IMDb > The Whip and the Body (1963)
La frusta e il corpo
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The Whip and the Body (1963) More at IMDbPro »La frusta e il corpo (original title)

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Overview

User Rating:
6.9/10   1,255 votes »
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Director:
Writers:
Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay)
Ugo Guerra (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Whip and the Body on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 December 1965 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
The most deliriously romantic horror picture ever made! See more »
Plot:
In the 19th century, a sadistic nobleman terrorizes the members of his family. He is found dead, but his ghost soon returns to haunt the residents of his castle. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
User Reviews:
One of the best movies by THE most underrated director of the Fantastic. See more (40 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order)
Daliah Lavi ... Nevenka Menliff

Christopher Lee ... Kurt Menliff
Tony Kendall ... Christian Menliff
Ida Galli ... Katia (as Isli Oberon)
Harriet Medin ... Giorgia (as Harriet White)
Gustavo De Nardo ... Count Menliff (as Dean Ardow)
Luciano Pigozzi ... Losat (as Alan Collins)
Jacques Herlin ... Priest
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Directed by
Mario Bava  (as John M. Old)
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Ernesto Gastaldi  screenplay and dialogue (as Julian Berry)
Ugo Guerra  screenplay and dialogue (as Robert Hugo)
Luciano Martino  screenplay and dialogue (as Martin Hardy)

Produced by
Ferdinando Baldi .... associate producer (as Free Baldwin)
Federico Magnaghi .... producer (as Tom Rhodes)
Elio Scardamaglia .... supervising producer (as John Oscar)
 
Original Music by
Carlo Rustichelli  (as Jim Murphy)
 
Cinematography by
Ubaldo Terzano  (as David Hamilton)
Mario Bava (uncredited)
 
Film Editing by
Renato Cinquini  (as Rob King)
 
Casting by
Priscilla Contardi  (as Priscilla Huston)
 
Art Direction by
Ottavio Scotti  (as Dick Grey)
 
Set Decoration by
Riccardo Domenici  (as Gus Marrow)
 
Costume Design by
Anna Maria Palleri  (as Peg Fax)
 
Makeup Department
Raffaele Cristini .... assistant makeup artist (as Raf Christie)
Franco Freda .... makeup artist (as Frank Field)
 
Production Management
Ferdinando Baldi .... unit manager (as Free Baldwin)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ernesto Gastaldi .... assistant director (as Julian Berry)
Sergio Martino .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Peter Jakson .... sound
Rex McCrea .... boom operator
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Baer .... assistant camera
Robert Schafer .... still photographer
Ubaldo Terzano .... camera operator (as Art Balsam)
 
Editorial Department
Lina Caterini .... assistant editor (as Kathy Line)
 
Music Department
Luca di Silverio .... soundtrack album producer
 
Other crew
Joe M. Seery .... production secretary
 

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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"La frusta e il corpo" - Italy (original title)
"The Whip and the Flesh" - International (English title)
"What" - USA
See more »
Runtime:
France:85 min | Italy:91 min | UK:78 min | USA:87 min | West Germany:86 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.75 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Germany:12 (re-rating) (2005) | Australia:MA (2009) | France:Unrated (2011) (tv rating) | Argentina:16 | France:-18 | Italy:VM14 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:18 | UK:X
Filming Locations:

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Christopher Lee's voice was dubbed by another actor even though the film was shot in English.See more »
Quotes:
Kurt Menliff:[to Nevenka] You haven't changed, I see. You've always loved violence.See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hellraiser (1987)See more »

FAQ

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7 out of 10 people found the following review useful.
One of the best movies by THE most underrated director of the Fantastic., 10 April 2004
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

As I slowly get to watch more Mario Bava movies my enthusiasm for his extraordinary body of work grows and grows. I was already hooked after watching 'Black Sunday' for the first time, but after subsequently seeing 'Kill, Baby...Kill!', 'Planet Of The Vampires', 'Black Sabbath', 'Diabolik' and 'Lisa And The Devil' (and others) I was convinced that he's THE most underrated director of the Fantastic. Now I've watched 'The Whip And The Body' three times and listened to Tim Lucas' informative DVD commentary I'm almost ready to bow down and worship Bava like a god! This is such a fascinating movie... Visually it's stunning, as to be expected, Bava being a top cinematographer before turning to directing. The subject matter is still provocative, but forty years ago it must have been scandalous! In fact the movie was heavily censored and when eventually released in America given the lousy title 'What'. Christopher Lee counts this among his favourite roles and it is essential viewing for his fans. He plays Kurt Menliff, an evil sadistic nobleman returning to his family home after hearing his younger brother has wed. Lee's family has disowned him after a scandal concerning a servant girl he seduced who subsequently suicided. His father the Count despises him, the dead girl's mother, who still works for the Count, curses him, and his brother's new bride Nevenka (Daliah Lavi) fears him. Kurt and Nevenka have a past, not only that, a complicated sadomasochistic relationship. The whipping scenes between the two actors were a bit too much for the censors to handle back in the day, and while they aren't all that explicit, they are still unsettling even today. Lee and the stunning Lavi (best know to most people for her later appearance in the star-studded Bond spoof 'Casino Royale') make a truly unforgettable couple. Many people regard 'The Whip And The Body' as Bava's single best movie. I wouldn't go that far myself, but it's definitely one of his very best films, and is sure to impress anyone who has enjoyed his other pictures. Ghost story, murder mystery, psychosexual character study, whatever you want to call it, it's a highly original movie that will stay with you for a long time. Newcomers to Bava are still best to start with 'Black Sunday' in my opinion, but this movie comes with my highest recommendation.

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