This special limited edition J-card MediaBook slipcase (designed by Tony Stella) is limited to 5,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
Taking its name from the Lumière Brothers invention of the same name, Cinématographe is a new sub-label from Vinegar Syndrome that seeks to fill gaps in the canon of American cinema. Offering a mix of auteur driven studio films produced during the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and 70s all the way through the indie boom of the 1980s and 90s, Cinématographe will explore the wide breadth of American moviemaking, spanning numerous genres and scales of production. Curated and produced by Vinegar Syndrome's Justin LaLiberty, each limited edition release will be housed in a specially designed, cloth-bound, media book with embossed foil titles and custom molded disc trays accompanied by a slipcase featuring newly commissioned art and an individually numbered J-card.
Norah Drain (Juliet Prowse, G.I. Blues), a Manhattan disco hostess, finds herself the victim of a stalker and obscene phone caller. NYPD Lieutenant Dave Madden (Jan Murray, Fear City) overhears her complaints at the precinct and takes a personal interest in Drain’s case, finding himself drawn not only to Drain but the sordid desires of the Times Square sex district. As Drain begins to question the intentions of Madden, a sullen busboy at her workplace (Sal Mineo, Rebel Without a Cause) reveals himself as her stalker, putting her in a fight for her life on the streets of New York City.
Directed by noted television and Broadway producer Joseph Cates and co-written by The Doom Patrol and Guardians of the Galaxy co-creator Arnold Drake, WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR? is a relentlessly tawdry time capsule of mid-60s Times Square, evocatively shot on location, in stark black and white, by Joseph C. Brun (Edge of the City). Peerlessly ahead of its time for 1965, WHO KILLED TEDDY BEAR? was censored shortly after its original theatrical release and has since only been available on video in its edited version. Cinématographe is proud to present the world blu-ray and 4K UHD debut of Joseph Cates’s seminal New York City thriller in its completely uncensored theatrical release version, adding back several minutes of never-on-video material, newly restored from original 35mm negative materials.
directed by: Joseph Cates starring: Sal Mineo, Juliet Prowse, Jan Murray, Elaine Stritch, Bruce Glover 1965 / 94 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD MA 1.0
Additional info:
2-Disc Set: 4K Ultra HD + Region A Blu-ray
New audio commentary with film historians Elizabeth Purchell and KJ Shepherd
The Murder of Innocence - a video essay by Chris O'Neill
Who Filmed Times Square - a featurette on the New York City locations of Who Killed Teddy Bear?
Gallery of archival press clippings
New text essays by film historian John Charles and film critic Kyle Turner
English SDH subtitles
Overall rating: 4.759036 / 5 from 332 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
This limited edition MediaBook slipcase of 'Who Killed Teddy Bear' is praised for its beautiful restoration, high-quality presentation, and exquisite packaging. The film, a classic 1960s thriller, is highly appreciated for its luminous picture and audio quality. Special features, including a new audio commentary and video essays, add to the value of this release.
"The transfer is the usual high quality for their titles and the special features are great." — Eli O.
"Great packing, nice transfer i also liked the movie" — Robert E.
"The new 4K master is exquisite with filmic grading, excellent encoding and preserving the original film-like quality." — Nicolas K.
Reviews
Banger
"Beautiful Low-Budget Thriller that is extraordinarily well shot and this 4k looks sick. Excellent insight in the detailed extras, brilliant release and this flick, on the border between art and grind house, is essential."
— Ben C. (5/5)
An Unknown Gem
"This was an excellent film with great performances. A lot of the characters in this was odd, but that worked for the material. It's very light on story, but it's about a woman that is receiving weird phone calls and all the weird people in her life. The film looks beautiful on 4K and was shot with an artistic sensibility. Highly recommend this one."
— Nathan L. (4/5)
Great Noir-ish thriller
"Despite the Hayes code at the time, this gem has a little something for everyone. Pornography, voyeurism, incest, and lesbianism. This film was beautifully shot, and the sound is fantastic as well. I really love the artwork on the packaging."
— Patrick D. (5/5)
NY Ambiance
"Pleasantly surprised by this one. The suspense is mild but the atmosphere is great. UHD restoration looks good and Cinématographe’s presentation is always amazing."
— Noel H. (4/5)
4K Sleaze Fest
"Repulsively seedy, urban alienation. Psychologically traumatized children, perverse obsessions on both sides of the law, and eroticized sexual dysfunction. Has the same level of relentless nihilism as Fincher’s Seven. Ended Sal Mineo’s career, but any fetishistic scenes of him with his shirt off—taught,tight and liable to explode—live forever. Would make an incredible sicko ’60s double feature with Experiment in Terror. Probably my least favourite booklet of the line CINÉMATOGRAPHE so far. Essays are fine but not up to excellent levels of other editions I have, pictures aren't as clear as they goof be. Good on-disc extras."
— Timothy E. (4/5)
Fun Crime Thriller
"Had never heard of this before and it delivered a great snapshot of the period. Disc looks great."
— Patrick H. (5/5)
A little-known masterpiece
"A surprising and completely crazy thriller for its time, which has its share of surprises and is a precursor to Taxi Driver in a way."
— Steven E. (5/5)
Something you might find on the Criterion Channel
"Feels close to something like Cruising with its seeding feeling and almost risqué feeling. Vinegar Syndrome did a amazing job with this soft transfer."
— Thomas E. (5/5)
Crazy how they can rescue these movies
"Who Killed Teddy Bear is a dark and stylish psychological thriller directed by Joseph Cates and starring Sal Mineo and Juliet Prowse. Set in the nightlife of 1960s New York, the film follows a young nightclub hostess who becomes the target of disturbing phone calls from a deeply troubled man, leading to a tense exploration of obsession, loneliness, and urban alienation. The 4K UHD release from Cinématographe presents the film in a new high-resolution restoration that highlights its striking black-and-white cinematography and gritty atmosphere. This edition allows modern audiences to rediscover the film’s provocative themes and visual style in the best quality the film has ever had on home video."
— Jaume M. (5/5)
Proto-Taxi Driver
"I'd never heard of this film, but when I heard it recommended as a proto-Taxi Driver I was sold. The 4k restoration is gorgeous, the packaging is impeccable and the film itself is fascinating. Cinématographe continues to be one of the most compelling Boutique labels around and if they continue to release more forgotten gems like this they will earn more of my money!"
— Trent S. (5/5)
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