Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Strangler

  • 1964
  • Approved
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
978
YOUR RATING
The Strangler (1964)
Horror

An overweight lab technician with low self esteem, brought on by his dominant mother, becomes a serial killer of female nurses.An overweight lab technician with low self esteem, brought on by his dominant mother, becomes a serial killer of female nurses.An overweight lab technician with low self esteem, brought on by his dominant mother, becomes a serial killer of female nurses.

  • Director
    • Burt Topper
  • Writer
    • Bill S. Ballinger
  • Stars
    • Victor Buono
    • David McLean
    • Diane Sayer
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    978
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Burt Topper
    • Writer
      • Bill S. Ballinger
    • Stars
      • Victor Buono
      • David McLean
      • Diane Sayer
    • 39User reviews
    • 29Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos11

    Victor Buono and Ellen Corby in The Strangler (1964)
    Baynes Barron and David McLean in The Strangler (1964)
    Selette Cole in The Strangler (1964)
    Victor Buono in The Strangler (1964)
    Victor Buono in The Strangler (1964)
    Victor Buono in The Strangler (1964)
    Diane Sayer in The Strangler (1964)
    Victor Buono, Davey Davison, David McLean, and Diane Sayer in The Strangler (1964)
    Diane Sayer in The Strangler (1964)
    Jeanne Bates and Victor Buono in The Strangler (1964)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Victor Buono
    Victor Buono
    • Leo Kroll
    David McLean
    David McLean
    • Lt. Frank Benson
    Diane Sayer
    Diane Sayer
    • Barbara Wells
    Davey Davison
    Davey Davison
    • Tally Raymond
    Baynes Barron
    Baynes Barron
    • Sgt. Mack Clyde
    Ellen Corby
    Ellen Corby
    • Mrs. Kroll
    Michael Ryan
    • Detective Mel Posner
    • (as Michael M. Ryan)
    Russ Bender
    Russ Bender
    • Dr. Clarence Sanford
    Jeanne Bates
    Jeanne Bates
    • Clara Thomas, the Nurse
    Wally Campo
    Wally Campo
    • Eggerton
    Mimi Dillard
    • Thelma
    Byron Morrow
    Byron Morrow
    • Dr. Morton
    John Yates
    • Intern
    James Sikking
    James Sikking
    • Police Sketch Artist
    Robert Cranford
    • Jack Rosten
    Selette Cole
    Selette Cole
    • Helen Lawson
    Fred Aldrich
    Fred Aldrich
    • Apartment House Manager
    • (uncredited)
    Benjie Bancroft
    • Police Officer
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Burt Topper
    • Writer
      • Bill S. Ballinger
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Private Parts
    6.4
    Private Parts
    The Killer Is Loose
    6.6
    The Killer Is Loose
    Night Watch
    6.3
    Night Watch
    The Haunting of Julia
    6.2
    The Haunting of Julia
    The Guilty
    6.3
    The Guilty
    The Mad Butcher
    5.2
    The Mad Butcher
    The Sorcerers
    6.2
    The Sorcerers
    It!
    5.6
    It!
    Down Three Dark Streets
    6.7
    Down Three Dark Streets
    Witchcraft
    6.1
    Witchcraft
    Golden Swallow
    6.7
    Golden Swallow
    Big House, U.S.A.
    6.6
    Big House, U.S.A.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      According to director Burt Topper, Victor Buono puffed smoke into his eyes to create tears for a particular scene.
    • Goofs
      When the police are on the way to the first murder, they are driving in a 1950s boxy sedan. However, when the police arrive, they are in an early-1960s sedan.
    • Crazy credits
      Davey Davison's "Introducing" billing is correct as far as feature films go, but she had appeared on several TV series prior to this.
    • Connections
      Featured in Late Movie 18: The Strangler (1979)

    User reviews39

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Buono Showcase
    It's a Buono showcase. His restrained portrait of an unattractive, mother-hating serial killer is a grabber. No wonder he loathes his bed-ridden mom. Obviously, she's brow-beaten him his whole life, taking what little self-esteem he ever had. Now, at thirty, he lumbers around like a fat rhino among sleek gazelles, picking off single women one-by-one and leaving cheap arcade dolls in their place. Somehow in his twisted mind, however, she won't stay dead. No matter how many times he kills her, there she is back again in her bed, making whining demands. He's almost a figure of pity as much as loathing, and it's to actor Buono's credit that he manages to create the difficult mix.

    I like the cops here, especially Sgt. Clyde (Barron). They come across more like real cops than the usual. At the same time, their interviews with suspect Kroll (Buono) are little gems of thrust and parry. Director Topper films in straightforward fashion, without the sinister lighting that might be expected, but with good judicious use of close-up. This is not a slasher-type movie. In fact, despite the lurid material, the movie comes across more like a dark psychological study than a horror film, thanks mainly to Buono's shrewdly calculated performance and Topper's refusal to play up the violence.
    helpful•12
    1
    • dougdoepke
    • May 12, 2013

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 1, 1964 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Boston Strangler
    • Filming locations
      • West 3rd Street and South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA(police car turns the corner at night by the Town and Country shopping center)
    • Production company
      • Bischoff-Diamond Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Strangler (1964)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Strangler (1964) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.