I love Lenzi's gialli offerings, or at least the one's I have experiences! I still need to see KNIFE OF ICE and A QUIET PLACE TO KILL. SPASMO and EYEBALL are some of my more favorite gialli viewings. Two very stylish yet, odd in nature but still very effective in the payoff!
It's been a long time since I first seen his SO SWEET... SO PERVERSE (1969), was that not just recently issued on DVD again??
I absolutely loved Freda's brilliant I VAMPRI! Now, what was the deal with Bava being uncredited for with this again? I know he had something to do with the overall direction, but what's the full story on that again?
Any opinions about this more recent giallo? I've heard some bad things but when I found it dirt cheap on eBay, I couldn't resist the temptation of picking it up. Figured I need to give some of the more recent horrer/thriller stuff a chance too. Still waiting for it to arrive and I'm not quite sure what to expect of it but at least it has a pretty good cast that includes famous transsexual Eva Robins from TENEBRAE (1982) and the good-looking Elisabetta Rocchietti, who has been cropping up in a lot of horror stuff like THE THREE FACES OF TERROR (2004), DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK? (2005) and THE LAST HOUSE IN THE WOODS (2006). Not to mention supporting roles by Florinda Bolkan and Franco Nero! Anyone here seen it?
Interesting looking film out of Italy with Irish/Spanish co-financiers. Directed by Italian SFX man Stefano Bessoni.
In the 1600s, long before the invention of photography, a scientist named Girolamo Fumagalli was obsessed with the idea of reproducing images. He discovered that by killing a victim and removing the victim's eyeballs, it was possible to reproduce on paper the last image imprinted on that person's retinas. He named this technique 'thanatography'. Today, the same kind of gruesome ritual and abominable crime recurs within the walls of an international school of cinema. -imdb.com
Also stars the daughter of Charlie Chapman, Geraldine Chaplin as well as her daughter Oona.
Well, it seems this is yet another Argento flick that is taking a beating in the review department. Even die hard fans are not too pleased with this outing. Anyhow, the PAL R2 DVD is now out via a Polish company that found it important to force the Polish subs!
Looks like this will be getting a UK release first via Arrow Films! I still haven't seen this, it was on my radar during last year's Midnight Madness during the Toronto Film Fest. The disc will be released March 15th..
I'd love to grab this, but for now I'm holding off on the Blu-Ray player for now, too unstable industry right now. Plus, the multi-region player are way too expensive!
A fresh regular feature offered by Devin Kelly and Cinema Nocturna as a source for CN readers to get an opportunity to put faces to the many names of European fringe cinema. Each edition of Cinema Nocturna will cover and highlight 2 European film personalities through this new Splatter Mafioso located article. The goal of this monthly piece is to help fans clearly identify those fascinating personalities we've all become accustomed to seeing, and to get these many actors and actresses some sometimes rarely received recognition. And now to kick it all off, this month...
Looks At…
MEL FERRER
The late Mel Ferrer, although often noted for it, wasn’t just the one-time husband of Audrey Hepburn. He was an outstanding screen persona in his own right, although too frequently overshadowed as a side mention in conversations and articles about his more famous ex-wife. Born Melchor Gaston Ferrer, the performer who developed a fluent tongue for the French language and could dazzle as equally in a fencing duel as he could with educated feet on the dance stage, was certainly no stranger to the European silver screen either. Throughout his fifty-plus year career, Ferrer would revisit the shores of France and Italy time and again. From his earliest visits there in the mid-fifties, right through to the classy veteran presence he brought to later Italian and German productions in the late seventies and early 1980’s, Ferrer would always remain relevant in European cinema.
