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The Crimes of the Black Cat

Original title: Sette scialli di seta gialla
  • 1972
  • R
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
963
YOUR RATING
Shirley Corrigan and Anthony Steffen in The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
CrimeMysteryThriller

A blind pianist tries to figure out who is responsible for a string of murders using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare.A blind pianist tries to figure out who is responsible for a string of murders using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare.A blind pianist tries to figure out who is responsible for a string of murders using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare.

  • Director
    • Sergio Pastore
  • Writers
    • Sandro Continenza
    • Sergio Pastore
    • Giovanni Simonelli
  • Stars
    • Anthony Steffen
    • Sylva Koscina
    • Giovanna Lenzi
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    963
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Sergio Pastore
    • Writers
      • Sandro Continenza
      • Sergio Pastore
      • Giovanni Simonelli
    • Stars
      • Anthony Steffen
      • Sylva Koscina
      • Giovanna Lenzi
    • 27User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos86

    Shirley Corrigan and Anthony Steffen in The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    Shirley Corrigan in The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    Shirley Corrigan and Renato De Carmine in The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)
    Sylva Koscina in The Crimes of the Black Cat (1972)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Anthony Steffen
    Anthony Steffen
    • Peter Oliver
    Sylva Koscina
    Sylva Koscina
    • Françoise Ballais
    Giovanna Lenzi
    • Susan Leclerc
    • (as Jeannette Len)
    Renato De Carmine
    • Inspector Jansen
    Giacomo Rossi Stuart
    Giacomo Rossi Stuart
    • Victor Morgan
    Umberto Raho
    Umberto Raho
    • Burton
    Annabella Incontrera
    Annabella Incontrera
    • Helga Schurn
    Romano Malaspina
    • Harry
    Isabelle Marchall
    Isabelle Marchall
    • Paola Whitney
    • (as Isabelle Marchal)
    Imelde Marani
    Imelde Marani
    • Harry's girlfriend
    Liliana Pavlo
    • Wendy Marshall
    Lorenzo Piani
    • Waiter in Hamburg
    • (credit only)
    Irio Fantini
      Shirley Corrigan
      Shirley Corrigan
      • Margot Thornhill
      Bruno Alias
      • Hairdresser
      • (uncredited)
      Francesco Anniballi
      • Male Nurse
      • (uncredited)
      Florinda Bolkan
      Florinda Bolkan
      • Carol Hammond
      • (archive footage)
      • (uncredited)
      Margherita Horowitz
      • Atelier personnel
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • Sergio Pastore
      • Writers
        • Sandro Continenza
        • Sergio Pastore
        • Giovanni Simonelli
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        Anthony Steffen was dubbed by Edmund Purdom for the English language version.
      • Goofs
        After the cat lady's death, the newspaper headline misspells "mystery", as in "The mistery (sic) of the black cat still goes on."
      • Connections
        Features A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (1971)

      User reviews27

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      8/10
      the black cat with the yellow shawl
      "Sette scialli di seta gialla" (Crimes of the black cat) takes place in Copenhagen. The grey subdued skies of Copenhagen and the meditative soundtrack of Manuel de Sica, are a preparation for the giallo we are about to see - a blind pianist, Peter Oliver (Anthony Steffen) investigating a string of murders of fashion models.

      Paola Whitney (Isabelle Marchal), Peter Oliver's girlfriend, is murdered, and the police, the other models… no one knows exactly what happened and the reason why it happened. She was alone in her room in the fashion house, and then suddenly…

      Peter Oliver suspects that one of the reasons may be blackmail (fragments of a strange conversation overheard in a bar led him to this conclusion), but nothing really seems to explain the mystery. So Peter Oliver, with the help of his butler Burton (Umberto Raho) and beautiful Margot (Shirley Corrigan) - secretary of Françoise Ballais (Sylva Koscina), owner of the fashion house - , decides to investigate on his own the death of Paola. Other murders happen, the killer seems to anticipate each step of Peter, and there are other developments. As to the police, Inspector Jansen (Renato de Carmine) learns to respect the deductive powers of Peter. Sometimes the case seems about to be solved, but…

      Besides the characters already mentioned, there are, of course, many gorgeous fashion models (some about to be sacrificed), there's Victor Morgan (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart) that is, so to say, married to Françoise Ballais, and has already experienced troubled waters, and there's also a mysterious junkie woman (Giovanna Lenzi), an important piece in this chess game, and we should not forget the reviled black cat, a very important tool, always followed by a yellow shawl!.

      In spite of its many curves, the story is not as convoluted as it seems, and there's one scene in particular that may please gorehounds.

      Anthony Steffen, as the blind pianist, demonstrates again his talent and screen charisma and Giovanna Lenzi, as the junkie woman, is another highlight of the film (and the black cat too, of course!).

      "Crimes of the black cat" has the visual beauty and style usual in many gialli, the editing is smooth and the film is pleasant to see – feminine beauty peppered with some thrills and violence. Sergio Pastore pays homages to Bava, Argento and... (surprise!), but the film has its own world and atmosphere.
      helpful•6
      0
      • andrabem-1
      • May 22, 2010

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • August 12, 1972 (Italy)
      • Countries of origin
        • Italy
        • Denmark
      • Language
        • Italian
      • Also known as
        • Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk
      • Filming locations
        • Copenhagen, Denmark
      • Production companies
        • Compagnia Cinematografica Champion
        • Capitolina Produzioni Cinematografiche
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

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      • Runtime
        1 hour 36 minutes
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.35 : 1

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