A chillingly elegant dance between murder and manners, where a dapper gentleman prunes roses with one hand and disposes of wives with the other. A dark satire exposing the hypocrisy of a world that condemns retail killing while wholesaling slaughter in war.

Monsieur Verdoux

"A Comedy of Murders."

26 September 1947 United States of America 124 min ⭐ 7.7 (461)

Director: Charlie Chaplin

Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Mady Correll, Allison Roddan, Robert Lewis, Audrey Betz

Drama Crime Comedy

The Business of Murder vs. The Murder of War Capitalism and Dehumanization The Duality of Man

Budget: $2,000,000

Monsieur Verdoux - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

Easter Eggs

Musical reference to 'A Woman of Paris'

The tune Verdoux plays on the piano is the theme from Chaplin's 1923 drama A Woman of Paris. It serves as a subtle self-reference to his only other drama that focused on tragedy and social critique rather than comedy.

Visual echo of 'Modern Times'

The final shot of Verdoux walking away from the camera toward the guillotine visually echoes the iconic ending of Modern Times where the Tramp walks down the road. However, instead of walking toward a horizon of hope, Verdoux walks toward certain death, symbolizing the death of the Tramp's optimism.

Orson Welles credit

The opening credits feature 'Based on an idea by Orson Welles'. This is a rare instance of Chaplin acknowledging an outside creative influence, born from a failed collaboration where Welles wanted to direct Chaplin as the killer.

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