Bluebeard (1944) User Reviews

"I think he should find you irresistible, Mademoiselle."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 28 August 2005]

John Carradine is on record as stating "Bluebeard" was his favorite film role out of well over two hundred movie appearances. Truthfully, I was surprised by the rather intriguing tale coming out of this Publishers Releasing film, rising a few notches above it's humble Poverty Row origins.

The film opens with a woman's body being retrieved from the Paris River Seine by uniformed French State Police, quickly cutting to a poster warning of a "Bluebeard" who strangles women, and putting all citizens on notice that it's not safe to travel the city streets alone, especially at night. With this backdrop, we are quickly introduced to puppeteer Gaston Morrell (Carradine), a rather soft spoken Parisian gentleman who manages to charm the ladies with his chosen craft. Morrell however is hiding an unfathomable secret, as an artist with an unattainable ideal, he winds up strangling his feminine subjects after they have posed for their portraits. Morrell's crimes would probably have gone unsolved forever if not for the greed of his agent Jean Lamarte (Ludwig Stossel). Lamarte knows of Morrell's deadly artistic passion, and in an attempt to secure one more generous payday, unwittingly plays into the hands of the local gendarme who sets a trap for the painter.

Some rather lovely young ladies offer supporting roles in this edgy and atmospheric thriller; Jean Parker portrays socialite Lucille who becomes enchanted with Morrell and agrees to make costumes for his puppets. It's her sister Francine (Teal Loring) however, who meets her demise in the trap set by the French police. As Lucille confronts Morrell with her suspicion, and with the authorities closing in, Morrell attempts to flee atop Parisian rooftops, and loses his footing when a plank gives way, plunging to his death in the river below, a graveyard familiar to his prior victims. Had this picture been filmed the same way today, the ending fairly screams "sequel".

If there is a flaw to be found in the film, it would be the total disconnect between the story and Gaston Morrell's title as the Parisian "Bluebeard". Clean shaven and well attired as Morrell was, the movie offers no hint as to the derivation of the unusual moniker, even though the police warnings and local citizenry use the term quite naturally.

Atmospheric almost classic

[The_Void · 7/10 · 26 February 2006]

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.

An agreeable time-passer

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 18 February 2007]

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.

Low-budgeted as well as effective picture about an infamous character who knocks off series of beautiful women

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 2 June 2014]

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 gives a chilling performance in Bluebeard

[tavm · 7/10 · 10 April 2007]

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.

Bluebeard

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 5 May 2008]

19 Century Paris is plagued by a Bluebeard murdering local streetwalkers by strangling them, leaving their bodies in the river. Come to find out, the serial killer is a tormented artist, a master puppeteer who orchestrates street puppet operas, named Gaston Morrell(John Carradine). Morrell's potential downfall might be his falling in love with Madame Lucille(Jean Parker), a clothing designer and the daughter of an aristocratic Duke who purchased a painting of his featuring a murdered female. Morrell's other obvious problem stems from a sneaky, lying art dealer Lamarte(Ludwig Stössel)who allows him to work in a rent-free dwelling as long as he continues to churn out paintings..under a pseudonym, Morrell doesn't know that Lamarte actually makes fine profits from his work, having him believe they sell modestly. Inspector Lefevre(Nils Asther)is under pressure to find the Bluebeard and believes the key to catching him lies in securing the identity of the artist behind the Duke's painting containing the victim of strangulation. In a tragic turn of events, the Duke will allow his daughter Francine(Teala Loring)to work as a model for Morrell, arranged by Lamarte who sees big bucks(..while understanding that something is amiss with the Duke, having his own concocted plan in order to set up Morrell, while walking away with a hefty sum)in such a sitting..with hopes of catching the Bluebeard, Lefevre places Francine in possible danger, even though the authorities were standing by. Lucille, who stitched a specific cravat, used to strangle someone she loved so dear, will possibly lead to Morrell's downfall.

