Whilst the last century has seen a whirlwind of scientific, technological and medical advances, human ‘evolution’ has been much more sluggish. The recent outing of predators like Harvey Weinstein and Louis C.K., along with the #metoo movement, have shown that when it comes to misogyny and everyday sexism we still live in a distinctly patriarchal society. In many ways, society has not really progressed much since the 1960s. The decade Joseph Cates released the dark and dangerous Who Killed Teddy Bear?
Nora (Juliet Prowse) is an aspiring actor who works by night as a DJ and hostess in a New York bar. When she starts receiving nuisance phone calls she initially writes them off as the work of a harmless pervert. However, the club manager Marian (Elaine Stritch) persuades her to inform police detective Lt. Madden (Jan Murray), who has dedicated his life to catching creeps after his wife was murdered. Then there’s the young waiter Lawrence (Sal Mineo) who couldn’t be nicer.
Who Killed Teddy Bear? is an irresistibly cool psychedelic thriller which mixes the party vibes of ‘60s New York with the dark and twisted mind of a madman. Whilst Nora is kept in the dark, we find out the identity of her stalker hallway through. Cates maintains a breathless pace throughout. As Nora is inexorably propelled towards a final showdown, we’re kept on the edge of our seats. Who Killed Teddy Bear? is a tense crime drama with a nervous twitch.
Special Features:
The newly restored Who Killed Teddy Bear? is released on Blu-ray by Network Distributing on 17 September and on Digital on 15 October.