His initial and earliest journeys perhaps saw Mel in some of his greatest pictures. The first film Ferrer shot in Europe was in a leading part in a story of battling families, based on a novel written by a Nobel Prize winner named Grazia Deledda, called PROIBITO (1954) – an Italian/French co-production directed by Mario Monicelli. Ferrer plays a priest who desperately tries to make peace between the two clans amongst much hatred and is faced with his own personal dilemma as a result. Two years later in 1956, he would make one of his most celebrated films, and also for the first time act along side perhaps the greatest love of his life, Audrey Hepburn. The picture of course, is WAR AND PEACE – the King Vidor classic shot at Cinecittà in Rome and starring an outstanding line-up to accompany the couple, among them Vittorio Gassman, Henry Fonda, Herbert Lom and Anita Ekberg. That same year Ferrer would be cast with the fabulous Swedish starlet, Ingrid Bergman in Jean Renoir’s pre World War 1 comedic drama, ELENA ET LES HOMMES (1956) (PARIS DOES STRANGE THINGS). This was shot right in Paris, France, but again was also an Italian co-production and was not the most warmly received of Mel’s early European work. The actor also took this role partially to be closer to his wife, who was filming a picture of her own in Paris at the time as well. During this time, Ferrer would shoot several other U.S. productions in France, before returning directly to French film in 1960 with Jacques- Gérard Cornu’s crime film, L’HOMME A FEMMES (MURDER BY TWO), also starring the timeless Catherine Deneuve. It was clear Mel Ferrer – the man who grew up in Elberon, New Jersey – had fallen in love with the French way of life and the gorgeous sights of Paris in the early 1960’s. No doubt an easy thing to do.
Over the years, Ferrer would star in numerous horror pictures to come out of Europe, with two of his earliest also being French co-productions. Roger Vadim’s ET MOURIR DE PLAISIR (1960) (BLOOD AND ROSES), a tale of lust, jealously and vampiric possession that put Ferrer again in the starring role, has remained one of his most popular genre films. On the campier end of the spectrum from the same year we have Edmond T. Gréville’s, THE HANDS OF THE ORLAC (1960) (LES MAINS D’ORLAC), which featured Ferrer in one of the several screen adaptations of the story of doomed pianist, Stephen Orlac. This picture, a French/UK co-production, has Mel opposite Christopher Lee, but unfortunately hasn’t been heralded as a shining hour for either man, although both undoubtedly keep the film afloat. Ferrer wouldn’t again return to the wild world of European horror until the mid-seventies.
In between however, he would make some rather interesting movies overseas. Pictures like LEGGE DI GUERRA (1961) (LAW OF WAR) with Turkish actress, Magali Noël, an Italian/French/West German co-production, and Giacomo Gentilomo swashbuckling adventure with, I LANCIERI NERI (1962) (CHARGE OF THE BLACK LANCERS) – a film Mel would likely have felt great confidence as the lead in when one considers his legendary swordfight with Stewart Granger some years earlier in 1954’s, SCARAMOUCHE. It was also towards the end of this decade that Ferrer and Hepburn’s marriage would dissolve, leading to a divorce during the Winter of 1968. The split would come a little over a year after Mel produced one of her most famous thriller masterpieces, WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967).
Ferrer’s most entertaining output from Europe would come after a time of brief inactivity following the end of his relationship with Hepburn and several on screen commitments stateside, including filming for the extremely short-lived black detective TV series, TENAFLY (1973). This was all after recovering from a heart attack also, suffered upon the crumbling of his marriage, putting limitations onseveral of the actor’s future endeavors afterwards. It was also however, Mel’s most productive decade for all manner of Italian oddities which have since now gained cult following. 1973 saw Ferrer pop up in Spain too, taking a part in Spanish horror great, Eugenio Martín’s cabaret style partial musical, LA CABARET DEL MOLINO ROJO (THE GIRL FROM THE RED CABARET) which featured Spanish sweetheart, Marisol. Interestingly enough, Ferrer himself had directed Marisol eight years prior in one of the actors last in a short string of directorial efforts, CARIBOLA (1965). The following year provided us with one of Mel’s most wildly entertaining Italian horror films – Alberto De Martino’s L’ANTICRISTO (1974) (THE TEMPTER). In the film, Ferrer must cope with the foul-mouthed, incest driven, green bile demonic spewing of his daughter Hippolita (Carla Gravina) all the while having to juggle the jugs of giallo regular, Anita Strindberg. He occasionally looks puzzled here, but always the sport, makes the most of what is actually a very memorable piece of Euro-possession. In 1975, Ferrer would make his own crime sprinkled giallo appearance, in Sergio Martino’s Claudio Cassinelli vehicle, MORTE SOSPETTA DI UNA MINORENNE (SUSPECTED DEATH OF A MINOR) and the same year would work under the director again in his Polizia themed, LA POLIZIA ACCUSA: IL SERVIZIO SEGRETO UCCIDE (SILENT ACTION) in the role of D.A. Mannino teamed with Italian cop film prime choice, Luc Merenda. Staying on the Italian crime front, Ferrer would take on a role in a five part Italian mini-series in 1976 titled, ALLE ORIGINI DELLA MAFIA (ORIGINS OF THE MAFIA). An ambitious project and almost pseudo-documentary directed by obscure film maker, Enzo Muzii, Ferrer keeps good company here with an amazing internationally renowned cast, featuring Lee J. Cobb (his last film role), Joseph Cotton, Edward Albert, Franco Garofalo, Tony Musante, Fernando Rey, Guido Alberti, Trevor Howard, Tom Skerrit, Massimo Serato, James Mason, Tony Lo Bianco and the troubled, Claudio Camaso, and narrated by Dr. Menard himself, Richard Johnson. Talk about a mind-blowing cast! And Mel still wasn’t done with Italy.