I've been awaiting an opportunity to see Carradine in a role such as the one he has in Edgar G Ulmer's BLUEBEARD. He is front and center with such a complex character;this is the kind of film where Carradine can truly shine. We see a man troubled with different types of feelings, an artist in absolute turmoil. My favorite scene in the film comes right at the end when we get an understanding at why Morrell is committing such violence towards "innocent" women..how painting truly creates a monster. Carradine finally has this grand stage to show what he always had, an ability to display a fractured man, torn between his love for Lucille, and the monster lurking inside, released when the artist realizes that his muses aren't the beauties he creates on canvas. Ulmer is no idiot, and he realizes that Carradine has sinister eyes that can only benefit the camera, but unlike those great Universal turns as Dracula, the actor has a role with meat. Carradine doesn't have the looming shadow of Bela Lugosi hanging over him..Gaston Morrell is all his, and Carradine delivers. Fans of Ulmer understand that this film, despite gorgeous uses of shadow and candle-light(..and matte paintings as handsome backgrounds), is yet another poverty row production shot on low quality film, but his style still shines through...and, for such budget, I think he's rather successful at recreating Paris at that time. And, if anything, we get rooms with secret passageways, such as two places owned by Lamarte, so if you're an Ulmer disciple, there's goodies here for you to salivate over. But, I think Carradine fans owe it to themselves to watch BLUEBEARD, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Major annoyance for me was the musical accompaniment..during key scenes where menacing music should play, there are melodies for westerns or romancers.

Poverty Row Pearl

[dougdoepke · 8 May 2008]

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.

A Great Gothic Character

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 30 March 2010]

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.

Carradine shines in this uneven Grade B thriller

[DAHLRUSSELL · 4/10 · 27 September 2006]

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.

Edgar G. Ulmer in Noir style!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 26 November 2018]

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

Bluebeard (1944) *

[JoeKarlosi · 2/10 · 8 August 2004]

* 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.

Carradine's finest hour

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 23 September 2004]

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.

One of Poverty Row's Best

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 31 October 2013]

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!

Didn't do much for me.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 1 August 2007]

Bluebeard is set in 19th Century Paris, France as terror grips the city for a murderer known as Bluebeard has been killing women & dumping their bodies in the river Seine. The police lead by Inspector Lefevre (Nils Asther) have no clue until a painting of one of the victims turns up in a public gallery, the owner of the painting the Duke of Carineaux (George Irving) tells the police he brought it from an art dealer named Lamarte (Ludwig Stossel). Meanwhile a seamstress named Lucille (Jean Parker) has befriended a puppeteer named Gaston Morrell (John Carradine) who has a few dark secrets including once being a painter of women...

This PRC cheapie was directed by Edgar G. Ulmar who also acted as production designer although the on screen credit went to cinematographer Eugen Schufftan because at the time he wasn't a member of the cinematographer's union & the actual on screen cinematographer credit went to camera operator Jockey Arthur Feindel, got that? Good. The script by Pierre Gendron is brisk enough I suppose but is rather bare, a little slow going in places & a bit too predictable. Right off the bat you know Carradine is the killer so it's not a mystery film in that respect & for me it felt like too much of a precession to the inevitable ending where the police caught up with him. I wouldn't say it's particularly exciting or action packed & the character's are a bit stupid, the dialogue stiff & overall while I thought it was watchable I didn't think it was anything special although at a short 70 minutes in length it won't take too much of your time up.

Director Ulmar does OK considering he apparently shot the thing in a mere six days although one has to question why none of the inhabitants of 19th Century Paris speak French or even have a French accent... There's nothing particularly scary here although the black and white photography helps create a certain atmosphere, obviously there's no violence or gore either. For some reason Ulmar has dramatic music playing constantly in the background even during what seems like an ordinary conversation between two people, it's very distracting at times & somewhat unnecessary.

