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Monsieur Verdoux

  • 19471947
  • PassedPassed
  • 2h 4m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
A suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.
Play trailer1:40
1 Video
54 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Crime
  • Drama

A suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.A suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.A suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.

IMDb RATING
7.8/10
17K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Charles Chaplin
  • Writers
    • Charles Chaplin(an original story written by)
    • Orson Welles(based on an idea by)
  • Stars
    • Charles Chaplin
    • Mady Correll
    • Allison Roddan
Top credits
  • Director
    • Charles Chaplin
  • Writers
    • Charles Chaplin(an original story written by)
    • Orson Welles(based on an idea by)
  • Stars
    • Charles Chaplin
    • Mady Correll
    • Allison Roddan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 92User reviews
    • 79Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 5 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:40
    Trailer

    Photos54

    Charles Chaplin and Mady Correll in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin, Audrey Betz, Mady Correll, Robert Lewis, Therese Lyon, and Allison Roddan in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin, Boyd Irwin, and Fritz Leiber in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin, Mady Correll, and Allison Roddan in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Ona O'Neil, at premiere of MONSIEUR VERDOUX, United Artists, 1947, **I.V.
    Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Ona O'Neil, at premiere of MONSIEUR VERDOUX, United Artists, 1947, **I.V.
    Charles Chaplin in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin and Martha Raye in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
    Charles Chaplin and Martha Raye in Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charles Chaplin
    Charles Chaplin
    • Henri Verdoux - Alias Varnay - Alias Bonheur - Alias Florayas Henri Verdoux - Alias Varnay - Alias Bonheur - Alias Floray
    Mady Correll
    Mady Correll
    • Mona Verdoux - Henri's Wifeas Mona Verdoux - Henri's Wife
    Allison Roddan
    • Peteras Peter
    Robert Lewis
    Robert Lewis
    • Maurice Bottello - Verdoux's Friendas Maurice Bottello - Verdoux's Friend
    Audrey Betz
    • Marthaas Martha
    Martha Raye
    Martha Raye
    • Annabella Bonheuras Annabella Bonheur
    Ada May
    Ada May
    • Annetteas Annette
    • (as Ada-May)
    Isobel Elsom
    Isobel Elsom
    • Marie Grosnayas Marie Grosnay
    Marjorie Bennett
    Marjorie Bennett
    • Maidas Maid
    Helene Heigh
    Helene Heigh
    • Yvonne - Marie's Friendas Yvonne - Marie's Friend
    Margaret Hoffman
    • Lydia Florayas Lydia Floray
    Marilyn Nash
    Marilyn Nash
    • The Girlas The Girl
    Irving Bacon
    Irving Bacon
    • Pierre Couvaisas Pierre Couvais
    Edwin Mills
    • Jean Couvaisas Jean Couvais
    Virginia Brissac
    Virginia Brissac
    • Carlotta Couvaisas Carlotta Couvais
    Almira Sessions
    Almira Sessions
    • Lena Couvaisas Lena Couvais
    Eula Morgan
    • Phoebe Couvaisas Phoebe Couvais
    Bernard Nedell
    Bernard Nedell
    • Prefect of Policeas Prefect of Police
    • (as Bernard J. Nedell)
    • Director
      • Charles Chaplin
    • Writers
      • Charles Chaplin(an original story written by)
      • Orson Welles(based on an idea by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Monsieur Verdoux is a bluebeard, he marries women and kills them after the marriage to get the money he needs for his family. But with two ladies he has bad luck. —Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>
    • serial killer
    • black comedy
    • execution
    • polygamy
    • psychopath
    • 30 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Chaplin's Bluebeard comedy is a killer!
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sir Charles Chaplin regarded the film as "the cleverest and most brilliant film of my career."
    • Goofs
      Although the story takes place in the years 1932-1937, all the women's fashions and hairstyles are strictly in the 1946-1947 mode, when the film was made.
    • Quotes

      Henri Verdoux: Wars, conflict - it's all business. One murder makes a villain; millions, a hero. Numbers sanctify, my good fellow!

    • Alternate versions
      West German theatrical version was cut by approx. 15 minutes.
    • Connections
      Featured in Shallow Hal (2001)

    User reviews92

    Review
    Top review
    Humor Worth Pondering
    A satire on a serial killer is not your everyday movie fare. I can see why audiences of that day were turned off by the Little Tramp's sudden homicidal turn. Of course, it's all treated with a light comedic hand until the moralizing end. Still, Chaplin's subtext comes through clearly at certain points-, such that unemployment can drive men to extremes when they've got a family to support.

    On the other hand, not every man, of course, turns to fleecing rich widows and then dispatching them in cold-blooded fashion. But that brings him to his second point--- namely "numbers sanctify". Kill one person and you're a murderer; kill a thousand and you're a hero. Here it appears he's referring to the state that historically kills by the thousands in the name of the patriotism. Remember, the movie's coming right after the close of the horrific WWII, and he finds the point ironic.

    But Verdoux's not through. Capitalism is indirectly indicted for its periodic booms and busts that lead to joblessness, and millions upon millions for munitions manufacturers who prosper during wartime. As for the consolations of religion that come at the end, the gentleman killer appears indifferent without being insulting. Since Chaplin's the sole screenwriter, it's no stretch to believe he's speaking for himself on these matters. Given this rather wholesale indictment of many of the West's leading institutions, small wonder he left the country shortly after under a cloud of controversy.

    Nonetheless, the movie hits its comedic highpoints with Martha Raye as the loudly vulgar Annabella. Try as he does to do her in, she manages to comically thwart him at every turn. That scene in the fishing boat's a classic. All his polished charm and oily flattery just slide by her obnoxious silliness. Raye makes a perfect foil and an inspired piece of casting.

    Of course, some of the beguiling Little Tramp remains in Verdoux's character, as when he befriends the penniless girl (Nash), or in that supremely ironic moment when he ambles Tramp-style toward the guillotine. All in all, it's a strange little movie that was apparently shelved for years for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, it was rather gutsy for Chaplin to take such chances with his established character and at Cold War's outset. It's fairly humorous until you think about its serious points, which are still worth pondering.
    helpful•11
    1
    • dougdoepke
    • Mar 10, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 23, 1947 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Instagram
      • Official Site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A Comedy of Murders
    • Filming locations
      • Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Charles Chaplin Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $64,636
    • Gross worldwide
      • $65,718
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 4 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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