Mio caro assassino (1972)

A mysterious decapitation leads Inspector Peretti into a case of blackmail, deceit and the unsolved kidnapping of a young girl.

Director:

Tonino Valerii

Writers:

Roberto Leoni (screenplay), Franco Bucceri (screenplay)

Stars:

George Hilton, Salvo Randone, William Berger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Hilton	...	Inspector Luca Peretti
Salvo Randone	...	Chief Marò
William Berger	...	Giorgio Canavese
Marilù Tolo	...	Dr. Anna Borgese
Manuel Zarzo	...	Brigadier Bozzi (as Manolo Zarzo)
Patty Shepard	...	Paola Rossi, the teacher
Piero Lulli	...	Alessandro Moroni
Helga Liné	...	Mrs. Paradisi
Tullio Valli	...	Oliviero Moroni
Dante Maggio	...	Mattia Guardapelle
Dana Ghia	...	Eleonora Moroni
Alfredo Mayo	...	Beniamino
Mónica Randall	...	Carla Moroni
Corrado Gaipa	...	Head of Insurance Company
Lara Wendel	...	Stefania Moroni (as Daniela Rachele Barnes)

Storyline

Following a mysterious decapitation (via mechanical digger) of an insurance investigator, Police Inspector Peretti is put onto the case. Slowly more people are found dead... a man supposedly commits suicide, a women is strangled, another attacked in her flat... but all the clues lead to an unsolved case of kidnapping and murder. Can Peretti find the murderer, if his major clue is a little girls drawing???

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Plot Keywords:

kidnapping | police | black gloved killer | subjective camera | trap | 

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 February 1972 (Italy)

Also Known As:

My Dear Killer

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

B.R.C. Produzione S.r.l., Kramot Cinematografica, Tecisa

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Italian censorship visa # 59715 delivered on 29-1-1972.

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Alternate Versions

The 1998 Salvation video was cut by 4 secs to edit a shot of a young naked girl at an art studio. The 2008 Shameless DVD is fully uncut.

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Connections

Features Django (1966)

User Reviews

Complex and Excellent Giallo from Valerii

Director Tonino Valerii is best known for his great Westerns , such as "I Giorni Dell'Ira" (aka. "Day Of Anger" 1967), "Il Prezzo Dell Potere" (aka. "The Price Of Power", 1969) and the comical "Il mio nome è Nessuno" (1973). Films like these make Valerii the Italian Western's most memorable director besides the three Sergios (Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci, and Sergio Sollima). But Valerii, who also served as assistant director to Sergio Leone for "A Fistful Of Dollars" and "For A Few Dollars More", is not only a great Western director. "Mio Caro Assassino" aka. "My Dear Killer" of 1972 is an excellent and highly intriguing Giallo and the ideal proof that Valerii is also a master of Thriller/Horror cinema. This is arguably THE Giallo with the most complex plot ever, and the constant twists make this film a tantalizing and absolutely unpredictable experience that no lover of Italian Horror can afford to miss. "My Dear Killer" does not deliver casual entertainment however - This film's exceptional complexity requires the viewer to concentrate on the plot. I can assure however, that no Giallo fan will regret concentrating on this film, which is stunning throughout and excellent in all regards.

Ispector Luca Peretti (George Hilton) is investigating a murder series that is somehow connected with the kidnapping of a little girl that occurred a year earlier... As my fellow Giallo fans should appreciate, the death toll rises constantly, and the twists and number of suspects make it almost impossible to guess who the killer is. This excellently photographed film has the typical atmosphere of good Gialli from the early 70s, and the many twists are highly elaborate. Regular Giallo leading man George Hilton is great in his role as the investigating inspector. The cast furthermore includes such great regulars of Italian genre-cinema as Piero Lulli and William Berger, and all other performances are also very good. This is may not be quite as blood-soaked as some other great Gialli, such as Sergio Martino's "Torso" or most of Dario Argento's films, but the exotic choices of murder weapons should also make this interesting enough for the gorehounds out there. The film's main focus is the complex plot, but the killings are depicted in a violent and very stylish manner. None other than maestro Ennio Morricone delivers the great score, the highlight of which is an exceptionally eerie lullaby theme song. From the great beginning to the ingenious end - "Mio Caro Assassino" is a complex and tantalizing must-see for all Giallo-fans, and also highly recommended to all other lovers of suspense and great cinema in general!