BARON BLOOD

Pitiful victim of Baron Blood

BARON BLOOD (aka Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga/1972). Director: Mario Bava. (This review is based on the American print.)

Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) arrives in Austria to be reunited with his Uncle Karl (Massimo Girotti), as well as to investigate the castle of his 16th century ancestor, Baron von Kleist, said to be a monster known popularly as "Baron Blood." When Peter discovers a parchment with an incantation that can raise the baron from the dead, he stupidly reads the words aloud, to the consternation of Eva (Elke Sommer of Ten Little Indians), who is helping to restore the castle. It should be no surprise that they succeed in bringing Baron Blood back from the dead, and then the corpses start piling up.  

Antonio Cantafora and Massimo Girotti

After the hanging by Baron Blood of the man who was going to turn the castle into a hotel, it is auctioned off to the highest bidder, who turns out to be Alfred Becker (Joseph Cotten of The Survivor). The other characters know little about Becker, but the audience will have no problem figuring out who he really is. One has to deal with some leaps of logic, as Becker seems to refurbish the castle in a matter of days. The murder sequences are violent, but nothing over the top, and the best scene probably has to do with the poor caregiver Fritz (Luciano Pigozzi of Naked You Die) being placed in a variation of a sharply-spiked iron maiden. 

Joseph Cotten

The movie was filmed at an actual castle on the outskirts of Vienna, which certainly adds oodles of atmosphere to the production. In addition to the murders, there's a climax in a Chamber of Horrors, although this sequence is too brief to be as effective as intended. The actors, including Sommer, are good enough, and Joseph Cotten, who never chews the scenery but exudes quiet, charming menace, adds a touch of distinction to the proceedings. Umberto Raho (of Terror-Creatures from the Grave) appears briefly as a police inspector. Vincent Price and Ray Milland, both of whom had appeared in Poe adaptations, were considered for the title role but Cotten agreed to play the part when the others couldn't. 

Verdict: Despite some good scenes and eerie moments, the picture is a little disjointed -- perhaps due to post-production tampering -- and just misses being a really good horror film. **3/4.  

NAKED GIRL MURDERED IN THE PARK

Robert Hoffman and Irina Demick

NAKED GIRL MURDERED IN THE PARK (aka Raga tutta nuda assassinata nel parco/1972). Director: Alfonso Brescia. 

A man named Wallenberger is found dead coming out of the Tunnel of Terrors in an amusement park in Madrid. Insurance investigator Chris Buyer (Robert Hoffman) is assigned to the case to see if he can save the company from a million dollar pay-out. To that end, the handsome fellow romances Wallenberg's daughter, Catherine (Pilar Velazquez of A White Dress for Mariale), then winds up at her estate, where he also sleeps with her sister, Barbara (Patrizia Adiutori), and almost gets it on with their mother, Magda (Irina Demick). Inspector Huber (Adolfo Celi of Who Saw Her Die?) is also on the case, especially when more murders begin to occur. Other characters and suspects include waitress Kirsty (Teresa Gimpera of The Night of the Scorpion), Chris' co-worker Martin (Philippe Leroy of The Possessed) and the rugged and mute stable boy, Gunther (Howard Ross of The Killer Reserved Nine Seats). 

Demick with Adolfo Celi

At one point in this sometimes confusing Italian murder mystery, there is indeed a dead nude woman, although she isn't found in the park. Naked Girl sets up some intriguing situations, even if it doesn't always milk them for all that their worth. Austrian-born Hoffmann makes a cool insurance investigator and unrepentant lover boy, and the ladies are all attractive and competent. The best thing about the modestly suspenseful film, which hasn't much style, is a clever final twist. A nominal giallo film. 

Verdict: Interesting if highly imperfect Italian thriller. **3/4. 

KNIFE OF ICE

Carroll Baker

KNIFE OF ICE (aka Il coltello di ghiaccio/1972). Director: Umberto Lenzi. 

Martha (Carroll Baker) has been mute since her parents were killed in a train disaster and they threw her out a window to safety. Now she lives with her Uncle Ralph (Jorge Riguad) and her cousin, Jenny (Ida Galli of The Case of the Scorpion's Tail), as well as the sinister driver Marcos (Eduardo Fajardo of The Murder Mansion), housekeeper Mrs. Britton (Silvia Monelli), and the British maid Rosalie (Olga Gherardi). When Jenny is found dead in the garage, it develops that there was already another blond victim of an unknown killer. Now the police fear that Martha will be the next to be targeted. The main suspect is a devil worshipper named Randy Mason (Mario Pardo), but there are others: the mayor, Father Martin (Jose Marco), and the smooth and attractive Dr. Laurent (Alan Scott), who has been treating both Martha and her uncle. 

