Drop Dead Darling

Drop Dead Darling (US title: Arrivederci, Baby!) is a 1966 British-American black comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, Lionel Jeffries and Zsa Zsa Gabor.[1]

Drop Dead Darling
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKen Hughes
Screenplay byRonald Harwood
Based onNovel The Careful Man by Richard Deming
Produced byKen Hughes
Richard McWhorter
Greg Morrison
executive
Ray Stark
StarringTony Curtis
Rosanna Schiaffino
CinematographyDenys N. Coop
Edited byJohn Shirley
Music byDennis Farnon
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • 12 February 1967 (1967-02-12)
Running time
100 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

A man goes around marrying wealthy women, and then murdering them. However, his third wife has married him with similar intentions.

Cast

Production

The film was also known as You Just Kill Me, You're Dead Right, My Last Duchess, and The Careful Man.[2]

In May 1962 Joshua Logan announced he would make a film about a wife killer called The Careful Man based on a Edmund Morris from an original story by Max Franklin. The film would be done with Seven Arts Pictures and Logan would produce and direct.[3] It was described as a suspense melodrama.[4]

In July 1962 Seven Arts announced The Careful Man would be one of 20 films it would make with MGM.[5]

Filming started in August 1965 under the title You Just Kill Me with Ken Hughes as a director and Tony Curtis as star.[6] Curtis said he took the job "because of the excellent script by Ken Hughes."[7] Zsa Zsa Gabor's casting was announced in October.[8] Filming took place in London at Shepperton Studios and in Cannes. Curtis said he was romantically interested in all his leading ladies but did not have affairs with any.[9]

Curtis later said "the problem with the picture was that it was disjointed. The individual scenes were funny but the production company couldn't figure out a way to link them all together."[10]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times called it "cleverly sketched".[11]

Filmink called it "a frantic farce".[12]

References
  1. BFI.org
  2. Movie Title's Right Where You Come In The Washington Post and Times-Herald 3 Dec 1965: B11.
  3. LOGAN'S 'CAREFUL MAN'--'L'ENCLOS'--AMBLER By A.H. WEILER. New York Times 20 May 1962: X7.
  4. Is French Riviera a Location Threat?: Mare Nostrum for Pacific; Seattle Claims Best Films Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 23 May 1962: C13.
  5. M-G-M AND 7 ARTS TO JOIN ON FILMS: 20 Projects and Broadway Ventures Are Planned New York Times 16 July 1962: 18.
  6. Looking at Hollywood: Stark Gets Big Cast for 'Paris Burning' Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Tribune 30 July 1965: b11.
  7. Curtis p 400
  8. Martin Ransohoff Acquires Novel Before Publication Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times 26 Oct 1965: c9.
  9. Curtis p 400
  10. Curtis p 403
  11. Tony Curtis in Role of Lady Killer Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 30 Dec 1966: C6.
  12. Vagg, Stephen (14 November 2020). "Ken Hughes Forgotten Auteur". Filmink.

Notes
  • Curtis, Tony (2008). American prince : a memoir. Thorndike Press.
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