Diagonaldi Very well executed

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Supelice Dreadfully Boring

3xHCCH I just saw the musical theater production of "No Way to Treat a Lady" last week. When I found out that there was a 1968 film that preceded this musical version (with music, book and lyrics by Douglas J. Cohen) which debuted in 1987, I wanted to see and compare how the film and theater versions interpreted the story. Both movie and play were based on a well-reviewed 1968 novel by William Goldman (who also wrote "The Princess Bride").The two versions had the same story of course. There was a failed actor named Kit Gill who had an oppressive relationship with his Broadway diva mother. Upon her death, his twisted mind turned to killing senior women who reminded him of his mother, wearing various disguises to gain their trust. On his tail was a NYC detective Mo Brummell, who was still tied to his overbearing mother's apron strings. There is a side plot of Mo meeting and falling in love with pretty museum hostess. While the theater version was a musical and had a heftier amount of lighthearted comedy, this film was definitely a more serious telling, with the comedy so much darker in tone. I noted that the play echoed a lot of situations and lines from the film, especially those that involved the female characters. I felt the play actually told the story much better. The ending of the movie felt very contrived and relied too much on coincidence, unlike the play when the resolution was a lot more logical.Rod Steiger really played Kit Gill very sinisterly. He was excellent in his various disguises, quite over the top, especially the plumber and wig-maker. George Segal does well as the mama's boy Jewish cop. He played it quite laid back. The stereotypical annoying Jewish mom was played with glee by Eileen Heckart. Mo's love interest in the film was named Kate Palmer (played by Lee Remick), while in the play the name was Sarah Stone. The musical version had an additional conceit that all the victims of the killer were all played by the one actress who also played the mother! This of course brings to fore that these victims reminded Kit of his mom. Now I want to read the book! By the way, as a bonus, this film version also features a young David Doyle (of the Charlie's Angels TV series) playing a cop! It was good to see him here.

inspectors71 My enjoyment of Jack Smight's No Way to Treat a Lady goes back to watching it with my dad 35+ years ago on ABC. In some ways it was the most grown up movie I had seen, yet it had a gentle, TVish quality that made the gamier aspects more palatable (and ABC trimmed some of Rod Steiger's hairdresser bit a bit).What I remember is enjoying George Segal's understated and Rod Steiger's over-the-top performances as, respectively, a murder cop on the trail of a serial killer. What I really enjoyed--along with my dad--was Lee Remick. To this day, I think Remick was proof that God is an artist. Even in bad parts, she was breathtakingly lovely, and had a wonderful chemistry between her two parts, the vulnerable girl and the WASPish woman.I needn't bore you with the plot--just read some of the other reviews. What I want you to do is get signed up with TCM or Netflix and watch this funny and suspenseful little movie. Enjoy the performances. Revel in the location photography.And marvel at Remick, in a backless dress, hung over from a party, and looking better than anyone should with a hangover!

Neil Doyle 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.

KyleFurr2 This is an amazing movie that is a dark comedy and a thriller at the same time. This was directed by Jack Smight and stars Rod Steiger, Lee Remick and George Segal. Segal is a Jewish detective who still lives with his mother and Steiger is a serial killer who had some problems with his mother and now goes around killing middle aged woman and leaving lipstick on their forehead. Remick is a witness who briefly saw Steiger but didn't get a good look and Segal and Remick begin dating. Steiger begins to call Segal and talk to him and also at his home and the captain tries to take Segal off the case. It's a really great movie that has some very funny scenes.