The Boston Strangler

The Boston Strangler
Directed by Richard Fleischer
Written by Edward Anhalt from a book by Gerold Frank
1968/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant

[box] Capt. Ed Willis: We’ve got a full-blown maniac on our hands.[/box]

Solid performances and direction make a “true crime” story enjoyable.

This is supposedly the true story of the investigation and ultimate capture of Albert De Salvo (Tony Curtis), who strangled and mutilated thirteen women in the Boston area in the early 60’s.  The first half of the movie is a police procedural about the increasingly desperate efforts of law enforcement to halt the killings, which span several different jurisdictions.  Finally, the State Attorney’s Office takes over to coordinate.  John S. Bottomly (Henry Fonda) takes charge.  Little progress is made as the investigators continuously focus on “perverts” (read homosexuals).

The police get their break when family man De Salvo leaves a survivor (Sally Kellerman), who bit him on the hand. She has blocked the identity of her attacker and much of the incident out her mind.  There is no physical evidence to tie him to the murders.  De Salvo is diagnosed with multiple personality disorder.  Bottomly gets him to open up to a certain extent  at the mental hospital by promising nothing he says will be used against him.  With George Kennedy and Murray Hamilton also investigating.

Tony Curtis gets a chance at working outside his comfort zone and gives a good low-key performance as the confused killer.  I thought the movie worked best, however, in its first hour with its well-edited killings and surprisingly sexually frank content.  (I guess I still have to get used to demise of the Hayes Code.)

There are theories that De Salvo did not commit all of the murders but apparently the police were satisfied and the attacks stopped after his arrest/involuntary commitment.