The Fool Killer Reviews

After the Civil War, a 12-year-old orphan played by Albert (the son of actors Eddie Albert and Margo, in his film debut) sets out on a journey and meets a crotchety old farmer. The superbly cast Hull tells the youngster the tale of "the fool killer," an axe-murderer who rids the world of its fools. The boy continues his adventures until he comes across Perkins, type-cast as a controlled psychotic, who fascinates and befriends Albert. Together they attend a church revival, but the disturbed anti-religious Perkins leaves. Later, the axed body of the preacher is discovered. Naturally, the boy suspects Perkins, who begins to fit the "fool killer" description. After the boy is taken in by a kindly couple, their lives are threatened by an enraged Perkins. Albert pleads for their safety, and the finale comes as the killer takes a fatal fall from their roof. Perkins excels again as the cinema's most convincing psycho. Interesting photography makes ample use of close-ups coupled with beautiful panoramics, which punctuate this off-beat portrait of Americana. There is some discrepency in crediting the editor, and in 1969 Jack Dreyfus, Jr. purchased the rights, re-edited, and re-released the film.