An unforgettable descent into sleazy mid-60s NYC, Who Killed Teddy Bear? is a staggering psycho-sexual thriller determined to smash every previously untouchable Hollywood taboo in the rulebook. Juliet Prowse plays a discotheque DJ on the receiving end of a series of increasingly obscene phone calls. As violence from the mysterious stalker tumbles into real life, who could be the madman responsible: the nightclub manager with sapphic desires (Elaine Stritch), the creepy cop with a damaged past (Jan Murray), or the club’s shy busboy hiding dark family secrets (Sal Mineo)? Teddy Bear is ripe for rediscovery, raw and unflinching, with a charged Mineo at his fiery best. Print courtesy of the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research
“This 1960s New York story of violated innocence remains unsettling, with Mineo riveting as a proto-Travis Bickle.” – Anton Bitel, Film4
Ariel Schudson discusses Who Killed Teddy Bear? on the New Beverly blog.
