The French Sex Murders (1972) Casa d'appuntamento (original title)

Director:

Ferdinando Merighi

Writers:

Marius Mattei
Ferdinando Merighi
(more)

Release Date:

16 June 1972 (Italy)

Genre:

Thriller | Horror

Plot Keywords:

Psycho Killer | Unshaved Armpit | Prostitution | Autopsy | Female Underarm Hair

Cast

Anita Ekberg	...	Madame Colette
Rosalba Neri	...	Marianne
Evelyne Kraft	...	Eleonora (as Evelyn Kraft)
Howard Vernon	...	Professor Waldemar
Pietro Martellanza	...	Antoine Gottvalles (as Peter Martell)
Barbara Bouchet	...	Francine
Robert Sacchi	...	Inspector Fontaine
Eva Astor	...	Florence
Rolf Eden	...	Pepi
William Alexander
Piera Viotti	...	Tina
Alessandro Perrella
Ada Pometti	...	Doris the Maid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Flavia Keyt	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Gordon Mitchell	...	Man in Nightclub (uncredited)
Mike Monty	...	Detective (uncredited)
Xiro Papas	...	Thug in Bar (uncredited)
Dick Randall	...	Mr. Hassan (uncredited)
Renato Romano	...	Mr. Randall (uncredited)
Goffredo Unger	...	Man Repairing a Van (uncredited)

Directed by
Ferdinando Merighi		(as F.L. Morris)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paolo Daniele		story
Marius Mattei
Ferdinando Merighi
Dick Randall		(as Robert Oliver)

Produced by
Marius Mattei	....	producer
Dick Randall	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruno Nicolai

Cinematography by
Mario Mancini
Gunter Otto

Film Editing by
Bruno Mattei

Special Effects by
Carlo Rambaldi	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Paolo D'Ottavi	....	assistant camera
Antonio Serafini	....	still photographer

Production Companies

• Costantino International Films
• Gopa-Film

Distributors

• Filmagentur Graf (1983) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Mondo Macabro (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• OMKO (Greece) (VHS)
• Video Alsen (Greece) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Casa d'appuntamento" - Italy (original title)
"French Sex Murders" - USA (DVD title)

Runtime:

West Germany:83 min

Country:

Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:(Banned) (video version) (1986) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Germany:18 | France:-16 | UK:18

Company:

Costantino International Films

Trivia:

Italian censorship visa # 60412 delivered on 26-5-1972.

Humphrey Bogart and a load of dead prostitutes...you've got to love Giallo!

Despite the fact that this Giallo is often lambasted, I actually had rather high hopes for it; just due to the sheer number of cult names on the cast list and the fact that the more convoluted Giallo's are often the best. However, while this film does have a vast array of ideas on display, director Ferdinando Merighi isn't able to round everything up into one coherent plot line. Furthermore, not many of the genre trademarks have made it into the film; as it's not very colourful, the mystery is obvious from the beginning and despite the fact that the plot focuses on a brothel; there isn't a great deal of nudity. The film gets off to a good start, and after the first half hour I was really expecting a more than decent Giallo. We are introduced to Antoine Gottvalles; a customer at the aforementioned brothel. He's in love with prostitute Francine (the gorgeous Barbara Bouchet, whom I'm in love with) and after her murder, he becomes the prime suspect while the real killer manages to escape. It's not long before the murders continue and police inspector/Humphrey Bogart look-alike Inspector Pontaine gets on the case.

The cast list is among the most impressive of any Giallo. The most exciting element for me was the fact that Amuck co-stars Rosalba Neri and Barbara Bouchet were reunited, even if the latter does only last a few minutes. 'Killer Nun' Anita Ekberg gets a supporting role alongside 'Dr Orloff' Howard Vernon, while the film introduces the lovely Evelyn Kraft. The film is rounded off by a bizarre performance from professional Humphrey Bogart look-alike Robert Sacchi. Quite why the Inspector looks like Bogey is never actually explained; my theory is that it either has something to do with the alternate title (Bogeyman and the French Murders), or director Ferdinando Merighi really wanted Bogart in his movie, but couldn't get him...for obvious reasons. The problem with Sacci in the lead is that, unfortunately, he can't act...and he doesn't look that much like Bogart anyway. The plot manages to move along without getting too dry despite being highly derivative, and the film does have a number of standout death scenes; even if they are extremely unprofessional in their handling. The Parisian setting is good and provides a little beauty to offset the mundane plot. The ending is a little obvious...but it's fun enough to watch and overall, I won't say that The French Sex Murders is a great example of the Giallo...but it just about qualifies as a decent one.