La ragazza che sapeva troppo (1963)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Mario Bava

Writers:

Mario Bava (writer)
Enzo Corbucci (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

20 May 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

What Does It Want? What Will Satisfy Its Cravings?

Plot:

A tourist witnesses a murder and finds herself caught up in a series of bloody killings.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Serial Killer | Tourist | Victim | Witness

Cast

Letícia Román	...	Nora Davis
John Saxon	...	Dr. Marcello Bassi
Valentina Cortese	...	Laura Craven-Torrani
Titti Tomaino	...	Inspector
Luigi Bonos	...	Albergo Stelletta
Milo Quesada	...	De Vico / Paccini
Robert Buchanan	...	Dr. Alessi
Marta Melocco	...	Murder Victim
Gustavo De Nardo	...	Dr. Facchetti
Lucia Modugno	...	Nurse
Giovanni Di Benedetto	...	Professor Torrani (as Gianni De Benedetto)
Franco Morici	...	Policeman
Virginia Doro	...	Torrani's Maid
Dante DiPaolo	...	Andrea Landini (as Dante Di Paolo)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chana Coubert	...	Ethel Windell Batocci (uncredited)
Jim Dolen	...	Priest (uncredited)
Adriana Facchetti	...	Woman in Sguattera restaurant (uncredited)
Dafydd Havard	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Tiberio Murgia	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Peggy Nathan	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Lido Pini	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Franco Ressel	...	Arresting Officer at airport (uncredited)
John Stacy	...	Bit part (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mario Bava		writer
Enzo Corbucci		writer
Ennio De Concini		writer
Eliana De Sabata		writer
Mino Guerrini		writer
Franco Prosperi		writer

Produced by
Massimo De Rita	....	producer

Original Music by
Les Baxter		(US version)
Roberto Nicolosi

Cinematography by
Mario Bava

Film Editing by
Mario Serandrei

Art Direction by
Giorgio Giovannini

Set Decoration by
Luigi D'Andria

Costume Design by
Tina Grani		(as Tina Loriedo Grani)

Makeup Department
Mara Rocchetti	....	hair stylist
Euclide Santoli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Paolo Mercuri	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Enrico Checchi	....	second assistant director
Franco Prosperi	....	assistant director

Art Department
Emilio Schuberth	....	set dresser

Camera and Electrical Department
Ubaldo Terzano	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Lina Caterini	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Armando Govoni	....	production assistant
Neda Matteucci	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Galatea Film
• Coronet s.r.l. (co-production)

Distributors

• Les Films Marbeuf (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1964) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Warner Bros. (1963) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Collection Ciné-Club (????) (France) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cimino  furniture supplied by
• Disco Jolly  song co-publisher
• Edizioni Nazionalmusic  song co-publisher
• Emilio Schubert  costumes supplied by
• Tecnostampa  laboratory services

Also Known As:

Incubus (Italy) (working title)
The Evil Eye (USA)
The Girl Who Knew Too Much

Runtime:

92 min | France:88 min | Spain:83 min | USA:86 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Portugal:17 | UK:X | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Fiumicino Airport, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Galatea Film

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Mario Bava]in a portrait as Nora's uncle whom she covers with a sheet (Cut from the European prints).

Quotes:

Nora Davis: [into the phone] Oh mother, murders don't just happen like that here.

Movie Connections:

References The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

Soundtrack:

Furore

Overrated Thriller

The American fan of mystery novels Nora Davis (Letícia Román) travels from New York to Rome to spend vacation with her mother's friend Ethel Windell Batocci (Chana Coubert). In the airplane, she accepts a pack of cigarettes from the passenger on the next seat and in the airport she finds that the man is a drug dealer. When she arrives at Ethel's place, she meets Dr. Marcello Bassi (john Saxon) and finds that the old lady is in the deathbed. During the night, Ethel has a heart attack and dies; Nora runs to the hospital to call Marcello. However, she is attacked and robbed in a staircase by a thief and faints; while awaking, she witnesses a stabbed woman and a man after her. In the hospital, nobody gives credit to her words. In the funeral, the stranger Laura Craven- Torrani (Valentina Cortese) introduces herself as a friend of Ethel and invites Nora to stay in her apartment while she travels to Switzerland to meet her husband. Nora accepts the invitation and decides to investigate the murder; she believes that the serial-killer of the so called Alphabet Murders is chasing her and she will be the next victim.

"The Girl Who Knew too Much" is an overrated melodramatic thriller of Mario Bava visibly inspired in Alfred Hitchcock. The awesome cinematography in black and white using shadows gives a fantastic atmosphere to the streets of Rome. However, the hysterical Nora Davis is annoying in many moments and the attitudes of Dr. Marcello Bassi are silly and naive. The conclusion of Dora about the cigarette of marijuana is ridiculous. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available