Dr. Crippen

A compact, modestly budgeted movie that looks perfectly at home on home video (which is how I saw it). "Dr. Crippen" boasts flavorful performances by Donald Pleasence as the not-so-good doctor, Coral Browne as the long-suffering as well as insufferable Belle, and a pre-"Collector" Samantha Eggar as Ethel Le Neve, every unhappily married middle-aged man's fantasy. Casting the British-born Pleasence and Australian native Browne as the American Crippens hardly seems to matter. Eggar may have been too beautiful to play Le Neve (who, judging from photographs, was still a darkly attractive young woman). The movie is, perhaps, too economical; although we do get to see Crippen and Le Neve disguised as father and son for their ill-fated ocean voyage, I wished other colorful details of the case had also been re-created, such as Crippen's recklessly escorting Le Neve to a charity ball shortly after his wife's disappearance. As for the movie's suggestion that Crippen wasn't truly guilty of premeditated murder, my reply is: perhaps - but that doesn't really explain why Crippen cut up his wife's body and buried the pieces in the coal cellar.

The real Ethel Le Neve was still alive when this film was first released (she died in 1967). One wonders if she saw it. One wonders what she thought if she had.

I remember seeing Dr. Crippen in theaters way back in 1963 and have some vivid impressions. Seeing it again more than 50 years later confirmed those same impressions.

It's a simple but impressive work with three very sharp characterizations of the principals of one of Great Britain's most notorious murder cases/love triangle.

Donald Pleasance who was playing mostly villainous roles back in the day is the ill-fated Hawley Crippen, MD., one of London's most prominent physicians in Edwardian England. His success in his profession is not matched with a successful marriage.

But he's got certain joys on the side with young Ethel LeNeve, a typist in his office played by Samantha Eggar. He can hardly believe that this pretty young thing has fallen for a late forty something man who is hardly any kind romantic ideal.

But the performance that really riveted me back in the day was that of Coral Browne as Mrs. Crippen. I could not believe what an evil witch this woman was. You have to wonder what he saw in her back in the day to marry her. It was my impression of Browne that really made me remember the film, as it turns out exactly as I remember it. What a horrible human being Mrs. Crippen was.

The movie opens with the trial of Pleasence and Eggar with flashbacks to the events which include Browne's behavior, the affair of the two lovers and their escape to America which did not quite work out.

The questions about the Crippen case revolve around was her death deliberate or an accidental poisoning? Pleasence himself makes a confession of sorts, but the case is debated to this day by criminologists professional and amateur.

Pleasence and Eggar are fine in their roles and I consider this film to be one of Donald Pleasence's best performances. But Coral Browne got her best part in her career. You will remember her from this film most of all.

Poor "Dr. Crippen". As the character himself says, he's gone down in history as some kind of monster, not that far removed from Jack the Ripper. Robert Lynn's simple, sober film sets out to redress the balance. painting Crippen as more sinned against than sinner. Yes, he killed his wife and dismembered her corpse but did she drive him to it and was the killing itself an accident as he ultimately claims? There is no doubt as to which side Lynn's film is on.

It's an intelligent little picture if, in the end, not a particularly exciting one and it's very well played by Donald Pleasence, (Crippen), Samantha Eggar, (Ethel Le Neve, his uncomprehending mistress) and Coral Browne, (his shrew of a wife). The fine black and white cinematography is by Nicholas Roeg.

This wasn't anything like I was expecting. Truth be told, I was more than pleasantly surprised by this story of the notorious and nefarious wife killer. However, nefarious may not be the correct description as this story recounts.

There's not much I can tell you about the story without giving you any spoilers, which I am always loathed to do. I can say the story starts at Dr Crippen and Ethel Le Neve, Crippen's mistress. as they stand accused of his wife's murder. From this point, the story is told in flashback and by witness testimonies in the trial. This story paints a different picture of the events and situations leading up to Belle Elmore's death.

Writer, Leigh Vance, gives the audience an interesting and thought-provoking tale of a marriage on the rocks. This is a total contrast to the sensationalism which ran in the papers and which turned this man into a nightmare myth - nearly on par with Jack the Ripper, as Crippen mentions towards the end of the film. Though the direction isn't too elaborate, the director, Robert Lynn keeps the shots classy and the pace smooth, which adds power to this style of drama.

Along with the story, the actors are the other driving force keeping the viewers viewing. Donald Pleasance (who is one of my favourite actors of all-time) gives a sublime performance as the mousey Dr Crippen. Along with the shrew-like performance of Coral Browne as Belle Elmore, you can almost feel the palpable tension of their relationship. Then you have his mistress, Ethel Le Neve, who is played with a quiet calmness by Samantha Eggar.

This was a crime that caused a commotion and perturbation when it ran in the papers. Therefore, If true crime is your thing I would recommend you to give this story a try. If you're a fan of dramas then this could also be for you. I'd also encourage any film buff to watch this movie.

A dour little movie, with flat out ugly photography and ill-matched pairings. In short, the 90- minutes is something of an ordeal to sit through, that is, if you have the usual movie expectations. I don't know what the director told lead actor Pleasance (Crippen), but he acts like he swallowed a lemon throughout, even when in the loving company of the luscious Eggar (Ethel). I know he's supposed to be repressed, but his permanent paralysis appears unreal. Then too, seeing this unpleasant little middle-aged man paired with the lovely young Eggar amounts to more than a stretch. Then there's Belle (Brown), his boisterously unfaithful wife. About five-minutes into the film and I was hoping someone would strangle her and rescue my ears. The movie's only mystery is why it took him so long.

The case itself, from books I've read, was pretty much open-and-shut against the doctor. Certainly he had reasons to commit the crime, which coincides with the movie. However, I suspect the element of doubt about his intentions that the movie introduces was an invention to add a provocative note to an otherwise unremarkable screenplay. Certainly, Crippen is presented as a somewhat sympathetic character by movie's end, which looks like a belated effort to humanize an otherwise one-note performance. Anyhow, the lead characters come across more like stereotypes than real people. And that along with the truly grim-faced production amounts to a forgettable movie experience.