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United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Anamorphic Widescreen, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: This crime drama is set in 1910, and tells the tale of a doctor accused of murdering his wife. He swore that he didn't do it. The evidence speaks otherwise. The doctor staunchly claimed the overdose of tranquilizers found in her tea got there by accident and that he and his beautiful mistress had absolutely nothing to do with it. Never mind that after his wife's "accidental" death, he and his lover just happened to choose that moment for a Canadian vacation. Despite their absence, the London police continue investigating until they find the poor wife's body buried in the doctor's cellar. Even after his subsequent capture, extradition and guilty sentence, Dr. Crippen swears his innocence. It's unbelievable, but the story is true. ...Dr. Crippen
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
What an actor is Donald Pleasance. His mesmerising, baleful pale eyes let the viewer see Crippen's every emotion while largely concealing his plans and motives. The film has a fine sense of 'period' and the end sequences are totally gripping. So did he or didn't he murder his wife? The movie leaves this open to some extent. Did something just go wrong when he gives his raucous wife Belle a dose of sedative to save himself from her horrid attentions? Study the sequence where the powder flies around: a slight head tilt, a hand movement, a tiny pause before resuming - acting at its finest.
Pleasance is more than matched by the wonderful Coral Browne whose faded music-hall singer is a courageous no-holds performance. She's appalling, vulgar, callous, needy and pitiable: she and Pleasance work wonderfully together. I'm less sure about Samantha Eggar as the virginal girlfriend, Crippen's love object. Unlike the other actors, she seems stuck in some sort of early Swinging London timewarp and with her there is little sense of period. She does though suggest quite nicely that Ms Neve is no yielding angel. When she reads Crippen the riot act - no nooky with Belle or else - it's clear that poor old Crippen has just bounced from one tough femme to another. Between them he is crushed, and accepts death with moving dignity. The dismemberment aspect, which might have put less glamorous light on his actions, is only fleetingly covered. The film is worth rewatching for its fine art direction, quiet lack of sensationalism and the brilliant performances of its two leads.
Pleasance is more than matched by the wonderful Coral Browne whose faded music-hall singer is a courageous no-holds performance. She's appalling, vulgar, callous, needy and pitiable: she and Pleasance work wonderfully together. I'm less sure about Samantha Eggar as the virginal girlfriend, Crippen's love object. Unlike the other actors, she seems stuck in some sort of early Swinging London timewarp and with her there is little sense of period. She does though suggest quite nicely that Ms Neve is no yielding angel. When she reads Crippen the riot act - no nooky with Belle or else - it's clear that poor old Crippen has just bounced from one tough femme to another. Between them he is crushed, and accepts death with moving dignity. The dismemberment aspect, which might have put less glamorous light on his actions, is only fleetingly covered. The film is worth rewatching for its fine art direction, quiet lack of sensationalism and the brilliant performances of its two leads.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The crime of the century! Was he really guilty?
The true story of the American Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen (Donald Pleasence), who was hanged in London in 1910 for poisoning his wife, Belle, so he could be with his young lover,the beautiful Ethel Le Neve.
As the adulterous couple fled England, Belle's dismembered remains are discovered in the coal cellar.
Crippen and Ethel are finally arrested en route to North America by ship.
The first arrests assisted by that new fangled invention, Radio.
Billed as the crime of the century at the time, was Crippen really guilty?
Fully re-mastered for this release.
The true story of the American Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen (Donald Pleasence), who was hanged in London in 1910 for poisoning his wife, Belle, so he could be with his young lover,the beautiful Ethel Le Neve.
As the adulterous couple fled England, Belle's dismembered remains are discovered in the coal cellar.
Crippen and Ethel are finally arrested en route to North America by ship.
The first arrests assisted by that new fangled invention, Radio.
Billed as the crime of the century at the time, was Crippen really guilty?
Fully re-mastered for this release.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
this film in my opinion has had a good transfer to dvd and and man how i have waited so many years to collect it on dvd. no its not one of the greatest films ever made, but the feel of being in a different century is succesfull in this film. i dont like giving plots away so i will not. ethel le neve played by samantha eggar is a very fine performance whom i thought was convincing. its always difficult to analyse a performance when even the actor himself did not even meet the factual person he was playing and has to rely on his instincts. what was this man crippen like as human being?. donald pleasence has played this man as a rather sensitive creature who does not show his feelings so freely as other humans do. i have read books about crippen and pleasence for me gives a great performance. controlled almost a stiff rigidness with his body, when needing to show the required emotion this guy does it beautifully through his eyes. a very good character actor pleasence was and was fantastic in the caretaker a superb film in my opinion, thats if you like plays of course. this film crippen captures the time so well i think and all the players did very good jobs in their roles, if you like black and white films it is certainly worth collecting, with a terrific performance by donald pleasence
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Traditional film
If you enjoy court room dramas in black and white then this is the film for you. A little 'drawn out'.
Published 2 months ago by MrsW.
Made for him?
A role made for Donald Pleasance no doubt but based on realism. A well done Britsh movie of the time: highly recommended.
Published 15 months ago by Eric Victor Price
Engrossing "true crime" melodrama
A meek doctor (Donald Pleasence) married to a virago of a wife (Coral Browne, AUNTIE MAME) with a voracious sexual appetite, falls in love with a pretty secretary (Samantha Eggar). Read more
Published 17 months ago by The CinemaScope Cat
dr crippen
very pleased i do enjoy these old movies they are true classic's.. would recommend to all film buffs to buy this one and add it to your collection of old movies.com
Published 21 months ago by S. mcfadden
Dr Crippen
This was really a brilliant perfomance , by Donald Pleasence, a brilliant actor, who deserves much more recognition than he has had. Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2009 by J. Cyster
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