True Crime Movies

[Mayerling]

A Few Other Titles

The Man With Two Faces (Edward G. Robinson, Louis Calhern) - a 1936 film based on a play written in part by true-crime maven Alexander Woolcott. So far it is the only movie somewhat based on the Peltzer Murder Mystery of 1882 in Belgium.

So Evil My Love (Ann Todd, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ray Milland, Raymond Huntley, and Leo G. Carroll) - 1947. Based on a novel that is suggested by the Bravo Poisoning Case. But the conclusion, in a closed hansom cab, is somewhat closer to the 1904 Nan Patterson/Caesar Young Case of New York City.

Blanche Fury (1945) (Stewart Granger). This is a fictionalized version of the Stanfield Hall Slaughter of 1848, wherein a farmer and renter named James Blomfield Rush tried to get out of debt by killing his landlord and the landlord's son, and critically wounded the son's wife and a maid (he wanted no witnesses). Granger played the "Rush" character, but was far more handsome looking than the short and fat killer (who was hung. Blanche Fury in the film is a fictional character, egging on Granger to his deed to benefit by it - she doesn't actually.

Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960) (George Sanders). Sanders certainly was the most elegant and suave actor to play Landru.

Monsieur Verdoux (1946) (Directed: Charles Chaplin) (Charles Chaplin, Martha Raye, Isobel Elsom, William Frawley, Fritz Lieber, Arthur Hoyt) - the best black comedy ever made, based on Chaplin's spin on the Landru Case (suggested by an idea given him by Orson Welles for a straight biography).

Death of a Scoundrel (1957) (George Sanders, John Hoyt) - a fictionalization of the career and "mysterious' murder of crooked financier Serge Rubenstein.

Marat / De Sade (1968) (Glenda Jackson) - a filming of the drama based on the so-called play and production of the Marquis De Sade at the insane asylum he was in, regarding the 1793 assassination of Jean Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday (Jackson).

The Patriot (1929) (Emil Jannings, Lewis Stone) - this lost film was supposedly the last great silent film performance of Jannings. It is about the events leading to the deposing of Tsar Paul I of Russia (which led to his murder) in a conspiracy led by Count Pahlen (Stone), who was the one man in court who actually befriended the Tsar. Stone was the "patriot" in the story.

The Scarlet Empress (1934) (Directed: Josef von Sternberg) (Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Louise Dresser, Sam Jaffe); The Loves of Catherine the Great (1934) (Elisabeth Bergner, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) Both films try to tell the story of the events leading from the arranged marriage of Sophia Dorothea of Mecklenberg Streglitz (later Catherine the Great of Russia) to Crown Prince Peter of Russia (later Peter the III). Dietrich and Bergner played the future great ruler in their respective pictures, and Jaffe and Fairbanks were the ill-fated mad Tsar whos was overthrown and murdered in 1764. The Scarlet Empress shows von Sternberg's use of artistic scenery and costume to make La Dietrich even lovelier than she was). Bergner's film is good too, but tries to make a case that she did love the insane Peter, and regretted his fate.

Jeff

[sdreid]

Hi Roy,

No doubt that's a great picture. I should have specified that I was thinking more in terms of movies about murders. That's just me.

Merry Christmas

[Roy Corduroy]

Stan, did ze French Connection make the cut?

Oh, and Merry Christmas

Who Pudding and Roast Beast!!!

[sdreid]

Yes Joan, that is a good one even though I listed it as #108.

Thankfully, baby farming is a crime that now appears to be extinct.

[Pippin Joan]

Representing the many heartless women who operated baby farms, I remember one a number of years ago called "Butterbox Babies" about a Canadian couple who ran a maternity home for unwed mothers and black market baby adoption service. Meanwhile, they starved the less likely infants and buried them out back in wooden crates that butter came in. Since it happened in the 1920's there is still a large group of "Butterbox" adoptees.

http://www.canadiancrc.com/Butterbox_babies.aspx

[sdreid]

Tremendous 10000000 (binary):

10000000-The Happy Face Murders (1999-U.S.-1:39) Serial killer Keith Jesperson

1111111-Beyond Reasonable Doubt (1980-N.Z.-2:09) The case of Arthur Alan Thomas

1111110-Prophet of Evil: The Ervil LeBaron Story (1993-U.S.-1:50) The Lamb of God cult murders

For now - That's all folks!

[sdreid]

I didn't include those "loosely based" when I really didn't see the basis nor did I list movies that I haven't seen.

I'd be happy to see others lists since there are no right or wrong answers, just personal judgments, and I hope they'd do better than just rearrange my list.

[CraigInTwinCities]

Wow, we are on really different pages. None of your Top 10 would make mine, LOL.

I had to go down to 12, 29, and 30 to even find three I might include in my top 10.

Maybe I missed it, but have you considered Road to Perdition, which I believe writer Max Collins based loosely on some history... which he's been doing so well since True Crime, True Detective and The Million Dollar Wound... (all novels offering fictionalized but highly researched stories of a fictional detective interacting with a historical people.)

