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Bluebeard

Play trailer Poster for Bluebeard 1944 1h 13m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 37% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
When seamstress Lucille (Jean Parker) accepts a job designing costumes for charismatic puppeteer and portrait artist Gaston Morrell (John Carradine), she has no idea that he is, in fact, Bluebeard, the infamous serial killer who has been terrorizing Paris. Sparks soon fly between Lucille and Morrell but complications arise when Morell's previous lover Renee (Sonia Sorel) becomes jealous and must be dealt with according to Morell's grisly custom.
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Bluebeard

Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Reader 10/17/2016
Edgar G. Ulmer somehow managed to transform the absurd limitations of the scripts, budgets, and actors he was given to work with into a mad aesthetic principle. Go to Full Review
Chris Wicking Time Out 02/09/2006
Ulmer (Murnau's one time art director and assistant) is the most subterranean of all directors, and here turns out a triumph of mind, eye and talent. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 05/14/2024
3/4
As much a film noir as a horror yarn. Go to Full Review
Allen Eyles Radio Times 10/17/2016
3/5
This is a small miracle of polished film-making. Go to Full Review
TV Guide 10/17/2016
4/5
Bluebeard is one of director Edgar G. Ulmer's best works and contains one of John Carradine's greatest performances. Go to Full Review
Fernando F. Croce CinePassion 04/29/2011
A breathtakingly self-reflexive portrait Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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laurent b 05/21/2022 Despite the presence of John Carradine, and some fine sets, the movie is quite boring. See more 05/08/2017 A somewhat ineffective thriller that is saved by a stellar lead performance by John Carradine. See more 09/19/2013 An artist...his cravat...and a tender throat--Carradine's finest hour!! See more 05/15/2013 A painter/puppeteer kills his models in 19th century Paris. A dusty and lifeless serial killer relic; when John Carradine is acting (rather than over-acting) he's actually a pretty dull fellow. Hard to believe this was made by the same director who made the B-masterpieces THE BLACK CAT and DETOUR; even harder to believe that 100% positive Rotten Tomatoes rating. See more 09/11/2012 It's a good adaptation of the story I've heard in the past, but I prefer the story over the film, for this has more problems. PLOT:In 19th century France, Gaston (John Carradine) is a pretty successful artist and puppeteer, well known among his community. Little does his area know that he is the notorious killer known as "Bluebeard", who strangles his victims and dumps their bodies in the river. When he murders on of his fellow puppeteers, he hires another assistant named Lucille (Jean Parker) to design costumes for his puppets. Meanwhile, the painting of his latest victim hits the gallery via his business partner, Lamarte (Ludwig Stossel), and a couple inspectors try to trace the murders back through to the artist. Will Bluebeard be caught? Will he trick and do away with his new assistant? I'll leave you there. It's a pretty good plot executed fairly well. ACTING:The performances in here were pretty great, keeping in mind the time being. John Carradine played a very respectable role of Gaston or "Bluebeard", the artist and serial killer. I'd say he played the part in a very sauve manner. The other shiners would be Ludwig Stossel as Lamarte, Henry Kolker as Deschamps, Jean Parker as Lucille, and Teala Loring as Francine. SCORE:The score was a little annoying at times and unfitting at others. It followed you through the whole film and didn't cease to keep suspense at all. This is one of those films that nearly gets drowned out by the score. OTHER CONTENT:This film was a pretty good horror film considering the time being and the plot altogether. It was pretty well thought-out, creepy, and shot with good direction. However, this film did have a good few cons. Firstly, I feel it needed a bit more character development for some of the characters. Gaston's character had a slight explanation of why he paints and kills, but I felt it needed a bit more to express their personalities better. Secondly, there is very little suspense written into the plot. The audience knows who is going to be the killer right off the bat, and the kills aren't too suspenseful at all as compared to other films of this era. It also drifts from the story I heard with this same name a time ago, so I found it a bit misleading. It can be a little confusing to some, but I think it's a pretty good horror film for the time. OVERALL,a good horror film with a well-executed plot, great performances, annoyingly unfitting score, thought-out plot twists, creepy moments, and good direction, but it need more character development and suspense, along with matching source material. See more 09/11/2012 It's a good adaptation of the story I've heard in the past, but I prefer the story over the film, for this has more problems. PLOT:In 19th century France, Gaston (John Carradine) is a pretty successful artist and puppeteer, well known among his community. Little does his area know that he is the notorious killer known as "Bluebeard", who strangles his victims and dumps their bodies in the river. When he murders on of his fellow puppeteers, he hires another assistant named Lucille (Jean Parker) to design costumes for his puppets. Meanwhile, the painting of his latest victim hits the gallery via his business partner, Lamarte (Ludwig Stossel), and a couple inspectors try to trace the murders back through to the artist. Will Bluebeard be caught? Will he trick and do away with his new assistant? I'll leave you there. It's a pretty good plot executed fairly well. ACTING:The performances in here were pretty great, keeping in mind the time being. John Carradine played a very respectable role of Gaston or "Bluebeard", the artist and serial killer. I'd say he played the part in a very sauve manner. The other shiners would be Ludwig Stossel as Lamarte, Henry Kolker as Deschamps, Jean Parker as Lucille, and Teala Loring as Francine. SCORE:The score was a little annoying at times and unfitting at others. It followed you through the whole film and didn't cease to keep suspense at all. This is one of those films that nearly gets drowned out by the score. OTHER CONTENT:This film was a pretty good horror film considering the time being and the plot altogether. It was pretty well thought-out, creepy, and shot with good direction. However, this film did have a good few cons. Firstly, I feel it needed a bit more character development for some of the characters. Gaston's character had a slight explanation of why he paints and kills, but I felt it needed a bit more to express their personalities better. Secondly, there is very little suspense written into the plot. The audience knows who is going to be the killer right off the bat, and the kills aren't too suspenseful at all as compared to other films of this era. It also drifts from the story I heard with this same name a time ago, so I found it a bit misleading. It can be a little confusing to some, but I think it's a pretty good horror film for the time. OVERALL,a good horror film with a well-executed plot, great performances, annoyingly unfitting score, thought-out plot twists, creepy moments, and good direction, but it need more character development and suspense, along with matching source material. See more Read all reviews
Bluebeard

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis When seamstress Lucille (Jean Parker) accepts a job designing costumes for charismatic puppeteer and portrait artist Gaston Morrell (John Carradine), she has no idea that he is, in fact, Bluebeard, the infamous serial killer who has been terrorizing Paris. Sparks soon fly between Lucille and Morrell but complications arise when Morell's previous lover Renee (Sonia Sorel) becomes jealous and must be dealt with according to Morell's grisly custom.
Director
Edgar G. Ulmer
Producer
Leon Fromkess
Screenwriter
Pierre Gendron
Production Co
Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 11, 1944, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 7, 2017
Runtime
1h 13m
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