"Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" offers up a tasty recipe, combining mystery with laughs. This movie is peppered with colorful characters, such as Max, the snobbish English gourmand magazine editor, Robbie, the brash American fast food magnate, and a host of eccentric chefs. And you also get a feast for the eyes, with colorful views of London, Paris and Venice, and lush images of haute cuisine. This movie is satisfying, and perhaps will leave you hungry for more!
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EmperorNortonII30 December 2001
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gridoon20242 January 2011This is one of those films that grow on you gradually. In the first 20 minutes or so, it is a straight comedy and it feels rather forced; Robert Morley may be ideally cast as the obese and pompous food critic, but his pomposity comes dangerously close to obnoxiousness. The film starts to get better when the mystery elements are introduced, and the comedy becomes more satirical (the French top chefs welcome their own murders if they will prove that they were the best of their profession!); the offbeat mix of genres ultimately works, perhaps because it IS so offbeat - it pushes you a little out of your comfort zone. George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset share a wonderfully quirky chemistry - neither of them is particularly likable as a character individually, but somehow they make a very likable couple! This is perhaps the first time I've seen the classy Bisset do comedy, and she gives more snap to some of her lines than there is on paper (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's one of her own favorite performances, because it relies only minimally on her looks). At the end, even Morley's character becomes sort of endearing. Oh, and another great score by Henry - "Pink Panther" - Mancini. *** out of 4.
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I loved this delightful farce, when it came out in the theaters, decades ago. Segal, Bisset, and Morley, are a joy to watch. I waited for years fro the DVD format to hit the shelves. What a disappointing experience. The disc is not letterbox, nor closed captioned, there is NO Menu, and looks no better than a VSH tape. There is a disclaimer, in fine print, that the DVD will only play on DVD "Play only" devices, and may not play on your PC. WD cheaped out on this product. The story is filled with fine foods, kitchen antics, and rapid fire funnies. It was filmed on location all over Europe. The grizzly murders,are shocking. The many characters are played broadly, but then this a comedy. Well worth your time.
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gregorybnyc13 May 2004I dimly remembered this culinary comedy from the late 70s without
much affection, until a friend decided to bring along a video to be
shown after a Thanksgiving dinner last year. It's a great idea. Stuff
yourself and then take a movie break before dessert. Nothing too
heavy--preferably something light and frothy. I'm glad we did. This
is an adorable movie, and I don't know why it didn't strike me that
way the first time around.
Maybe it was the horrible and dated costumes designed for
Jacqueline Bissett. How does one take one of the most beautiful
women in the world, and tart her up in the most ridiculous
fur/leather thingies. She looks like a cheap Vegas dancer here.
George Segal doesn't escape either, wearing jeans looking like he
was poured into them and cowboy hats, he looks like the sweet
Jewish boy he is, playing in Daddy's clothing.
The heart of the movie is the wonderful Robert Morely, who plays a
gleefully glutinous gourmand and food editor who between bites
insults just about anyone coming towards him. Only Jacqueline
Bissett manages to escape his wrathful tongue. I'm not
complaining. Morely is a total delight as the misanthropic
epicurian monster.
The mystery isn't much of a mystery, and the chemistry between
Bissett and Segal doesn't appear to be setting off many sparks.
But you can waste your time on far worse things than this modest
delight, filmed all over Europe. The food looks great, and oh that
nasty Morely! -
SimonJack6 December 2023George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset are top-billed in this comedy crime film, but Robert Morley really steals the show. Along with half a dozen prominent European actors of the day who play various famous chefs, Morley provides most of the humor. Segal's role as Robby Ross, an American "entrepreneur" of fast food chains to make big money, barely fits into the plot. It could be that the writers thought that would be a basis for much comedy - to contrast with the high-brow epicurean "meat" of the plot. Well, he needed some sort of connection to his divorced wife, Bisset's Natasha O'Brien, who is a top dessert chef in the world. She is invited to London to make the desert for a state function of her majesty, the queen.