Baker with Alan Scott

This is the final collaboration between star Baker and director Lenzi, and it's arguably the least interesting. Although it does work up a bit of suspense towards the very end, the pacing is generally too slow and the characters are not that interesting. Jean Sorel is sorely missed as well, as Martha is given no real love interest. The twist ending to this doesn't quite convince, but the film is well-acted by all. Alan Scott was an American actor who did most of his films in Europe. 

Verdict: Disappointing Baker-Lenzi mystery flick. **1/2. 

AMUCK!

Barbara Bouchet and Farley Granger

AMUCK! (aka Alla ricerca del piacere/1972). Director: Silvio Amadio. 

Greta Franklin (Barbara Bouchet of Danger Route) is sent from a New York publishing house to Venice to be the new secretary for author Richard Stuart (Farley Granger of The Slasher ... is the Sex Maniac). His last secretary, Sally (Patrizia Viotti) disappeared, and Greta hides the fact that she not only knew Sally, but was her lover, and wants to find out what happened to her. The other people in the household include Richard's wife, Eleonora (Rosalba Neri), who drugs and makes love to Greta, and fisherman Rocco (Petar Martinovitch), who lives in a nearby cottage. Greta eventually begins a relationship with Richard, but his story of what actually happened to Sally may not be the complete truth. 

Rosalba Neri and Petar Martinovitch

Amuck! is an interesting, well-acted giallo film with an absorbing storyline and some memorable sequences, such as a suspenseful bit when Greta has to be rescued from quicksand by Commissioner Antonelli (Nino Segurini), and the sexy flashback sequence to the death of Sally. As in many giallo films, the women all seem to be predatory bisexuals, sleeping with and romancing men but coming on to other women with abandon -- all of this not for any edification of sexual lifestyles or orientations but to turn on some of the male viewers. Silvio Amadio also worked with Neri in Smile Before Death. 

Verdict: Intriguing Italian mystery with lots of naked breasts for those who like that sort of thing. ***. 

SMILE BEFORE DEATH

Silvano Tranquilli and Rosalba Neri

SMILE BEFORE DEATH (aka Il sorriso della iena/1972). Director: Silvio Amadio. 

After her mother Dorothy's supposed suicide, teenager Nancy Thompson (Jenny Tamburi) leaves school and comes home, where she meets her late mother's photographer friend, Gianna (Rosalba Neri of The French Sex Murders), and her stepfather, Marco (Silvano Tranquilli of The Slasher ... is the Sex Maniac). The housekeeper Madga (Dana Ghia) knows that Dorothy (Zora Gheorgieva) wanted to divorce the greedy, philandering Marco and had taken a lover of her own (Hiram Keller of Fellini Satyricon). Nancy develops an attraction for her stepfather which he does nothing to discourage, and then seems to make a play for Gianna. Nancy tells Gianni that she thinks Marco murdered her mother and may be trying to kill her as well ... 

Dana Ghia and Jenny Tamburi

Smile Before Death has a twisty and interesting script and some good performances but is nearly done in by very listless direction and a score that could best be described as hideous. The first half of the film is relatively uneventful and tedious, but there are clever developments in the second half. The main twist at the end of the film is kind of silly, but there's a highly satisfying coda afterwards. As usual, there's a brief lesbian love sequence. At least the script is fairly unpredictable.   

Verdict: Half of a good movie. **1/4. 

NIGHT OF THE LEPUS

Carnivorous rabbit on the rampage!

NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972). Director: William F. Claxton. 

Husband and wife scientist team Roy (Stuart Whitman of Tender Flesh) and Gerry (Janet Leigh) Bennett are called in to see what they can do about the population explosion of hungry rabbits that are destroying crops in Arizona. Rancher Cole Hillman (Rory Calhoun of Thunder in Carolina) is hoping the couple can come up with something that is ecologically sound. A test bunny escapes from the lab and before you know it there is a new breed of outsized, carnivorous, vicious and very hungry rabbits munching down on horses, cattle -- and people. Oops!

