Of Dolls and Murder
Released: April 1, 2012Runtime: 70 min
Before forensics, DNA, and CSI we had dollhouses – an unimaginable collection of miniature crime scenes, known as the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Created in the 1930s and 1940s by a crime-fighting grandmother, Frances Glessner Lee created the Nutshells to help homicide detectives hone their investigative skills. These surreal dollhouses reveal a dystopic and disturbing slice of domestic life with doll corpses representing actual murder victims, or perhaps something that just looks like murder. Despite all the advances in forensics, the Nutshells are still used today to train detectives. Documentary film, Of Dolls and Murder, explores the dioramas, the woman who created them, and their relationship to modern day forensics. From the iconic CSI television show to the Body Farm and criminally minded college students, legendary filmmaker and true crime aficionado, John Waters narrates the tiny world of big time murder.
Credits
- John Watersas Self - Narrator
- Jamie Bowenas Self - Forensic Technician, Baltimore County Police Department
- Darrolyn Butleras Self - Autopsy Technician, State Morgue, Maryland
- Rajesh Chopraas Self - Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey
- David Fowleras Self - Chief Medical Examiner, Maryland
- Peter Georgiadesas Self - Hartford County Sheriff's Office, Maryland
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Cast & Crew
Top billed cast
John Waters
as Self - Narrator
Jamie Bowen
as Self - Forensic Technician, Baltimore County Police Department
Darrolyn Butler
as Self - Autopsy Technician, State Morgue, Maryland
Rajesh Chopra
as Self - Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, New Jersey
David Fowler
as Self - Chief Medical Examiner, Maryland
Peter Georgiades
as Self - Hartford County Sheriff's Office, Maryland
Brenda J Haggerty
as Self - DeSales University Student
Sean Jones
as Self - Baltimore City Police Department
Amanda Kensacki
as Self - DeSales University Student
Erica Marshall
as Self - National Library of Medicine
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