The story revolves around Morley's Maximillian Vandeveer. He is THE expert food critic and head of a cuisine magazine in Europe. Max knows all of the great chefs, and indeed, it's his word in reviews that has determined who the great ones are - in their various fields. So, after Max publishes an article naming the greatest pigeon chef, lobster chef, dessert chef, etc., they begin dropping off like flies. Each is found done in by some method associated with his specialty. It's sort of literally having one's goose cooked. For instance, the greatest chef of canard a la presse (pressed duck) has his head crushed in a duck press. Of course, the film doesn't show all of that.
The film is based on a 1976 novel by Nan and Ivan Lyons, "Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe." The screenplay seems not to hide the culprit, because it becomes quite evident who it might be very early into the film. But then, there's a surprise in store after all. Morley plays the over-indulging lust for great food to the hilt. Segal and Bisset get in some frolicking that rekindles their past love, and Ross ultimately saves Natasha from being the last victim of the chef-slayer - who is then unveiled.
The plot had great potential for a smash comedy. The book was probably much better, but the screenplay needed a good once over to put some spice into the dialogue. It seems choppy with Segal's Ross popping in frequently, and then just as quickly popping out. The film title in its U. K. release was changed to "Too Many Chefs." It was liked by the critics and did fairly well at the box office - but nowhere near the fop 50 films of the year. -
This is one of those often overlooked comedy gems, which people miss probably because of the title. George Segal is a riot as the entrepreneur ex-husband of Pastry Chef Jacquline Bisset, who is chasing her around Europe to get her to be the Spokes person for his latest Food chain of restaurants called "H-Dumpty" Bisset's character is one of four chefs being honored by being invited to create part of a fabulous meal for the Queen of England, set up by a very Obese Robert Morley, as the acerbic and insulting Editor-in-chief and Publisher of a first class gourmet magazine. But after the great dinner someone starts bumping off the four chefs in the manner of their own specialties. The suspects include Segal and other envious chefs not invited to participate in the historic event. Bisset becomes rather concerned when she realizes that she is the last name on the list. From there the mayhem and madcap comedy ensues. Let the game begin.
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Famous European chefs are being bumped off in macabre ways; an American fast-food entrepreneur and his dessert-chef ex-wife try to find out who the killer is before she becomes the next target. Screenwriter Peter Stone, working from the novel "Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" by Ivan and Nan Lyons, gets in some good repartee between the former marrieds, even though George Segal is only half-present (and at times resembles a waxworks figure) and Jacqueline Bisset lugs around some of the ugliest coats imaginable. The supporting cast is under-used, and a midsection excursion to Venice (where Bisset interviews one of those pinching, flirty Italians) really drags its feet--not helped by the poor cinematography and the drab presentation. The whole film is overcast and chilly, with exteriors that look crummy, however Stone's wit occasionally comes through and he does provide a satisfying final twist. *1/2 from ****
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rupie4 January 2000This one is going to make it to the roster of all-time great comedies. Its sheer classiness and the elegant level of its wit on both the verbal and visual level - so different from the crassness and vulgarity of much American comedy (the more so in recent years) - made me suspect an English touch, and sure enough, the Canadian-born director, Ted Kotcheff, made his career in the UK. Jacqueline Bissett is a delight to the eye and George Segal makes a charmingly roguish screen presence; they work wonderfully off each other. But Robert Morley - perfectly cast - runs away with the whole movie with his acerbically comic portrayal of the gourmet-cum-gourmand Max. The wonderfully funny food references throughout, and the gorgeous cinematography of European locales put the icing on this comic eclair. And, just for good measure, first-time viewers will have a devil of a time trying to decide just who is killing the great chefs of Europe. This ranks right up there with the best of the Ealing Studios work. A must-see for connoisseurs of literate comedy.
