The Great Alligator (1979) Il fiume del grande caimano (original title)

Director:

Sergio Martino

Writers:

Ernesto Gastaldi (writer)
George Eastman (story)
(more)

Release Date:

3 November 1979 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Tourists on a tropical island anger an island god, who turns himself into a giant alligator and stalks them.

Plot Keywords:

Tourist | Native | Island | Boat | Giant

Cast

Barbara Bach	...	Alice Brandt
Claudio Cassinelli	...	Daniel Nessel
Mel Ferrer	...	Joshua
Romano Puppo	...	Peter
Fabrizia Castagnoli	...	Minou's Mother
Enzo Fisichella	...	Maurice, lover of Minou's Mother
Lory Del Santo	...	Jane
Anny Papa	...	Laura
Bobby Rhodes	...	Joshua's forman
Clara Colosimo	...	Tourist
Peter Boom	...	Tourist With Rifle
Giulia D'Angelo	...	British Tourist
Marco Mastantuono	...	British Tourist
Piero Jossa
Marco Giannoni
Geneve Hutton	...	Sheena
Silvia Collatina	...	Minou
Richard Johnson	...	Prophet Jameson
Donald Dias
Christopher Ferrando
Paul Taylor Odiase
Peter Peiris
D. Pauline Skilton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Spafford	...	Alice Brandt (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Sergio Martino

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George Eastman		story (as Luigi Montefiore)
Cesare Frugoni		writer
Ernesto Gastaldi		writer
Sergio Martino		writer
Mara Maryl		(as Maria Chianetta)

Produced by
Luciano Martino	....	producer

Original Music by
Stelvio Cipriani

Cinematography by
Giancarlo Ferrando

Film Editing by
Eugenio Alabiso

Art Direction by
Massimo Antonello Geleng

Costume Design by
Barbara Pugliese

Makeup Department
Sergio Gennari	....	hair stylist
Stefano Trani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Franco Cuccu	....	production manager
Marco Giannoni	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Massimo Manasse	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bruno Moreal	....	sound mixer
Roberto Petrozzi	....	sound

Special Effects by
Carlo De Marchis	....	special effects: alligator
Paolo Ricci	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Gianlorenzo Battaglia	....	underwater camera operator
Bruno Cascio	....	assistant camera
Rolando Ferrario	....	assistant camera
Giorgio Garibaldi Schwarze	....	still photographer
Claudio Morabito	....	camera operator
Daniele Nannuzzi	....	underwater camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stella Battista	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Teresa Negozio	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Stelvio Cipriani	....	conductor

Other crew
Maria Luisa Rosen	....	script supervisor
Raffaello Saragò	....	administrator

Production Companies

• Dania Film (as Dana Film)
• Medusa Produzione (uncredited)

Distributors

• Medusa Distribuzione (1979) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Succéfilm AB (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Alternative Distribution Alliance ADA (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Carrere Video Distribution (????) (France) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• European Video Corporation (EVC) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Gorgon Video (video)
• Hem Films/HemVideo Film (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Lamberto Forni Film (LF) (Italy) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (video)
• Mya Communication (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• NoShame Films (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Park Home Video (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Teichiku Video (1987) (Japan) (VHS)
• Videocast ((198?)) (Brazil) (VHS) (as Crocodilo - A Fera Assassina)

Also Known As:

"Il fiume del grande caimano" - Italy (original title)
"Alligator" - USA (imdb display title), USA (DVD title)
"The Big Alligator River" - USA (DVD box title)

Runtime:

USA:89 min | France:90 min | West Germany:89 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Iceland:16 | Italy:T | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Sri Lanka

Company:

Dania Film

Trivia:

German Import DVD has a Super-8 Version (German language only), as a special feature on the disc.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

Not too bad.

This film starts with a photographer being flown by helicopter to a hotel/resort in the middle of the jungle, because he has been hired to take some publicity photos for the owner. Once there he is introduced to everyone of any interest (to the viewer anyway) and is given a guided tour of the place (once again more for the viewers benefit than his, a quick and lazy way to set the story up). After this opening ten or so minutes its on with the story, this photographer falls for the owners assistant and tries to chat her up when she is alone, outside. At the same time two locals sail to a nearby island and make love. On their way back they are attacked and killed by a giant alligator, of course the photographer and his soon to be lover hear their screams. The next morning one of the two killed the night before is reported missing, the photographer puts two and two together and along with a broken boat realizes something is not quite right. The hotel owner however is not convinced, and as he has his first guests coming to stay he doesnt want to start a panic. Its now down to the photographer and his girlfriend to prove the great alligator exists. I like all these italian rip off movies from the late seventies and early eighties and this one isnt too bad at all. Sergio Martino is a solid director who seems to make good, handsome, well made movies that are better than their low budgets would suggest, mountain of the cannibal god, A man called blade and 2019 after the fall of new york are a few examples. There is not much gore and the alligator is rarely seen, but the locations are nice as is the camera work. I liked the ending as well. Some may find the film a bit dull and slow but I liked it and recommend it.