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| Carroll Baker and Lou Castel |
PARANOIA (aka
Orgasmo/1969). Director: Umberto Lenzi.
Kathryn (Carroll Baker), recently widowed, moves into her wealthy late husband's fabulous estate in Italy. Her only companion is the dyspeptic housekeeper, Teresa (Lilla Brignone), with occasional visits from family lawyer Brian (Tino Carraro), who wants to marry her. Into her life pops hunky Peter (Lou Castel), a comparatively penniless young man who moves in on Kathryn and eventually into her home. Then who should show up but his free-spirited sister, Eva (Colette Descombes), who seems to have a hankering for Kathryn. But is Eva really Peter's sister, or something more? It isn't long before Kathryn begins to regret ever meeting the couple.
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| Baker, Castel, Descombes |
Paranoia is an entertaining and well-acted suspense-thriller that presents some truly despicable villains even if their victim isn't entirely sympathetic. There's another twist at the end and a satisfying denouement. This is one of several films that Baker did for director Umberto Lenzi. (This is not to be confused with
another Baker/Lenzi collaboration entitled
Paranoia or A Quiet Place to Kill.) Lou Castel was a Columbian actor who appeared in a number of Italian/International productions. Like most of the other films Baker did with Lenzi, lesbianism or bisexuality figures in the plot. Most of the others remind one of
Diabolique, but not
Paranoia.
Verdict: Absorbing story with intriguing plot and some very good players. ***.
I enjoyed this one too, Bill, hoped you would cover it in your blog. I am a HUGE Carroll Baker fan and her Italian films are all fun to watch. She always adds a nice edge to her characters; love her voice that always sounds like it is dripping with sarcasm.
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Yes! that's a good way of putting it -- "dripping with sarcasm." Baker wasn't just a sex symbol -- the gal could act! I still have a couple of her giallo films to look at. Soon!
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