The 10th Victim (1965) La decima vittima (original title)

Director:

Elio Petri

Writers:

Robert Sheckley (story)
Tonino Guerra (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's the 21st century and they have a licence to kill.

Plot:

Some people like violence so much, that they decide to create a club in which human hunts are organized - members being alternately hunters, and prey, until they end up dead.

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Based On Short Story | Stabbed In The Stomach | Hired Killer | Dangerous Game

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni	...	Marcello Poletti
Ursula Andress	...	Caroline Meredith
Elsa Martinelli	...	Olga
Salvo Randone	...	Professor
Massimo Serato	...	Lawyer
Milo Quesada	...	Rudi
Luce Bonifassy	...	Lidia
George Wang	...	Chinese attacker
Evi Rigano	...	Victim
Walter Williams	...	Martin
Richard Armstrong	...	Cole
Antonio Ciani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacques Herlin	...	The man who gives the rules (uncredited)
Wolfgang Hillinger	...	Baron Von Aschenberg (the second victim) (uncredited)
Mickey Knox	...	Chet (uncredited)
Anita Sanders	...	Relaxatorium Girl (uncredited)
Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia	...	Priest in aeroplane (uncredited)

Directed by
Elio Petri

Writing credits
Robert Sheckley		(story "The Seventh Victim")
Tonino Guerra		(screenplay) &
Giorgio Salvioni		(screenplay) &
Ennio Flaiano		(screenplay) (as Ennio Flajano) &
Elio Petri		(screenplay)
Ernesto Gastaldi		(screenplay collaboration) uncredited

Produced by
Carlo Ponti	....	producer

Original Music by
Piero Piccioni

Cinematography by
Gianni Di Venanzo

Film Editing by
Ruggero Mastroianni

Production Design by
Piero Poletto

Set Decoration by
Giovanni Checchi
Dario Micheli

Costume Design by
Giulio Coltellacci

Makeup Department
Giuseppe Banchelli	....	makeup artist: Mastroianni
Lina Cassini	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Claudio Mancini	....	production supervisor
Alfredo Melidoni	....	production supervisor
Jone Tuzi	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Berto Pelosso	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Carlo Palmieri	....	sound recordist
Emilio Rosa	....	sound
Ennio Sensi	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Pasqualino De Santis	....	camera operator (as Pasquale De Santis)
Mario Masini	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Enrico Sabbatini	....	assistant costume designer

Music Department
Piero Piccioni	....	conductor

Other crew
Renata Clerici	....	script supervisor (as Renata Clarici)
Mickey Knox	....	dialogue consultant: English language version
Adriano Pagani	....	production secretary
Giorgio Russo	....	production secretary
Saul Kahan	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Gino Landi	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
• Les Films Concordia

Distributors

• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Inter-Verleih Film-Gesellschaft (1966) (Western Sahara) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (TV)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Blue Underground (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Other Companies

• International Recordings  sound recording
• Messaggerie Musicali  music production
• Piatelli - Rome  wardrobe: Marcello Mastroianni
• Technicolor  color
• Titanus - Appia  studios

Also Known As:

"La decima vittima" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (1966) | Australia:M | West Germany:18 (f) | Norway:16 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Germany:16 (re-rating) | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

1285 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion

Trivia:

According to Simon Doonan, all the costumes for this film were by André Courrèges.

Quotes:

Narrator:Why control the births when we can increase the deaths?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Soundtrack:

Spiral Waltz

A hidden gem...

I normally don't feel compelled to write reviews for films, especially when similar views have already been presented. However, after seeing a blatantly off-base review under the title of "hopeless" for "The 10th Victim", I had to make up for it. That reviewer is obviously incapable of appreciating a film like this because it's not easily pigeonholed. It's a fun, exciting comedy, drama, and farce rolled into one... I really liked the interactions between Andress (who looks absolutely stunning in this film) and Mastroianni. An interesting concept that is well executed... after viewing it for the first time, I knew it would remain an all-time favorite of mine for life... I am thrilled that this is finally seeing the light of day on DVD (after a way-outdated VHS version that even had a photo of Andress from ten years later on the cover, instead of a proper still from the movie). I'm buying this on DVD the second it's released...

Lest I forget... the soundtrack of this film is simply amazing... Not a large amount of original music, but what a score it is... by the Italian master Piero Piccioni. Listen and love...