Technically Bluebeard looks better than most ultra low budget horror cheapies of the period so at least it has that going for it, having said that it's still not going to win any awards. The acting is better than one might expect from a film of this budget & of this vintage, apparently this was John Carradine's favourite performance that he gave in a rare starring role.

Bluebeard is an OK time waster if your not too demanding, it's lapsed into public domain I believe so it's available all over the net for free if you want to see it. I thought it was average at best & nothing particularly special.

"Those Girls...What's Happened To Them?"

[davidcarniglia · 7/10 · 16 April 2019]

Very atmospheric crime thriller. Bluebeard has plenty going for it: a legendary serial killer story, a great John Carradine performance as Bluebeard/Gaston Morrell, and some cool expressionistic sets (both interiors and exteriors). This movie's kind of hard to classify; there's definitely the horror element, a straight mystery, the 19th century Parisian historical drama, and, depending on how you take the creepy lighting and acting, a noir/gothic element. On top of all that, there's not one, but two art elements (puppetry and painting) that mask Bluebeard's nefarious deeds.

Carradine appears vampiric--gaunt, domineering--but oddly passive. Until he kills, that is; the closeups right before the murders are reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West's diamond-shaped face. And not in a campy, amusing sense. When he appears at Francine's funeral (kind of odd, considering that he's just killed her) he literally seems to emanate from the curtains like a ghost. Only slightly less scary-looking, Morrell's art dealer/blackmailer Lamarte (Ludwig Stossel) has an aghast bug-eyed visage. Sort of a Peter Lorre with a Van Dyke beard. Inspector Lefevre (Nils Asther) has a sharp and bemused diligence about him; the apt counterpart to his antagonist.

Sisters Lucille (Jean Parker) and Francine (Teala Loring) are taken by Morrell's puppetry. Which is to say they find him interesting. Bravely, if somewhat naively, Francine agrees to pose for him as well. Pose in a double sense, as she cooperates in a sting engineered by Lefevre, with Lamarte's help, to catch Morrell before he morphs into Bluebeard. I can't figure out how Morrell doesn't recognize her right away--despite her South American persona. Also, since he has to try to do something to get arrested, she's doomed unless the police are right there; but they're two busted-in doors away.

Anyway, Morrell's escape attempt recalls the lurid sewers-and-rooftops chase from Phantom of the Opera. That follows on his 'coming clean' bit with Lucille; a vignette that works amazingly well, by telescoping his story of becoming Bluebeard. He can't take rejection, so he's continually avenging his humiliation by killing Jeanette (his original betrayer). It's tragic that, just when he's doesn't want to kill anymore--Lamarte intervenes, promising easy money and giving the phony story that painting the 'South American' girl is safe because she's leaving Paris. It's somewhat the opposite situation that the Phantom has; Morrell wants to stop luring women to his lair, whereas the Phantom basically kidnaps 'his' woman. What is similar though, is that both demented anti-heroes use a form of art to express their tragic natures. I suppose any murderer intends some kind of statement by their acts; but the artist-as-murderer presumably leaves some trace of their motivation in the 'window into the soul' that their art allows.

I find puppetry almost at the level of ventriloquism as a somewhat absurd, but nonetheless magical, even spooky device. The line between merely goofy and cute and actually macabre can be hazy. In both media there's an element of control that the handler exerts. Morrell, with his added device of portraiture, has another sort of control; and over a real person--the one posing--not just the representation of one.

Although I was definitely entertained by this version of Bluebeard, and a few plot holes don't hurt it much, I've got to absolutely agree with the very common complaint that the music was off-putting. In fact, there was such a din right off the bat, and no dialogue until a little ways in, I at first thought that it was silent. The graininess of the DVD shaped my initial impression that it was from the '20s or early '30s. A smaller point--which only period-correct nuts like me get stirred up by--why do the gendarmes have Napoleonic garb (bicorn hats, sabres) but the other (civilian) guys look like they're from a few generations later with homburgs and bowlers? They should have top hats for the earlier period. The character Le Soldat (strangely, a sort of groupie of Morrell's, not a real soldier--or, maybe he's retired) has the Second Empire/Third Republic gear from the mid-to-later 19th century. One hint that narrows down the time-period is that only gas or candlelight is used, no electricity; so it can't be too close to 1900...

