The Honeymoon Killers
Tags: neo noir, cult, psychedelic, murder, violence

Plot synopsis:
The film opens by introducing Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler), a supervising nurse in a hospital that appears to be in Mobile, Alabama. Martha catches two underlings having a brief romantic interlude in one of the labs and excoriates them for doing so. Martha herself seems more than a little bitter and vindictive; she is overweight and lonely, lashing out at those who are unlucky enough to be under her command at the hospital, but at home she is saddled with an elderly mother (Dortha Duckworth) who still calls Martha her "little girl". Martha's best friend, Bunny (Doris Roberts), surprises Martha by sending for an application to a lonelyhearts club, thinking that all Martha needs to be happy is a man.At first Martha is resentful that Bunny has done this, but soon she is corresponding with a suave man named Raymond Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco). Raymond gives Martha a vague representation of his life in New York, and comes to visit her after many weeks of exchanging letters. Martha is smitten with the handsome Ray, and their relationship immediately turns sexual. In a bizarre twist, Martha gives her mother a sleeping pill so that she and Raymond can be alone, then the two of them share a sexual encounter while her mother sleeps nearby on the couch.When Raymond returns to New York, he borrows a small "loan" from Martha, then sends her a telegram from New York saying that he can no longer correspond with her. Martha is despondent and enlists Bunny's help in pulling an extreme stunt: she tells Raymond that she has attempted suicide because she cannot live without him. Raymond seems flattered by Martha's devotion and invites her to New York, where he makes a startling revelation to her: he is actually a con man who meets lonely women through various lonelyhearts clubs, then takes them for as much money and valuables as he can. After meeting Martha he realized she had no assets and moved on, but Martha is willing to forgive him for his deception. Raymond seems to be interested in Martha's strange devotion to him, and he tells her one day he will marry her for real.When Martha returns home to Mobile, she finds that her supervisor has uncovered some torrid correspondence with Ray that Martha had stored in her desk. Martha lashes out at him bitterly and resigns, claiming that she went to New York to be married. At home, Martha continues the charade, telling her mother and Bunny that she and Raymond have been married. Raymond is furious, especially when he realizes that Martha intends to bring her mother along with her to New York to move in with Ray. Raymond forbids it, saying that Martha can come but she absolutely cannot bring her mother, even going so far as to tell Martha to "put a pillow over her face" to get rid of her. Instead, Martha puts her mother in a rest home and abandons her, even though she weeps and pleads with Martha to take her along. Finally the woman curses Martha as she leaves, leaning out of a window and shouting after her "Goddamn you! I hope you end up like this! I hope someone does
this to you."Martha and Raymond immediately begin their new business of swindling lonely women out of their savings, starting with a spinster schoolteacher. Raymond tells her that Martha is his "sister", and Martha accompanies them on their honeymoon, but Martha takes the new bride's belongings too soon and she storms out in a fury. Martha pays her no mind, threatening to expose the woman's torrid correspondence with Raymond to her superintendent.Martha seems to have no problem handling this first victim, who is unattractive and mawkish. But she remains hesitant about Raymond's "profession", jealous that he may choose a more attractive woman to swindle and make love to her. Their next mark proves to be a little different. Myrtle Young (Marilyn Chris) is a spunky Southern woman who makes no secret about her attraction to Raymond. She has hired Raymond in a business transaction; Myrtle is pregnant out of wedlock, and she wants Raymond to pose as her husband to save face for her family. However, when she finds Raymond handsome, she turns on the charm, much to Martha's jealous displeasure. When Myrtle buys Raymond a toupee, Martha scoffs at it, but Raymond lies and tells Martha that he bought it for himself. Myrtle later sneaks into Raymond's bedroom and tries to seduce him, while Martha watches in secret. Raymond rejects Myrtle's advances, but Myrtle reveals Raymond's fabrication about the toupee to Martha, who becomes furious. When her conversation with Myrtle turns hostile, Myrtle tells Martha that she is now married to Raymond and she intends to make a go of it. She plans on taking Raymond back to her wealthy family in Little Rock, where she will introduce him to her family, sending Martha back to Mobile on her own. In response, Martha gives Myrtle a handful of pills that
