by Eleanor Mannikka
synopsis
W. Lee Wilder, the lesser-known brother of Billy Wilder, directed this unexceptional story based on the actual history of French serial killer Henri Landru. The killer (played by George Sanders) has been changed here from an ordinary, inconsequential man to a suave antique dealer with a passion for Odette (Corinne Calvet), a nightclub singer whose only interest in him is monetary. The plot places Odette's need for money at the basis of Landru's maniacal killing spree but as the duped, female victims are dispatched one after another, the horror of it all never quite coalesces into gripping suspense.
characteristics
- Rich
- Wealth
- Mass-murder
- Murder
- Scam
- Swindle
- Woman
- Victim
- Loot
- Kill
- Child
- Celebrity
- Backyard
- Con-artist
- Con-game