Good stuff overall: worth watching for Carradine creeping about the haunting Parisian nights. 7/10

Good

[Cosmoeticadotcom · 7/10 · 12 January 2012]

Film director Edgar Ulmer was, in some ways, a pre-Sam Fuller Sam Fuller. Most of his career was spent toiling for B film production companies and producers. Yet, he has a reputation, like Fuller, of producing, if not great films, films that are certainly better than they should be, given the little money spent on them. Case in point is 1944's Bluebeard (a film whose producer Leon Fromkess would later work with Fuller), made by PRC, a 'poverty row' studio. As evidence, watch the really well wrought puppet show scene, wherein an engaging opera scene is shown. This 72 minute, black and white film is filled with such moments, including a very good performance by John Carradine, an actor second to only the great Vincent Price in B film excellence in his art form.

Unfortunately, the film also has many moments that truly define it as a B film, in the sense that it is a second rate film- this includes some poor acting from many of the female characters that end up being murdered by Carradine's character. There are also the sort of nonsensical things that make up films not so well thought out. Given that Bluebeard was a character from a classic 17th Century French short story about a wife killer, it makes little sense that the residents of Paris, France (where the film was set) would so self-consciously refer to the killer by that term, since his crimes connect more closely to those of Jack The Ripper (the film is set during the Victorian Era). Also, while the film is ostensibly set in Paris, a poster is put up about town that is written in English, not French.

There is, as example, an excellent performance by Nils Asther, as Inspector Lefevre, best seen in the courtroom scene where models and prostitutes are brought in to see if they recognize the painting style of the Duke's painting. None do, but Asther's suavity and wit make the scene work. Also, despite being filmed entirely on sets that do not resemble Paris, and having mostly mediocre actors, Ulmer does a very good job of creating an effective German Expressionistic type mood, resembling mostly The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari. Credit can go to unbilled cinematographer Eugen Schüfftan.

But, three things, especially, set this film apart from most B films of its day (excepting the terrific Val Lewton produced films of the 1940s). The first is the puppet opera. One has to go almost a quarter century, to Ingmar Bergman's Hour Of The Wolf for a scene of similar power that features puppets. Another, as stated, is Carradine. In a sense, like Vincent Price, he is, at first blush, not an actor of seeming De Niro-like chameleon abilities. But, like Price, his eyes tell all. In a moment, he can veer from contained rage to pathos to humor, than back to a slightly less contained rage. He has a similar angularity that also makes his body seem puppet-like, which makes the depth of his face all the more effective, as it often stands in counterpoint to his body's stiffness. The third excellent element, also mentioned, is Nils Asther as Inspector Lefevre. Aside from his court scene, there is a scene where he is bantering with the two sisters tied to Morell. Asther really walks the line between improper lusting and clever roué wit. In another scene, with Lamarte, he plays his art interest even with his detective skills, and shows multiple levels in his character. In looking up the actor, it seems he had a brief career. Too bad, because he has a quality, at least in this role, that few actors exhibit: the ability to both inhabit and transcend a character.

For these three reasons, Bluebeard is a film that, while not great, and, really, not even a classic B film in the sense that schlock like Robot Monster is, is still a film that cineastes should watch, and Edgar Ulmer is a film director whose canon I will definitely be exploring in the future. Join me.

"There's something in your voice that made me feel you suffered"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 11 November 2023]

A person is murdering artists' models in 19th Century Paris and floating their bodies down the Seine. Can the killer be the reserved and artistic puppeteer Gaston Morel? As he is played by John Carradine of course it is. Mr. Carradine is the best thing about the film, his sweet voice and gentle demeanour hiding something more tortured. His confession to the character Lucille at the close of the movie is quite moving. Ably supporting him is Jean Parker as the lovely Lucille and Ludwig Stössel as the dubious art dealer Jean Lamarte. Not to mention Ethelreda Leopold as 'Laughing Courtroom Spectator'. The print I viewed was not good but you could still appreciate the cinematography and the atmospheric sets. The plot of the movie wanders a bit but the melancholy tone works well.

