Monsieur Verdoux [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Overview

"Von Clausewitz said that war is the logical extension of diplomacy; Monsieur Verdoux feels that murder is the logical extension of business." With his controversial "comedy of murders" Monsieur Verdoux, Charles Chaplin makes his final, definitive break with the Little Tramp character that had brought him fame and fortune. Verdoux (Chaplin), a mild-mannered family man of pre-war France, has hit upon a novel method of supporting his loved ones. He periodically heads out of town, assumes an alias, marries a foolish, wealthy woman, then murders her for the insurance money. He does this thirteen times with success, but wife #14, brassy Martha Raye, proves impossible to kill (nor does she ever suspect what Verdoux has in mind for her). A subplot develops when Verdoux, planning to test a new poison, chooses streetwalker Marilyn Nash as his guinea pig. She tells him so sad a life story that Verdoux takes pity on her, gives her some money, and sends her on her way. Years later, the widowed and impoverished Verdoux meets Nash once more; now she is the mistress of a munitions magnate. This ironic twist sets the stage for the finale, when Verdoux, finally arrested for his crimes and on trial for his life, gently argues in his own defense that he is an "amateur" by comparison to those profiteers who build weapons for war. "It's all business. One murder makes a villain. Millions, a hero. Numbers sanctify..." Sentenced to death, Verdoux remains calmly philosophical to the end. As the condemned man walks to the guillotine, a priest prays for God to have mercy on Verdoux's soul. "Why not?" replies Verdoux jauntily. "After all, it belongs to him." The original idea of Monsieur Verdoux originated with Orson Welles, who'd wanted to make a picture about notorious modern "Bluebeard" Landru. Welles wanted to cast Chaplin in the lead; Chaplin liked the idea, but preferred to direct himself, as he'd been doing since 1914. It is possible that Chaplin might have gotten away with the audacious notion of presenting a cold-blood murderer as a sympathetic, almost lovable figure. Alas, Monsieur Verdoux was released at a time when Chaplin was under a political cloud for his allegedly Communistic philosophy; too, it came out shortly after a well-publicized paternity suit involving Chaplin and Joan Barry. Picketed in several communities, banned outright in others, Monsieur Verdoux was Chaplin's first financial flop. Today, it can be seen to be years ahead of its time in terms of concept, even though the execution is old-fashioned and occasionally wearisome. Monsieur Verdoux doesn't always hit the bull's-eye, but it remains one of Charles Chaplin's most fascinating projects.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/26/2013
UPC:	0715515103817
Original Release:	1947
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	2:04:00
Sales rank:	12,068

Special Features

Chaplin Today: "Monsieur Verdoux," a 2003 documentary featuring filmmaker Claude Chabrol and actor Norman Lloyd; Charlie Chaplin And The American Press, a new documentary featuring the director of the Chaplin company Roy Export, Kate Guyonvarch, and author Charles Maland; Illustrated audio interview with actor Marilyn Nash; Radio advertisements and trailers

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Charlie Chaplin	Henri Verdoux,Composer
Martha Raye	Annabella Bonheur
Isobel Elsom	Marie Grosnay
Mady Correll	Mona Verdoux, His Wife
Allison Roddan	Peter Verdoux, Their Son
Robert Lewis	Maurice Bottello
Audrey Betz	Martha Bottello
Ada May	Annette, Her Maid
Marjorie Bennett	Marie's Maid
Margaret Hoffman	Lydia Floray
Marilyn Nash	Girl
Helene Heigh	Yvonne
Irving Bacon	Pierre Couvais
Edwin Mills	Jean Couvais
Almira Sessions	Lena Couvais
Virginia Brissac	Carlotta Couvais
Bernard Nedell	Prefect of Police
Charles Evans	Detective Morrow
Arthur Hohl	Real Estate Agent
John Harmon	Joe Darwin
Vera Marshe	Mrs. Darwin
William Frawley	Jean La Salle
Fritz Leiber	Priest
Barbara Slater	Florist
Fred Karno	Mr. Karno
Barry Norton	Wedding Guest
Edna Purviance	Extra at Wedding Party
Pierre Watkin	Prison Official
Cyril Delevanti	Postman
Charles Wagenheim	Friend
Addison Richards	Bank Manager
James Craven	Annabella's Friend
Franklyn Farnum	Victim of the Crash,Victim of the Crash
Herb Vigran	Reporter
Boyd Irwin	Prison Official
Paul 'Tiny' Newlan	Wedding Guest,Wedding Guest
Joseph Crehan	Broker
Wheaton Chambers	Druggist
Frank Reicher	Doctor
Ada-May	Annette
Eula Morgan	Phoebe
Warren Ashe	Actor

Technical Credits

Charles Chaplin

Charles Chaplin	Producer,Director,Screenwriter
James T. Corrigan	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Monsieur Verdoux was a box-office failure on its release in 1947. Conventional wisdom has it that writer/director/star Charles Chaplin was in disfavor from paternity suits and alleged Communist sympathies. However, it is difficult to find any film like Monsieur Verdoux in or near 1947 that was a box-office success; most likely the film would have flopped commercially no matter what Chaplin's personal situation. The story is a darkly disturbing allegory that contrasts the horrific acts of an individual with the horrific acts of society at large. In his own mind, the title character feels that his acts of murder are justified: they are simply a matter of business. As Chaplin's story challenges the conventional view of war as valiant and necessary, there was little chance that American audiences of 1947, still celebrating U.S. victories in World War II, would flock to see the movie. Similarly, Chaplin's visual style here is reminiscent of his fixed location work in the silent era, a style that seemed outmoded and dull to 1947 audiences. While current-day viewers may enjoy Monsieur Verdoux for its trenchant audacity, the film was largely unloved in its own time and a significant setback to Chaplin's career.

All Movie Guide - Richard Gilliam