True Crime Movies

[STANDREID]

I haven't seen Deranged (inspired by Gein) but Roberts Blossom just died last Friday. He also played a Starkweather victim in Murder in the Heartland.

 

[ATGramercyPark]

Great list, thanks.

Laughton was the uncredited director for his nice little MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER, which is out on DVD, by the way.

 

[JBounds]

Copycat - This isn't technically based on a real killer, but the killer in this movie copies famous serial killers.

I had forgotten about this movie until it was on yesterday.

 

[STANDREID]

Although it might be stretching the definition a bit, the earliest movie I can find that could possibly be called a true-crime film is The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots made in 1895. It was a short subject as were all films then.

 

[wfgodot]

Might be considered criminal if this happened - though it wouldn't win
"oldest" honors as it's from the 1902 French film "Le Voyage dans la lune."

 

[STANDREID]

Indeed!

What is believed to be the very first feature length (over one hour) movie was a true-crime film, that is, The Story of the Kelly Gang made in 1906 about Ned Kelly's band. IMDb says it's 70 minutes long.

 

[STANDREID]

I seem unconsciously to have covered each decade from the '20s through the '90s.

I had some movies from the 2000s and 2010s on my top 200 list and put up an 1890s and 1900s film in recent posts so all we need is one from the 1910s to make up the set.

That would be El Destripador a Mexican film from 1914 that was supposedly inspired by Jack the Ripper.

 

[wfgodot]

That would be El Destripador a Mexican film from 1914 that was supposedly inspired by Jack the Ripper.

Yes, I've been re-reading several Jack the Ripper books I've had for years and did notice El Destripador mentioned.

 

[STANDREID]

My top 10 and the actual crimes they were inspired by with (Year of release-Country of making-Running time):

10-Lonely Hearts (2006-U.S.-1:48) The slayings by Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck

9-In Cold Blood (1967-U.S.-2:13) A grayscale rendition of the Clutter Family massacre

8-Murderous Maids [Les Blessures Assassines] (2000-Fr.-1:34) The killings by the Papin Sisters

7-Let Him Have It (1991-U.K.-1:55) The controversial Bentley and Craig Case

6-Borderland (2007-U.S.-1:45) The cult murders at Matamoros

5-The Man From the Pru (1989-U.K.-1:30) The unsolved murder of Julia Wallace

4-True Confessions (1981-U.S.-1:50) A film inspired by the unsolved Black Dahlia murder

3-10 Rillington Place (1971-U.K.-1:51) The crimes of serial killer John Christie

2-The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1994-U.K.-1:39) The serial murders of Graham Young

1-White Mischief (1988-U.K.-1:48) The unsolved murder of Lord Errol

Just to put all the top tens on the same page.

 

[badhorsie]

My top ten, in no particular order

10 Rillington Place- Christie
Let Him Have it -Derek Bentley
The Krays
Dance with a Stranger-Ruth Ellis
Changeling
Summer of Sam
Zodiac
Bonnie and Clyde
A is for Acid- about Haigh
Cold Light of Day- Dennis Neilson

 

[STANDREID]

Well there's no film on all 4 lists. It looks like 10 Rillington Place, being on three of the four lists, is the closest thing we have to a consensus at this point.

 

[wfgodot]

Well there's no film on all 4 lists. It looks like 10 Rillington Place, being on three of the four lists, is the closest thing we have to a consensus at this point.

I've only so far gotten halfway through 10 Rillington, a fine film but one which is in competition with, for me, the couple books* I've read about the case. I don't think it will bother my Top Ten but it's in ranking to enter a Top Twenty.

(*Ludovic Kennedy's Ten Rillington Place, long the canonical Christie & Evans text, and John Eddowes's The Two Killers of Rillington Place, which refutes Evans's claim of innocence. Both are excellent reads.)

 

[wfgodot]

Okay, while it doesn't quite fit in with the true crime picture theme, I do want to recommend The London Nobody Knows (1967 documentary; James Mason narrates), wonderfully done and with references, in the opening "Bedford Theatre" sequence, to Belle Elmore (Crippen!) and Walter Sickert (Ripper-identified!), but mostly for this rare footage of a place now gone, the house the two entered, into a passageway leading to the yard, where Annie Chapman became the second canonical Jack the Ripper victim:
Jack the Ripper: scene of the Hanbury Street murder, filmed in 1967 - YouTube

 

[wfgodot]

Oh and p.s., the whole documentary is on YouTube. Off to there for some more 10 Rillington Place now.

 

[STANDREID]

Yes, that Mason production is interesting. I have it on a DVD around here somewhere.

 

[STANDREID]

Too bad 29 Hanbury was torn down. It would be a cash cow today had they the brains to preserve it.

 

[porcelain]

West Memphis Three,heard there was a film something out there? Want to see it. Wonder why State not looking for others if they that them go? But State said they are GUILTY? ODD case

 

[Cappuccino]

West Memphis Three,heard there was a film something out there? Want to see it.

The film is Paradise Lost - The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills. Its an excellent film, there's also a sequel but its a bit rubbish. They're bringing a third film out in November, hopefully it will be a return to the form of the first one.

 

[SwampMama]

How about "In a Child's Name" with Valerie Bertinelli.

It's actually a mini-series and based on the true story of a dentist who murdered his wife, Theresa. Theresa was close to her sister Angela and Angela had promised to raise Theresa's baby if anything ever happened to her.

The husband was jailed and began a huge battle to keep the baby from Angela including many underhanded tactics such as trying to have his parent's illegally adopt the child and slandering his dead wife by saying he had to kill her because she was sexually abusing the baby boy who was just an infant. His parents refuse to believe their son has done anything wrong. You can see why he turned out the way he did since they are so cold and hateful to Theresa's family and so sure their son is the real victim.

It was just amazing how evil and twisted some people can be.

 

[STANDREID]

Thanks SwampMama, I didn't see that one.