Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?

PG

1978

1h 52m

Comedy

List

77%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

70%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Food critic Max Vandeveer (Robert Morley) is a gluttonous gourmand whose appetite is killing him. His doctor tells him he needs to lay off the fine dining, or else. That prescription gets a little easier to follow when a highly unusual killing spree hits the fine restaurants of Europe: a murderer is knocking off four-star chefs. At the same time, the murders make the invitation to prepare dessert at a lavish dinner less than auspicious for famous pastry chef Natasha (Jacqueline Bisset).

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william k

Fairly humorous, but quite silly crime mystery spoof is basically well-made and entertaining; Robert Morley, though, steals the show.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

martin a

Robert Morley is outstanding in this as a critic who favors great food and eats too much of it. Then he is given six months to live. His Niece who has an annoying ex-husband who wants her to join him in his battery farm business returns to cook for the Queen. However, the top chefs get bumped off one by one. A nice twist at the end. The worst thing about this film is George Segal who is so annoying and badly cast, and an awful actor if ever there was. However some outstanding moments from Madge Ryan, Peter Sallis, John Le Mesurier, Jacques Marin and Philippe Noiret

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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steve d

Not in the least bit entertaining.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Ok comedy/mystery. The much heralded murders are a bit lackluster, though

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Devilishly amusing, even witty. A crime comedy movie with a balanced approached to each. George Segal and his ex wife reluctantly become detectives trying to solve just whom is murdering the master chefs of Europe. [img]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGFoIOZ_zkPAt18wrCn3KgYdrLJFzT5GGzAuHVyQJDQYHMJ1ckqA[/img] George Segal left, Robert Morely center, Bisset right Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? is a 1978 comedy mystery film starring George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, and Robert Morley. It is based on the novel Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe by Nan and Ivan Lyons. The chefs are each killed in a manner reflecting their most famous dishes; for example, the lobster chef is drowned (in the book the recipe for each dish is given). Well done in all respects, great cinematography of many tourist spots in Europe. From the start you know you are on a gastronomic trip of caloric proportions! [img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWWt5-9LNSDYEYqSK6WQMqIqlSyUDQvCS-taGr1i47NRMIr2m2[/img] This early scene in the film is about as risque as this film gets, all done with humor of course.... SEE it all here at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNL2yGReKsQ&list=PL943CDA52348692B5 Oscar winner Henry Mancini, composer, provides the soundtrack to this one. George Segal, oft times a comedian in film does his usual fine performance as a fast food enteprenuer once married to a master chef herself, Bissett. Veteran actor Robert Morely owns a gastro intellect magazine who is over weight, overly intellectual and overly obscessed with all the chefs of Europe. [img]http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FNL2yGReKsQ/0.jpg[/img] REVIEWS: ----90% Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? is a pretty good suspence-comedy from 1978. George Segal is good as the fast-food man who finds himself be... More ---- As for the whodunit? When the killer was finally revealed I had guessed wrong and enjoyed evey moment. NOTES: 1 Playing a pompous gourmet in this film was Robert Morley who due to the popularity of the character went onto make a series of successful television commercials for Heinz soup. [img]http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/whos-killing-cake.png[/img] Awards Robert Morley won Best Supporting Actor at the 1978 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (1978) and at the National Society of Film Critics Awards (1979). He was also nominated for Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor in a Supporting Role along with Jacqueline Bisset for Best Motion Picture Actress (1979). Directed by Ted Kotcheff Produced by William Aldrich Written by Peter Stone Starring George Segal Jacqueline Bisset Robert Morley Jean-Pierre Cassel Philippe Noiret Jean Rochefort Music by Henry Mancini Cinematography John Alcott Studio Lorimar Distributed by Warner Bros. Release date(s) October 5, 1978 Running time 112 minutes Country United States/West Germany Language English [img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQu25VvWBN8MBHBPaiIEVg7QRqfsDD_QyNs9ge39Kc2UbMizSyI[/img]

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

So-so comedy is made better than it deserves by a good cast, especially George Segal.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Ted Kotcheff

Director

George Segal

Robby Ross

Jacqueline Bisset

Natasha

Robert Morley

Max

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29%

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Fatso

95%

92%

Being There

53%

57%

The Cheap Detective

40%

42%

The Main Event

90%

83%

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The movie's a light, silly entertainment, with class. A lot of the class comes from Morley, who's spent most of his time in recent years on the London stage and in British Airways commercials.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 16, 2018

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A fast-paced delight.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 1, 2024

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

A delicious satire... [Full review in Spanish]

Aug 8, 2023

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a star-driven detective romp that's packed with quality and good taste...

Rated: 4/5

Mar 29, 2021

Full Review

Steve Crum

Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers

Slick comedy whodunit with George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 27, 2006

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 12, 2005

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Synopsis

Food critic Max Vandeveer (Robert Morley) is a gluttonous gourmand whose appetite is killing him. His doctor tells him he needs to lay off the fine dining, or else. That prescription gets a little easier to follow when a highly unusual killing spree hits the fine restaurants of Europe: a murderer is knocking off four-star chefs. At the same time, the murders make the invitation to prepare dessert at a lavish dinner less than auspicious for famous pastry chef Natasha (Jacqueline Bisset).

Director: Ted Kotcheff
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): Oct 21, 2009
Runtime: 1h 52m