‘No Way to Treat a Lady’ 1968

Lee Remick realizes that her Italian chef is a serial killer, "No Way to Treat a Lady."

Thrillers set in the Big Apple were big in 1968, like the somewhat forgotten sleeper, No Way to Treat a Lady. The Boston Strangler and The Detective were notable hits. The best of the bunch was Rosemary’s Baby.

Yet, compare the way No Way to Treat a Lady was filmed versus Rosemary's Baby, both made by Paramount Studios, in NYC. They are psychological suspense films, but Lady was filmed "realistically" versus Roman Polanski's mood-enhancing visual style in Rosemary’s Baby. Lady seems like a Universal TV movie in comparison. No Way to Treat a Lady was directed by competent but workmanlike Jack Smight and cinematographer, Jack Priestley. Both artists spent much of their career in TV and it shows. The same goes for screenwriter John Gay, as well.

It's in his kiss: the lipstick is the killer's trademark.

The strengths of No Way to Treat a Lady are the clever, engaging story by William Goldman and the appealing, well-cast actors. Goldman wrote some stories that are wonderfully entertaining: No Way to Treat a Lady, Magic, and Marathon Man are his best. More importantly, Goldman was considered one of the best screenwriters of his time. He was inspired to write No Way to Treat a Lady from the Boston Strangler headlines at the time. For awhile, it was thought that there might be two different killers, and Goldman wondered what would happen if the original killer became jealous sharing the headlines? In the film, this isn't at the core of the movie, but it offers a little levity. Several major points differ from book to film: the killer is much more prominent in the film; he also succeeds in killing the cop’s girlfriend; and the film is more about the killer and cop’s relationship. These changes are for the better, IMO. What is most amusing is that the cop and killer are both browbeaten mama's boys.

Lee Remick & George Segal have great chemistry as the free-spirited woman & the cop.

George Segal, as Morris Brummel, is winning as the cop who is driven crazy by his mama and the homicidal maniac, and finds his woes lightened when he’s smitten with Remick's free-spirited modern woman. Segal is a natural comic actor, but is also dramatically intense enough to be believable as a cop.

George Segal, as cop Mo Brummel, gets flack at work, home, & from a serial killer!

Lee Remick is smart, funny, not to mention lovely, as Kate Palmer. A quirky charmer here, Lee reminds me of the late Carole Lombard in mixing playfulness with sexiness. Remick had a solid career as a leading lady in film and TV. Especially considering that beautiful actresses were falling out of style for the few serious roles for females as the ‘60s went on. For instance, Lee would have made a great Hitchcock blonde. Yet, while Remick was a top leading lady, she never made that top tier as a female star who could carry a movie on her own. This was illustrated when Lee Remick won a Tony for her 1966 Broadway performance in Wait Until Dark. Yet, when it was made into a film the following year, Audrey Hepburn was chosen to play Susy Hendrix, the terrorized blind woman.

Lee Remick plays a latter day Hitchcock blonde, like Grace Kelly in 'Rear Window.'

Eileen Heckart has a field day as George's Jewish mama, Mrs. Brummel. The character is a total stereotype, but Heckart makes the mama good-hearted and fun, beneath the endless kvetching! Eileen was the next generation Thelma Ritter.

Eileen Heckhart as the Jewish mama of Segal's cop Morris Brummel, multi-tasking.

Rod Steiger's serial killer offers an impersonation of W.C. Fields to George Segal's harried cop. Segal's reaction was like the critics later, when Steiger played Fields!

Rod Steiger has a field day as a would-be actor whose mother was the real talent in the family. His frustrated character, Christopher Gill, busts out every cliché in the book: the Irish priest; the gay hairdresser; the German plumber, etc. Steiger even offers an ear-splitting imitation of W.C. Fields—a film role he played later—and is so over the top that Segal’s Mo responds by wincing! Still, Jack Smight later wrote that while he had to remind Steiger to stop chewing the scenery, the method actor was totally committed to the role. Steiger gives it his all, and any Rod excess just benefits the character. Steiger as Christopher is funny, vain, scary, neurotic, sad, and just about everything in between. What’s especially interesting about Rod’s character is that he truly engages his victims that you hate that he’s going to kill them! Also, darkly funny, is when Gill follows his own press about the murders, like an actor reading his reviews.

Rod Steiger as killer Christopher Gill, keeping track on his press persona.

This film is filled with great character actors. Murray Hamilton seems to have been in every movie during this era, starting from ‘59’s Anatomy of a Murder through ‘75’s Jaws. Hamilton is Inspector Haines, Brummel’s no-nonsense boss. David Doyle, future Charlie’s Angels wrangler Bosley, is Lt. Dawson. The victims are very distinctive, real, and sympathetic: Sybil’s mom aka Martine Bartlett as Alma Mulloy; Ruth White as Mrs. Himmel; and Irene Dailey as Mrs. Fitts. The always quirky Barbra Baxley is the one who gets away, as the cat lady, whose sister is played by an unrecognizable Doris Roberts—until she speaks!—and scares Steiger off. Michael Dunn is hyper and amusing as the wannabe killer.

Steiger's killer as hissy hairdresser "Dorian," with fussy customer, droll Barbara Baxley.

Lady is a great time capsule of NYC in the late '60s. Speaking of which, the ‘60s is when wigs went mainstream and between virtually every female character and Rod Steiger’s master of disguise, it’s like Wigstock!

Though not a classic thriller, No Way to Treat a Lady treats its audience to a gripping story with strong performances from its stellar cast.

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Lee Remick's last supper? Steiger's killer zeroes in on the cop's girlfriend.