He’d again return to gialli territory come 1977, picking up a supporting role in the Ray Milland starring, Flavio Mogherini giallo, LA RAGAZZA DAL PIGIAMA GIALLO (THE PYJAMA GIRL CASE), sexually duped by his promiscuous lover, Dalila Di Lazzaro. Shot partially in New South Wales, Australia, this is one of the more complex films Ferrer did during the decade and is both intriguing and rewarding. Equally bizarre, but far more controversial and lesser known, is L’IMMORTALITA – a film Mel took a role in for journeyman director, Massimo Pirri, in 1978. Perhaps the film’s only notorious claim to fame is its depiction of a young pre-teen girl in a sexual light, but reportedly (I have yet to see it) this is handled with responsibility by Pirri and Ferrer is said to have not only brought an air of professionalism to the film, but also delivers one of his best roles from the second half of the 1970’s. Likely even a stranger picture than the two previously mentioned was 1979’s, THE VISITOR (STRIDULUM) from Giulio Paradisi (as Michael J. Paradise). This Ovidio G. Assonitis production (made on the heels of the producer’s, TENTACOLI and starring a couple of the same former A listers) is a super weird mix of several elements ranging from the supernatural, to the paranormal, topped with religious overtones, one brat of a kid and a cast of old pros who look like they very well could have stumbled through a warp zone into the fringes of Euro trash. This is one of the few instances in his Italian film appearances where Ferrer plays the heavy as well. Very, very left-field and a must for the connoisseur of oddball cinema or Mel completists. Wrapping up the decade, Ferrer would go back to work for Sergio Martino and back to rare form as the antagonist in, IL FIUME DEL GRANDE CAIMANO (1979) (THE BIG ALLIGATOR RIVER). Certainly one of the more popular films from Martino’s filmography, more sought out than ever today and a decent end to the decade for Ferrer.
Mel’s final years in European cinema during the eighties were a mixed bag, but definitely his two most popular Euro-horror outings sit at the beginning of the decade. The Ferrer/Lenzi period began with the maniacal and much loved Umberto Lenzi’s return to the popular and gruesome cannibal subgenre, MANGIATI VIVI! (1980) (EATEN ALIVE). Although Mel himself doesn’t end up trekking through the sweltering jungle, it is a kick seeing him as New York based anthropology Professor Carter in flick from a group of films chalk full of animal violence, vomit and barbaric brutality. Kind of like one of those moments where you rub your eyes to make sure what your seeing is true. It is indeed Mr. Ferrer in the flesh though…although most definitely not eating it! His second teaming with Lenzi also featured themes of human flesh consumption, this time at the hands of weapon wielding zombies in INCUBO SULLA CITTA CONTAMINATA (1980) (NIGHTMARE CITY). For the most part, Ferrer’s character stays in the confines of safety during the picture, instead devising a plan of action, but his character of General Murchison remains one of the actor’s most referenced from his entire body of film.
