A series of brutal murders in Boston sparks a seemingly endless and increasingly complex manhunt.A series of brutal murders in Boston sparks a seemingly endless and increasingly complex manhunt.A series of brutal murders in Boston sparks a seemingly endless and increasingly complex manhunt.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
- See all cast & crew
- Director
- Writers
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTony Curtis was generally considered too old to play Albert DeSalvo, despite being only six years older than DeSalvo. At the times of the murders DeSalvo was only in his early thirties.
- GoofsIn the film, it is assumed DeSalvo was guilty, and it portrays him as suffering from multiple personality disorder and committing the murders whilst in a psychotic state. DeSalvo was never diagnosed with, or even suspected of, having that disorder.
- Quotes
Capt. Ed Willis: Everybody's banging everybody. It's a horny world.
- Crazy creditsClosing credits epilogue; ALBERT DESALVO, PRESENTLY IMPRISONED IN WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, HAS NEVER BEEN INDICTED OR TRIED FOR THE BOSTON STRANGLINGS.
THIS FILM HAS ENDED, BUT THE RESPONSIBILTY OF SOCIETY FOR THE EARLY RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF THE VIOLENT AMONG US HAS YET TO BEGIN.
- Alternate versionsThe original UK cinema version suffered heavy BBFC cuts with edits to shots of a woman's dead body, the murder scenes, and the removal of graphic descriptions of the murder victims. Video versions were cut by 1 min 5 secs and reduced the torture of Dianne Cluny to a series of flash shots by removing facial closeups, a shot of her kicking, and detailed footage of her arms and legs being tied to the bed. The cuts were fully restored in the 2004 TCF widescreen DVD.
- ConnectionsEdited into Voskovec & Werich - paralelní osudy (2012)
- SoundtracksSemper Fidelis
(uncredited)
Music by John Philip Sousa
Heard from the television during the opening scene
Also played during the flashback montage
Featured review
Curtis Riveting As Is The Entire Film
Like most people, I'm fascinated with serial killers and why they do what they do. I don't need the gory details: just what makes them tick. I know some people here are turned off because they say that the killer - Albert DeSalvo - was not the mental personality he was portrayed in the last 30 minutes of this film. Personally, I don't care. I realize this is Hollywood, and how often is the film world historically accurate? Almost never.
So....just enjoy the acting, the camera-work, and the suspense because there is a lot to like here if you are entertained by crime stories.
I, for one, liked the split screen technique presented in this film. It gave a unique feel to the film, seeing the crimes from all kinds of angles at once. Rarely has this been done in films before or since. (I presume because it didn't go over that well to most people.)
Anyway, the story is riveting start to finish and Curtis gives a memorable performance, even though he isn't in the movie until the last segment. How some "critics" can label him a sub-par actor is beyond me. He is amazing in here, as he was in "Sweet Smell Of Success," "Some Like It Hot," and other films.
His fellow actors - Henry Fonda,George Kennedy, Hurd Hatfield, Murray Hamilton, Jeff Corey and Mike Kellin - all add to this excellent drama. It was a long wait for the DVD but at least that finally came out in 2005.
This film was originally released about the time the rating system began to be employed and films changed drastically. Although there is very little offensive language, there is nudity and some shocking scenes with the intense horrific subject matter.
So....just enjoy the acting, the camera-work, and the suspense because there is a lot to like here if you are entertained by crime stories.
I, for one, liked the split screen technique presented in this film. It gave a unique feel to the film, seeing the crimes from all kinds of angles at once. Rarely has this been done in films before or since. (I presume because it didn't go over that well to most people.)
Anyway, the story is riveting start to finish and Curtis gives a memorable performance, even though he isn't in the movie until the last segment. How some "critics" can label him a sub-par actor is beyond me. He is amazing in here, as he was in "Sweet Smell Of Success," "Some Like It Hot," and other films.
His fellow actors - Henry Fonda,George Kennedy, Hurd Hatfield, Murray Hamilton, Jeff Corey and Mike Kellin - all add to this excellent drama. It was a long wait for the DVD but at least that finally came out in 2005.
This film was originally released about the time the rating system began to be employed and films changed drastically. Although there is very little offensive language, there is nudity and some shocking scenes with the intense horrific subject matter.
helpful•449
- ccthemovieman-1
- Oct 22, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Bostonski davitelj
- Filming locations
- Longfellow Bridge, Boston, Massachusetts, USA(fighting hippie couple scene)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $4,100,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $9,439
- Runtime1 hour 56 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content