Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?

This 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.

A 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.

A 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.

I 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.

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.

A 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.

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 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.

This 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.

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.