Murders in the Rue Morgue

• Director: Gordon Hessler
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Mystery
• Movie Type: Whodunit, Detective Film
• Themes: Mad Scientists, Serial Killers, Woman In Jeopardy
• Main Cast: Christine Kaufmann, Herbert Lom
• Release Year: 1971
• Country: US
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG

Plot

The fourth film to explore Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale, this clever adaptation takes some rather broad liberties with the source material. A flamboyant Jason Robards plays Cesar Charron, owner of a Grand Guignol theatre in 19th-century Paris, who is launching a stage adaptation of "Murders in the Rue Morgue" -- much to the dismay of his young daughter Madeleine (Christine Kaufmann), who is tormented by nightmares filled with images from the play. A spate of gruesome murders among the theatre's regular stable of actors leads Charron to suspect the return of his deranged, disfigured former partner René Marot (Herbert Lom), who had been presumed dead after the murder of Charron's wife. Madeleine's nightmares eventually come true when Marot makes his presence known and reveals his intentions to her on the eve of the production's opening night. Director Gordon Hessler's creative handling of the dreams-vs.reality premise is rendered a bit confusing thanks to AIP's sloppy re-editing, but the overall production is still effectively chilling. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Review

This riff on the famous Edgar Allen Poe story has an intriguing, experimental edge to it but is not fully successful at reinventing the Poe subgenre. The script is an imaginative affair, using the title story as a play-within-the-film and borrowing elements from various other Poe stories to flesh out its meta-storytelling concept. Unfortunately, the plotting becomes convoluted as the story rolls on and it never builds to the kind of fever-dream peaks it is obviously reaching for. Gordon Hessler's direction has plenty of visual style, making effective use of the film's Spanish locations, but his pacing is substandard and the film lacks the tension it needs. In fairness, he does manage some effective setpieces along the way, like an unnerving scene where the villain's attack on a prostitute is intercut with a frantic can-can dance routine going on downstairs. Another problem is the performances, which are a mixed bag: Herbert Lom is compelling as the tortured villain of the film but Jason Robards is fatally miscast as the head of the grand-guignol theater. Simply put, his school of acting is at odds with the gothic material being explored here and he often seems disinterested. In short, Murders In The Rue Morgue is an interesting misfire. Students of Poe-themed films might find worth a look to check out the elements that work but other horror fans will want to approach with caution. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

Cast

Peter Arne - Aubert; José Calvo - Hunchback; Adolfo Celi - Vidocq; Michael Dunn - Pierre; Rafael Hernandez - Member of Repertory Company; Jason Robards, Jr. - Cesar Charron; Marshall Jones - Luigi Orsini; Christine Kaufmann - Madeleine; Herbert Lom - Marot; Maria Martin - Mme. Adolphe; Lilli Palmer - Madeleine's Mother; Maria Perschy - Genevre; Dean Selmier - Jacques, Member of Repertory Company; Edward Woodward; Luis Rivera - Member of Repertory Company; Xan Das Bolas - Orsini's Assistant; Rosalind Elliot - Gabrielle

Credit

Tony Pueo - Costume Designer, Juan Carlos Lopez Rodero - First Assistant Director, Gordon Hessler - Director, Max Benedict - Editor, Waldo de los Rios - Composer (Music Score), Jack H. Young - Makeup, Jose Luis Galicia - Production Designer, Manuel Berenguer - Cinematographer, Samuel Z. Arkoff - Producer, Louis M. Heyward - Producer, Christopher Wicking - Screenwriter, Henry Slesar - Screenwriter, Edgar Allan Poe - Short Story Author

Similar Movies

The Murders in the Rue Morgue; Murders in the Rue Morgue; Gorilla at Large; Phantom of the Rue Morgue

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