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writtenbymkm-583-90209713 June 2012Everything I've read about this movie says someone is bumping off chefs. That's amazing. I must've watched a different movie. I sat through about half an hour of utterly unfunny nonsense and no one got bumped off (although, I wish they had), and finally my wife and I voted to turn it off. So I have to confess that I never got to the part most of the other reviewers evidently found so funny and wonderful. This is a shame, because I've always been a big fan of Robert Morley, so I really had high hopes. But even Robert Morley was boring in the thirty minutes of this movie that I saw. I've never liked George Segal and was hoping he'd be a chef and would get bumped off, but no such luck. And the woman in the bizarre coat, how many animals was she wearing, and why? And what was the point of that girl who put together the bizarre food sculpture? Was she one of the iced (ha ha) chefs? So, with apologies to all of you who absolutely loved this movie, I regret to say it didn't even make a decent appetizer. Not worth the calories. A half-baked mess. A real crock.
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HardToFindMovies12 November 2000This is one of those rare comedies that doesn't become dated and stale over time. The European air of this film keeps the pacing smooth and interesting and fortunately George Segal doesn't try to take over the picture. Robert Morley is fantastic in a tour de force performance as the world's largest and greatest food snob-a total snot who lives very moment filled with food, dry wit and sarcasm. The food looks great and one should definitely have snacks handy when indulging in this fine film. As for the whodunit? When the killer was finally revealed I had guessed wrong and enjoyed every moment. I should note that this fine comedy can often be difficult to locate for viewing in the USA and I have never seen a sharp DVD print -- still this film will make you smile and laugh and is well worth seeking out.
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Awesome movie. I have been able to get a good copy. Sad. Saw it as a kid. Love it. Trying to share it with my family.
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farbfilm14 June 2020The movie starts off well enough, with some funny dialogue and the introduction of the quirky main characters. However, the constant sexist harrassment that the female lead (one of two women in the whole movie btw) has to endure, made this film taste increasingly sour. Add a few pinches of racism to that, let roll for over 90 minutes and you get a horrible film. The 70s were not nice. Neither was this.
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The mystery is the thing.
Some of the greatest Chef's of England and the Continent are being murdered all around and no one knows why. But everyone certainly knows how for all of them, whoops, wont tell more don't want to spoil any second of this movie. But yep this is a real serious murder mystery alright! The fun is in the timing, these are some of the best actors of the times. Finest of their times to be honest.
Whether handsome, beautiful or ugly, that is immaterial. They are all consummate actors, ACTING and creating the characters we either grow to love, hate, loath or find funny as hell. BUT no matter how we react to them, they do what great actors do, they make the viewers really believe in them.
The comedy and the black humor are a mix of Keystone Cops and Burns and Alan craziness. Take it for the fun it is and enjoy the movie with friends. A party is in order for this one, good wine, cheeses, fancy deserts and a little sinister fun. -
bkoganbing6 May 2012I noted that the only award recognition that Who Is Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe was from the Golden Globes with nominations for Jacqueline Bisset as Best Actess and Robert Morley as Best Supporting Actor. That was a mistake because this film is totally dominated by Robert Morley giving him a great role to chew on literally.
During the Sixties and Seventies Robert Morley became an international symbol of the United Kingdom with his commercials for British Airways and his promise that 'we'll take very good care of you' made to the world. I have no doubt that the films he appeared in and some of them were dreadful got a bit more revenue at the box office with Morley's appearances. But this film is far from dreadful.
In fact if you like Robert Morley this film is a treat for his fans everywhere. In this black comedy Morley plays a food critic who has the first requisite of being a food critic, he loves to eat. And he's got the girth to prove it. But along with all that good eating comes some health problems and his doctor says he has to go on a diet or else.
Right after that several of the chefs around Europe whose dish specialties have become Morley's favorites start dying in some very bizarre ways. On the list is Jacqueline Bisset whose specialty is pastries as desserts and there is a special method of dispatch earmarked for her.
Never fear Jackie has a protector in George Segal who is restaurateur/tycoon and coincidentally happens to be once married to Bisset. Can Segal figure it out, can the police figure it out, can he save the last of the great chefs?
