The Boston Strangler. 1968. USA. Directed by Richard Fleischer. Screenplay by Edward Anhalt. With Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy. DCP. 116 min.
At the age of 43 and facing an American film industry increasingly consumed by “realism,” Curtis found his style of leading man fading away and bravely attempted to pivot to character roles with his portrayal of Albert DeSalvo, the self-confessed “Boston Strangler” accused of killing 13 women. Richard Fleischer’s highly fictionalized version of the case becomes a cat-and-mouse game between DeSalvo and the Boston detectives (Henry Fonda and George Kennedy) on his trail. Although Curtis received generally good reviews and was nominated for a Golden Globe award, the film failed to reignite his career, and he slipped into supporting roles and television appearances.