Inept scientists? Leigh and Whitman

Night of the Lepus is played perfectly straight, which is why I've always found it rather charming. There is no attempt to turn the rabbits into monstrously mutated horrors with gigantic fangs and claws -- they just look like bunnies -- but in spite of that the clever editing, close-up photography, and especially the eerie sound FX with squeals and the thumps of heavy footfalls give the rabbits a genuinely menacing aura at times and there are some creepy and suspenseful sequences. There are also hilarious scenes, such as when a cop tells a crowd at a drive-in theater that "there is a herd of killer rabbits heading your way."

Really big bunnies take after pitiful victim

The rabbits are described as being the size of wolves, but in most process shots they appear to be much bigger, at least man-sized, and more often as big as horses or even baby elephants. There are also a lot of shots employing miniature buildings, cars and trucks for the little darlings to play around in. DeForest Kelley of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country plays a friend of the Bennetts. Jimmie Haskell's score is spookily effective. While I can well understand why many people feel this is a terrible movie, I have to say I've always gotten a kick out of it! William F. Claxton also directed Rockabilly Baby.

Verdict: Bugs Bunny's least favorite movie. ***. 

THE MURDER MANSION

THE MURDER MANSION (aka La mansion de la niebla/1972). Director: Francisco Lara Polop. 

Hitchhiker Laura (Lisa Leonardi) is first picked up by Porter (Franco Fantasia of Kommissar X: Kill Panther Kill), who can't keep his hands to himself, and then given a motorcycle lift by Fred (Andres Resino). As they travel to Milan on a foggy night, they are nearly run off the road by a Mercedes with two occupants. Traveling the same dark byway are Elsa (Analia Gade), whose husband Ernest (Alberto Dalbes) is off with his mistress, Ellen (Ingrid Garbo); and Elsa's friends Mr. and Mrs. Tremont (Eduardo Fajardo and Yelena Samarina). Most of this bunch wind up in a secluded mansion near a cemetery which is owned by hostess Martha (Ida Galli of A White Dress for Mariale). Martha tells the assemblage a tale about how 12 people were murdered in one night in the mansion by vampires, which may include her Aunt and the old lady's chauffeur (Jose Luis Velasco), both of whom died decades before and supposedly haunt the graveyard. As everyone decides to spend the night despite the absence of electricity, Fred decides to explore the basement level of the building, determined to figure out if there are supernatural elements at play or not. Before he arrives at the solution, there is more than one death. 

In the basement crypt: Andres Resino and Lisa Leonardi

The Murder Mansion is a weird one. Its greatest strength is its unpredictability, although after awhile you get a bit impatient for things to happen and to make sense. The acting seems credible even if the dubbing is strange, and there's a degree of atmosphere. A very strange sequence has Fred and Laura encountering a cloaked man on the roadway who is carrying a huge scythe, and they don't even remark upon it! Even at the end of the film you may not be entirely certain as to exactly what has happened, but it's entertaining enough. Dalbes and Samarina both appeared in Night of the Skull. 

Verdict: Oddball Spanish-Italian co-production will have you guessing or put you to sleep. **1/2. 

DEAR DEAD DELILAH

Agnes Moorehead as Delilah

DEAR DEAD DELILAH (1972). Written and directed by John Farris. 

Delilah Charles (Agnes Moorehead) lives in a southern mansion called South Hall with her niece, and nurse, Ellen (Elizabeth Eis) and Ellen's husband, Richard (Robert Gentry), and servants. Richard accidentally bumps into a woman named Leddy (Patricia Carmichael) in a park, knocks her down, and invites her to stay at South Hall, where she is hired as a companion for Delilah. At dinner Delilah tells her brothers Morgan (Michael Ansara) and Alonzo (Dennis Patrick), and younger sister, Grace (Anne Meacham), that she has only a short time to live and is leaving the estate to the state for preservation. However, she insists their late father hid $600,000 in the house or on the grounds and all they have to do is find it. As someone begins taking an ax to various family members and others, Leddy -- who went to an institution after chopping up her hateful mother -- is afraid she is falling back on old ways. But there may be more to this than meets the eye ... 

