It’s hard to miss the pleading note in the tagline for ads when Monsieur Verdoux originally debuted in the US in 1947: “Chaplin Changes! Can You?” At the time, the answer was an unequivocal no — audiences balked at seeing the Little Tramp as a murderous bigamist and con artist who responded to “these criminal times” with his own brand of ruthlessness.

Six decades later, the vicious yet elegant nature of Chaplin’s first post-war feature — presented this weekend at Cinematheque Ontario in a new 35mm print — is less of a shock. In fact, it’s a far more sophisticated response to the evils of the 20th century than The Great Dictator, its more successful predecessor. It’s funnier, too. One reason Chaplin’s mincing villainy as Verdoux plays so well is that it’s offset by top-notch buffoonery, especially in the scenes in which he fails to murder the latest in the series of women he marries in order to relieve them of their fortunes. As the stubbornly un-killable Annabella, Martha Raye exudes a vitality that seems to surprise even Chaplin. Of all the black comedies that Chaplin’s flop would ultimately influence, few would be so bold or boisterous.