make her violently ill. The next morning Raymond, knowing she is gravely ill, puts Myrtle on a bus for Little Rock, promising to drive her car and belongings there and meet her. But after he leaves her on the bus, she dies and her corpse is discovered by the bus driver.Raymond next arranges a meeting with a younger woman named Evelyn (Barbara Cason) who has a large home near a lake. Martha and Raymond bicker the whole time they are at Evelyn's; Martha even goes so far as to suggest that Evelyn pair her off in a bedroom with Raymond, which strikes Evelyn as strange since she has been told Martha and Raymond are brother and sister. Finally, when Martha spots Raymond making out on a blanket with Evelyn, she hurls herself into the lake and tries to drown herself. Raymond pulls her out, kissing and comforting her, while Evelyn looks on, confused and disturbed.Aborting their con on Evelyn, Raymond decides it is time to give Martha what she has always wanted: a suburban home. They buy a home in Valley Stream, NY, but Raymond quickly becomes frustrated as their funds dwindle.Raymond decides it is time to go back to work, and they set up a meeting with an older woman named Janet Fay (Mary Jane Higby). Janet is well into her 70s and is sitting on a bank account worth over ten thousand dollars, a fact that she happily discloses to Raymond. They move in quickly on Janet, with Raymond proposing to her and Janet moving out of her apartment and going back to Valley Stream with Martha and Raymond. Janet, however, is irritating to Martha from the very beginning, arguing with Martha about petty finances and making vaguely critical remarks about Martha's weight.They get Janet back to Valley Stream under the pretense of Janet marrying Raymond (who has told her his name is "Charles Martin") and then using her ten thousand dollars to open a hat shop. They get Janet to write them checks that they will presumably take to the bank and cash, absconding with the money.But just after she signs the checks, their deception begins to unravel. Martha and Raymond leave Janet alone so they can go to the basement and make love. When they all go to bed that night, Janet becomes suspicious and cannot sleep; she wonders why Martha and "Charles" took her away from Albany without even allowing her to call her daughter and son-in-law. She questions Martha about how well-hidden the checks are. Martha becomes short with Janet and wants to give her a sleeping pill, but Janet is neurotically afraid of pills and won't cooperate. Their argument spirals out of control until Janet becomes determined to use the telephone to call her family. Martha, of course, becomes hysterically angry over it and slaps Janet, raging at Raymond to "give her back her checks and put her on a train back to Albany." Janet goes to her belongings and finds her jewelry missing. Janet finally understands that she is in great danger and begs Raymond and Martha to let her call her daughter. Finally Martha and Raymond realize that they must kill Janet to keep her from talking. Martha hands Raymond a hammer, and Raymond tells her "You do it. If you love me, you'll do it." Immediately Martha strikes Janet in the head with the hammer. As she lays bleeding, Martha and Raymond tie a tourniquet around her neck and choke her to death. Martha reacts with calculated precision, barking at Raymond "Get her off the rug!", while Raymond seems terrified at what they are doing. With Janet now dead, Martha and Raymond make love, with Raymond stripping nude in front of Janet's body before going into the bedroom with Martha. The next day, Raymond and Martha dispose of Janet's body by putting it inside her traveling trunk and burying it under the floor of their basement. They send letters to Janet's family announcing that Janet has married and gone to Florida with her new husband.Raymond and Martha's next victim is Delphine Downing (Kip McArdle), a widowed woman living alone with her young daughter, Rainelle (Mary Breen), who is around four years old. Martha and Raymond are living with Delphine, and Raymond promises Martha in a private moment that Delphine will be their last victim; he feels she has enough assets to allow Raymond and Martha to finally marry after they swindle her. Martha, however, is frustrated because she and Raymond no longer have much of a sex life because of their living conditions with Delphine. Raymond, as usual, swears he has no attraction to Delphine and that he hasn't made love to her.However, when Raymond takes Rainelle out for the day, Delphine is alone with Martha and confides in her: Delphine is pregnant wtih Raymond's baby. She tells Martha they've been making love every time Martha left the house, and that Raymond forbid Delphine to tell Martha they were physically intimate. Delphine thinks it is because Martha has puritanical values, but she wants Martha's help in breaking the news of her pregnancy to Raymond. She also wants Martha to suggest that Raymond marry Delphine on Valentine's Day.Martha is, of course, furious that Raymond has lied to her and has been making love to Delphine. She tells Delphine that Raymond will never marry her now, and that the only way to handle the situation is to abort the baby. To do this, Martha gives Delphine a