I liked the film. Apart from the music which was too jolly and added nothing to the downbeat story.

The Puppeteer of Paris

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 12 March 2022]

When not playing featured roles in classics like 'The Grapes of Wrath' John Carradine made a good living in stuff right at the bottom of the heap. These were the films in which he actually enjoyed top billing, so not surprisingly it was one of them that gave him his personal favourite of his roles; seldom off the screen and at his most dashing.

Garrulous but stylish, director Edgar G. Ulmer again makes bricks without straw; it's one drawback being Leo Erdody's unrelenting score, although it's fun to hear him constantly plunder Mussorgsky.

Puppet Master...

[azathothpwiggins · 19 May 2022]

In BLUEBEARD, John Carradine plays Gaston Morel, a serial-killing painter who uses his art to lure his young, female victims to their doom. Gaston strangles them and dumps their bodies in the nearby canal.

Enter the lovely Lucille Lutien (Jean Parker), who dazzles Gaston immediately, setting his wicked heart aflutter. For her part, Lucille is mesmerized by Gaston's puppet show, and soon becomes his next subject.

Will she survive?

BLUEBEARD is a very good thriller. It's also, arguably, Carradine's best performance. He's psychologically tormented and terrifying. It's unfortunate that he wasn't given more leading roles.

Highly recommended...

Soporific drama masquerading as a horror movie

[Wuchakk · 3/10 · 2 August 2015]

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

When a ham becomes tenderloin.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 11 March 2021]

This is probably John Carradine's crowning achievement on film, an A budget film for Producer's Releasing Corporation, the lowest of all low poverty row studios. Under the direction of master Edgar Ullmer, Carradine really gives an award level performance that shows the torment in the eyes of the mad killer. He's a well regarded Parisian puppeteer who wants to get back into painting and falls in love with the beautiful Jean Parker who has been an admirer of his puppetry for years.

When he begins to paint beautiful women, something takes over him and he strangles them. His first victim was jealous of his obvious attraction to Parker at the puppet show and this brings out his fury which results in her doom. Other victims follow, and his mentor, a very good Ludwig Stössel, tries to get him to stop.

The guilt of Carradine's conscience takes over, but there's a madness greater inside him, and in on extended sequence, a flashback reveals what led him to murder. Carradine really earns the sympathy for his tortured character, and he becomes one of the most sympathy deserving monsters in cinema history.

Iris Adrian may seem out of place as an obvious non-Parisian in the courtroom scene, but it's a very funny scene and one of the highlights of the film. sensational photography and art direction and a dramatic musical score you won't forget aides this in creating the perfect mood. This is a film that definitely deserves a restoration because some of the sound seems out of sync in the public domain prints, and of course, being a great film adds to that need regardless of what surviving prints are available.

An artist...his cravat...and a tender throat. One out of three isn't bad when the artist is played by John Carradine

[Terrell-4 · 5/10 · 4 January 2009]

It must have been frustrating to have the mastery of a craftsman and the instincts of an artist, but without the means, and most likely the talent, to put the two together. Instead, Edgar Ulmer became an ambitious director of low budget movies. Most are forgotten, but upon a few rests his reputation for style on the cheap. Watching them requires as much tolerance for schlock as appreciation for what a talented man can do with limited means. Which brings us to The Black Cat, Strange Illusion, Detour, The Strange Woman and...Bluebeard.

