No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Gill targets lonely middle-aged women because they remind him of his late mother, a celebrated stage actress. He uses various disguises, an Irish priest, German plumber, flamboyant hairdresser, policeman, and transvestite, to gain their trust before killing them. This pattern reflects his unresolved obsession with his mother and his need to recreate a mother figure he can control and destroy.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish Gill's fixation on his mother through the portrait in his theatre lobby.

• christopher gill
• serial killer
• mother obsession
• disguises
• targets

Gill calls Brummell because the detective's public statement describing the murders as "well-planned and well-executed" inflates Gill's ego. The compliment feeds his narcissistic need for recognition and validation. When Brummell fabricates a sixth murder victim in the newspapers, Gill becomes paranoid about a copycat and calls to defend his work, unknowingly providing details that help Brummell identify him.

Foreshadowing: Brummell's comment about the killer's skill directly triggers Gill's first phone call.

• christopher gill
• phone calls
• taunting
• brummell
• ego

Kate tells Mrs. Brummell that she intends to become Jewish and dominate her partner to win her over. Mrs. Brummell disapproves of Brummell's police career and wants him to settle down with a strong-willed woman. By presenting herself as someone who will "domineer" her son and showing willingness to convert, Kate gains the mother's approval and overcomes the social barrier between them.

Foreshadowing: Mrs. Brummell's earlier criticism of Brummell's career and her preference for his successful doctor brother set up the dynamic Kate exploits.

• kate palmer
• mrs brummell
• jewish
• winning over
• social dynamics

Brummell fabricates a sixth murder victim in the newspapers to draw Gill out. When Gill reads about a supposed copycat, he becomes furious that someone would imitate his work and calls Brummell to defend his method. During the call, Brummell cleverly elicits details about Gill's physical appearance without revealing he's talking to the killer himself. Later, a fake report about an arrested suspect lures Gill into calling again in relief, which enrages him enough to target Kate Palmer.

Foreshadowing: The fake murder is set up specifically because Gill has been watching the news and responding to media about his crimes.

• fake murder
• newspaper ruse
• trap
• gill caught
• phone call

During the manhunt, Brummell enters Gill's theatre and chats with a man he doesn't recognize as the killer. In the lobby, he notices a large portrait of a woman wearing deep red lipstick, the same shade Gill uses to mark his victims. When Gill mentions the portrait is of his mother, the connection clicks: the killer's mother fixation, the lipstick signature, and the theatre all link together, exposing Gill's identity.

Foreshadowing: Earlier clues about Gill's mother obsession and the lipstick-mark signature converge at this moment.

• theatre
• portrait
• mother
• lipstick
• identity revealed
• brummell

Gill attacks Kate because the fake newspaper story about an arrested suspect enrages him. When the supposed suspect is released, Gill realizes he's been tricked and shifts his focus from evading police to punishing Kate Palmer, who is dating Detective Brummell. He arrives at her apartment disguised as a caterer to kill her, though the attack fails and he must flee.

Foreshadowing: The fake arrest story directly provokes Gill's escalation toward Kate.

• kate palmer
• attack
• caterer disguise
• retaliation
• brummell

The red lipstick kiss is Gill's signature mark, painted on each victim's forehead after strangulation. It represents his obsessive connection to his mother, a stage actress who wore bold red lipstick. The kiss is both a tribute to his mother and a psychological statement about the control he exerts over his victims, combining elements of love, obsession, and violence.

Foreshadowing: The portrait in the theatre lobby shows his mother wearing the same shade of red lipstick.

• red lipstick
• kiss
• forehead
• signature
• mother
• theatre

In his final moments, mortally wounded, Gill hallucinates his victims seated in the theatre audience. This vision represents a sudden confrontation with the reality of his crimes and the guilt he's suppressed. His plea for forgiveness reflects a brief moment of clarity and horror at what he's done, though it's too late for redemption, he dies shortly after.

Foreshadowing: The theatre, where his mother's career flourished, becomes the site of his reckoning.

• forgiveness
• dying
• hallucination
• victims
• theatre
• death

Gill uses various disguises, priest, plumber, hairdresser, policeman, transvestite, caterer, as a practical method to approach and seduce his victims. Each disguise allows him to appear trustworthy and non-threatening, lowering his targets' guard. As a theatre owner and director, he has easy access to costumes and theatrical expertise, making the disguises convincingly realistic.

Foreshadowing: His theatrical profession is established early as the source of his disguise skills.

• disguises
• theatre
• costumes
• method
• convincing

Gill reveals the portrait unintentionally during casual conversation. When Brummell comments on the painting, Gill mentions it's his mother without realizing he's talking to the detective investigating him. This slip occurs because Brummell approached him in an informal, conversational manner, making Gill drop his guard and speak freely about his mother, a topic he's proud of.

Foreshadowing: Gill's conversation is casual because he doesn't know who he's talking to.

• portrait
• mother
• reveal
• conversation
• identity exposed