handful of pills, but Delphine refuses to take them. Raymond comes back with Rainelle as Martha struggles with Delphine, and he walks into the situation unsure of what is going on. Martha tells Ray that Delphine has "found out everything" and was going to call the police. Delphine now realizes that she is in danger and begs Raymond to help her, but Raymond tells Martha to get Delphine's gun, and he shoots Delphine in the head. Martha debates what they should do with Rainelle; Raymond wants to abandon her at a children's home, but Martha feels Rainelle is too old and will remember details about them. She goes to the basement and fills a washtub with water, then takes Rainelle downstairs and drowns her in it, while Raymond listens upstairs, horrified.Martha has resigned herself to the fact that Raymond will never be truthful to her. Raymond promises that he can set up another meeting with another victim in New Orleans, and he swears to Martha he will not touch her or make love to her. "I didn't touch Delphine, did I?" he rationalizes. Martha kisses him passionately and goes upstairs, where she phones the police and summons them to the house. When they arrive, she goes downstairs to let them in, kissing Raymond one more time.In the film's denouement, Martha is in prison, where a matron meets her to take her to her first day on trial for the crimes she has committed with Raymond. This will be the first time she has seen Raymond since her incarceration, and she is excited. The matron gives Martha a letter from Raymond, which Martha reads alone as she sits on a bench. In the letter, Raymond professes his love for Martha again; he tells her she is the only woman he will ever love, and the only woman he has ever loved. He looks forward to the possibility that one day when they are old, they may have a short time to spend together. The film ends with a title card that informs the viewers that Martha and Raymond were executed for their crimes while incarcerated in Sing Sing prison.

Review: Released in 1969 under the guise of a low-budget exploitation film, The Honeymoon Killers is in fact one of the best American real-life crime movies ever made.
It tells the story of Martha (Shirley Stoler), a lonely, overweight nurse who is entered into a 'lonely hearts' club by her friend Bunny (Everybody Loves Raymond's Doris Roberts).
Ray promises that he won't sleep with any of them, but Martha's overbearing jealousy soon leads to murder.Based on the notorious case of the 'lonely hearts killers', first (and only) time director Leonard Kastle adopts a documentary-style approach, opting to use mostly hand-held photography, naturalistic lighting, and minimalistic editing.
Why did Leonard Kastle make only one movie?When so many "directors" are allowed to release mediocrities by the dozen,when almost every thriller looks like the one before?I saw "the honeymoon killers" at the beginning of the seventies in a "art et essai" movie theater (in France,"art et essai" means non -commercial and artistical works).The movie had little impact on the "mainstream" audience ,and the TV was afraid to broadcast it.Thirty years later,it still packs a real wallop:it has worn extremely well,even better than praised classics such as "gun crazy" and "Bonnie and Clyde".I'm sure it had a strong influence on Francis Girod's "le trio infernal"(1974)."The honeymoon killers" is unique,a work of the first order.Hats off to the two leads ,Shirley Stoler and Tony LoBianco ;their casting was ideal.Had the producers hired two stars,the movie would have lost in credibility.Because,credible,this movie is,and not because it is a true story:for instance "Bonnie and Clyde" is also a true story,but the characters are icons,some kind of Robin Hoods,far from their models.Don't get me wrong,I love Penn's movie,but Kastle's is a different matter:this director-scenarist shows the couple "au naturel".We've already met Martha somewhere:she's the fat nurse, par excellence the outcast,deprived of the thrill of it all,particularly seduction and love.Her behavior,as horrifying it may be,makes sense.The whole movie depicts her pursuit of happiness.She's full of hatred,jealousy and her contempt for these ugly ,old and frivolous women is so intense it's almost unbearable.She hates them because their money can buy anything and most of them used to be wooed,something she has never known and never will.This is one of the most ambitious side of the screenplay:taking a subject Alfred Hitchcock partially treated in "shadow of a doubt" (1942),it pushes it to its absolute limits:all these old biddies in their" pigpen" (as Joseph Cotten's uncle Charlie said),acting as if they are twenty-something and still dreaming of Prince Charming are so hateful the audience almost sides with Martha and her partner.Ray is a very complex character:it's a gigolo,but in several respects ,he's still a child.Martha is at once his lover,his mother and his "sister" (they are as like as two peas in a pod ,one character says,echoing the "gun crazy " heroes,as like as two bullets in a revolver).Martha seems the leader,Ray acting more as an instrument.
