Bluebeard (1944)

Better Late Then Never

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

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

1944's "Bluebeard" was a huge success for Poverty Row's PRC, exceeding their expectations by doing standout business in such unlikely places as Chicago and Detroit! Director Edgar G. Ulmer had originally intended this as a Boris Karloff vehicle for Universal ten years earlier, finally granting character player John Carradine the star status he was rarely given (one year after their first collaboration, "Isle of Forgotten Sins"). The forlorn puppeteer Gaston Morel finds himself unable to resist the urge to kill by the memory of an angelic-looking beauty whose portrait became his artistic masterpiece, only to later discover her to be a loathsome, ungrateful prostitute, cruelly laughing in his face. Carradine's heartfelt confession to girlfriend Jean Parker is filled with compassion, even as he incriminates himself, unwilling to paint his beloved ("every time I painted her, I had to kill her again"), preferring to work with puppets made of wood ("I could take my fury out on them, I couldn't kill wood"). No other Bluebeard commanded the screen like Carradine's, and none came off as more sympathetic either, not even George Sanders in 1960's "Bluebeards Ten Honeymoons." The most notable cast member is 23 year old Sonia Sorel, future bride of John Carradine (divorced by 1957), mother of Christopher (the architect), Keith, and Robert Carradine; a prominent member of John's Shakespeare company, her undistinguished screen career included two more efforts for director Ulmer, "Strange Illusion" and "Club Havana." It's no surprise that John Carradine favored this performance as his personal favorite, while "Captains Courageous" remained his favorite film, opposite screen legends Spencer Tracy and Lionel Barrymore. "Bluebeard" made three appearances on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater- May 4 1974 (preceded by 1957's "Beginning of the End"), June 14 1975 (followed by 1960's "Gorgo"), and Jan 28 1978 (followed by 1955's "Tarantula").

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!

John Carradine appears in a rare leading role in this bargain-basement PRC production helmed by legendary B movie director Edgar Ulmer. He appears in the role of Bluebeard, a man who preys on women in a serial fashion in the streets. Nevermind that the historical Bluebeard was supposed to be a guy who married his victims, that wouldn't fit into the running time of this film. You have to see Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux" for that. But this isn't a bad little movie, taken for what it is.Carradine looks very striking in a hairstyle that emphasizes Oscar Wilde-ish bangs. He's an artist who murders the women that he paints, and so he's very keen not to paint a particular lady who he's convinced is a better type of lady, portrayed by Jean Parker (who can't really hold her weight on screen against Carradine). Carradine's odd manner of delivery never really suited a character better than this one. Still I'm left feeling that the movie has a bit of a cold heart. Characters are killed off towards the end in a way that is sort of casual, and we never get invested enough in any of the characters to really care one way or the other. Ulmer's mood and atmosphere are far more compelling than any of the performances he's able to elicit.