From this point on, Ferrer’s forays into Euro-cinema were sporadic. He’d act for acclaimed German director, Rainer Werner Fassbinder in 1981’s Nazi resistance tale, LILI MARLEEN beside Giancarlo Giannini, then make one more return to France in Henri Verneuil’s crime thriller, MILLE MILLIARDS DE DOLLARS (1982). Following this it was the fascinating sounding, DIE JÄGER (1982) (DEADLY GAME), hunting down a home wrecking Helmut Berger with revenge in mind. A rarely mentioned West German film by Károly Makk I’m looking to acquire sooner than later. His last European picture (aside from a very brief return to Germany in 1995 for the Catherine Zeta-Jones leading, CATHERINE THE GREAT) would be filmed in 1983, working with director Raimondo Del Balzo on the romance drama, UN TENERO TRAMONTO.
Without question, the European and North American filmgoer alike owe a small debt of gratitude to Mel Ferrer for his years of dedicated entertainment in all manner of worldwide cinematic efforts. He was an often pursued actor by Italian, French, and German film makers who recognized the talents and charming presence of a man who perhaps wasn’t as appreciated and utilized in the United States as he should have been. With that said, as Ferrer left us this past June 2nd, 2008, I’m sure he had very little in the way of regret for a life well lead, a vast selection of genres and pictures well covered, and a list of performances worthy of tribute. As we raise our glasses in toast of Mel Ferrer during the inevitable moment of goodbye, don’t hesitate to explore the actor further and discover some of his unique, maybe forgotten film roles from which no doubt his cultured real life will rub off on you, even just a little.
Thank you, Mel Ferrer.
MEL FERRER’S SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY
-PROBITO (1954) Dir. Mario Monicelli / AKA. FORBIDDEN
-WAR AND PEACE (1956) Dir. King Vidor / AKA. GUERRA E PACE
-ELENA ET LES HOMMES (1956) Dir. Jean Renoir / AKA. PARIS DOES STRANGE THINGS
-L’HOMME A FEMMES (1960) Dir. Jacques-Gérard Cornu / AKA. MURDER BY TWO
-ET MOURIR DE PLAISIR (1960) Dir. Roger Vadim / AKA. BLOOD AND ROSES
-THE HANDS OF THE ORLAC (1960) Dir. Edmond T. Gréville / AKA. LES MAINS D’ORLAC
-LEGGE DI GUERRA (1961) Dir. Bruno Paolinelli / AKA. LAW OF WAR
-LE DIABLE ET LES DIX COMMANDEMENTS (1962) Dir. Julien Duvivier / AKA. THE DEVIL AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
-I LANCIERI NERI (1962) Dir. Giacomo Gentilomo / AKA. CHARGE OF THE BLACK LANCERS
-EL SENOR DE LA SALLE (1964) Dir. Luis César Amadori
-EL GRECO (1966) Dir. Luciano Salce
-LA CHICA DEL MOLINO ROJO (1973) Dir. Eugenio Martìn / AKA. THE GIRL FROM THE RED CABARET
-L’ANTICRISTO (1974) Dir. Alberto De Martino / AKA. THE TEMPTER
-MORTE SOSPETTA DI UNA MINORENNE (1975) Dir. Sergio Martino / AKA. SUSPECTED DEATH OF A MINOR
-LA POLIZIA ACCUSA: IL SERVIZIO SEGRETO UCCIDE (1975) Dir. Sergio Martino / AKA. SILENT ACTION
-DAS NETZ (1975) Dir. Manfred Purzer / AKA. THE NET
-ALLE ORIGINI DELLA MAFIA (1976) Dir. Enzo Muzii / AKA. ORIGINS OF THE MAFIA
-IL CORSARO NERO (1976) Dir. Sergio Sollima / AKA. THE BLACK PIRATE
-L’AVVOCATO DELLA MALA (1977) Dir. Alberto Marras / AKA. GANGBUSTERS
-LA RAGAZZA DAL PIGIAMA GIALLO (1977) Dir. Flavio Mogherini / AKA. THE PYJAMA GIRL CASE
-I GABBIANI VOLANO BASSO (1978) Dir. Giorgio Cristallini / AKA. SEAGULLS FLY LOW
-L’IMMORTALITA (1978) Dir. Massimo Pirri
-DIE JÄGER (1982) Dir. Kàroly Makk / AKA. DEADLY GAME
-UN TENERO TRAMONTO (1983) Dir. Raimondo Del Balzo
-CATHERINE THE GREAT (1995) Dir. Marvin J. Chomsky AKA. KATHARINA DIE GROBE
~CHOICE QUOTE~
“Instead of buying frozen meat in the supermarket, they
get theirs fresh from people like you.”
