Little Murders Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Little Murders (1971). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Patsy Newquist Marcia Rodd is a 27-year-old interior designer trying to navigate a New York City that seems to be collapsing under street crime, constant noise, obscene phone calls, rolling blackouts, and a troubling pattern of unsolved homicides. When she steps in to defend a defenseless man being attacked by street thugs, she is surprised by the reaction she receives—the victim does not offer any gratitude. The man she saves is Alfred Chamberlain Elliott Gould, a photographer of excrement who is emotionally vacant, barely capable of feeling pain or pleasure, and who allows mugger after mugger to beat him until they tire and move on.
Patsy has long believed she can shape men to fit her needs, but Alfred proves to be a far more elusive project. She brings him home to meet her eccentric family—her parents, Mr. Chamberlain John Randolph and Mrs. Chamberlain Doris Roberts, along with her brother Kenny Jon Korkes—and the dynamics of this chaotic clan quickly become part of the story. The news that Patsy intends to marry Alfred shocks everyone, and the wedding itself, officiated by the existential Rev. Henry Dupas Donald Sutherland, erupts into a chaotic mass fight rather than a conventional ceremony.
Determined to understand the roots of Alfred’s emotional void, Patsy sends him to Chicago to visit his parents, Mr. Chamberlain and Mrs. Chamberlain, whom he left behind at age seventeen. Alfred records a long, revealing interview with them, but they deny any memory of his childhood, leaving more questions than answers about where his detachment comes from. In the meantime Patsy’s resolve deepens: Alfred begins to promise that he can feel and even be the kind of man who fights back, declaring that his first real feeling is worship for Patsy.
Tragedy strikes when a sniper’s bullet kills Patsy, seemingly without motive. Bloodied and shaken, Alfred makes his way to Patsy’s parents’ apartment, where the city’s inhabitants barely notice his shattered state. Lt. Miles Practice [Alan Arkin], a police detective who is nearly overwhelmed by a cascade of unsolved murders, visits and then leaves, more exhausted than when he arrived. After this, Alfred wanders into a park, where he starts to photograph a statue and a group of children, and returns with a rifle—one he does not know how to load, though Carol shows him the mechanics. In a disturbing turn, Alfred, Carol, and Kenny take turns firing at people on the street.
As Alfred begins to believe he has killed Lt. Practice, a grim mood lifts within the trio, and they—along with Marjorie [Elizabeth Wilson]—gather for dinner at her table. The scene marks a grotesque, unsettling fusion of violence and domestic routine, a graphic meditation on longing, dependence, and the dangerous edge of transformation.
Little Murders Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Little Murders (1971) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Patsy intervenes in a street attack
In a crime-plagued New York City street, Patsy Newquist steps in when a defenseless man is attacked by thugs. She pulls him away and tries to intervene, but the victim remains quiet and ungrateful, refusing to thank her as the assault ends.
Patsy is drawn to the enigmatic Alfred
Patsy is oddly drawn to the passive man she rescued, Alfred Chamberlain, a photographer who seems emotionally vacant. He barely registers pain or pleasure, and he does not immediately reciprocate her attraction.
Introduction to Patsy's family
Patsy brings Alfred home to meet her eccentric family, including her strict parents and her younger brother Kenny. Alfred is almost non-verbal and makes it clear he doesn’t care for families.
A hidden family tragedy emerges
Alfred learns Patsy had another brother who was murdered for no known reason. This revelation deepens the family mystery and heightens Patsy’s own fixation on violence.
The engagement shocks the family
Patsy announces their intention to wed, startling the family. The wedding ceremony, conducted by existential Rev. Henry Dupas, devolves into a mass fight.
Chicago trip for Alfred's past
To uncover his past, Patsy sends Alfred to Chicago to visit his parents, whom he left when he was 17. There, he records an interview with them, but they deny any memory of his childhood.
Alfred vows to feel again
Alfred ultimately agrees to try to become Patsy's kind of man and fights back, professing that he can feel emotions again. His first feeling, he claims, is worship for Patsy.
Tragic turning point: Patsy is killed
The instant he starts to feel something, Patsy is killed by a sniper, an apparently random act that shatters the fragile transformation. The murder leaves Alfred desolate and directionless.
Alfred returns to the parents' apartment
Blood-splattered and stunned, Alfred goes to Patsy's parents' apartment. Detective Lt. Miles Practice, a ranting investigator overwhelmed by unsolved murders, stops by to vent about the city's crime problem.
Park walk and loading a rifle
After the detective leaves, Alfred walks in the park to photograph a statue and some children. He returns with a rifle he doesn’t know how to load, and Carol shows him how.
The violent family plan unfolds
The two of them, along with Kenny, take turns shooting people on the street, embracing a dangerous new family dynamic. The act marks a drastic turn toward violence as a way to feel alive.
The mistaken shot and dinner
Believing Alfred shot Lt. Practice, the family mood shifts to giddy triumph. They join Marjorie for dinner at the family table, sealing their grim alliance with a shared sense of victory.
Little Murders Characters
Explore all characters from Little Murders (1971). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.
Patsy Newquist — Marcia Rodd
A 27-year-old interior designer who tries to mold men to fit her expectations. She is ambitious, impulsive, and emotionally driven by fantasy, chasing a stable marriage with Alfred. Her attachment to control and status drives much of the plot and escalation.