As their crimes become more and more appalling,sexual desire is increasing."I want to make love" Ray says,after having killed Fay.Humor (most of the time black) is constant and some of the lines are hilarious.But the last crime is so horrible it leaves the audience completely in despair.And ending the movie with a romantic love letter is a product of pure provocation.Although by no means a violent movie (particularly when compared to today's standards),it's definitely one of the most terrifying works of American cinema.A must ..
Based on the true story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck, who met through a lonely-hearts correspondence club, Ray (Tony Lo Bianco) is sleazy and untrustworthy; Martha (Shirley Stoler) is obese, compulsive, and needy.
After the marriage ceremonies, they take the womens savings and then murder them in cold blood.The way this film is shot, with its grainy black and white footage, murky sound, bright whites and dark shadows, only adds to its incredibly unsettling nature.
He may have turned out to be one of the greats, and even rivaled Scorsese, or Coppola, both having had  a similar starts with low budget genre material (see 'Bloody Mama' and 'Dementia 13', their respective collaborations with king of the quickies Roger Corman).The late Shirley Stoler is a knockout as bored nurse Martha Beck, and Tony Lo Bianco is equally impressive as her Spanish con man boyfriend Raymond Fernandez.
Biopic based on Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez, a couple dubbed The Lonely Heart Killers.
One of those forgotten gems just begging for higher recognition (like SPIDER BABY and DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT!), the film is a realistic portrayal of the true-life murderers who preyed on Lonelyhearts column readers.Shirley Stoler and Tony LoBianco play the two lovers, Martha and Raymond, who meet through a Lonelyhearts column.
She is the one who commits the murders, she is the one who bosses Raymond around, she is the one who controls Raymond's choices, and she is eventually the one who gets sentenced to death with her man.Filmed in lush black and white on grainy film stock and featuring a classical music/public domain soundtrack, THE HONEYMOON KILLERS really does pack a punch today with its cheap documentary-like feel.
For his own treatment he settled on another notorious pairing from the annals of American crime: that of Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez, the 1940s' slayers dubbed by contemporary tabloids as 'The Lonely Hearts Killers', who met their due judicial end in San Quentin in 1951.
The Honeymoon Killers, as his film was finally called, is an account of Beck and Fernandez and their growing relationship during their notorious murder spree.
Elsewhere however Kastle shows real independence and flair as a director, so much so that one regrets that it is his only film: Ray's 'rumba into romance' for instance, as he approaches Martha for the first time, the con man's face sliding lasciviously through the frame.
Lo Bianco as Ray is a minor Latin con type, adroit with lonely women, while Stoler, as Martha Beck (great name) is the passionate one, filled with jealousy and rage.
To appreciate the shock value of the violence a viewer needs to remember that this was filmed before all the extended gore and homicides we see now in movies like "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," "Atlantic City," and "Torn Curtain."Previously, when the victim was whacked hard on the head with a claw hammer, he or she slumped forward, decorously dead.
Tony Lo Bianco plays a Latin cad who meets women through a dating service, happily strings them along and marries them under an alias before taking off with their money; after meeting Shirley Stoler's possessive, mercurial Martha, he almost reluctantly allows his deceptions to turn into a series of murders.
Based on a real-life couple in the 1940s dubbed 'The Lonely Hearts Killers', the movie was trumped the year before by the dark comedy "No Way To Treat A Lady" (which was actually more explicit and disturbing than this film).
Chubby ex-nurse Martha Beck over-eats and gets confused as she and gigolo boyfriend Ray Fernandez murder their way across the Northeast.No doubt about it, the movie's a sleezeball masterpiece.
Movie based on real life killers Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler) and Raymond Fernandez (Tony LoBianco).
It does have some things going for it: it's well-directed by Leonard Kastle; the one murder shown is actually quite frightening and Stoler and Lo Bianco give out good performances.
Unfortunately the bad things far out number the good.This was shot on no budget and it shows: the sets are really shabby (although that DOES fit the tone of the movie); all the characters are unpleasant; people scream rather than talk to each other; the dialogue is banal; Stoler and Lo Bianco aside the acting is terrible; the music is hilariously inappropriate; the attraction between Beck and Fernandez is never explained and, quite simply, this is boring!
