The Boston Strangler (1968)

Great Film

Like all true crime stories that become "art forms" via books and film, you must not expect a literal translation of the facts. I liked this movie as a movie, but I realize that given the nature of this case, it is but one person's understanding of what may have occured in Boston from 1962-1964.

The split screen format of the film makes the viewer disoriented in a manner that lends to the film. You feel like a cop in the film: as time goes on, you feel the story come together. Henry Fonda and Tony Curtis do a superb job in this film (as always), allowing you to focus in on them. The film moves quickly until they meet, and then it is one of the most interesting psychological battles in all of film!

Very interesting film (although it may be a fictionalized account of true events)- it is definitely worth watching and owning. April 30, 2008

Never Confuse It With the Real Story

I saw this movie when it first opened in New England. I read the book "The Boston Strangler" by Gerold Frank. Then I read the book "The Boston Stranglers" by Susan Kelly.
The movie is a classic, odd in its production and worth adding to my DVD collection. BUT, the film is pure fiction, taken from Frank's book which is nearly all fiction.
Read Kelly's book and afterward I am sure you will agree with the police. Albert DeSalvo had nothing to do with the eleven, mostly unrelated, murders. February 23, 2008

The Boston Strangler

This is a very interestingly directed film with lots of split screen and interesting camera angels. Fascinating also as this really happened in Boston which comes across well in the documentary style. Tony Curtis is suberb as the strangler and Henry Fonda also puts up a great performance.
August 8, 2007

ALMOST LIKE COLD CASE FILES

THIS MOVIE WAS INTERESTING.ALL THESE MURDERS ARE HAPPENING,AND THE DETECTIVES ARE LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF WHO DID IT AND WHY.IT'S LIKE YOUR TV DETECTIVE SHOWS OF TODAY.I LIKED THIS MOVIE. May 10, 2007

Stranglers in the Night----Tony Curtis Shines in this Fiction-Thriller.

(This was the best satirical comedy,i think i've ever seen yet.)Well,Tony was looking for a different type of film ,that would bring out the best he had to offer as an actor.His previous film,'Don't Make Waves',co-starring Sharon Tate,bombed at the box office.This Strangler film was a vastly different genre film,that his fans and public viewers,had difficulty accepting.Eventhough the story-line is based on the false statements of the con-artist Albert DeSalvo,this is an interesting sado-thriller nevertheless.The real DeSalvo's notoriety was waning and his plaguey prison-life was becoming a drag for Albert.He wanted out and wanted to confess his innocence.He had made-up the story of being the Boston Strangler.DeSalvo had wanted instant fame and an entertainment contract.His weak crooning was even recorded on wax,during the his trial phase.He was running a small drug network throughout the prison.In 1973,Albert was stabbed to death under the guise of a hit ordered by a rival dealer,within the prison.When in fact,the hit was ordered from the outside to quiet DeSalvo the Stool-pigeon.It's not unfathomable,to speculate that the arch-killer 'Zodiac' may have been involved in the Boston stranglation deaths.He simply was being amused by the drama surrounding DeSalvo's media cavalcade and false claims. At any rate,this film is an intriguing suspense flick,venerating the versatile qualities of the legendary actor Tony Curtis. May 2, 2007

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