5 bambole per la luna d'agosto (1970)

Director:

Mario Bava

Writer:

Mario di Nardo (story)

Release Date:

14 February 1970 (Italy)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A small group of people come to an island to relax but soon find themselves trapped on the island with a murderer in their midst.

Plot Keywords:

Nudity | Suicide | Murder | Slit Wrists | Giallo

Cast

William Berger	...	Prof. Gerry Farrell
Ira von Fürstenberg	...	Trudy Farrell (as Ira Furstenberg)
Edwige Fenech	...	Marie Chaney
Howard Ross	...	Jack Davidson
Helena Ronee	...	Peggy Davidson
Teodoro Corrà	...	George Stark
Ely Galleani	...	Isabel (as Justine Gall)
Edith Meloni	...	Jill Stark
Mauro Bosco	...	Charles
Maurice Poli	...	Nick Chaney

Directed by
Mario Bava

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mario di Nardo		story and screenplay

Produced by
Luigi Alessi	....	producer

Original Music by
Piero Umiliani

Cinematography by
Antonio Rinaldi
Mario Bava		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Mario Bava

Production Design by
Giuseppe Aldrovandi
Giulia Mafai		(as Giuliana Mafai)

Costume Design by
Giulia Mafai		(as Giuliana Mafai)

Makeup Department
Orietta Melaranci	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Luigi Alessi	....	production manager
Alfonso Cucci	....	production manager
Adolfo Martello	....	production manager (as Rudolfo Martello)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mario Bianchi	....	assistant director

Art Department
Giuseppe Aldrovandi	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Leopoldo Rosi	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Enrico Catalucci	....	optical effects (as E. Catalucci)

Camera and Electrical Department
Gianlorenzo Battaglia	....	assistant camera (as Lorenzo Battaglia)
Armando Pietrangeli	....	still photographer
Emilio Varriano	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roberto Ranucci	....	assistant costumes designer

Editorial Department
Liliana Serra	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Marisa Agostini	....	script supervisor
Franco Tupini	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Produzioni Atlas Consorziate (P.A.C.)

Distributors

• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Image Entertainment
• Redemption Films (1994) (UK) (VHS)
• Starz Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Five Dolls for an August Moon
Island of Terror (USA) (dubbed version)

Runtime:

88 min | USA:78 min | France:90 min | UK:81 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM18 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Produzioni Atlas Consorziate (P.A.C.)

Trivia:

Shot in only 19 days.

Quotes:

Nick Chaney: So what was I telling you?
Marie Chaney: That I'm a dirty whore. That's why I'm taking a shower...at least now I'll be a clean whore.

Movie Connections:

References La dolce vita (1960)

Soundtrack:

Five Dolls

Style over substance

Hey now, I don't mind style over subject so much when it comes to certain movies, and not minding that is almost a necessity when it comes to Italian thrillers & horror movies, anyway. This is not an exception in that area. The colors are vivid, it has groovy jazzy Italian pop muzak, it has beautiful (by 1970 standards, anyway) women, groovy clothing styles, and well, not a bunch of plot. It takes place on an isolated island in a big fancy house (with the usual weird Italian furnishings including spinning round beds) and it somehow involves some scientist that is refusing to sell his secrets to the rest of the men on the island that want to give him millions for them. All of a sudden, folks start turning up deceased, and end up in the freezer. I actually had a hard time following who was who, who was WITH who, and who was dead and who wasn't. But it didn't prevent me from still enjoying the ride. It even has somewhat of a twist ending, although it may have been a tad far-fetched. So after reading this, if you're not a fan of Italian movies, you'll probably NOT want to watch it, but that's your loss, I reckon. It's a relatively creepy movie with good atmosphere and that makes up for minimal plot and and the usual nonsensical Italian stuff. At least in MY mind.