"Honeymoon Killers" tells the true story of Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez.
"Honeymoon Killers" is a startling story of true crime in the midst of true love, and the power of a passion that transcends all bounds.Leonard Kastle's first, and only, film is as off-beat and sick as they come.
Utilizing stark black and white photography and superb performances from Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco, "Honeymoon Killers" is an extremely realistic, fake documentary-like film.
What I liked about the film is that the movie stuck a lot to actual facts of the true story.
What better way to push back against this message than grace you with the sight of a pudgy, shovel- faced woman screeching at her man for getting too touchy-feely with their latest mark?Martha (Shirley Stoler) is a bitter nurse with a brutal manner and a need for love she can only find in Ray (Tony Lo Bianco), a con man she meets after answering a letter from a "Friendship Club.""Do I have to tell the truth?" she asks a friend."Whose puttin' you on the witness stand?" replies the friend, played by future "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Doris Roberts.That everybody loves Ray is part of the problem.
"The Honeymoon Killers" tells the real story of Martha and Ray, a pair of con artists who bilked, and eventually killed, some very sad and trusting people.
Also, this feels too much like patronizing people who have already been victimized enough.What the film does quite well is showcase Martha and Ray's twisted natures in service of their crimes.
She may kill the victims, but he's the one in the mood for love when it's over.I can't recommend "Honeymoon Killers," but it has a power like few films you come across.
It's like watching an accident.****** The Honeymoon Killers (9/8/69) Leonard Kastle ~ Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Doris Roberts, Barbara Cason.
This tawdry cheapie made me feel like I had to take a shower after watching it, and I mean that in the best possible way.The film's minuscule budget and bare bones production values actually work in favor of this true story about a sexy Latin lover and his dowdy, unpleasant girlfriend who pose as brother and sister so that he can marry and then con women out of their savings.
This is the true story of Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck who were dubbed "the lonely hearts killers" in the 1940s and were electrocuted in Sing Sing as a result in 1951.
A young Martin Scorsese directed bits of this creepy psychological thriller about Ray Fernandez and Martha Beck, the "Lonely Hearts Killers" who murdered a shockingly large number of women in a two-year spree in the late 1940s.
Based on true-life story of killers Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez....
What should have been an expertly crafted thriller based on a true crime story, THE HONEYMOON KILLERS is hurt by bad direction (LEONARD KASTLE), sub-par performances from the entire cast with the exception of TONY LoBIANCO as gigolo Fernandez, and totally unable to disguise its low-budget sets and what sounds like stock usage of background music by Mahler.The script itself is not that bad.
She is soon helping him, disguised as his sister, but her jealousy of the other women in his life soon leads to murder and mayhem.It's a chilling tale, all the more so because it's based on truth, but the director has clearly been unable to make it more than an exploitation film that for some reason has developed a cult following.
Though the screenplay is not exactly true-to-life, the movie has such a sleazy, authentic feel to it that a couple times I thought I could smell the cigarette smoke.First rate work from everyone concerned, especially writer/director Kastle (who fired Martin Scorsese over creative differences), cinematographer Oliver Wood, and the two leads Shirley Stoler (Martha), and Tony Lo Bianco (Ray).Made on a shoe-string budget with open call casting 'The Honeymoon Killers' can stand up well on a double-bill with either 'Psycho' or 'In Cold Blood.'.
"The Honeymoon Killers", which sadly is the only film Leonard Kastle ever scripted and directed, definitely also belongs in this list, as it is the truthful depiction of the murderous crimes committed by Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez; also nicknamed The Lonely Heart Killers.
While none of the lines equal Waters' best masterpieces, there are quite a few that had me howling out loud.Divine must have watched "Honeymoon Killers" hundreds of times, studying the facial expressions and mannerisms of Shirley Stoler.
Best Great Movie You May Have Never Heard Of. As good as In Cold Blood and almost as good as Psycho, this criminally neglected masterpiece should knock the socks off just about any devotees of film noir or true crime junkies.Shirley Stoller and Tony Lobianco are mesmerizing as the killers, their combined presence so visually startling that what they do seems like a natural series of events.
Tony Lo Bianco is awesome as Raymond Fernandez, a man who with his partner, Martha Beck, lured lonely women to their deaths through magazine ads.
