User reviews

There are a few things that really impress me in this movie. First of all, this should be seen on a large screen where one can be impressed with the beautiful Eastmancolor. Arne Mattsson is known for using complicated camera movements There are two actresses that stand out. Anita Björk can portray subtle feelings with just a twitch of her mouth. And Lillebil Ibsen does the role of aunt Thyra wonderfully. It is positively impossible to hear a Norwegian accent, although she apparently was one of Norway's biggest stars. The plot itself can be a bit tricky to follow and one has to see the movie more than once to really comprehend all the innuendos and hints from the characters, to understand what role they play and why they act like they do.Of course, the director could have streamlined the movie much more, e.g. by removing the funny sidekick, Freddy, altogether. The movie is a bit too long with its 110 minutes and it could have been paced much quicker.

After one of the models vanishes from the fashion house La Femme Kate Hillman starts her investigation along with Captain John Hillman.The chain of ghastly murders begins..."Mannequin in Red" is often cited as the main influence on Mario Bava's legendary giallo "Blood and Black Lace".It's a murder mystery that takes place in a fashion house.The film is gorgeously photographed by Hilding Bladh and offers some suspenseful moments.The killings are tame and completely bloodless and there are some irritating scenes that are supposed to be funny,but I wasn't amused.However if you want to see stylish giallo from Sweden check out "Mannequin in Red" before or after watching Bava's masterful "Blood and Black Lace".7 out of 10.

I first became aware of this Swedish thriller via Tim Lucas' Audio Commentary for Mario Bava's "Giallo" landmark (and, arguably, masterpiece) BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964); the latter was said to be somewhat reminiscent of it and, having now watched the earlier effort for myself, I can see where such an argument is coming from – as there are undeniable thematic and stylistic (more on these later) and even aural (meaning, the score) parallels…yet how deliberate imitations they were I cannot tell! Still, considering just how many films directly ripped off the Bava classic – without taking the edge off the prototype, I might add – one can make concessions for its having drawn a certain inspiration from somewhere, too!

For the record, here we have a fashion-house setting (with the colour scheme – right from the opening credits sequence – being similarly given its due), blackmail (though the main reason behind the killing spree is actually the usual one of inheritance – thus also numbering males among the victims in this case!) and, while no specific aura is created around the figure of the assassin, the perpetrator does manage a few sensational slayings (in fact, twice are dead models discovered as having replaced a dummy – one is stabbed and arranged in a window display, and another is memorably hung way up in the air on a symbolic gallows). Incidentally, it seems that if Bava had indeed watched this, he would derive elements from it for at least two other movies of his: the presence of a dagger (or a set of them here) is also central to the Italian Maestro's THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963), whereas that of the wheelchair-bound elderly owner of the establishment – to say nothing of the whole string of murders spun by the coveting of her legacy – looks forward to A BAY OF BLOOD (1971)!

Otherwise, the protagonists are an icy blonde undercover model, her debonair investigator husband, his obligatory comic relief sidekick (he not only stutters but is, annoyingly, an automobile nut into the bargain!); the suspects, then, are likewise stock characters: ambitious shop manager, ne'er-do-well 'son', philandering/extravagant relatives, etc. However, there is also a middle-aged lady who repeatedly turns up and somehow comes into possession of the old woman's white cat following her demise – but, for the life of me, I could not fathom what her exact function within the narrative was supposed to be! The film, then, is quite handsome-looking and reasonably enjoyable, if a bit long at 106 minutes (when BLOOD AND BLACK LACE clocked in at a mere 85, which I would say is just about right for this sort of fare!)…while the twist ending was predictable enough (albeit, still effectively rendered). By the way, this was the second of 5 'vehicles' for the central sleuthing couple (and their klutzy assistants!) director Mattsson would helm; I do not own any of the others, but did manage to acquire copies of his ONE SUMMER OF HAPPINESS (1951) and THE DOLL (1962) over the years, though both remain unwatched up to now.

