The makers of "The Honeymoon Killers" kept close to the facts of the case, although a number of changes were made to make the film more dramatic and, in some cases, sensational.
The names of the killers and their victims are mostly accurate. The film has Martha living in Mobile, Alabama with her elderly mother, whom she abandons at a rest home when she gets the opportunity to run off with Raymond. In reality, Martha was living in Pensacola, Florida, when she met Raymond Fernandez, and it was her two young children she was taking care of. Martha abandoned the children at a local Salvation Army.
Myrtle Young was the first person killed by Martha and Raymond, and they did administer a fatal dose of drugs. However, the film suggests that she paid Raymond $4000 to marry her as a stunt to satisfy her family, since she was having a child out of wedlock. In truth, Raymond and Martha stole the $4000 from Myrtle after poisoning her.
One of the most memorable lines in the film is when Martha tells Myrtle in a moment of anger "You're the hottest bitch I've ever seen!" This was actually reported as being something said to Martha by Janet Fay. The murder of Fay, one of the film's most chilling moments, is accurately depicted.
When Raymond and Martha commit the final murders in the film, those of Delphine and Rainelle Downing, the script posits that Martha instigated the killings after Delphine confided in her that she and Raymond had been having sex, and that Raymond wanted to keep it a secret from Martha because of her religious beliefs. In the film, Martha deceives Raymond into believing that Delphine has accidentally discovered their true identities, and the two of them kill Delphine and Rainelle. Then Martha, who now realizes that she will never be able to trust Raymond, makes an anonymous phone call to the police and summons them to the house, claming to be a neighbor. In the actual facts of the case, Martha had known all along that Raymond and Delphine were having sex, and was seething with jealousy over it. After the murders, Raymond and Martha were caught when a suspicious neighbor called the police. They probably could have gotten away with it yet again, except they chose to go to the movies instead of leaving town after the murders. The clever thing about the film is that it seems to show the "real" story behind the entire ordeal; the script suggests that Martha herself was the "neighbor" who phoned the police, finally having had enough of the life she was living with Ray.
The film leaves out a few details about the case, including the fact that Raymond scammed a woman named Jane Thompson, who died under mysterious circumstances and is believed to have been murdered by Raymond before he ever met Martha. Also overlooked is the fact that Raymond practiced voodoo, and believed that this gave him power over his intended victims (the film does make a brief reference to this when, during the voiceovers that dramatize his initial correspondence with Martha, he asks for a lock of Martha's hair. He was in the habit of obtaining locks of hair from his victims in order to use them in his voodoo rituals).
Although the liberties taken with the facts change things a little, the overall theme of Martha being jealous of Raymond is true to life. In the investigations into the case, Martha was revealed to be a desperate woman who was starved for sex and love, and these were found to the be the real motivations for her part in the crimes they committed.
The names of the killers and their victims are mostly accurate. The film has Martha living in Mobile, Alabama with her elderly mother, whom she abandons at a rest home when she gets the opportunity to run off with Raymond. In reality, Martha was living in Pensacola, Florida, when she met Raymond Fernandez, and it was her two young children she was taking care of. Martha abandoned the children at a local Salvation Army.
Myrtle Young was the first person killed by Martha and Raymond, and they did administer a fatal dose of drugs. However, the film suggests that she paid Raymond $4000 to marry her as a stunt to satisfy her family, since she was having a child out of wedlock. In truth, Raymond and Martha stole the $4000 from Myrtle after poisoning her.
One of the most memorable lines in the film is when Martha tells Myrtle in a moment of anger "You're the hottest bitch I've ever seen!" This was actually reported as being something said to Martha by Janet Fay. The murder of Fay, one of the film's most chilling moments, is accurately depicted.
When Raymond and Martha commit the final murders in the film, those of Delphine and Rainelle Downing, the script posits that Martha instigated the killings after Delphine confided in her that she and Raymond had been having sex, and that Raymond wanted to keep it a secret from Martha because of her religious beliefs. In the film, Martha deceives Raymond into believing that Delphine has accidentally discovered their true identities, and the two of them kill Delphine and Rainelle. Then Martha, who now realizes that she will never be able to trust Raymond, makes an anonymous phone call to the police and summons them to the house, claming to be a neighbor. In the actual facts of the case, Martha had known all along that Raymond and Delphine were having sex, and was seething with jealousy over it. After the murders, Raymond and Martha were caught when a suspicious neighbor called the police. They probably could have gotten away with it yet again, except they chose to go to the movies instead of leaving town after the murders. The clever thing about the film is that it seems to show the "real" story behind the entire ordeal; the script suggests that Martha herself was the "neighbor" who phoned the police, finally having had enough of the life she was living with Ray.
The film leaves out a few details about the case, including the fact that Raymond scammed a woman named Jane Thompson, who died under mysterious circumstances and is believed to have been murdered by Raymond before he ever met Martha. Also overlooked is the fact that Raymond practiced voodoo, and believed that this gave him power over his intended victims (the film does make a brief reference to this when, during the voiceovers that dramatize his initial correspondence with Martha, he asks for a lock of Martha's hair. He was in the habit of obtaining locks of hair from his victims in order to use them in his voodoo rituals).
Although the liberties taken with the facts change things a little, the overall theme of Martha being jealous of Raymond is true to life. In the investigations into the case, Martha was revealed to be a desperate woman who was starved for sex and love, and these were found to the be the real motivations for her part in the crimes they committed.
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- How long is The Honeymoon Killers?1 hour and 47 minutes
- When was The Honeymoon Killers released?February 4, 1970
- What is the IMDb rating of The Honeymoon Killers?7 out of 10
- Who stars in The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who wrote The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who directed The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who was the composer for The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who was the producer of The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who was the cinematographer for The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who was the editor of The Honeymoon Killers?
- Who are the characters in The Honeymoon Killers?Martha Beck, Ray Fernandez, Delphine Downing, Myrtle Young, and Rainelle Downing
- What is the plot of The Honeymoon Killers?An obese, embittered nurse doesn't mind if her toupee-wearing boyfriend romances and fleeces other women, as long as he takes her along on his con jobs.
- What was the budget for The Honeymoon Killers?$150,000
- What is The Honeymoon Killers rated?TV-14
- What genre is The Honeymoon Killers?Crime Drama, Crime, Drama, Romance, and Thriller
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