... even though the who of this crime drama is always known. It's the what - as in what will he do next? - that kept me engaged.

Allied Artists, under the direction of Walter Mirisch in the 50s, had tried to put out some quality productions. But at the end of the 50s Allied decided it wanted to go back to cheap schlock, with the budget sci fi film cycle being in full swing at the time. This is a rare example of a film after Mirisch's departure that showed quite a bit of quality.

An overweight 30ish lab technician, Leo Kroll (Victor Buono), has been going about strangling women who are strangers to him, other than maybe seeing them in the hall at the hospital he works at or some other place out and about. Leo always uses a stocking to kill the women, always positions their bodies like they are being laid out for a funeral, always closes their eyes. Then he goes home and undresses a doll that corresponds to the latest victim and puts that doll in a desk drawer. He gets some sexual charge out of this activity. Enough is shown about Leo's life that you know he has no friends, no girlfriend, and lives alone except for his mother who has spent her life belittling him and emotionally strangling him.

The police are hitting dead ends in this case that is becoming higher and higher in profile. They have no leads because there is nothing linking the victims to one another or to one particular person. In 1964, such motiveless crimes are still uncommon. And then Leo makes a mistake. He strangles a victim where his motive is personal, and thus the crime scene looks like none of the others. He doesn't know the victim, but now the police have reason to suspect him and note that he told a lie - albeit a minor one - in a past interview where he was one of many interviewed about one of the victims. Complications ensue.

This was a really good performance by Buono, and for that matter, the rest of the largely no name cast. Ellen Corby was good as the mother who drove Leo to insanity with her pettiness, nagging, and criticism. It's a rare instance of her not being the pleasant older lady. Buono was in many ways like Steve Buscemi. Both were rather "funny looking guys" to quote Fargo, yet they excelled at their craft. Given how look-centric Hollywood is though, I have to wonder why they thought they'd have a shot in this profession.

THE STRANGLER – 1964 This low budget film is based on the Boston Strangler files. There have been eight murders in an unnamed major city. All eight have been nurses. The Police are at a loss to identify the killer. All they really know is that all eight were strangled with pantyhose.

The killer is seemingly mild mannered hospital lab technician, Victor Buono. Buono is a man with a problem. His mother, invalid, Ellen Corby, rides Buono all the time. "You are a loser, everyone laughs at you, no woman would want you." This of course causes a less than ideal response by Buono when dealing with the opposite sex.

In charge of the Police investigation are Detectives, David McLean and Baynes Barron. Helping the Police is psychiatrist Russ Bender.

Since all the victims have been nurses, the Police interview all male hospital staff at the various hospitals. Buono is interviewed by the detectives but seems harmless. The Police investigation is going nowhere fast.

The only time Buono remotely feels happy, is when he visits the "Fun Palace" games arcade. He has taken a fancy to several of the girls, Davey Davison and Diane Sayer, who work the ring toss game. They always talk nice to him. Whenever he wins, he always takes a small doll as his prize. And every time he wins a doll, someone dies.

His mother, who suffers from a bad ticker, has an attack but is saved by nurse Jeanne Bates. Buono is less than pleased with this, as he can't wait till the old bat keels over. Bates is next on the man's hit list.

Now the Police are really interested, as Buono knew this victim. They pull the man in for a polygraph test. The Police are somewhat surprised when Buono passes the polygraph without a hic-up. The Department shrink, Bender, tells the Detectives that a true sociopath would have no problem passing the test. The Police have no option though but to release Buono.

Buono, who is slowly unravelling, pays his mother a visit. He gives Corby a bit of her own medicine and verbally attacks her. Corby, who believes that she was always the "perfect' mother, is shocked by this. She of course has a massive heart attack and dies. Buono could not be happier with this turn of events.

The Police again pull Buono in for a chat. A few questions about his mother are asked which Buono just shrugs them off. His mother was a sick woman.

Detective McLean finds Buono a bit too unemotional and is sure he needs to be watched. The Police interview everyone from all his haunts to see if they can dig up anything. Buono sees Detective Barron taking to Diane Sayer at the arcade. Needless to say that Miss Sayer ends up with a set of pantyhose wrapped around her throat.

Buono now returns to the arcade and expresses his love for Miss Davison. "I'm free now, and would like to marry you." Davison tries to explain to Buono that simply being nice to him was not an expression of love. Buono adds Davison to the list of people that need to die.

The rattled Davison contacts the Police and is grabbed up for safekeeping. She identifies Buono as the man they want and the Police put out an all points. Davison insists that the police take her to her apartment. She wants to pack up and catch the first bus out of town. She is scared to death.

The Police oblige and drive her home. Needless to say our man Buono is hiding inside with a handy pair of pantyhose ready. When he makes his move, the Police are close by and interrupt his murder attempt. He ends up going for a nosedive from the fifth-floor apartment.

Not a cinematic gem by any means, but not a waste of time either. Buono, in one of his few leads, is quite good. So is Ellen Corby as the "harpie" mother who drives Buono around the twist.

Others in the cast include, Wally Campo, Byron Morrow, Mimi Dillard and James B. Sikking. David Mclean was known to a generation of television viewers, as, "The Marlboro Cigarette Man." The director was bottom-rung helmsman, Burt Topper. Topper churned out such masterpieces as, TANK COMMANDOS, SOUL HUSTLER and DIARY OF A HIGH SCHOOL BRIDE.

The writer was, Bill S. Ballinger. Ballinger wrote dozens of television episodes. He also wrote the novels that the films, PUSHOVER and WICKED AS THEY COME are based on.

The d of p was Jacques(ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN)Marquette.