"I'm not so sure Hitler wasn't right about you people"This is a god damn great movie based on the real story of Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck.
Honeymoon Killers, The (1970) ** (out of 4) Cult film about an obese woman (Shirley Stoler) who joins a lonely hearts club where she meets a man (Tony Lo Bianco) who sweeps her off her feet.
This includes the appalling drowning of a little girl and the brutal "hammer" murder of the elderly Janet Fay. Also, look for a cameo appearance by none other than Doris Roberts from "Everybody Loves Raymond" playing the role of "Bunny", Martha Beck's best friend in the film.
Supposedly based on a true story, the film casts Stoler as an obese hospital nurse who's conned into joining a lonely hearts club.
Interestingly, the only American filmmaker I can think of still making black & white films at this point was John Waters...and I can't help but think the movie was have been AMAZING had Divine starred as Martha!
A young woman named Martha (Shirley Stoler) and her Latin lover, Ray Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) conspire to defraud lonely old ladies of their money.
The Honeymoon Killers is based on the real-life story of the known facts about the case of Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez.
I mean - This movie's script contained so many "WTF!?" moments that I swear they were making up this sh*t as they went along.And, speaking about the incompetent, pudding-faced actress, Shirley Stoler, who played the part of the murderous, Martha Beck character - Man, she was so frickin' despicable and completely one-dimensional that I'm surprised she wasn't awarded a "Razzie" for her absolutely unconvincing (and, yes, utterly laughable) performance in this piece of cinematic junk..
This is a true story about a lonely hearts club which was recommended to Martha Beck, (Shirley Stoler) who was a nurse and a very frustrated gal who was obese and desired to be married.
True-life serial killer flick The Honeymoon Killers takes a long time to live up to its claim as a shocking cult classic, spending more time on the killers' unusual love affair than the actual murders; thankfully, when it eventually gets around to depicting the violence, it doesn't disappoint—for a film shot in 1969, the killings are extremely uncomfortable viewing.The film is based on real life killers Martha Beck and Ray Fernandez, an insecure, overweight nurse (played by Shirley Stoler) and a gigolo con-man (Tony Lo Bianco) who fall in love after meeting via a lonely hearts club; posing as brother and sister, the pair trick lonely desperate women out of their savings, but turn to murder whenever their plans go awry.Shot in a lo-fi, docudrama style (no doubt as a result of the very low budget), The Honeymoon Killers is rough around the edges, the pacing is often sluggish, and the dialogue dreary, but the film still achieves a certain sordid appeal thanks to its sickening subject matter and memorably nasty murder scenes, which include a callous hammer attack/strangulation and the drowning of a child..
Although the film's dialogue often crosses over into camp (like Stoler snapping in disgust to one of her victims "You're the hottest bitch I've ever seen!"), the movie also comes off as starkly realistic at times, especially in the depiction of Martha's character.Frightening for reasons that may take you by surprise, "The Honeymoon Killers" is a unique experience that isn't easily forgotten..
A killing couple, supposedly brother and sister, who skim and milk the crowd of solitary and lonely middle class women.The older film (1969) in black and white was a small budget thriller and it shows how jealousy is mounting and building up in the woman and how she manipulates the man into becoming a killer, till the moment she discovers he is a liar.
THE HONEYMOON KILLERS is based on the true story of Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez who remorselessly killed a number of wealthy lonely women back in the 1940s.I bought this movie expecting it to be average but my expectations were not very high.
Adding to the atmosphere greatly, and perhaps as the best reasons to see the film, are the leads themselves, with Shirley Stoler giving a second best performance of her career (the best would later be in a less demonstrative but perfectly cold turn in Seven Beauties) as a nurse who falls for a skeezy con-man named Ray (Lo Bianco is also powerful in his role, as well as totally appropriate for the role in an occasional toupee), who lures lonely women into his trap and gets their money.It's a story about the couple's duality of ego and disintegration within their combustible deal going on.
They hired Tony Lo Bianco as Ray Fernandez and Shirley Stoler as Martha Beck.
The resulting coldness and grittiness that this creates is perfectly complemented by the movie's grainy black and white photography and together they contribute strongly to the extremely realistic look of everything that happens on-screen.Martha Beck (Shirley Stoler) is a lonely, overweight, nurse who works at her local hospital in Mobile, Alabama and is generally unpleasant to everyone he meets.