Robert Gentry as Richard

Moorehead is delightful in her last theatrical film, and she is one of the chief reasons to watch the movie, which is modestly entertaining in any case. Better known as a horror novelist, John Farris proves a better screenwriter than director, although the picture has a pretty good pace. The dysfunctional characters are interesting but the actors really bring them to life. One problem is that when you think about who else could be responsible for the deaths, only one person really springs to mind, minimizing the suspense. Some of the murders are gruesome, especially a wheelchair decapitation with the murderer on horseback -- which is certainly dramatic but not terribly sensible -- but nothing as graphic as today. Meacham was one of Tennessee Williams' favorite actresses, and she appeared in several of his plays. Robert Gentry became a popular soap opera actor, especially on Generations and Another World. Will Geer plays the lawyer Roy. 

Verdict: This low-budget ax fest needs a slicker production and zestier direction but it has its moments. **1/2. 

EYE IN THE LABRYINTH

Rosemary Dexter and Michael Maien

EYE IN THE LABRYINTH (aka L'occhio nel labirinto/1972). Director: Mario Caiano. 

Julie (Rosemary Dexter) goes in search of her missing boyfriend, Lucas (Horst Frank of So Sweet ... So Perverse), a psychiatrist who went off for a weekend and never returned. With the assistance of an old goat named Frank (Adolfo Celi of Ten Little Indians), the trail leads her to the beautiful villa of Gerda (Alida Valli), who invites her to stay but denies knowledge of Lucas. Gerda has a much younger boyfriend named Louis (Michael Maien), as well as several house guests, including Toni (Sybil Danning) and trans woman Corrine (Peter Krause). But Julie not only discovers unsavory things about Lucas -- and indeed Gerda and her guests -- but there are indications that everyone is lying about Lucas and his whereabouts. When there is more than one attempt on Julie's life, she must again rely on Frank's help, but will she be able to fight off his advances? And if somebody murdered Lucas, who was it? 

Alida Valli

Eye in the Labryinth can be confusing, but everything in this twisty thriller comes together at the end. Unlike a lot of giallo films, this is not a slasher flick with a mad killer on the loose -- at least not in the typical sense, although there are a couple of homicides. The direction and production values are nothing special, the score is pretty bad, the acting is more than acceptable. Benjamin Lev makes an impression as Saro, a horny orphan boy who comes to a very bad end. Dexter was a Pakistani actress; Austrian-born Danning had a run as a "B" movie queen without ever breaking out into mainstream success. Alida Valli was the star of Hitchcock's Paradine Case, but her American career did not last long. 

Verdict: Imperfect but interesting Italian murder mystery. **3/4. 

A WHITE DRESS FOR MARIALE

Ida Galli and Ivan Rassimov

A WHITE DRESS FOR MARIALE (aka Un bianco vestito per Mariale/1972). Director: Romano Scavolini.

Paolo (Luigi Pistilli), who lives in a cluttered castle on an isolated estate, is married to the emotionally-disturbed Mariale (Ida Galli). Unbeknownst to her husband, she has invited several of their friends to their home. These include Massimo (Ivan Rassimov of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardj), Mercedes (Pilar Velazquez), Sebastiano (Ezio Marano), Jo (Giancarlo Bonuglia), Semy (Shawn Robinson), and her rather racist boyfriend Gustavo (Edilio Kim). As the evening proceeds the guests indulge in fun and games, dressing up in costumes they find in the basement. After an hour -- yes an hour -- of what mostly amounts to sheer tedium, at last there is a murder (and the almost obligatory lesbian love scene), after which virtually the entire cast is violently dispatched. Is the killer Mariale or Paolo? Who do you think? (The sinister butler, Osvaldo, played by Gengher Gatti, is one of the first to go.)

Luigi Pistilli

I would not be surprised if the ugly estate featured in this movie came first, with a script being hastily built around the location. Poor Luigi Pistilli [Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key], who was a serious theater actor in addition to being in several of these giallo films, has little choice but to wander around the castle in a state of bored ennui, just waiting for the damn thing to be over -- like the audience. One sequence shows an apparent wind storm that somehow manages to occur in the basement, but even this doesn't stay very interesting for long. There is absolutely no elan to the many murder sequences, and the whole thing has a disjointed, cheapjack ambiance to it. 

Verdict: Simply terrible giallo. *. 

YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY

Luigi Pistilli and Anita Strindberg

YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY (aka Il tuo vizio e una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave/1972). Director: Sergio Martino. 