-Mel Ferrer (Professor Carter) describing cannibal eating habits in MANGIATI VIVI!
THE EURO-EYE#2
The late Mel Ferrer, although often noted for it, wasn’t just the one-time husband of Audrey Hepburn. He was an outstanding screen persona in his own right, although too frequently overshadowed as a side mention in conversations and articles about his more famous ex-wife. Born Melchor Gaston Ferrer, the performer who developed a fluent tongue for the French language and could dazzle as equally in a fencing duel as he could with educated feet on the dance stage, was certainly no stranger to the European silver screen either. Throughout his fifty-plus year career, Ferrer would revisit the shores of France and Italy time and again. From his earliest visits there in the mid-fifties, right through to the classy veteran presence he brought to later Italian and German productions in the late seventies and early 1980’s, Ferrer would always remain relevant in European cinema.
PLAISIR (1960) (BLOOD AND ROSES), a tale of lust, jealously and vampiric possession that put Ferrer again in the starring role, has remained one of his most popular genre films. On the campier end of the spectrum from the same year we have Edmond T. Gréville’s, THE HANDS OF THE ORLAC (1960) (LES MAINS D’ORLAC), which featured Ferrer in one of the several screen adaptations of the story of doomed pianist, Stephen Orlac. This picture, a French/UK co-production, has Mel opposite Christopher Lee, but unfortunately hasn’t been heralded as a shining hour for either man, although both undoubtedly keep the film afloat. Ferrer wouldn’t again return to the wild world of European horror until the mid-seventies.
CABARET DEL MOLINO ROJO (THE GIRL FROM THE RED CABARET) which featured Spanish sweetheart, Marisol. Interestingly enough, Ferrer himself had directed Marisol eight years prior in one of the actors last in a short string of directorial efforts, CARIBOLA (1965). The following year provided us with one of Mel’s most wildly entertaining Italian horror films – Alberto De Martino’s L’ANTICRISTO (1974) (THE TEMPTER). In the film, Ferrer must cope with the foul-mouthed, incest driven, green bile demonic spewing of his daughter Hippolita (Carla Gravina) all the while having to juggle the jugs of giallo regular, Anita Strindberg. He occasionally looks puzzled here, but always the sport, makes the most of what is actually a very memorable piece of Euro-possession. In 1975, Ferrer would make his own crime sprinkled giallo appearance, in Sergio Martino’s Claudio Cassinelli vehicle, MORTE SOSPETTA DI UNA MINORENNE (SUSPECTED DEATH OF A MINOR) and the same year would work under the director again in his Polizia themed, LA POLIZIA ACCUSA: IL SERVIZIO SEGRETO UCCIDE (SILENT ACTION) in the role of D.A. Mannino teamed with Italian cop film prime choice, Luc Merenda. Staying on the Italian crime front, Ferrer would take on a role in a five part Italian mini-series in 1976 titled, ALLE ORIGINI DELLA MAFIA (ORIGINS OF THE MAFIA). An ambitious project and almost pseudo-documentary directed by obscure film maker, Enzo Muzii, Ferrer keeps good company here with an amazing internationally renowned cast, featuring Lee J. Cobb (his last film role), Joseph Cotton, Edward Albert, Franco Garofalo, Tony Musante, Fernando Rey, Guido Alberti, Trevor Howard, Tom Skerrit, Massimo Serato, James Mason, Tony Lo Bianco and the troubled, Claudio Camaso, and narrated by Dr. Menard himself, Richard Johnson. Talk about a mind-blowing cast! And Mel still wasn’t done with Italy.
Certainly one of the more popular films from Martino’s filmography, more sought out than ever today and a decent end to the decade for Ferrer.
MILLIARDS DE DOLLARS (1982). Following this it was the fascinating sounding, DIE JÄGER (1982) (DEADLY GAME), hunting down a home wrecking Helmut Berger with revenge in mind. A rarely mentioned West German film by Károly Makk I’m looking to acquire sooner than later. His last European picture (aside from a very brief return to Germany in 1995 for the Catherine Zeta-Jones leading, CATHERINE THE GREAT) would be filmed in 1983, working with director Raimondo Del Balzo on the romance drama, UN TENERO TRAMONTO.
