Bluebeard (1944)

Director:

Edgar G. Ulmer

Writers:

Arnold Phillips (story) and
Werner H. Furst (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 November 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The most sinister love story ever told!

Plot:

In Paris, an artist hires portrait models, and after he finishes their portraits, he strangles them.

Plot Keywords:

Portrait | Model | Puppeteer | Sister | Jealousy

Cast

John Carradine	...	Gaston Morel
Jean Parker	...	Lucille Lutien
Nils Asther	...	Inspector Jacques Lefevre
Ludwig Stössel	...	Jean Lamarte (as Ludwig Stossel)
George Pembroke	...	Inspector Renard
Teala Loring	...	Francine Lutien
Sonia Sorel	...	Renee Claremont
Henry Kolker	...	Deschamps
Emmett Lynn	...	Le Soldat
Iris Adrian	...	Mimi Robert
Patti McCarty	...	Babette
Carrie Devan	...	Constance
Anne Sterling	...	Jeanette Le Beau
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Cording	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Darien	...	Inquiry Judge (uncredited)
Mabel Forrest	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
John Maxwell Hayes	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
George Irving	...	The Duke of Carineaux (uncredited)

Directed by
Edgar G. Ulmer

Writing credits
Arnold Phillips		(story) and
Werner H. Furst		(story)
Pierre Gendron		(screenplay)

Produced by
Leon Fromkess	....	producer
Martin Mooney	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Leo Erdody		(as Erdody)

Cinematography by
Jockey Arthur Feindel		(director of photography) (as Jockey A. Feindel)
Eugen Schüfftan		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Eugen Schüfftan		(as Eugen Schufftan)
Edgar G. Ulmer		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Paul Palmentola

Set Decoration by
Glenn P. Thompson

Makeup Department
Loretta Francel	....	hair stylist
Milburn Morante	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Chris Beute	....	production manager (as C.A. Beute)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Raoul Pagel	....	assistant director (as Raoul E. Pagel)

Art Department
Angelo Scibetta	....	assistant art director
Charles Stevens	....	master of properties

Sound Department
John R. Carter	....	sound engineer (as John Carter)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
James Wade	....	wardrobe (as James H. Wade)

Editorial Department
Carl Pierson	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Leo Erdody	....	conductor (as Erdody)

Other crew
Shirley Ulmer	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) (as PRC Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (as PRC Pictures Inc.)
• Madison Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Congress Video Group (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Burbank Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• All-Day Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Elite Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Roan Group, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Nothing's New Video (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• BijouFlix Releasing (????) (USA) (DVD)
• FilmAnnex (2006) (worldwide) (all media)

Other Companies

• Barlow & Baker  marionettes

Also Known As:

Runtime:

72 min (copyright length) | 70 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #10303) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Australia:PG

Company:

Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)

Trivia:

Film debut of actress Sonia Sorel (Mrs. John Carradine), who went on to do several more titles for director Edgar G. Ulmer.

Quotes:

Lucille:What would Bluebeard want with me?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: The Mummy/Bluebeard (#1.24)" (1971)

Soundtrack:

La Marseillaise

Ulmer and Carradine team up

Once I found out why John Carradine's character, a Paris portrait artist of young women, strangles them after the paintings are finished, the reason didn't seem to make much sense. But it didn't matter anyway because this picture is full of great scenes and camera angles, and extraordinary acting by everyone, especially Carradine and the beautiful Jean Parker. Parker plays a dressmaker who attends Carradine's operatic outdoor puppet show production one night in one of the film's best scenes. The city is gripped by fear of a Bluebeard, a murderer of women apparently. Nils Asther has a marvelous part as the suave police inspector as does Ludwig Stossel as the murderous artist's agent who knows the truth and blackmails him to paint women because the portraits bring a nice price. And this little movie from poverty row near brilliantly brings out a complexity and subtlety that is in almost every weirdly and creatively shot scene.