Black Sabbath (1963) I tre volti della paura (original title)

Director:

Mario Bava

Writers:

Mario Bava (writer)
Alberto Bevilacqua (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

6 May 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

This is the night of the nightmare...The day of the Undead.

Plot:

A trio of atmospheric horror tales about: A woman terrorized in her apartment by phone calls from an...

Plot Keywords:

Ring | Phone | Vampire | Nurse | Corpse

Cast

Michèle Mercier	...	Rosy (segment "The Telephone")
Lidia Alfonsi	...	Mary (segment "The Telephone") (as Lydia Alfonsi)
Boris Karloff	...	Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
Mark Damon	...	Vladimire d'Urfe (segment "The Wurdalak")
Susy Andersen	...	Sdenka (segment "The Wurdalak")
Massimo Righi	...	Pietro (segment "The Wurdalak")
Rika Dialina	...	Maria (segment "The Wurdalak") (as Rica Dialina)
Glauco Onorato	...	Giorgio (segment "The Wurdalak")
Jacqueline Pierreux	...	Helen Chester (segment "The Drop of Water")
Milly	...	The Maid (segment "The Drop of Water") (as Milly Monti)
Harriet Medin	...	Neighbor (segment "The Drop of Water")
Gustavo De Nardo	...	Police Inspector (segment "The Drop of Water")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Milo Quesada	...	Frank Rainer (segment "The Telephone") (uncredited)
Alessandro Tedeschi	...	Coroner (segment "The Drop of Water") (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mario Bava		writer
Alberto Bevilacqua		writer
Ivan Chekhov		story "The Drop of Water"
Marcello Fondato		screenplay
F.G. Snyder		story "The Telephone"
Aleksei Tolstoy		novelette Sem'ya vurdalaka

Produced by
Salvatore Billitteri	....	producer
Paolo Mercuri	....	producer

Original Music by
Les Baxter		(US version)
Roberto Nicolosi

Cinematography by
Ubaldo Terzano
Mario Bava		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Mario Serandrei

Production Design by
Riccardo Domenici		(as Riccardo Dominici)

Art Direction by
Giorgio Giovannini

Costume Design by
Tina Grani

Makeup Department
Otello Fava	....	makeup artist
Renata Magnanti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Armando Govoni	....	production supervisor
Paolo Mercuri	....	production manager

Art Department
Francesco Bronzi	....	assistant production designer
Riccardo Domenici	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Fausto Ancillai	....	sound mixer
Alfred R. Bird	....	sound editor: US version
Mario Messina	....	sound
Ernest Reichert	....	sound editor: US version
Nino Renda	....	sound mixer
Kay Rose	....	sound editor: US version

Special Effects by
Eugenio Bava	....	sculptor: masks and faces (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrico Fontana	....	camera operator
Mario Mancini	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Lina Caterini	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Eve Newman	....	music editor (US version)
Al Simms	....	music coordinator (US version)

Other crew
Priscilla Contardi	....	continuity
Franco Grifeo	....	administrator

Production Companies

• Emmepi Cinematografica
• Galatea Film
• Alta Vista Film Production (co-production)
• Societé Cinématographique Lyre (co-production)

Distributors

• Rank Organisation Div. Belgium and Luxemburg, The (1963) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Rank Organisation Div. Belgium and Luxemburg, The (1963) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1964) (USA) (theatrical) (English dubbed)
• Astral Films (1964) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Rank (1965) (France) (theatrical) (as The Rank Organisation)
• Astro Distribution (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Anolis Entertainment (199?) (Germany) (video)
• Green Cow (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Network Enterprises (video)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (video)
• Thorn EMI/HBO Video (198?) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)

Other Companies

• Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment  soundtrack
• Paradiso/MS Trading  package design and summary (2006 DVD Version) (as MS Trading Sarl)

Also Known As:

"I tre volti della paura" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Italy | UK | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

France:-12 | Italy:VM14 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 | UK:X | Finland:K-18 (self applied) (2001) | UK:15 (DVD) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Titanus Farnesina Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Emmepi Cinematografica

Trivia:

Director Mario Bava's father, Eugenio Bava, created and sculpted the head for the ghost in 'The Drop of Water' as well as the served head for the segment 'The Wurdalak.'

Goofs:

Continuity: In "The Drop of Water," when Helen crosses the dead woman's hands, she places the right hand over the left but in long shot the left hand is on top.

Quotes:

Gorca:What's the matter, woman? Can't I fondle my own grandson? Give him to me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Heavy Metal Britannia (2010) (TV)

Great, atmospheric horror anthology. A must for Italian horror buffs.

Originally titled I TRE VOLTI DELLA PAURA (THREE FACES OF FEAR), this horror anthology made it to the U.S. with a new title to remind viewers of how good Bava's BLACK Sunday (1960) was. It also gained an excellent Les Baxter soundtrack and Boris Karloff as a host, though the tales were reversed in order and the strong lesbian subtext of one segment and some violence were omitted, but that's good ole' American censorship for you (both have since been restored, anyway). In any case, this anthology is a classic of its kind.

"Drop of Water" (based on a story by Checkov) is a chilling tale of a nurse (Jacqueline Pierreux) who gets her just desserts after stealing a diamond ring from the hideous-looking corpse of a psychic. "The Telephone" (based on a story by F.G.Snyder) was the least satisfying of the bunch for me personally, yet is still above average. In it, a lascivious, unstable and bisexual young beauty (Michele Mercier) receives threatening phone calls that seem to be coming from a man who has a personal vendetta against her. Final tale is "The Wurdalak," which was based on a Tolstoy. Boris Karloff stars as Gorca, a man turned into a vampire by the curse of Wurdalak, which makes him attack and kill only those he loves (namely his extended family, including child). It's astonishing to look at and very suspenseful. All three are colorfully, creatively done, drenched in Bava's trademark rich atmosphere and bring something a little different to the table. "Drop" (last in the Italian version) has the most chilling central image, "Wurdulak" (middle in the Italian version) has the boldest color palette and most vivid art direction and "Telephone" (first in the Italian version) is a very early giallo. Horror regulars Mark Damon (from Corman's HOUSE OF USHER), Massimo Righi and Harriet White Medin (usually typecast as a stern housekeeper in Italian horror films) co-star in this one.

Score: 8 out of 10 (only because I'm reserving a point until I get to watch the original Italian version).