Review of Cover Girl Killer (1959) by Matt T — 26 Jan 2011

Soho, London. A serial killer is on the loose. The targets are women who have appeared on the cover of an adult magazine. The victims are made to look exactly like their cover photo - same outfits (bikinis) and background locations. Magazine owner John Mason assists the police as they attempt to track down the genius/madman before he can murder the next cover girl.

Played by Harry H Corbett, best known as Harold Steptoe in the classic British sitcom Steptoe & Son, the murderer is revealed early on as we get to see his tactics of luring his victims into their death traps. As a phoney big shot photographer his disguise is to wear thick lens pebble glasses, a split parting wig and a brown mac - almost a caricature of a seedy old man (I, myself have the specs and the mac - but don't judge me!). Showing the serial kiiler at the beginning of the film is a common occurence in the genre with M (1932) being an example. The suspense and drama hinges on who and how the next victim will perish and whether he will get caught. A game of cat and mouse ensues between the killer, victim and police. Motive is another underlying theme and a few exchanges by the killer partly reveals his twisted form of mind.

Cover Girl Killer (great title btw) was released not long before the far superior Peeping Tom (1960) which has much in common including the voyeuristic protagonist. No where near as good but as low budget B-movie lasting only an hour the story is brisk and mildly entertaining with Corbett putting in a decently creepy performance. The investigation scenes are pretty routine and nothing out of the ordinary.

Coincidently Harold Steptoes most famous catch phrase in Steptoe & Son (remade in the US as Sanford And Son) was "You dirty old man" which neatly sum's up Corbetts character in Cover Girl Killer.