Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978)

I 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.

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 ****

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.

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.