in disapproval of Segal inspecting female corpses, but it applies equally to Steiger's take on female companionship.

luckyunicorn If you've read the William Goldman novel, and expect this to be a faithful adaptation, fergit about it. But if you don't care about that and take your pleasure where you can, this is great! The big, lumpen, horribly scarred detective of the novel is played by a young, sassy George Segal (Bagsy Vincent D'Onofrio with prosthetics if they remake it),and Lee Remick has never looked more beautiful as the love interest who is so tragically slain in the book, and remains very alive and barely bruised at the end of the flick. Guys, check out the transparent yellow dress she wears in her first scene.....It's got a kind of Theatre of Blood thing going on, as Rod Steiger (looking weirdly like Richard Burton)hams it up outrageously in a variety of cunning disguises- limply taunting Mr Segal with rubbish clues to solving the murders and getting in the way of his romancing Miss Remick in a variety of photogenic New York locations.It's an amusing, colourful film with a starry cast, and I have no idea why it isn't regarded as a classic. Oooh, and check out David Doyle- Bosley from "Charlie's Angels"- as a hard ass police chief. Seriously.

Lechuguilla Watching serial killer Christopher Gill (Rod Steiger) trying to enlist the trust of his prospective victims is what makes this film really interesting. Once these babes in the Manhattan woods let down their guard, then ... pounce. And like some deep-sea predator that changes its color or its shape to suit the needs of its prey, Gill changes his disguise from Irish priest to plumber to eccentric hair stylist to waiter, to suit the needs and desires of his selected middle aged female targets.Gill is a loner, but he still needs human contact. So, between killings, he engages in a phone dialogue with detective Morris Brummel (played well by George Segal). Gill also checks the newspapers frequently, to verify that his killings get noticed by the police and by society in general. The film is thus a character study of a fictional psychopath. But the characterization is consistent with expert profiling of the generalized needs and motivations of real life serial killers.Indeed, some researchers have speculated that the infamous Zodiac killer "may" have studied this film. In some ways, Gill's modus operandi is similar to that of the Zodiac who was known to be a movie buff. Further, the killings in the San Francisco Bay Area premiered just a couple of years after this film came out.Quite aside from its possible historical significance, the film is very well made. It conveys a well-written script, good cinematography, attention to detail in costumes and production design, effective pacing and editing. The background music at the film's beginning and end is beautifully haunting, and lends a tone of sadness, and therefore emotional depth, to the story. And, of course, Steiger's performance is so good that it alone makes the film worth watching. The only downside is Morris Brummel's nagging mother who quickly becomes grating and irritating.That this film has been largely forgotten is unfortunate. But it is available on DVD, and therefore can be seen by anyone who appreciates good movies.

stafsudd With an excellent set of actors, this movie is neither a good mystery nor a funny comedy. Maybe it was considered better for its time, it now appears old and out-of-date. Dirty Harry does it better.Steiger does a good job of showing us the various disguises of a serial killer; and Remick is lovely, beautiful, charming - as usual. Segal plays the good Jewish boy living with his henpecking Jewish mother. Why doesn't this play right?Too bad. This is a loser. The story is so predictable. The good guys are "good", the police chief is a "bad hysteric", the Jewish mother is loud and irritating. What a waste of good acting. I guess I would blame it on the script. Don't take the time to watch it.