Dissipated author Oliverio Rouvigny (Luigi Pistilli of The Case of the Scorpion's Tail), who has writer's block and is supposedly impotent, spends his time in his crumbling mansion being cruel to his wife, Irina (Anita Strindberg) and maid, Brenda (Angela La Vorgna). Oliverio instantly becomes a suspect when one of his mistresses, Fausta (Daniela Giordano of The Night of the Scorpion), is found slashed to death. More murders follow as the killer is seemingly unmasked. If this family weren't dysfunctional and toxic enough, along comes the Rouvigny's niece, Floriana (Edwige Fenech), a free spirit who sleeps with both aunt and uncle, and picks up an attractive boyfriend along the way. As a nasty cat named Satan runs around attacking Irina's doves and Irina herself, Floriana suggests a way she can rid herself of Oliverio ... 

Fenech and Strindberg

Your Vice is a wild giallo -- often ridiculous and illogical but always amusing -- that combines a mad slasher or two with marital discord, sadomasochism (of an emotional kind), and even a dollop of Edgar Allan Poe what with that black cat and its activities. Pistilli offers a virile portrait of an obnoxious monster, while Strindberg gives one of her best performances as his put-upon, dissatisfied wife. Fenech, despite her obvious assets, looks almost plain and boyish in this, especially compared to the gorgeous Strindberg. (Fenech only bares her breasts with male lovers, but is more modest when she gets it on with Strindberg. The lesbian aspects are clearly meant for titillation and not any insight into homosexual relationships. Director Martino probably couldn't resist putting two sex symbols of giallo films into bed together.)  Ivan Rassimov of The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardj -- also directed by Martino and starring Fenech -- has a small but pivotal role. 

Verdict: One strange household -- and lots of twists. ***. 

WHO SAW HER DIE?

George Lazenby

WHO SAW HER DIE? (aka Chi l'ha vista morire/1972). Director: Aldo Lado. 

Sculptor Franco Serpieri (George Lazenby) and his estranged wife, Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg of The Case of the Scorpion's Tail), are horrified when their young daughter, Roberta (Nicoletta Elmi) is the latest victim of a deranged child murderer. Meanwhile the unknown killer, who may or may not be female, begins obliterating anyone who knows the truth about his or her identity. As the body count rises, Franco begins to eye a number of suspects, including wealthy Serafian (Adolfo Celi of Ten Little Indians), his secretary and mistress Ginevra (Dominique Boschero of Secret Agent Fireball), her lover Philip (Peter Chatel), and others. It is no surprise when the maniac then targets Franco and his wife ... 

Anita Strindberg

George Lazenby had starred as James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service three years earlier, but it was his decision not to do any more 007 adventures, a decision he apparently regretted later on. Initially he is unrecognizable with his mustache and long hair, but he is also quite skinny, having lost a lot of weight since playing Bond. As most of the cast are dubbed in this it's impossible to truly judge the acting, but everyone seems credible and effective. Celi, of course, was the villain in Thunderball with Sean Connery. 

Adolfo Celi

Who Saw Her Die? has a very interesting and absorbing screenplay, although perhaps it's more convoluted and confusing than it needs to be. Filmed almost entirely in Venice, it benefits from great location shooting. Ennio Morricone's musical score consists of children's choruses, two of which are quite pretty, but the chorus he uses for murder sequences and the like quickly becomes intensely irritating. Despite its disjointed quality, Who Saw Her Die?  is suspenseful, and the identity of the killer may come as a surprise (although there's hardly anyone left at the end). 

Verdict: Intriguing giallo film with a very interesting cast. **3/4. 

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW

Mark Lester and Britt Ekland

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW (aka La tua prezenza nuda!/1972. Directors: James Kelley; Andrea Bianchi.

12-year-old Marcus (Mark Lester) comes home from school -- supposedly because of a chicken pox outbreak -- and meets his new stepmother, Elise (Britt Ekland of King Solomon's Treasure), for the first time. Initially they seem to hit it off, but Elise accuses Marcus of lying about some missing money. Her husband, Paul (Hardy Kruger), takes the boy's side. She goes to Marcus' school to speak to the headmaster (Harry Andrews) and discovers that Marcus was actually expelled from school for bizarre behavior, which includes peeping on couples in the local lover's lane and torturing and killing a cat! But Elise begins to suspect that Marcus may be guilty of even worse things, especially when she learns his mother's death might not have been an accident. Is the boy a sociopathic murderer, or is Elise herself in need of psychiatric help?

