Il giorno del Cobra (1980)

An American narcotics agent is murdered in Italy. The head of the department decides to hire Larry Stanziani, 'The Cobra'. Larry, a former agent and now a third-rate private detective, uses... See full summary »

Director:

Enzo G. Castellari

Writers:

Aldo Lado (story and screenplay), Fabio Carpi (screenplay)

Stars:

Franco Nero, Sybil Danning, Mario Maranzana

Cast

Credited cast:
Franco Nero	...	Larry Stanziani
Sybil Danning	...	Brenda
Mario Maranzana	...	Davide
Licinia Lentini	...	Lola Alberti
Ennio Girolami	...	Martino (as Enio Girolami)
Mickey Knox	...	Raul Papasian
Massimo Vanni	...	Beltrame
Sasha D'Arc	...	Blonde Assassin
Romano Puppo	...	Silvestri
Angelo Ragusa	...	Kandinsky's Hitman
Carlo Gabriel Nero	...	Tim (as Carlo Gabriel Sparanero)
William Berger	...	Jack Goldsmith
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rocco Lerro	...	Smith
Franco Ukmar	...	Hitman

Storyline

An American narcotics agent is murdered in Italy. The head of the department decides to hire Larry Stanziani, 'The Cobra'. Larry, a former agent and now a third-rate private detective, uses the opportunity to get even with an old enemy, but soon he finds out he's facing a relentless organization.

---

Plot Keywords:

agent | italy | private detective | stabbed in the neck | stabbed with glass | 

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

---

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

28 September 1981 (Turkey)

Also Known As:

Day of the Cobra

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Laser

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Volume 1 (2008)

User Reviews

Mediocre Poliziottesco, but Franco Nero is 2 Kool 4 Skool!

The glory years of the Italian Poliziottesco (cop/crime thriller) were actually already over in 1980, but we gladly make an exception in case director Enzo G. Castellari and actor Franco Nero team up for another cult effort together. The luscious as always Sybil Danning addresses to Franco's character as Humphrey Bogart at one point, and a more accurate description I couldn't possibly give! At the start of the film, Larry Staziani is a sleazy San Franciscan private eye occupied with stalking unfaithful housewives and locating rich women's lost dogs, but he's called back to his home country of Italy to help arrest a homosexual super-criminal by the name of Kadrinksy (or something). It quickly becomes obvious that Larry also has a personal score to settle with this obscure individual, as his corruptness caused Larry's career downfall and even an imprisonment. Oh well, at least by traveling voluntarily to Italy to settle the vendetta, Larry re-earns his trademark nickname of "The Cobra". This primarily is a film to please Franco's many avid fans, and undeniably he's cooler than cool as the Cobra. He continuously bounces a little toy ball against the heads of his opponents, deliberately ruins millions worth of cocaine right in front of the dealers' eyes, sticks him gum on people's foreheads, slaps women in the face and yet still they throw themselves at his feet not even a mere two minutes later! Nero's vivid performance makes you forget that the plot is actually just mediocre and nothing you haven't seen a dozen times before. There are some occasional flashes of sheer eccentric brilliance, like the Cobra's Kung-Fu battle with a transvestite for example! The dialogs are fluently written and Nero receives excellent support from Danning, veteran actor William Berger and Ennio Girolami (the director's brother) as a sinister killer. There's a fair amount of action, though sadly nothing really sadistic, and the film comes the obligatory catchy theme song entitled "Don't Give a Damn, I am the Cobra". Hell yeah you are, Franco!