For all that you must watch the film. But I guarantee that the laughs are there, the European photographed scenery is great, and Robert Morley is in top form. For his fans especially, this film is a must. Definitely in the top five of his best roles. -
maisyskinner4 May 2020A witty script and great performances help turn Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? into a very satisfying meal. There are moments when the back and forth dialogue between the characters resembles something out of Neil Simon's wheelhouse and Robert Morley, especially, makes great use of this delicious dialogue.
The plot revolves around a competitive ex-husband and wife (George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset) who become the focus of a murder mystery when someone, as the title suggests, is killing all the great chefs in Europe. Since Bisset is considered one of them, it's only a matter of time before the killer gets to her as well.
It might not sound like the makings of comedy gold, but it hits more than it misses, especially towards the end when tons of European chefs come out of the woodwork, certain that they'll be the next victim due to their own egos. -
PeachesIR11 January 2018I saw "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" in its original run in U.S. theaters. I was nine years old, but my mother used to drag me to any movie she wanted to see whether it was "child-friendly" or not. I loved this movie then and have enjoyed every repeat viewing since. It's a stylish, frothy romantic comedy with a little bit of murder mystery (nothing that will tax your brain), sumptuous gourmet meals and elegant locales, and bitingly witty dialogue --mostly from the incredibly funny Robert Morley. The film revolves around two ex-spouses: world-renowed pastry chef Natasha (Bisset) and crass, wealthy fast food tycoon Robby (Segal), who re-unite to try to solve the caper when top chefs are knocked off around the capitals of Europe. They travel from London to Venice to Paris and back again, encountering an array of melodramatic, egotistical and hilarious chefs along the way, played by well-known European character actors (Philippe Noiret, Jean-Pierre Cassel, etc.). Bisset's clothes, designed by Donfeld, don't date very well, but it was the '70s. She's supposed to be quirky. She looks gorgeous nonetheless. The lighting in this film is perfume-ad soft. Some of the scenes where the chefs, especially Bisset, prepare their specialties make you want to jump through the screen. At nine, I never knew food could look like that! This movie is a few decades old, but retains its glamour and wit. Look for a very young Nigel Havers in a minor part early on.
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Without the well-fed likes of Robert Morley as an elephantine gourmet, "First Blood" director Ted Kotcheff's "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe," a lively whodunit with class, wouldn't be half as much fun. Morley commands attention throughout with his witty dialogue and his snobbishly insouciant sense of over-refinement.
Early in the movie, Max (Robert Morley of "When Eight Bells Toll") grimaces when his physician advises him to diet or die! Instead of shock, Max registers a pained look of indignation on his cherub's face that is genuinely funny. "I am precisely what I am," Max explains, "because I have eaten my way to the top." As the title implies, the plot concerns a menu of murdered chefs and other unjust desserts, all of which are deliciously served up. When several chefs are found cooked in their own cuisines, dessert chef Natasha (Jacqueline Bisset of "Bullitt" in an array of chic attire) learns that her fellow bakers were dispatched the way you would dine. This means she's the next to die, but not if her fast foods expert and ex-husband, Robby (George Segal of "Where's Poppa?") can help matters.
Robby and Natasha set off to solve the mystery on cooked corpses that leads them across Europe. The action is set against the scenic cities of London, Paris, and Venice, all of which lenser John Alcott has filmed in bright but somber colors that prove a visual feast for the eyes.
Kudos are in order for Canadian helmer Ted Kotcheff. Although several ghastly murders occur, he keeps the gore off-screen and leaves it to your imagination. He also keeps the mystery unreeling at a breathless pace, building up a full head of suspense along the way as the murderer closes in for the big kill.
