No Way to Treat a Lady
Directed by Jack Smight
Written by John Gay from a novel by William Goldman
1968/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Mrs. Brummel: I am sickened at heart when my own son goes looking at dead women’s naked bodies. I tell you Morris, it is no way to treat a lady.[/box]
1968 was certainly a year for serial and spree killer movies! This one straddles that fine line between thriller and comedy and mostly does it well due to some fine acting.
A rash of murders, Boston Strangler-style, is disturbing the already shaky equanimity of New York City. The killer (Rod Steiger) is crafty. Witnesses see only his disguise, never his real face. Detective Morris “Mo” Brummel (George Segal) is on the case. Poor Mo has a stereotypical Jewish mother (Eileen Heckart) who is always hectoring about his lowly employment and comparing him to his MD brother.
During his investigation, Mo meets eye-witness Kate Palmer (Lee Remick), a non-Jew who rings every one of his bells. In the meantime, the murderer may be exposing himself by taunting his pursuer by phone.
Often when Steiger is given free rein to ham it up he blows it. Here fortunately he exercises enough restraint to give five or six impressive performances. The rest of the cast is also rock solid. It’s the weaker of the thrillers I’ve been watching lately but enjoyable for all that.
Clip – pre-credits murder
