Four Times that Night (1972) Quante volte... quella notte (original title)

Director:

Mario Bava

Writers:

Guido Leoni (dialogue)
Mario Moroni (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

April 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

John and Tina meet in a park one day. They immediately hit it off, go out on a date later that evening...

Plot Keywords:

Park | Flashback | Nightclub | Lesbian | Mini Dress

Cast

Daniela Giordano	...	Tina Brandt
Brett Halsey	...	Gianni Prada
Dick Randall	...	The Janitor
Valeria Sabel	...	Mrs. Sofia Brandt
Michael Hinz	...	Rudy
Rainer Basedow	...	Jack
Brigitte Skay	...	Mumu
Calisto Calisti	...	The Scientist
Pascale Petit	...	Esmeralda
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marina Cavorgna	...	The Bananas band member (uncredited)
Sante Lucerlini	...	Duccio (uncredited)
Huguette Verton	...	The Bananas band member (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Guido Leoni		dialogue
Mario Moroni		screenplay
Carl Ross		screenplay

Produced by
Zeljko Kunkera	....	producer
Alfredo Leone	....	producer
Claudio Rainis	....	producer
Dick Randall	....	producer

Original Music by
Coriolano Gori		(as Lallo Gori)

Cinematography by
Antonio Rinaldi
Mario Bava		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Otello Colangeli

Costume Design by
Blanda

Makeup Department
Massimo De Rossi	....	makeup artist
Lidia Puglia	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Francesco Casati	....	unit manager
Maurizio Maravidi	....	unit manager
Virgilio Muzio	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava	....	assistant director
Claudio Rainis	....	assistant director

Art Department
Romeo Costantini	....	set dresser
Andrea Crisanti	....	set designer

Sound Department
Fausto Achilli	....	sound mixer
Raul Montesanti	....	sound
Sandro Occhetti	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Salvatore Caruso	....	camera operator
Enrico Lucidi	....	assistant camera
Carlo Tafani	....	assistant camera

Other crew
Rosalba Scavia	....	continuity
Pino Locchi	....	voice dubbing: Brett Halsey (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Delfino Film
• Hape-Film Company GmbH

Distributors

• Euro International Film (EIA) (1972) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1972) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Cinevision Films (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Raro Video/Nocturno (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Starz Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Quante volte... quella notte" - Italy (original title)
"Four Times That Night" - , International (English title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Italy:VM18 | USA:R | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Delfino Film

Trivia:

Shot in 1969.

Quotes:

Duccio:...and the girls were left in the living room. They were both magnificent, believe me! Either one could shorten your life by 10 years.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Eurotika!: So Sweet, So Perverse (#1.7)" (1999)

Rashomon's sexy Italian update

Master director Mario Bava is best known for his horror films, and that's hardly surprising as films such as Blood and Black Lace and Black Sabbath certainly represent the best of his oeuvre - but he also made a few films outside of the horror genre, and Four Times That Night is surely one of the best. I can't say I'm a big fan of sex comedies, as while I enjoy seeing sex in movies; I tend to prefer it with a little more sleaze than what films like this tend to offer. However, by taking his central plot theme from the Akira Kurosawa masterpiece 'Rashomon', Bava has made a sex comedy that is interesting for the way it pans out, rather than because of the sex theme. The plot follows Gianni and Tina; a man and a woman that meet in a park. They end up going on a date together, but it ends mysteriously when Tina returns home with a ripped dress and Gianni is sporting a nasty looking scratch on his forehead. Both Tina and Gianni give their version of what happened on that night, and the story is given a third angle from Gianni's doorman.

It's clear that this film is never going to be as deep or as fascinating as Kurosawa's masterpiece, but as a slice of light entertainment; it works fine. Bava is famous for his use of lighting and technique in order to create atmosphere for his horror films, although this movie doesn't allow him to do that. That being said, Bava's fingerprints are all over the film; as the garish use of colour features prominently, and the seventies style is what helps to elevate the film above the usual level of a gentle sex themed comedy. The film benefits from the presence of Daniela Giordano; the sexy female lead whom Bava makes best use of at all opportunities. She is joined by Fulci muse Brett Halsey, as well as Dick Randall; a man more famous for his producing credits. Bava attempts to give the film some substance by way of a psychologist explaining how different people view the same events from different perspectives...but I find it hard to believe that three people could view the same event in such wildly differing ways. One slight criticism of the film is that it's not very funny...but it's fun enough, and worth seeing.