The entire cast here is in fine comic form, and their timing and dialogue delivery are impeccable. If there are a few red herrings too many, the outcome is nevertheless satisfying. Overall, "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" is a very stylish exercise in serio-comic murder mysteries a la Agatha Christie. -
I love this movie and I loved it when I first saw it come out back in 1978. It has dated well and I am amazed - astounded if you will - by the lack of love a film like this has received on here. Sure it has mostly good reviews, but it(at this point in time) has only 10 reviews. 10? TEN! That is all a film like this with an incredibly witty script, a couple A-listers like George Segal and beautiful Jacqueline Bisset, a catchy musical score by Henry Mancini, artful comedic direction by Ted Kotcheff, and a Tour-De-Force performance by Robert Morley - alone reason enough to see this film. All the previous reasons I listed make this film a whole lot of fun. Kotcheff has skills and creates a solid mystery amidst some pretty funny situations and even more importantly really witty dialog. There are a couple of scenes(okay, the food fight scene near the beginning of the film) that are a little too over-the-top, but how about the zippy repartee between Segal and Bisset(did I mention how absolutely gorgeous she is?) What about the wonderful character acting by the likes of Jean-Pierre Cassel and one of the dead chefs or that of Phillipe Noiret or Madge Ryan or Jean Rochefort or even some small character parts like those played by Gigi Proietti as an Italia detective, Frank Windsor as an irritable Scotland Yard inspector, Peter Sallis and an irritable French chef, Joss Ackland as a snooty chef working for the queen, or John Le Mesurier as a doctor to Max, the obese, gluttonous, selfish gourmand whose magazine published an article about the world's most fabulous meal. This meal and its quartet of chefs become targets for a killer out to kill the great chefs of Europe in the style of their own expertise. We get a cook simmered like his pigeons and one having his crushed in a duck press just as examples. The mystery part created by Ivan and Nan Lyons is wonderfully weaved and wonderfully written for this film and its great performances are all pulled together by the wit it generates. And most of that wit is carried on the gargantuan shoulders of Robert Morley as max who utters lines with perfection. I can watch this film again and again if for no other reason than to see/hear Morley's performance. He is that good. I believe this was an Oscar-worthy performance. Every line is a verbal thrust and parry for his razor-sharp tongue line with acid. Morley is a treat to see as he makes himself even more huge in a larger -than-life role as Max. Just listen to that speech he gives in the doctor's office about every fold of his fat being a brush-stroke and every chin a concerto. Wow! Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? is a fun, exciting film mixing comedy with class.
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myriamlenys14 June 2020A bossy old man, editor of a famous culinary magazine, has been suffering ill health. His doctor gives him the bad news : he needs to choose between a strict diet and a certain death. However, the editor finds its difficult to relinquish his Epicurean lifestyle. There's always some new temptation beckoning : a succulent fowl hidden beneath golden pastry, a superb lobster dripping with butter, an exquisite "bombe" fit for a king. Meanwhile the most skilled chefs of Europe are running into health problems of their own...
"Who's killing" is a black, indeed very black comedy which treats themes like food, addiction to food, vegetarianism and the battle between fast food and classical gastronomy. The plot is original, the dialogue is witty and the performances are good. Robert Morley, in particular, gives a superb performance as the old Epicurean reluctant to give up his artery-hardening habits. As the intrigue moves all over Europe, the viewer gets to admire some magnificent scenery too.
The movie also asks a pretty astute question. Given that there's a mad killer out there who tries to kill off the very best contemporary chefs, which would be the worst fate for a chef ? To be killed or to be ignored ?
Viewers interested in another treatment of similar themes, can do worse than watch "L'aile ou la cuisse", a classic French comedy with Louis de Funès. -
mark.waltz2 March 2023This film is very funny especially if you look at it from the perspective of how ridiculously pretentious it makes the culinary world of Europe look with its uppity chefs and their overly flamboyant creations at the five star restaurants and hotels, leading to some very funny murders that may not create an appetite but will garnish the viewer with plenty of laughs. The film starts off with the outrageously preposterous Robert Morley, a food critic of enormous proportions snobbishly walking along, insulting various people he encounters including his doctor who goes through his list of ailments, basically informing Morley that his extreme weight is leading him to a slow and painful death. Morley hysterically proclaims that he'd rather be dead then go without all of the things in life he likes, reminding me of the saying that everything people enjoy in life are either illegal, immoral or fattening. One thing that is not illegal is the performance that Morley gives, one that should have gotten him an Oscar nomination, one of the funniest performances worth an Oscar alongside John Gielgud in "Arthur" and Robert Preston in "Victor/Victoria".
