Cover Girl Killer (1959)

When the BBC does film seasons, it tends to do them very well. Saying that, it's recent B-movie season was a bit hit and miss (and dare I say rushed). But there were a few gems hidden away in the schedules - like Cover Girl Killer.

For a cheap/throwaway flick, Cover Girl Killer is a classy affair that really should have been remade for a bigger budget in the slightly less-restrained 60s. And ideally with Harry H. Corbett in the lead role, being as he is superb as 'The Man' (aka the Cover Girl Killer).

Why the Cover Girl Killer? Simple really - this is a man obsessed with the women on the front cover of 'Wow!' magazine (a sleazy photo mag of the day). In fact, he's not so much obsessed as appalled with their semi-nudity, seeing it as his mission to kill each cover girl in the same way they appear on the front cover. The killer should be easy to spot, wearing thick glasses and a bad wig - but he isn't quite so stupid using his disguise to make himself obvious, then losing it blend in with the outside world.

For a cheap support feature, Cover Girl Killer really os a top-notch movie in its own right. It does suffer from that lack of budget - a little too short,  little lacking in external shots and outside of Corbett, packing some pretty average acting. But it's still riveting stuff, with plenty of suspense, a more-than-creepy killer, some racy bikini-clad women (for the UK and the era) and an edge-of-seat finale. Shame it wasn't remade, but let's be thankful it still exists - if it shows again on TV, set the video as there's little or no chance of it getting a DVD release.

Comments

[Jon]

I saw this when it aired and thought it was very competent for what it is. There were some nice touches, characters and performances. There was some amusing dialogue when they went to investigate the murder of the girl in the pic (in the leopardskin bikini). Inspector: 'She looks like some kind of model or showgirl'
Dim copper: 'What makes you say that Sir?' Period charm at its best.