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Who Killed Teddy Bear?

Play trailer Poster for Who Killed Teddy Bear? Released Oct 6, 1965 1h 31m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
The hostess (Juliet Prowse) at a Manhattan disco receives nasty phone calls from a busboy (Sal Mineo) who works there.
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Who Killed Teddy Bear?

Critics Reviews

View All (3) Critics Reviews
Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia It's an irresistibly cool psychedelic thriller which mixes the party vibes of '60s New York with the dark and twisted mind of a madman. Oct 30, 2018 Full Review Belle Hart The Sun (UK) It may have been taboo back then, when it was even refused an age certification for its cinema release, but its shock value has long since faded. However it's still worthy of being called a cult classic. Rated: 3/5 Sep 14, 2018 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It wasn't so bad that it can't be appreciated as a curio. Rated: B Mar 1, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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harwee h Decent. Juliet Prowse carried the film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Interestingly shot and both Juliet Prowse and Elaine Stritch look great but its story is ugly. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member ★★★1/2 (out of four) A very bold movie for 1965 that has today become a cult classic. Like a lot of these social films they are dated, but to me that is part of what makes them often times great. If I watch a film made in 1965, I want it to reflect the time it was made, not today. "Who Killed Teddy Bear" was one of the first U.S. films to be at the head of the new, changing cinema values of the 1960's. The subject matter was difficult for mainstream audiences. Rape, incest, lesbianism, sexual addiction were just some of the topics touched on in the picture directed by Joseph Cates. A young waitress (Juliet Prowse) at a cool New York City disco is being stalked. She has been receiving threatening phone calls and is scared. The police, headed by Jan Murray, have little leads. The film argues that everyone has some kind of sexual perversion. Some people are just better at covering it up. Though not a hit at the time, it seems very influential. Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" is very similar with its bleak view of a rotting New York and the freaks that roam the streets. Scorsese's version of "Cape Fear" has several shots that are familiar. I think even Quentin Tarantino borrowed heavily with his dance number between John Travolta and Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction." It is very reminiscent of the sexual tension between Juliet Prowse and Sal Mineo when she tries to teach him to dance. It does start out a bit rocky, but gathers steam as it goes. There are some great performances, especially from Sal Mineo and Elaine Stritch. The film is mostly lost today, but hopefully its cult status will help it come back to life on DVD and Blue-Ray soon. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Zeppo1/WhoKilled-1.jpg[/IMG] Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Forgotten for a reason, but kind of fascinating for plenty of other reasons. As sleazy as you may have heard, just not quite as fun. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Too bad about the material that was probably supposed to be shocking and provocative in 1965. It just makes the movie look dated. Get past that and there's a pretty good psychological thriller in there. Juliet Prowse and Sal mineo look just primal and who knew Elaine Stritch was kinda hot back in the day? Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Incredibly sleazy and Noir in outlook, with everyone pretty equally debased and animalistic. Full of nice B&W cinematography of `60s NY, with lingering shots of dirty book shops and grindhouse picture shows. Prowse and Mineo look great, and the blaring pop soundtrack paired with low-angle shots of pumping, thrusting bodies (whether working out or dancing) does far more by suggestion to evoke the sexualized world they live in. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Who Killed Teddy Bear?

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis The hostess (Juliet Prowse) at a Manhattan disco receives nasty phone calls from a busboy (Sal Mineo) who works there.
Director
Joseph Cates
Producer
Everett Rosenthal
Screenwriter
Leon Tokatyan, Arnold Drake
Distributor
Magna Corporation
Production Co
Phillips Productions
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 6, 1965, Limited
Runtime
1h 31m
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