Gaston Morrell (John Carradine) is a painter and puppet master in turn-of-the-century Paris. Morrell's paintings never reach the level of excellence he aims for...so he strangles the model, pitches the body in the Seine, and looks for someone else to pose for him. He often finds them when they come to enjoy Morrell's puppet shows. Right after a fresh body is found floating by the police, Morrell accidentally meets Lucille (Jean Parker), a milliner who, with two friends, are on their way home late one evening from work. All Paris, especially young women, are on edge with this killer on the loose. Before long Morrell is presenting his puppets in Gounod's Faust before a crowd in the park...and Lucille is there with her friends. Soon after, Lucille has agreed to make new costumes for Morrell's puppets and Morrell is becoming attentive to her. But wait. Inspector Lefevre (Nils Asther) has discovered a painting by an artist no one seems to know and the woman in the painting looks exactly like the fourth victim of the murderer the people of Paris now call Bluebeard.

The movie looks just fine with all those classy costumes, dark Parisian streets and, especially, the puppet show of Faust with which Ulmer starts things off. There's Marguerite, Faust and Mephistopheles on strings, with a premonition of what may come. It's an unusual and effective way to get us into the movie. Ulmer had to fight to keep it. The movie becomes too involved with the search for models and collectors; a lot of this is played for laughs or badinage. It is, after all, hard to picture Iris Adrian as French. Things also sag when Inspector Lefevre sets a trap for Morrell. But Ludwig Stossel brings us back to the issue of unstable artists who tie their cravats around other people's throats. Stossel plays Jean Lamarte, Morrell's unscrupulous art dealer who knows what's going on and doesn't mind as long as Morrell's paintings sell well and anonymously. Stossel was a great character actor. Here he is not playing a nice man.

But what quality the movie has, and it has glimmers, comes from Carradine as Gaston Morrell. Carradine gives a sad, shrewd performance as a driven man, compelled to paint, compelled to frustration, compelled to kill. Carradine chews not a single piece of scenery and never wrings his hands over his compulsion. Morrell's monologue an hour into the movie, trying to explain himself to Lucille, is a skilled, sympathetic piece of work. Gaston Morrell is a smart, sensitive, talented man who cannot help himself. Carradine doesn't just allow us to feel sad for Morrell, but to respect him in an uneasy way. It's a fine performance.

Carradine appeared in miles of celluloid trash in order to pay the bills -- four wives, five sons -- and finance during the Forties his own theater touring company. When he had a film role that called for it, Carradine could be excellent. Just watch him as Hatfield in Stagecoach, Jessie Wick in Swamp Water, Caleb Green in Son of Fury, Professor Madley in Fallen Angel, Casy in The Grapes of Wrath...or his performance here as Gaston Morrell. John Carradine, I think, was a man to admire.

One of Carradine's and PRC's finest

[kd-white · 8/10 · 19 December 2005]

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.

Beware of malevolent puppeteer!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 18 May 2005]

John Carradine repeatedly claimed that Bluebeard was his favorite role to play (out of a repertoire of over 250 films, that has got to mean something!) and I can only confirm that his ghoulish performance is the film's biggest strength. The Bluebeard-myth is one of the most intriguing premises in horror cinema ever and even though this isn't the famous tale with the "secret locked room in the castle", it definitely is a haunting and unsettling murder story. "Bluebeard" is set in the beautiful city of Paris where the handsome Gaston Morell (Carradine) tries to earn a living by painting and street theater with self-made puppets. He's very popular among the Parisians and all the young ladies secretly hope to get seduced by him. But Gaston leads a dangerous double life as the feared "Bluebeard" who strangles women and dumps their bodies in the sewers. The film features very little violence and most of the story involves the police's search for the killer's identity. With the help of slick young women, the police attempts to ambush Bluebeard by presenting the girls as potential models for a portrait. Carradine's performance is really flawless (those eyes!) and the direction is very well handled. Ulmer is a severely underrated director with several other genre highlights on his name, like "The Black Cat", "Detour" and "The Amazing Transparent Man". The film suffers a little from an anti-climax but it's especially worth watching for the acting and the stunning photography.

no pirates

[kairingler · 5/10 · 3 July 2013]

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.