Death Walks on High Heels (1971)
"La morte cammina con i tacchi alti" (original title)

A famed jewel thief named Rochard is slashed to death on a train. His daughter Nicole, a famous nightclub performer in Paris, is questioned by the police about some missing diamonds but she... See full summary »

Director:

Luciano Ercoli

Writers:

Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay), Ernesto Gastaldi (story),

Stars:

Frank Wolff, Nieves Navarro, Simón Andreu

Cast

Cast overview:
Frank Wolff	...	Dr. Robert Matthews
Nieves Navarro	...	Nicole Rochard (as Susan Scott)
Simón Andreu	...	Michel Aumont (as Simon Andreu)
Carlo Gentili	...	Inspector Baxter
George Rigaud	...	Captain Lenny
José Manuel Martín	...	Smith (as J. Manuel Martin)
Fabrizio Moresco	...	Bergson
Luciano Rossi	...	Hallory
Claudie Lange	...	Vanessa Matthews

Storyline

A famed jewel thief named Rochard is slashed to death on a train. His daughter Nicole, a famous nightclub performer in Paris, is questioned by the police about some missing diamonds but she claims to know nothing about this. Nicole is then terrorized by a masked man with piercing blue eyes who demands to know where her father has hidden the stolen diamonds. Suspecting that her jealous boyfriend Michel may be the man who is harassing her, Nicole and her new-found friend Dr. Robert Matthews escape to England and apparant safety. But the killer will strike again...

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Plot Keywords:

masked man | killer | death | train | stolen diamond | 

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Release Date:

19 November 1971 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Death Walks on High Heels

Filming Locations:

Costa Brava, Girona, Cataluña, Spain

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 24,592,669 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlántida Films, Cinecompany

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

70mm blow-up version released in Spain.

User Reviews

death walks and stalks dressed like ....?!?!

"La Morte cammina con i tacchi alti" (Death walks on high heels) features another of the giallo goddesses: Susan Scott (aka Nieves Navarro).

Like many giallos, this is a sensuous film. It's not fast paced as today's movies, where car chases, bombs exploding, bullets flying taking toll etc.. succeed each other non-stop.

But "La Morte cammina con i tacchi alti" is a thriller alright - right from the beginning we see a murder on a train. A black-hooded killer (dressed in black) kills a patch-eyed man. He searches the victims's cabin, but he doesn't find what he was looking for.

There was a big robbery. A safe was cracked and valuable jewels were stolen. The man killed in his cabin was thought to be in possession of the jewels. Cut.

Paris. Nicole Rochard (Susan Scott) is the daughter of the man that was killed in the train. She is a dancer and strip-teaser. Now the killer will go after her. He wants to know where are the jewels, but Nicole doesn't (?) know. She will flee to England (first to London and then to a small village on the English coast), but death is following her. Needless to say, killings will happen and the Scotland Yard will step in. I've tried not to give away much of the story so as not to spoil your fun.

The Italian cinema had at the time very good technicians. The soundtrack, lighting effects, costumes and decor etc.., were taken care by masters of the craft. For many giallo films, even if they had average directors, the atmosphere and charm were created by the combined effort of the film crew. Just check out "La Dama Rossa uccide sette volte" to see what I'm meaning.

Susan Scott (like other giallo goddesses) is a perfect damsel in distress. Whatever she does (no matter what, as another reviewer pointed out), is arousing, be it dancing, bulging her eyes in fear, painting her nails etc.. The other actors do a good job as well - Simon Andreu as Michel, Nicole's Parisian boyfriend soon to follow her to England; Frank Wolff, as the classy Dr. Robert Matthews, with whom Nicole elopes to England; Carlo Gentile and Fabrizio Moresco, as inspector Baxter and his faithful assistant Bergson; the beautiful Claude Lange, as Vanessa..., and last but not least, the actors playing the local villagers - the people of the pub; Luciano Rossi, as the sinister Hallory; the strange street fish seller; the wandering and curious Captain Lenny (George Rigaud)..... Scenery and actors work in perfect harmony.

"La Morte cammina con i tacchi alti" is an entertaining and sensual thriller, but if you only like non-stop "bang bang sock boom crash" , then avoid this film.