Who's the crazy one? Lilli Palmer, Britt Ekland

What the Peeper Saw has an interesting premise, but despite a decent screenplay it lacks the tension and skill that could have turned it into a nail-biter. Instead it meanders along at a deliberate, even dull, pace with the occasional startling moment, such as when Elise agrees to strip for the boy in exchange for his confessing to certain malfeasances. This certainly gets the attention of psychiatrist Dr. Viorne (Lilli Palmer) in a well-played sequence in her office that is by far the best scene in the movie. All of the actors are quite good in this, with Palmer a stand-out as she realizes Elise may need more help than the child. The ending packs a small wallop. 

Verdict: Too bad. This one had distinct possibilities, but ...  **1/4. 

THE NIGHT OF THE SCORPION

Jose Antonio Amor and Nuria Torray

THE NIGHT OF THE SCORPION (aka La casa de las muertas vivientes/1972). Director: Alfonso Blacazar.

"Your father has been dead a long time now and I consider you part of my inheritance." -- Sara. 

Oliver (Jose Antonio Amor) believes that he was responsible for the falling death of his wife, Helen (Gioia Desideri), during an argument when he was drunk. A year later he arrives back at his castle-like home with a new wife, Ruth (Daniela Giordano), whom he barely knows. The household now consists of the newlyweds; Oliver's sister, Jenny (Teresa Gimpera of The Black Box Affair), who was in love with Helen; and Oliver's stepmother Sara (Nuria Torray), who is hopelessly in love  -- and lust -- with him.  At night Sara becomes a peeping Thomasina, peering at Oliver and Ruth -- as she did Oliver and Helen -- through a hole as they make love. Ruth decides to bring a private detective  (Osvaldo Genazzini) into this twisted situation so that he can get at the truth, but things may not work out quite the way the young woman intended ... 

Amor with Teresa Gimpera 

The Night of the Scorpion -- there's no explanation for the title -- takes a good while to build up any steam. The first murder doesn't occur for a full hour. The dubbed actors all seem more than competent, but when the action finally starts it occurs at a comically fast pace. We're asked to believe that Ruth would go down into a dark cellar by herself  right after she's found two corpses! The best scene is a violent and erotic fantasy of Sara's in which she murders Ruth and then has sex with her stepson. A dubbed Spanish-Italian co-production. 

Verdict:  Delightfully sick at times but ultimately third-rate. **1/2. 

THE SLASHER ... IS THE SEX MANIAC

THE SLASHER ... IS THE SEX MANIAC (aka Rivelazioni di un maniaco sessuale al capo della squadra mobile/1972). Director: Roberto Bianchi Montero. 

"I may be homosexual but I am not homicidal!" -- "Cleopatra." 

An unknown killer is running around murdering women who are having affairs. The maniac leaves photos of the women and their lovers, although the latter's faces are scratched off. (Which begs the question: how can the police be so certain that the man in the photo is the lover and not the husband? At least we know that the killer gets the photos while stalking his victims.) In any case Inspector Capuana (Farley Granger) is assigned to track down the killer and pursues a number of leads before getting distressing information about the extracurricular activities of his own wife (Sylva Koscina of Hercules Unchained). Along the way he consults with Professor Casali (Chris Avram of The Killer Reserved Nine Seats), stumbles over a number of corpses, and interviews the lawyer Santangeli (Silvano Tranquilli), who's having an affair with a neighbor even as his own wife goes off for a dalliance. (You need a scorecard to count the affairs as well as the corpses.) Farley Granger, Koscina, and the other cast members acquit themselves professionally and the film is undeniably suspenseful, with a satisfying climax. Luciano Rossi plays the weird Gastone and Nieves Navarro is another victim. 

NOTE: New hardcore footage with porn star Harry Reems was inserted -- no pun intended -- into this film under the title Penetration. It was taken out of release in the U.S. after Farley Granger threatened a lawsuit. 

Verdict: Definitely one of the better giallo films. ***

THE FRENCH SEX MURDERS

Anita Ekberg

THE FRENCH SEX MURDERS (Casa d'appuntaento/1972). Director: Ferdinando Merighi. 

