Nightmare in Chicago (1964 TV Movie) User Reviews

Altman hones his craft on TV

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 28 January 2023]

In this TV movie directed by Robert Altman, a serial killer (Philip Abbott) has left a trail of victims across several states, but the police have tracked him to the Chicago area. As they attempt to catch him during frigid winter weather, officials are also concerned about a convoy transporting a nuclear weapon passing through the city, as well. .

Director Altman had started out making industrial short films before making a couple of low budget indies (The Delinquents and The James Dean Story) in 1957. Then for the next 7 years he honed his craft directing dozens of episodes of various shows. One such was an episode of Kraft Suspense Theater, which was later expanded a bit and released as this feature. I thought it was slightly dull, despite John Williams' score that insisted more was happening than what I was seeing. Abbott was an unusual casting choice as the killer, and he's pretty good. There's a lot of bureaucratic hand-wringing and procedural stuff, which reminded me of Altman's next feature film, 1967's Countdown.

Technically crude but ahead of its time in some ways

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 19 November 2022]

"Nightmare in Chicago" is far different from Robert Altman's later work; in fact, if you didn't see his name in the opening credits, you'd hardly guess his involvement. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The film is technically crude (not helped by a poor print) and there is too much footage of a convoy moving down a highway to the same music beat, to the point where it begins to look like looped footage, probably to get the running time to feature length. But Altman does succeed at disturbing the viewer: there are some bold directorial choices, like a murder in plain sight. This must be one of the earliest serial-killer thrillers, and what's more, it's mostly told from the serial killer's perspective (the cops are interchangeable). All in all, an interesting curio. **1/2 out of 4.

A Must-See. Really!!

[Sturgeon54 · 9/10 · 13 June 2005]

I cannot believe this movie has fallen into complete obscurity - never available on VHS or DVD here or abroad - the only place I could find it was as a $15 bootleg on ebay (it was worth every penny). The movie is really an accomplished piece of work. Director Altman shot most of the movie at night on location in the dark Chicago alleyways, highways, and desolate Illinois highway overpass "oases." The daytime scenes were shot in cheap industrial sepia tones that give even those scenes a creepy home-movie feeling (similar to "Last House on the Left"). As a resident of Chicago, I believe the movie caught the feel of the area terrifically.

This appears to be one of the first serial killer films which portray events from the point-of-view of the murderer. Though I can be a jaded viewer of films like this, the entire movie held me hypnotized by its eeriness, and I really couldn't believe I was watching a movie made in 1964 - it seemed way ahead of its time, in both its subject matter and technique. It has the aura of a strange experimental film (many of Altman's peak '70s films were virtually experimental films with big budgets and studio backing), yet the experiment is a complete success.

The only real drawback to the movie is a parallel plot thread following a government nuclear missile convoy on the tri-state highway that coincides with the female murder victims. This storyline probably ratcheted up the Cold War-era tension and paranoia in viewers when the movie was released in 1964, but it seems a bit dated now. Beyond that, the movie seems as fresh today as it probably was in '64.

A historical footnote: the composer is billed as "Johnny Williams", who is actually none-other than the prolific film composer John Williams, composer of "Star Wars" and countless Spielberg films. This was one of his first composing gigs, and his music even then had what would become his trademark orchestral feel.

With the critical acclaim Altman has received in the 40 years since this movie was released (he must have been a relative unknown back then), it really baffles the mind that this minor masterpiece has hardly been seen since. I felt true excitement after watching this for the first time, and felt compelled to write a review here - the film is a lost treasure from one of the greatest American filmmakers of the past half century, and it is just begging for a proper DVD release with a commentary by Altman on his experiences putting it together.

Please come to Video!!!

[EuroNYC7 · 10/10 · 20 November 2005]

The first and last time I ever saw "Nightmare in Chicago" was back in 1971, on New York' s Channel 9 (WOR-TV back then). I was seven -yes, seven!- years old when I watched it with my younger brother (my parents were busy playing a game of Parchese on the kitchen table after dinner, oblivious to the kind of "kiddie show" we were watching) and I still remember it vividly, some parts more than others. The multi-car pile up caused by Phillip Abott's psychotic character Georgey-Porgie was definitely a winner. The fact that Porgie wore shades at night invigorated his morbid nature even more - boy did Altman really outdo himself with this classic crime-and-suspense piece! It puzzles me how such a masterpiece has not made it to video, particularly at this day and age...I hope to God the original film hasn't been compromised and lost!!

The Movie and the Director

[barneyo · 21 December 2006]

I had read a positive review of "Nightmare in Chicago" in Steven Scheuer's Movies on TV Guide in the mid-1970s and became interested in seeing it, finally doing so in the early '80s although it was even then in chopped-up form on commercial television. I still liked it a lot. I hadn't seen it again and in fact could not find it anywhere on video for about two decades. Then just a few years ago I found one guy in Canada who had taped the movie years before from one of those edited broadcasts, but he missed taping the opening titles. I ordered it anyway because I was curious as to whether the quality would hold up over time, and perhaps the best indicator of a good film, it did live up to my positive memory of it. That very week, I discovered that the office next to mine was going to be occupied by director Robert Altman's production company Sandcastle. Through casual interaction with people working for him and a few elevator rides with Mr. Altman himself, I brought up this film of his that I had been looking for for a long time, learning that he also did not have a copy of the film. So that week I was able to supply him with one, although minus the opening. It seemed I was meant to do that for him.