Alfred Chamberlain — Elliott Gould
A photographer described as a devotee of excrement, he is emotionally numb and passive, tolerating violence around him. He gradually seeks to feel again, proclaiming worship for Patsy just before tragedy strikes. His transformation becomes the catalyst for the city’s violence to spill outward.
Rev. Henry Dupas — Donald Sutherland
An existentialist clergy figure who officiates Patsy and Alfred’s wedding, turning sacred rites into a performance of absurd meaning. His involvement highlights the film’s critique of ritual and belief under social strain.
Mr. Chamberlain — John Randolph
Alfred’s father, who denies memory of his childhood and remains emotionally distant. His detachment underscores generational gaps and the failure of familial memory to anchor personal identity.
Carol Newquist — Vincent Gardenia
Patsy’s mother, a figure in the eccentric New York family whose presence underscores social pressures surrounding marriage and acceptance. She navigates the wedding chaos with a mix of concern and pragmatism.
Marge Newquist — Elizabeth Wilson
Patsy’s mother, part of the chaotic family ensemble. She represents generational attitudes toward love, duty, and conflict within a volatile urban setting.
Kenny Newquist — Jon Korkes
Patsy’s brother, part of the chaotic household, contributing to the film’s offbeat family energy. His reactions help reveal the family’s eccentric dynamics.
Lt. Miles Practice — Alan Arkin
A ranting, highly stressed police detective overwhelmed by the city’s slew of unsolved murders. He embodies the frustration of law enforcement confronting urban chaos.
Mrs. Chamberlain — Doris Roberts
Alfred’s mother, a figure in the family network who observes, comments on, and participates in the city’s violent turn as the plot unfolds.
Judge Stern — Lou Jacobi
A judge in the story’s legal milieu, adding to the satirical exploration of authority and order amid societal breakdown.
Checkpoints Officer — Martin Kove
An uncredited police officer who contributes to the city’s surveillance and security atmosphere during a crime-ridden period.
Little Murders Settings
Learn where and when Little Murders (1971) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
1970s
Set against a contemporary urban backdrop, the narrative captures a city on edge with frequent crime and public unease. The atmosphere mirrors late-1960s to early-1970s tensions, where social upheaval and existential questions permeate daily life. This period framing emphasizes the fragility of meaning in a chaotic urban setting.
Location
New York City, Chicago
The story unfolds in New York City, a dense urban landscape marked by noise, crime, blackouts, and a sense of urban decay. This NYC backdrop amplifies Patsy’s attempts to mold a partner and the couple’s escalating violence. Chicago appears as a secondary locale when Alfred returns to his family, highlighting contrasts between two interconnected urban environments.
Little Murders Themes
Discover the main themes in Little Murders (1971). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Emotional Numbness
Patsy and Alfred personify a disconnect between feeling and action. Alfred is emotionally vacant, passive, and tolerant of violence, while Patsy attempts to mold him into a conventional partner. Their relationship quality rests on control, fantasy, and a desperate search for connection in a cold city.
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Violence
The narrative is threaded with sudden brutality, from street mugging to a sniper-style murder of Patsy. A wedding ceremony dissolves into a mass confrontation, illustrating how violence saturates everyday life. The film treats violence as a social symptom rather than an isolated anomaly.
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Existential Absurdity
The wedding officiated by an existentialist Rev. Dupas erupts into chaos, underscoring the hollowness of rituals under social strain. Characters drift between rational conduct and inexplicable acts, satirizing the rituals and meanings people cling to. The city’s absurdity becomes a mirror for personal disconnection.
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Family Dynamics
Patsy’s family life exposes pressures of social conformity and marriage as a rite of passage. Parents and siblings react with bewilderment to the engagement, revealing eccentric dynamics and unspoken tensions. This family chaos intensifies the film’s critique of traditional support systems in a collapsing urban landscape.
Little Murders Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of Little Murders (1971). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In a summer that feels like a fever dream, 1970s New York drips with decay and disquiet. The streets hum with the noise of constant violence, obscene phone calls, rolling blackouts, and a restless undercurrent of ethnic‑racial tension. The city itself becomes a character—its leaky pipes and flickering lights framing a world where paranoia is as ordinary as the morning newspaper, and dark humor drips from every cracked sidewalk.
Patsy Newquist is a twenty‑seven‑year‑old interior designer who believes she can sculpt the men around her to fit her own designs. She moves through the chaos with a mix of cynicism and fragile optimism, trying to impose a sense of order on a metropolis that seems to be falling apart. Her determination to find meaning in the turbulence leads her to intervene in a moment of street brutality, setting the stage for an unlikely partnership.
Alfred Chamberlain enters as a photographer obsessed with the grotesque, a man whose emotional landscape is so barren that pain and pleasure barely register. His bizarre fascination with the macabre world he captures—and his seeming indifference to the world’s violence—make him both a mirror and a mystery for Patsy. Their connection is tangled with curiosity, suspicion, and a desperate search for something genuine beneath the city’s cracked veneer.
Around them, an eccentric family gathers, each member bringing their own brand of oddity to the mix. The eccentric parents, a brother who drifts in and out of relevance, and an existential reverend who officiates a ceremony that feels more like a theatrical statement than a traditional rite—all contribute to a tableau where domestic routine and surreal absurdity constantly collide. Within this disordered playground, Patsy and Alfred navigate a relationship that promises to reveal whether any true feeling can survive the city’s relentless, darkly comic onslaught.
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