No Way to Treat a Lady (1968)

A crafty serial killer plays a game of cat-and-mouse with a harried police detective trying to track him down.

Director:

Jack Smight

Writers:

John Gay (screenplay), William Goldman (novel)

Stars:

Rod Steiger, Lee Remick, George Segal

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rod Steiger	...	Christopher Gill
Lee Remick	...	Kate Palmer
George Segal	...	Morris Brummel
Eileen Heckart	...	Mrs. Brummel
Murray Hamilton	...	Inspector Haines
Michael Dunn	...	Mr. Kupperman
Martine Bartlett	...	Alma Mulloy
Barbara Baxley	...	Belle Poppie
Irene Dailey	...	Mrs. Fitts
Doris Roberts	...	Sylvia Poppie
Ruth White	...	Mrs. Himmel
Val Bisoglio	...	Detective Monaghan
David Doyle	...	Lieutenant Dawson
Kim August	...	Sadie

Storyline

Christopher Gill is a psychotic killer who uses various disguises to trick and strangle his victims. Moe Brummel is a single and harassed New York City police detective who starts to get phone calls from the strangler and builds a strange alliance as a result. Kate Palmer is a swinging, hip tour guide who witnesses the strangler leaving her dead neighbor's apartment and sets her sights on the detective. Moe's live-in mother wishes her son would be a successful Jewish doctor like his big brother.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | serial killer | theater | woman strangled to death | strangulation | 

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Taglines:

...or is it?

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Genres:

Comedy | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Así no se trata a una dama

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sol C. Siegel Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was playing in Vallejo, California in April 1969, just after the Zodiac Killer murdered his first known victims, in Vallejo. Many criminologists believe that the Zodiac Killer was a movie buff or was influenced by motion pictures and gleaned quotes from movies for his taunting missives to the police, which began in August 1969, to the Vallejo Times-Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner. Others believe that he was from Vallejo. That "No Way To Treat a Lady" was about a serial killer who enjoys taunting the policeman on his trail makes it an interesting footnote to the Zodiac Killer case.

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Goofs

When the cops are racing to Mr. Gill's theater they pass the same marquee (for "The Born Losers") twice.

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Quotes

Kate Palmer: Morris, look at this apartment! I love it! It's so Jewish!

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Connections

References The Pink Pussy: Where Sin Lives (1964)

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Soundtracks

"A QUIET PLACE"
Lyric by Andrew Belling
Music by Stanley Myers
Arranged by Bill Traut
Sung by The American Breed
Courtesy of ACTA Records

User Reviews

Top film!

There have been many serial killer films over the years but this was one of the earliest and one of the best. It manages to be witty, suspenseful, funny and shocking in separate portions. Rod Steiger is very good in a role made for him but George Segal takes the acting honours because it's a much harder role and he does it so well. Lee Remick is fine also.

The best scene is the opening pre-credit sequence. It may look rather mundane at first but.....