Le Refroidisseur de dames

This is an odd film. Rod Steiger plays a failed actor who tries to live up to the memory of his theatrical mother by 'performing' a series of stranglings in Manhattan. The murders, while hardly graphic, are nonetheless troubling to watch. Meanwhile, George Segal (the policeman in charge of the murder investigation) and Lee Remick are engaged in a frothy romance typical of 60s cinema. Taken as a whole, it's hard to say what this film is, or who it would appeal to. While a reasonable entertainment, it's uncertain balancing act between urban grit and uptown romance leaves one with a strange queasy feeling after the credits role.

Coming hot off the heels of his Oscar winning role in 1967's "In the Heat of the Night" Steiger gives an acting tour-de-force in this tale of a demented serial killer tormenting a police officer. Steiger pulls out all the plugs as he slips into the persona of a Catholic priest, German plumber, simpering hair stylist...and all with great flare and comic over tones. Segal and Remick provide the love interest in a rather kooky way, and it all makes for great fun, in a serial killer movie!..Gotta see it!

I turned this gem of a film on one afternoon having no idea what it was about. The opening scenes with Rod Steiger as an Irish priest calling on unsuspecting, soon-to-be victim Marline Bartlett was truly startling in its viciousness. Why have I never heard of this movie before and why has it been shelved all these years? This movie is definitely a cut above the rest in the genre of thrillers featuring serial killers. Rod Steiger is brilliant in a tour-de-force as he assumes various identities-- i.e., an Irish Priest, plumber and effeminate hair stylist--as a psycho on the loose who targets middle aged women and whose calling card is to draw a pair of lips in red lipstick on each victim's forehead. Steiger is pitted against underdog detective George Segal, who plays an overworked cop who gets no recognition for his work. Lee Remick plays the love interest who adds spice to the movie and supporting actress Eileen Heckart plays detective Segal's overbearing mother who bureates him for being a cop (and Jewish) every opportunity she gets. Heckart as the overbearing stereotypical Jewish mama is annoying, to say the least. Remick's character is a free spirit who gives museum tours and she is HIP! In fact, her dialogue suffers in part from an effort to be *too hip* and contemporary: in one scene she tells Segal, "I swinged, and I swang until I swung", in explaining a previous relationship. The most interesting victim plays a drag queen in a bar who is scorned by the other bar patrons and met with homophobic comments, but this was, after all 1968. All the acting is good, though the best scenes are those involving Steiger and his unsuspecting victims. One slight flaw is that the idea that the police department could control what the media prints and use it to manipulate the killer is a little too contrived, and the movie's ending is mediocre, doesn't satisfy and wraps it up too quickly. The scene involving Remick and Steiger is also contrived, and it's a little inconsistent with Remick's character that she would let a total stranger into her apartment, especially since she's dating a cop.

In spite of the mediocre ending, this is an excellent movie.

ROD STEIGER has an actor's field day assuming many different disguises when he decides to play a cat-and-mouse game with detective GEORGE SEGAL who is hot on his trail to capture a serial killer. That about sums up the plot contrivances of NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY, which has Steiger donning various make-up disguises so that he can gain entry into unsuspecting female's apartments and promptly strangle them.

The dark humor is always on the surface of this comic showcase for actor Steiger, who dons each disguise with relish and gives a performance you're not likely to forget.

EILEEN HECKART is his overbearing (ultra so) Jewish mother who has unwittingly driven her son to the brink of madness. She's so good at "overbearing" that she almost drives the audience mad too, but LEE REMICK is rather wasted in a colorless role as a dame who's been around the block a few times and likes to spout smart talk. It's not a well developed role and Remick can do little with it but look good in plenty of make-up and mascara.

For pure titillation and subject matter, this is way ahead of its time, a comic thriller that is largely forgotten and deserves some attention, if only for Rod Steiger's tour de force role, all played in tongue-in-cheek manner.

Rod Steiger plays a psycho who likes to strangle women to death. George Segal plays a Jewish cop after him. Lovely, young Lee Remick plays Segal's love interest. Unfortunately Steiger is interested in her too.

Very odd movie. The dialogue is crisp, sharp and handled expertly by the cast. It just sounds different--I mean this in a good way. Steiger chews the scenery again & again & again & AGAIN as the killer. Segal is just fine, but he (understandably) pales next to Steiger. Remick is astonishingly beautiful and having a whale of a time in her role. Also Eileen Heckart is a scream as Segal's very Jewish mother. The sequence between her and Remick is a definite highlight.

All in all, a strange, but enjoyable, mix of suspense, humor and romance. Not for everybody but worth a look.

Only debit--more than a few homophobic comments are thrown about as jokes. But then this was made in 1968.