While the stars of the film, George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset, are quite good, Morley is so commanding that he even gets to command the screen with his own musical theme, a march that is very catchy. The concoctions that the chefs make are also worth seeing because some of them are so outlandishly outrageous (especially a cake that is lit on fire) that they get giggles simply because the viewer couldn't imagine having such things in front of them on a plate let alone biting into them. As each of the chefs gets a very funny and somewhat painful demise, the black nature of the comedy gets more demented, reminding me of Morley in "Theater of Blood" getting his comeuppance for insulting ham actor Vincent Price. One of the comic highlights is a food fight early in the film where Morley looks on in absolute delight, his justified discussed over the people involved filling another kind of appetite. I can say that this film has improved with age for me, seeming better each time I watch it, an artistic triumph of sophistication mixed with bad taste, although when I first watched the film, I guessed the culprit quite easily. Still, there are plenty of surprises simply because of everything going on, not because of how it is resolved. -
k_t_t200121 April 2023I once had a friend argue that a mystery was only good the first time, but a comedy was always funny. While I don't completely agree with this line of thinking-Rene Clair's And Then There Were None, being one of my favorite films that I have returned to many times-I do see the logic in the argument. Fortunately, screenwriter Peter Stone and director Ted Kotcheff apparently felt the same way when adapting Nan and Ivan Lyons novel, Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe, for the screen.
While the mystery angle is played up more in the film than the source novel-where the killer's identity is revealed before the halfway point in the book-it really isn't central to the proceedings, and is mostly there to move the narrative forward by giving the characters someplace to be and something to do. And that is really the strength of this film: the characters. As almost every reviewer has, rightly, pointed out, Robert Morley's Max Vandeveer dominates the film with his acid quips and unapologetic pomposity, but the rest of the supporting cast do not let the production down, delightfully playing up the eccentricities of the inhabitants of the world of haute cuisine. Neither do our two stars, George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset, though the demands of their roles don't really call upon them to stretch much outside of their comfort zones.
Interestingly, director Kotcheff ha sited the screwball comedies of the 1930's as inspiration, specifically name checking Howard Hawks' classic Bringing Up Baby. I would venture that Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? Has much more in common with a later Hawks film, the brilliant His Girl Friday. The character of Segal's Robert Ross is very much akin to Cary Grant's Walter Burns and like Rosalind Russell's Hildy Johnson, Bisset's Natasha O'Brien finds herself being drawn back into the orbit of her somewhat conniving ex-husband, despite herself.
While not likely to have anyone rolling in the aisles, Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? Has wit in abundance, and is a film that can easily, and frequently, bring a smile to the face, and be pulled off the shelf for a rewatching without fear that the proceedings will have gone stale.
As a side note, after years of living with the dull and unremarkable presentation of the more than decade old Warner Archive DVD-R, I was very excited by the film's recent-and much overdue-release on Blu-Ray by Bavaria Media. I am pleased to report that this new version is brighter, cleaner, sharper and altogether a more pleasing viewing experience than the Warner's. Much of the film was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich, and I assume that accounts for Bavaria Media's restored HD release. Oddly, as given the source one would have expected this to come out in European Region B, this Blu-Ray release appears exclusive to Japan. The good news is, for those interested, the Japan BD disc is Region A coded, and available from a number of online sources, including Amazon.jp. -
dbdumonteil11 December 2006A funny little comedy,which does not equal "theater of blood" ,which also featured Robert Morley (and his two puppy doggies).But there's a lot of fun guaranteed for all,and no misogyny,cause they included a woman (Jacqueline Bisset and her delicious "Bombe Richelieu" ) Best scene:Bisset,after a night in bed with Jean -Pierre Cassel wakes up and says: " It smells good!What are you cooking?" ,and ,horrified, realizes that it's her lover who simmers in the oven.
Excellent international cast,including two French luminaries Jean Rochefort and the late Philippe Noiret and George Segal,and great filming on, location,particularly Venice.