Terrific early Altman

[runamokprods · 8/10 · 7 August 2010]

This early television film directed by Robert Altman is a way ahead of it's time portrait of a serial killer. Surprising in tone and style, especially for TV of that era. Lots of hand-held camera, dark lighting, and subtle acting. Also pretty sexually intense and violent for American television of the time. Some of the psychology is obvious and on-the-nose, and some of the cop stuff as they chase the killer is stiff, 'coincidental' or non-sensical. But there are chilling, disturbing and nightmarish moments, and a fascinating relationship that develops between the killer and one of his captives. The acting isn't great, but it's not bad either. Far better than most Hollywood treatments of the same subject 40 years later.

Early Altman master work

[bryabel-14848 · 9/10 · 28 March 2024]

Story (written by a woman who also plays the serial killer's brunette captive in the film) of a serial strangler of only attractive blonde women. It begins with the blonde's brunette roommate screaming in horror at the sight of her friend flat on her back in bed with a scarf knotted around her neck. The killer and his MO is known by law enforcement, who have named him "Georgie Porgie" - having "kissed the girls" but made more than tears, as he strangled several Blondes across Illinois. The film may have been the first serial killer TV film. Not at all an attractive man, he still somehow gets the pretty girls to accompany him to his or her bedroom for kisses. When Georgie gets to downtown Chicago, he saves an attractive blonde from stepping off a curb into a moving car, gaining her trust. So, she accompanys him to a strip club, of course. At the Club they sit in a semi-private booth and begin to kiss, while the patrons are focused on the stripper disrobing to loud music.

Also, unfortunately for the blonde, blue eyed beauty, she's wearing a scarf wound about 3 times around her slender, long throat. So, as they kiss, the killer merely pulls on both ends of her scarf strangling her while the stripper slowly gets down to just her tassels and thong. At that point "Georgie" leaves, the blonde is left leaning in the corner of the booth--her scarf tightly wound about her neck, eyes and mouth open, and the only person not focused on the striptease, i.e. The stripper sees her and screams.

Georgie flees on the Highway, the police in pursuit. Georgie also delights in causing havoc, multiple car crashes, on the highway. So in addition to being an early or first serial killer film, it also is an early car chase film and had a budget for them.

Altman's direction is also from the killer's perspective, drips with suspense, especially when you see the Blonde wearing her ready made murder weapon. One can hope she'll be spared in a crowded public club, but the brunette woman writer and Altman do not.

Berserk serial killer wreaks destruction along the Interstate

[jim-papageorge · 15 January 2004]

One of the more amazing artifacts from the 60s, this Altman film (shown in two parts on Kraft Suspense Theater) anticipates David Lynch's deadpan industrial style of film-making and the serial killer phenomenon (in both real life and movies). A wild cast, Phiilip Abbott (later Efram Zimbalist Jr's boss on The FBI) is Georgie Peorgie the Tri-State Killer, who casually strangles a woman in crowded strip club (originally shown on television in about 1963!) and triggers car crashes on the highway for his own amusement. Appearing are Ted Knight (yes, Ted Baxter) Robert Ridgely, Charles McGraw (Narrow Margin? Anyone?). This movie is intense and truly nightmarish, since the on-location production took the crew to Chicago, the actual freeways and freeway rest stops in and around the "Tri-state" area. It only exists as a film shown on television, since I have been looking for it for years and no known commercial copy is in distribution. It used to show up on television in the 70's, but it hasn't been seen for a long time. Think "Carnival of Souls" in color with Chicago and crowded streets and highways subbing for deserted Kansas. Don't miss it if you get the chance!

UPDATE I've since acquired the superhappyfun DVD of this movie, most of the cast (Carrol O'Connor, Andrew Duggan, Michael Murphy) are NOT in this film as listed here in IMDb. Neither is Mary Frann. The main highlight of the visual style is still the on-location filming on the streets and in a strip joint in Chicago, several scenes set in cars as Georgie drives around on the freeways and in the highway oasis above the freeways. My original remarks were based on my own last viewing sometime in the late 60s or early 70s and my memory was little hazy as to the cast. Still pretty socko. Highly recommended.

Pretty darn scary, engaging, nuanced and weird

[bfinley323 · 23 August 2004]

I've been hoping this would be released on one format or another ever since I watched it on TV in 1974, when I thought it the equal of anything Fellini, Godard, or Antonioni had produced. Of course, I was 18 years old at the time and high on acid, and had yet to see the films of Fellini, Godard, & Antonioni but to this day I am convinced that Altman really broke the crime genre mold with this one. Ted Knight is a revelation as a beleaguered authority figure, displaying acting chops apart from what we would associate with the pompous clown Ted

Baxter. I would love to see this again. My recollection is that it was full of textural details and was truly creepy.