In Paris Madame Colette (Anita Ekberg) runs an exclusive brothel. One night Francine (Barbara Bouchet of Agent for H.A.R.M.) is murdered and her jealous suitor, Antoine (Peter Martell), is the main suspect. Escaping from custody after being convicted and vowing revenge on everyone, Antoine is beheaded in an accident. For unaccountable reasons Professor Waldermar (Howard Vernon) wants the severed head for "experiments" and is granted its disposition by his friend, the Judge on the case, George Teschi (William Alexander). In the meantime a sinister figure is running about violently killing people involved in the case while Inspector Fontaine (Robert Sacchi) pursues all leads, investigating not just Madame Colette but Pepi (Rolf Eden), owner of a nightclub and his associates, including sometime girlfriend Marianne (Rosalba Neri). While all this is going on the professor's assistant, Roger (Franco Borelli), tries to pursue a relationship with the man's daughter, Eleonora (Evelyne Kraft). Another suspect/potential victim is Dick Randall (Renato Romano), a reporter who is doing a story on French prostitutes. 

Robert Sacchi and Rosalba Neri

Robert Sacchi not only resembles Humphrey Bogart, but whoever dubbed his voice makes sure he sounds a lot like Bogie as well, including the trademark lisp. French Sex Murders is reasonably absorbing and intriguing, although the many murder sequences are not handled with any particular elan. Director Merighi simply repeats the same shot of a throat being slashed, head lopped off and so on five times, as if he has no clue of how to stage an effective kill scene. Filmed on Paris locations, including the Eiffel Tower, this is a true International production: Italy-France-West Germany. Sacchi was born in Italy, raised in the Bronx, and starred as The Man with Bogart's Face. This film was his first credit. 

Verdict: So-so giallo with some interesting aspects. **1/2. 

FEAR IN THE NIGHT

FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972). Produced and directed by Jimmy Sangster.

Newlyweds Peggy (Judy Geeson of Berserk) and Robert Heller (Ralph Bates) have moved into a cottage on the grounds of a boys school owned and run by headmaster Michael Carmichael (Peter Cushing of The Beast Must Die). Michael has a much younger wife named Molly (Joan Collins). Peggy has already been attacked by a man with a prosthetic arm back in the city, when this same man breaks into the cottage. Robert, who knows that Peggy was seeing a doctor after a nervous breakdown, isn't certain whether to believe her or not. One evening he has to go on an errand for Michael, and Peggy is left all alone in the house. Bad things are going to happen ... 

Ralph Bates and Judy Geeson

Fear in the Night is an intriguing and suspenseful Hammer thriller with some excellent performances. Even if you get clued in to some of the things that are going on, there are still some interesting twists to the story. Once everything has unfolded there is also a degree of pathos when you realize how cruelly one of the innocent characters has been used. The great Peter Cushing adds some class to the picture as he generally does, Bates doesn't give away if he's keeping secrets or not, Collins is suitably tough and forceful in her portrayal, and Geeson generally manages to deal with all of the sinister goings-on with aplomb. Sangster, who also co-wrote the screenplay, never lets the pace flag. It all builds to a quite satisfactory conclusion. 

Verdict:  Notable Hammer suspense film with fine performances. ***. 

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER

Robert Conrad as Nick Carter

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER (1972 telefilm). Director: Paul Krasny. 

Around 1910 in Manhattan private eye Nick Carter (Robert Conrad), learns that his old friend and mentor, Sam Bates (Byron Morrow), has been murdered. Bates was trying to find a young lady named Ivy, who supposedly left town with a young man named Lloyd Deams (Sean Garrison), the paramour of club owner Bess Tucker (Shelley Winters). Nick is hired by Ivy's father-in-law Otis Duncan (Broderick Crawford) to find out what happened to Ivy, although Nick is just as interested in discovering who bumped off Bates. As Nick investigates he encounters Duncan's two sons, the flamboyant and dissipated Freddy (Dean Stockwell) and the much more uptight Neal (Pernell Roberts), not to mention corrupt cop Captain Keller (Neville Brand) and his murderous henchmen. 

