Customer Reviews

No Way to Treat a Lady [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

No one could ever accuse the indomitable Rod Steiger of being dull. His flamboyant portrayals are perhaps borne out of his real life highly strung, emotional state, where his characterizations are often used as a release valve (take his Napoleon in Waterloo, made shortly after his separation after ten years from Claire Bloom). Here too his performance is galvanized through his emotions into an unforgettable roller coaster ride you'll just want to repeat over and over. He plays a middle aged theater owner, who through a warped obsession with his mother, turns to killing women in the locality of a similar age. His theatrical background means he has access to a veritable Aladdin's cave of disguises, a different one for each murder. Here Mr. Steiger excels himself, it is all pretty nasty really, but done with such comedic brilliance and relish as to become compulsive viewing. Lee Remick, looking utterly gorgeous and radiant (and pretty self assured for a 1967 movie, a little ahead of it's time despite the fact she ultimately becomes an intended victim) is a witness saught after by George Segal's detective on the case Mo Brummel. The bi-play between these two characters is also superb, as they become romantically linked, and as an extra bonus, Eileen Heckart is hysterical as George's henpecking Jewish mother. This is Steiger's film though, he is just awesome in every scene, in disguise or out, especially as the gay wig seller, and in his fixated post-murder phone calls to Segal's detective, where he tries to create a relationship of sorts, much to Segal's chagrin! A masterful performance in a wholly entertaining and extremely black comedy: delicious!

Nowadays, when it seems that a successful film has to be either a big holiday or summer special-effects blockbuster, or a cheap independent circuit success, it makes one long for the days when good films with good stories were made for modest budgets and provided a decent piece of entertainment without overloading the senses. This dying breed of the movies is still around, however, and although often under appreciated, should be sought out. One case in point is No Way to Treat a Lady, a black comedy that combines a crime drama with the often humorous relationships men have with their mothers.

In spite of the film being a thriller, we know from the beginning who the bad guy is. It's Rod Steiger, who gets to really stretch and ham it up as a theater manager/serial killer who murders each of his victims in some outlandish disguise to win their trust. George Segal is the cop who must crack the case and, at the same time, fend off his wonderfully annoying mother, Eileen Heckart (whose running gag line, "Who ever heard of a Jewish cop?" gets repeated over and over again throughout). Steiger's character is one of those vain killers who checks the newspaper for reports of his exploits and who takes to calling Segal when the facts are reported wrong or when he wants to taunt the authorities. Segal is rather bland, although it's not really his fault since the role doesn't give him much to do other than to react to the other characters, particularly his mother, Steiger, and Lee Remick, as his love interest and would-be victim of the murderer. Steiger goes way, way over the top, but it works because the film has set him up to be not only flamboyant, but overreactive to mother issues of his own. His various disguises get odder and odder as the film moves along, and when it shifts from comedy into resolution of the crime mode, his character becomes that much more menacing, not because he's funny but because we learn, as Segal puts the pieces together, that he is honestly and truly deranged.

Remick serves as the breath of fresh air, only because her character is the only one who isn't dealing with some sort of emotional crisis. The scene where she meets and charms Heckart is an overlooked comedic gem.

A TOUR-DE-FORCE for Rod Steiger. Utter Joy! Now, it was originally said this IF this movie was an attempt to bring some humor to [and cash in on] the very, very contemporary Boston Strangler series of murders - then it was quite sick - not so! The situations are purely coincidental. STEIGER is brilliant as the "deranged person" in various and often hilarious guises [including drag]! There is THAT special telephone call towards the end - spectacular! [Steiger stunned the entire crew with this take]. Still does!

George Segal is the detective - hot on the trail [Jewish mother Eileen Heckart in tow] with the cool, lovely Lee Remick as the love interest, and possible victim....

It's a dark, dark comedy about a serious subject - an unmarried Jewish detective! No, the murders intertwine the romance, and with this cast - who can possibly go wrong!

Great double-bill? This one with "Where's Poppa?"

No Way To Treat a Lady is fun film to watch. Rod Stieger plays an actor who also happens to be a serial killer.(Which is very funny to me since I live in Los Angeles where almost everyone is an "actor".) His character has some sort of Edipus complex that drives him to off middle aged women. He creates a character for each of his victims. He is believable as them all, which is very scary and makes you never want to trust anyone who comes to your door again. George Segal is great as Dectective Mo Brummel. The killer enjoys calling Mo and reveling in his latest crime. Mo is dealing with a nagging mother, falling in love (with the very beautiful Lee Remick) and a city struck with fear of the lady killer as well as the ego of an self centered homicidal actor. Mo makes us laugh dealing with all of it.There is a lot of comic elements to this thriller, plus the bonus of a fun love story too.

An amazing acting job was done by Rod Steiger who portrays Christopher Gill, a serial killer who dresses up as a policeman, a plumber, and many more in order to commit his crime. Morris Brummel(George Segal)is a cop who is determined to track him down. Wonderful acting and many twists and turns throughout the movie.

This movie has everything. George Segal for comedy along with Eileen Heckart as his overbearing but loving mother. Lee Remick at her most beautiful as the lady in distress that Segal falls for. But the movie to me belongs to Rod Steiger. Playing different but equally compelling characters he brings to the role a a whole kit and kiboodle of emotions. The whole movie was a pleasure, but see it just to enjoy Steiger in one of his most complex and frightening roles. l

In addition to the beautiful Lee Remick (who has never been more appealing than in this film), I can give you five very good reasons to watch/buy this motion picture: and all of them end in "Steiger"!

Rod Steiger must have simply loved making this film! He is picture-perfect as the multi-faced serial killer on the loose in New York City.

If you like Mr. Steiger, this is the movie for you.

Rod Steiger unleashes the full volcanic force of his considerable talent as a theatre actor/producer serial killer with an Oedipus complex in this gripping psychological thriller. George Segal is excellent as the cop who is way too old to be living with his mother (a dreadful piece of pandering schtick by the embarrassingly bad Eileen Heckart) and the lovely Lee Remick, delicious as the witness who digs his wares. (The scene with her and Heckart is an excruciatingly lame attempt at humor and mind numbingly insulting to Segals cop).

Steiger is one of the true geniuses of American acting and his magnificent bits including the Give me my robe, put on my crown, I have Immortal longings in me speech from Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra elevate the film to an A while the parts that don't involve him sink to a B.

If they do a remake I see John Malkovich as the killer, Joachim Phoenix as the cop who has left home, no mother in sight and Uma Thurman as the witness.

The first (and only?) romantic-comedy-serial-killer-thriller still holds up, a relief as this was one of my favorite movies growing up. The filmmaking isn't particularly cutting edge, but it strikes the perfect tone. Everything is believable, but not so much so that we take the crimes seriously and our enjoyment is diminished. Steiger is terrific and while he clearly enjoys hamming it up, he still manages to be compellingly realistic. Lee Remick does her patented routine of the promiscuous Manhattanite. She looks great, but does her cloying sing-song delivery at times. (I used to watch this whenever it came on local TV as a kid, and I don't think I ever saw the scene of her describing her sexual history until the DVD.) Great stuff.

Rod Steiger followed his Oscar-winning turn in "The Heat of the Night" with this great, little dark gem. Steiger is over-the-top as a serial killer with a penchant for multiple guises. Giving him able support in the acting category are George Segal and the always-lovely Lee Remick. Eileen Heckert is wonderful as the ultimate "Jewish mother," a role that she has almost single-handedly perfected on the stage and in film.