Monsieur Verdoux
Charlie Chaplin plays shockingly against type in his most controversial film, a brilliant and bleak black comedy about money, marriage, and murder. Chaplin is a twentieth-century bluebeard, an enigmatic family man who goes to extreme lengths to support his wife and child, attempting to bump off a series of wealthy widows (including one played by the indefatigable Martha Raye, in a hilarious performance). This deeply philosophical and wildly entertaining film is a work of true sophistication, both for the moral questions it dares to ask and for the way it deconstructs its megastar’s lovable on-screen persona.
Special Features
- New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- Chaplin Today: “Monsieur Verdoux,” a 2003 documentary on the film’s production and release, featuring filmmaker Claude Chabrol and actor Norman Lloyd
- Charlie Chaplin and the American Press, a new documentary featuring the director of the Chaplin company Roy Export, Kate Guyonvarch, and author Charles Maland
- Illustrated audio interview with actor Marilyn Nash
- Radio advertisements and trailers
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky and reprinted pieces by Chaplin and critic André Bazin
New cover by Yann Legandre
Special Features
- New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- Chaplin Today: “Monsieur Verdoux,” a 2003 documentary on the film’s production and release, featuring filmmaker Claude Chabrol and actor Norman Lloyd
- Charlie Chaplin and the American Press, a new documentary featuring the director of the Chaplin company Roy Export, Kate Guyonvarch, and author Charles Maland
- Illustrated audio interview with actor Marilyn Nash
- Radio advertisements and trailers
- PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Ignatiy Vishnevetsky and reprinted pieces by Chaplin and critic André Bazin
New cover by Yann Legandre
Cast
- Charles Chaplin
- Henri Verdoux, alias Varnay, alias Bonheur, alias Floray
- Mady Correll
- Mona, his wife
- Allison Roddan
- Peter, their son
- Robert Lewis
- Maurice Bottello, Verdoux’s friend
- Audrey Betz
- Martha, Bottello’s wife
- Martha Raye
- Annabella Bonheur
- Ada May Weeks
- Annette, her maid
- Isobel Elsom
- Marie Grosnay
- Marjorie Bennett
- Her maid
- Helene Heigh
- Yvonne, Marie’s friend
- Margaret Hoffman
- Lydia Floray
- Marilyn Nash
- The Girl
- Irving Bacon
- Pierre Couvais
- Edwin Mills
- John Couvais
- Virginia Brissac
- Carlotta Couvais
- Almira Sessions
- Lena Couvais
- Eula Morgan
- Phoebe Couvais
- Bernard Nedell
- Prefect of police
- Charles Evans
- Detective Morrow
- Vera March
- Vicki La Salle
- William Frawley
- Jean La Salle, wedding guest
- Arthur Hohl
- Nutall, real estate agent
- Barbara Slater
- Flower shop girl
- Millard Sherwood
- Mr. Karno, wedding guest
- Herbert Vigran
- First reporter
- William Self
- Second reporter
- Fritz Leiber
- Priest
Credits
- Director
- Charles Chaplin
- Produced by
- Charles Chaplin
- Written by
- Charles Chaplin
- Based on an idea by
- Orson Welles
- Associate directors
- Wheeler Dryden
- Associate directors
- Robert Florey
- Music composed by
- Charles Chaplin
- Music arranged and directed by
- Rudolph Schrager
- Cinematography
- Roland Totheroh
- Camera operator
- Wallace Chewning
- Art direction
- John Beckman
- Assistant director
- Rex Bailey
- Editor
- Willard Nico
- Sound
- James T. Corrigan
- Artistic supervision
- Curt Courant
- Wardrobe
- Drew Tetrick
- Makeup
- William Knight
- Hair
- Hedvig Mjorud
- Production manager
- John McFadden
- Publicist
- Russell Birdwell
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