Dean Stockwell and Pernell Roberts

Adventures of Nick Carter is based on a character who first appeared in print in the late 19th century. It's been decades since I read any Nick Carter stories but it seemed to me they were a little wilder than this fairly reasonable mystery-detective tale. Robert Conrad had wrapped up his lengthy run on The Wild, Wild West and it was undoubtedly thought that lightning might strike twice with the actor in another suspenseful period piece, but Nick Carter did not become a series. Conrad is okay as Carter, basically playing himself, but he gets fine support from the other cast members named above, as well as from Pat O'Brien as the head of a mission who gives Carter tips from time to time. Brooke Bundy is Carter's secretary, and the awful singer Jaye P. Morgan shows up very briefly as a forgettable chanteuse. The best performances are from Dean Stockwell and Pernell Roberts as the two highly unalike siblings. Nick Carter was later turned into a kind of super-spy in a series of lurid paperback books and was also featured in the foreign parody Dinner for Adele. 

Verdict: Could have made an interesting series, although not as much fun as The Wild, Wild West. ***.  

BEWARE MY BRETHREN

Ann Todd with Tony Beckley

BEWARE MY BRETHREN (1972). Director: Robert Hartford-Davis. 

Birdy Wemys (Ann Todd) lives with her son Kenny (Tony Beckley) in an old house which has a chapel in the basement. This is used by a batty minister (Patrick Magee) for a sect of Jesus Freaks and both mother and son are members. Meanwhile someone is running around in the neighborhood murdering young women. Birdy has a nurse,  Brigitte (Madeleine Hinde), who lives with her sister, Paddy (Suzanna Leigh), who is a reporter. Paddy decides that this church as well as mother and son are worth investigating, but she may get more than she bargained for when she enters this household as a new member of the church ...

Suzanna Leigh and Patrick Magee

This synopsis for Beware My Brethren may make the film sound interesting, but be forewarned that it came very close to making it on to my list of "Films I Never Quite Finished" -- it is that bad and boring. There are decent performances, especially from Ann Todd, the talented British actress reduced to appearing in this dribble, one startling moment (and only one), and a fairly exciting fight scene at the finish. Otherwise this movie is slow, tedious and terrible. This is nothing like the zesty Corruption, which Hartford-Davis helmed four years earlier. One very funny aspect of the picture is that on a couple of occasions it turns downright bizarre, with one of the Brethren -- as they are called -- breaking into song in the middle of the service, only these sequences are presented as if they were pop tunes in a musical! (The songs aren't actually that bad, but they hardly fit in into what is supposed to be a horror movie.) One of the murder scenes, none of which are shot with any elan, seems to have been lit by flashlight! Tony Beckley later made an impression in his last film When a Stranger Calls. 

Verdict: British horror at a very low ebb. *1/2. 
 

GARGOYLES

Cornel Wilde, Grayson Hall, Jennifer Salt

GARGOYLES (1972 telefilm). Director: Bill Norton. 

Dr. Mercer Boley (Cornel Wilde) and his daughter, Diana (Jennifer Salt), drive into the desert to seek out an old man (Woody Chambliss) who runs a museum of strange artifacts and has found a very weird skeleton. Just as Boley thinks the old man has put together a phony artifact, his home is attacked by a barely-seen creature that sets fire to the place and runs off. A motorcycle gang run by James Reeger (Scott Glenn) is accused of the crime, but Mercer and Diana know that there's something monstrous out there in the desert, or more to the point, in the caverns nearby. Boley has uncovered a nest of gargoyles, a demonic race that are intent on taking over the world. When Diana is kidnapped by the head gargoyle (a dubbed Bernie Casey), Mercer and the police track her to the caverns ... 

Scott Glenn protests his innocence

Gargoyles is pretty bad, which is a shame because it has some atmosphere in the beginning, as well as a workable plot, but it's just unconvincing and kind of cheapjack. Wilde and Salt do the best they can with the material, and Grayson Hall is fun as a slatternly motel owner who hopes to get a date with Wilde -- fat chance! Scott Glenn makes an impression as the motorbike guy who joins in the hunt for the gargoyles. The prologue to the film makes it sound as if this will be some kind of epic good vs. evil battle -- apparently the gargoyles were thrown down from Heaven and try to take over the world every several hundred years or so -- but this doesn't have the required budget to make it work. The overuse of slow-motion to depict action is a tiresome device that doesn't work at all. Director Bill Norton did a better job with False Arrest some years later.

Verdict: Another crappy 1970's made-for-TV horror flick that wastes its potential. **.