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BLUEBEARD (1944) directed by Edgar G. Ulmer

Filed under: Imported

Ulmer is best known for Detour, which is on everyone's best-ever list of B movies. (Some place it higher than that.) A year before that film, he directed John Carradine in Bluebeard, another no-budget gem. The story takes place almost entirely after dusk, and the nighttime mood of the black-and-white photography is so lovely, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite moments.

I'd give anything-- well, at least the price of a ticket-- if movies today had credits like this.

Besides being a painter and killer of young women, Bluebeard is also a puppeteer, and his production of Faust is one of the very best things in the movie. Here's Mephistopholes.

Carradine did a good job changing from charming gentleman to insane murderer, and the latter scenes are made even more effective by the way Ulmer chose to shoot them.

Jean Parker plays Lucille, Bluebeard's latest love. She looks lovely all through the movie, but I especially liked this shot.

When Bluebeard begins his final spree, Ulmer turns up the atmosphere, with several scenes that look this good:

And the best of all, the secret entrance to Bluebeard's lair:

Posted by Steve Monaco at April 29, 2003 12:42 AM

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