The Salamander (1981)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Peter Zinner

Writers:

Robert Katz (writer)
Rod Serling (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

23 May 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

An Italian policeman investigates a series of murders involving people in prominent positions. Left...

Plot Keywords:

Fascist | Female Nudity | Golpe | Sadist | Carabinieri

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Franco Nero	...	Carabinieri Colonel Dante Matucci
Anthony Quinn	...	Bruno Manzini
Martin Balsam	...	Captain Steffanelli
Sybil Danning	...	Lili Anders
Christopher Lee	...	Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence
Cleavon Little	...	Major Carl Malinowski, USMC
Paul L. Smith	...	The Surgeon (as Paul Smith)
John Steiner	...	Captain Roditi
Claudia Cardinale	...	Elena Leporello
Eli Wallach	...	General Leporello
Renzo Palmer	...	Carabinieri Major Giorgione
Anita Strindberg	...	Princess Faubiani
Marino Masé	...	Captain Rigoli
Jacques Herlin	...	Woodpecker
Fortunato Arena	...	General Pantaleone
John Stacy	...	Concierge
Andrea Esterhazy	...	Minister of Defence
Massimo Ciprari	...	Assassin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Brandt	...	Gianni Bandanelli, Pantaleone's øawyer (uncredited)
Tom Felleghy	...	Man at Pantaleone's Burial (uncredited)
Margherita Horowitz	...	Wife of Minister of Defence (uncredited)
Gitte Lee	...	Princess Baldasar (uncredited)
Nello Pazzafini	...	Manzini's Bodyguard (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Zinner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robert Katz		writer
Rod Serling		adaptation
Morris L. West		novel

Produced by
Erwin C. Dietrich	....	producer
William R. Forman	....	executive producer
Paul Maslansky	....	producer
Renzo Rossellini	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Marcello Gatti

Film Editing by
Claudio M. Cutry		(as Claudio Cutry)
Katina Zinner		(co-editor)

Art Direction by
Giantito Burchiellaro

Costume Design by
Fabrizio Caracciolo

Production Management
Joe Pollini	....	production manager (as Guiseppe Pollini)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Brandt	....	assistant director

Art Department
Fernando Valento	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Tonino Testa	....	sound

Stunts
Angelo Ragusa	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Stefano Marino	....	electrician

Editorial Department
Patrizia Ceresani	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Incorporated Television Company (ITC)
• Opera Film Produzione
• Orbi S.A.

Distributors

• Charter Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• ITC Films (1983) (USA)

Also Known As:

Morris West's The Salamander (UK) (complete title)
Salamandra, La (Italy)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA | Italy | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Norway:16 | Argentina:16

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Far below what you'd expect from this cast

How did it go so wrong? How can a film with such an impressive cast (Franco Nero, Christopher Lee, Eli Wallach, Sybil Danning, Claudia Cardinale, Martin Balsam, Paul Smith - the torturer in "Midnight Express" - as, you guessed it, a torturer, etc.) and such colorful location filming around Italy (Rome, Milan, Venice, etc.) be such a bore? Probably because the story is slow-moving and unengaging, and has no real climax. Another obstacle for the viewer is the difficulty to buy people like Lee and Balsam as Italians. Nero is always likable, and Danning is stunning (even if she's in completely "unrevealing" mode here), but these two are barely enough to keep you focused on what was excellently described by another reviewer as "a political thriller without thrills". (*1/2)