Bluebeard (1944)
A 19th century artist and puppeteer (John Carradine) has a habit of murdering his models when they don't meet his expectations. When he falls in love with a dressmaker (Jean Parker), he hopes that she will be the good woman who stops his homicidal tendencies. Based on the French folk tale BARBE BLEUE and directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (DETOUR). Greatly admired in certain circles (Ulmer is an auteur favorite), I found the film rich in style but not much else though to be fair, the transfer I watched was poor. In a rare leading role, Carradine is surprisingly effective. Along with his cinematographer Eugene Schufftan (THE HUSTLER), Ulmer creates a suitably tense atmosphere and though there's an element of seediness in the movie, it's balanced by Ulmer's artistry. Fallen in the public domain, it's definitely a film that needs a major restoration. With Nils Asther, Teala Loring, Ludwig Stossel and Iris Adrian.
This was a disappointment for me, especially since I've always heard such good things about it. I agree that it would be nice to see a restored version. My copy is from Alpha Video, and you know how they can be. Iris Adrian injects some life into the movie, as she always does.
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