[sdreid]

I saw that Kensei but it's not resolved in my mind. Toole was an attention seeker and never could tell authorities where the rest of the body was. I used to write for America's Most Wanted when then were putting out a magazine.

[kensei]

Just a comment on #113, "Adam," and the "unresolved murder of Adam Walsh," son of John Walsh, the civilian crusader for justice and host of "America's Most Wanted." It is now resolved as of just a few days ago, Florida police announcing that the deceased chief suspect Otis Toole has now officially been judged to be the killer of Adam Walsh. Just think how many criminals are behind bars today as a result of that tragic child murder. "America's Most Wanted" is like a brand new true crime movie every week.

[sdreid]

Wonderful one hundred and twenty-five:

125-Deadly Medicine (1991-U.S.-2:00) Serial child killer Genene Jones

124-Man in the Attic (1953-U.S.-1:22) JtR takes a room in black and white

123-The Bonnie Parker Story (1958-U.S.-1:19) Black and white Bonnie with Clyde

122-Madeleine (1949-U.K.-1:54) Ms. Smith in black and white is suspected of poisoning Emile l'Angelier

121-Dead Beat (1994-U.S.-1:33) Based on serial killer Charles Schmid

120-Blood and Orchids (1986-U.S.-4:00) A group led by Thomas Massie kills Joseph Kahahawai

119-Texas Justice (1995-U.S.-2:55) Cullen Davis is tried for murder

118-Killer - A Journal of Murder (1995-U.S.-1:31) Serial killer Carl Panzram

117-White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd (1991-U.S.-1:35) Some think the Mob killed the actress

116-Bluebeard (1962-Fr.-1:48) Henri Landru the serial killer

[sdreid]

Keen 115:

115-Like Mother, Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes (2001-U.S.-1:30) Mother and son con team suspected of murders

114-Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield (2007-U.S.-1:30) Mad serial killer

113-Adam (1983-U.S.-1:50) Unresolved murder of Adam Walsh

112-Murder in Texas (1981-U.S.-3:20) Dr. John Hill tried for murder

111-Small Sacrifices (1989-U.S.-2:59) Diane Downs pursued for murder

110-Death Hunt (1981-U.S.-1:37) Based on the slayings by Albert Johnson

109-River's Edge (1987-U.S.-1:39) Inspired by the murder of Marcy Conrad

108-Butterbox Babies (1995-Cn.-1:34) Lila and William Young's baby farming scheme results in infant deaths

107-The Bronx is Burning (2007-U.S.-6:00) David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz competes with the Yankees for press coverage

106-Wolf Creek (2005-Au.-1:44) Loosely inspired by killer Ivan Milat

105-Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997-U.S.-2:35) Jim Williams suspected of killing Danny Hansford

104-Guilty or Innocent: The Sam Sheppard Murder Case (1975-U.S.-2:24) Marilyn Sheppard is slain

103-Bluebeard (1944-U.S.-1:13) Black and white film loosely inspired by Henri Landru

102-Compulsion (1959-U.S.-1:43) Based on Leopold and Loeb in black and white

101-Auto Focus (2002-U.S.-1:54) Unresolved killing of Bob Crane

[sdreid]

Hot Hundred:

100-A Cry in the Dark (1988-Au.-2:00) Lindy Chamberlain is suspected of killing her daughter

99-And the Sea Will Tell (1991-U.S.-2:59) Murder of Mac and Muff Graham

98-From Hell (2001-U.S.-2:01) Drug addict Abberline pursues the Ripper

97-Wife, Mother, Murderer: The Marie Hilley Story (1991-U.S.-1:36) A woman poisons her husband and goes on to try more

96-Judgment Day: The John List Story (1993-U.S.-1:36) After wiping out his family, a man vanishes


That's all for now. Maybe after a break I'll come up with a top 10000000 (binary).

[sdreid]

Notable 95:

95-Black Widow Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story (1993-U.S.-1:32) Poisoner of boyfriend, husband, father and mother-in-law

94-Deadly (2005-U.S.-1:39) Serial killers Bardo and Homolka

93-Ned Kelly (2004-Au.-1:49) Story about the murderous Australian namesake gang

92-A Season in Purgatory (1985-U.S.-2:30) Based on the, at the time, unsolved Martha Moxley murder

91-The Atlanta Child Murders (1985-U.S.-4:05) Police pursue Wayne Williams

[sdreid]

Mighty 90:

90-Mesmerized (1986-U.K.-1:30) Parallels the Adelaide Bartlett murder case

89-Guyana Tragedy: The Jim Jones Story (1980-U.S.-4:00) Account of the murderous preacher

88-Star '80 (1983-U.S.-1:54) Murder of Dorothy Stratton

87-The Hunt for the Night Stalker (1991-U.S.-1:35) Serial killer Richard Ramirez

86-Who is the Black Dahlia? (1975-U.S.-1:36) The unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short