Blade of the Ripper (1971)
"Lo strano vizio della Signora Wardh" (original title)

An ambassador's wife discovers that one of the men in her life - either her husband, an ex-lover or her current lover - may be a vicious serial killer.

Director:

Sergio Martino

Writers:

Vittorio Caronia (screenplay), Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay),

Stars:

George Hilton, Edwige Fenech, Conchita Airoldi

Cast

Complete credited cast:
George Hilton	...	George Corro
Edwige Fenech	...	Julie Wardh
Conchita Airoldi	...	Carol Brandt (as Cristina Airoldi)
Manuel Gil	...	Dr. Harbe
Carlo Alighiero	...	Commissioner
Ivan Rassimov	...	Jean
Alberto de Mendoza	...	Neil Wardh
Bruno Corazzari	...	Killer
Marella Corbi	...	Victim who escape from the killer
Miguel Del Castillo	...	Medico Spagnolo
Luis de Tejada	...	The inspector
Brizio Montinaro	...	Ospite Al party
Pouchi	...	Victim in the shower
Mira Vidotto	...	Cameriera Della Wardh

Storyline

Newly married to an older man, Julie returns to Vienna, where a razor wielding slasher is killing women. Jean, her cruel and sadistic former lover, immediately contacts her, certain that only he can satisfy her strange vice. But she rejects him. She also meets George, the handsome cousin of her friend Carol; both are newly rich, thanks to an uncle's death. Julie's husband Neil is away frequently, so George pours on the charm. Meanwhile, it seems that the slasher is now focused on Julie. Bodies pile up, other murders are barely avoided, and George invites her to go away with him. Can it end happily?

---

Plot Keywords:

lover | vice | killer | ex lover | murder | 

---

Taglines:

Heaven help whoever is ... "Next!"

---

Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

15 January 1971 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Next Victim!

Filming Locations:

Sitges, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 15,193,058 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Copercines, Cooperativa Cinematográfica, Devon Film, Laurie International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Italian censorship visa # 57415 delivered on 23-12-1970.

---

Quotes

George Corro: My specialty is courting ladies in the presence of their husbands.

---

Connections

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

User Reviews

Fine Italian-Spanish Giallo packed with thrills , chills ,intrigue and plot twists

Good Giallo full of vicious killings , suspense and eerie events . This genuinely mysterious story deals with the ambassador's wife (Edwige Fenech) who discovers that one of the men in her life - either her husband named Neil Ward(Alberto De Mendoza), a sadistic ex-lover named Jean(Ivan Rassimov) or her new lover named George (George Hilton ), the handsome cousin of her friend Carol;- may be a grisly serial killer . In Vienna happens several murders with bloody and gruesome executions. There a razor wielding slasher is killing women and some clues seem to implicate about anybody are dieing. Julie's husband Neil is away frequently, so George pours on the charm .She also meets both are newly rich, thanks to an uncle's death. Jean, her brutal previous lover, immediately contacts her, certain that only he can satisfy her strange vice , but she rejects him. Meanwhile the series killer goes on a real massacre on various unfortunate victims as a woman is slashed , another attacked in her apartment. Slowly more people are found dead and the inspector investigates the strange killings with numerous suspects .

Sergio Martino's great success is compelling directed with well staged murders plenty of startling visual content with translucently pale turquoises and shimmer red when the killings take place . This is a classic slasher where the intrigue, tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room , corridors and luxurious interior and exterior . This suspenseful movie is plenty of thrills, chills, high body-count and glimmer color during the murders in lurid pastel and deep orange-red with phenomenal results . The movie belongs to Italian Giallo genre that was invented by Mario Bava along with Riccardo Freda (Secret of Dr. Hitchcock, The ghost , I Vampiri) , they are the fundamental creators . These Giallo movies are characterized by overblown use of color with shining red blood, usual zooms, and utilization of images-shock . Later appears Dario Argento (Deep red, Suspira,Inferno), another essential creator of classic Latin terror films. Sergio Martino's so-so direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . It's a co-production Italian- Spanish financed by Eduardo Manzanos Brochero , for that reason appears Spanish actors as Manuel Gil , Alberto De Mendoza , Miguel Del Castillo and Italian as Edwige Fenech , Ivan Rassimov , among others . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Emilio Foriscot who photographed splendidly Vienna and Sitges, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain . Very good and thrilling score by Nora Orlandi. The picture is well directed by the prolific filmmaker Sergio Martino . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, comedy, Western, and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He especially was expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ and ¨Arizona returns¨ and Giallo as ¨The case of scorpion's tale ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨the scorpion with two tales¨ and of course ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨. Rating: Good, this is one more imaginative slasher pictures in which the camera stalks in sinister style throughout a story with magnificent visual skills.