This is not necessarily a good movie, with a creaky storyline (along with the old lady's wheelchair), some stiff and some overplayed performances and silly "funny" moments. Still, I am very fond of this. It has several suspenseful sequences, a few on-the-spot performances and, above all, a gorgeus photography. It predates all the giallos of the sixties and seventies in its appearance with at least 4-5 years and some chunks could have been lifted from this movie to "Blood and black lace", Mario Bavas tour-de-force in giallo and the start of a whole trend. These films also share its environment, a fashion-salon. The murders are not gruesome by todays standards of course, the atmosphere is right!! Two thumbs up!!

This the second of the 'Hillman Thrillers' sees husband and wife detectives John and Kajsa Hillman, along with assistant Freddie, investigating the murder of a model at a fashion house, with Kajsa going undercover as a new model. It quickly becomes clear that the dead woman had been blackmailing various people but they might not be the only ones with a motive to kill... and her death won't be the last.

Having enjoyed 'The Lady in Black' it made sense to watch other available films in the series. The first obvious difference with this one is that it is in colour. It is also set in Stockholm so has a different feel to the previous film's rural setting. It still has the same protagonists though. John and Kajsa are good protagonists; serious and getting the job done while Freddie continues to provide light relief along with beautiful girlfriend Sonja. The mystery provides plenty of suspects as well as some good twists and turns that one would hope for in the genre. It may be over sixty five years old but it doesn't feel too dated; the colour looks great. The cast does a solid job and despite the grisly nature of the murders nothing really unpleasant is shown meaning it can be enjoyed by more squeamish fans of the genre. Overall a good second instalment in the series; I'll certainly be watching more and would recommend it to anybody looking for a solid mystery.

These comments are based on watching the film in Swedish with English subtitles.

Second case for the Hillman investigative couple

This Swedish crime thriller by BERLINALE winner Arne MATTSSON is a real feast for the eyes. Extravagant dresses are presented here in beautiful colors. Because, you can't believe it, there is actually a murderer on the loose in the Stockholm fashion house LA FEMME. First victim: the beautiful mannequin in red, which many society gentlemen also appreciated. It's just a good thing that Kajsa Hillman (Annalisa ERICSON) is also blessed with a model figure and can investigate on site. All that remains for the husband of the gods (Karl Arne HOLMSTEN) is to make clever speeches. There are enough suspicions and inconsistencies so that there is never a dull moment. The cast is again top notch. Lillebil IBSEN, who was also very popular in Berlin during the Weimar Republic, gives a gala performance as the beastly fashion house boss. Anna Wintour could learn a lot from her. The tried and tested Anita BJÖRK plays the dutiful manager and the radiantly beautiful Gio PETRE even gets to sing a Swedish song as the scheming beast. Every crime fan will get their money's worth. While the Hillmans' first case was still in black and white, here you are almost blinded by the interplay of colors and shapes. The film's excellent craftsmanship partly hints at what Mario BAVA would bring to perfection in CINECITTA's BLUTIGE SEIDE / BLOODY SILK a few years later: an early giallo from the far north! With this Swedish bite, NETFLIX is giving its subscribers a very special gift: as a crime thriller fan and connoisseur of older films, you shouldn't miss this discovery!!!

Sometimes in life you've gotta change your plans. For example, my initial plan was to watch all the "Hillman" films I could get a hold of, because the idea of a Swedish Nick-and-Nora-ish detective couple sounded appealing to me. But after watching "Mannequin In Red", I will probably not follow through on any of their other films. Though well-photographed, this film is boring, flat, uninteresting and tiresome. What's more, there is no snap in the dialogue, no banter between the leads. It's one of those films that within the first 14 minutes you feel that if you turned it off right there, you wouldn't miss a thing - and it goes on (and on, and on....) for 104 minutes! The "comic relief" assistant character is especially wasteful. * out of 4.

This is the second of five movies involving the Hillman detectives and unlike the first (The Lady in Black) this is in colour. And it looks great, John and Kajsa Hillman are visiting friends at Fashion House La Femme, when bodies start piling up, starting with model Katja Sundin. The head of the fashion house is Thyra Lennberg is not a pleasant woman so when she is murdered in a house fire there's plenty of suspects. Annalisa Ericson and Karl-Arne Holmsten are great as the detective couple ably assisted by Freddy (Nils Halberg) and his girlfriend Sonja (Lena Granhagen) who provide a comedy element. Decent fifties fayre.