Il mondo di notte numero 3 (1963)

A documentary highlighting some of the oddest, strangest and more grotesque examples of human behavior. Included are a tour of the Grand Guignol theater in Paris, a man who sticks long ... See full summary »

Director:

Gianni Proia

Writers:

Gianni Proia (story), Ugo Liberatore (adaptation)

Stars:

George Sanders, Alexander, Maria Ansaldi

Cast

Credited cast:
George Sanders	...	Narrator (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alexander	...	Himself
Maria Ansaldi	...	Herself
Laura Betti	...	Herself
Léo Campion	...	Himself
Jacques Chazot	...	Himself
Mario De Simone	...	Himself
Eberhard Diepgen	...	Himself
Peter Kittelmann	...	Himself
Klaus-Rüdiger Landowsky	...	Himself
Pelé	...	Himself
Rita Renoir	...	Herself - Stripper
Marcella Ruffini	...	Herself
Michel Simon	...	Himself
Yvon Yva	...	Himself - Fakir

Storyline

A documentary highlighting some of the oddest, strangest and more grotesque examples of human behavior. Included are a tour of the Grand Guignol theater in Paris, a man who sticks long needles through his body, footage of reindeer being castrated, and more footage of lesbians and strippers.

---

Plot Keywords:

lesbian | grand guignol | reindeer | needles | roller derby | 

---

Taglines:

Bizarre, Barbaric Sights Never Before Put On Film!

---

Genres:

Documentary | Musical

---

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian Portuguese English French Japanese Latin

Release Date:

27 October 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ecco

Filming Locations:

Exeter, Devon, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Julia Film,Cresa Roma,LCR Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the Berlin scene, among the very drunk students in a pub is Eberhard Diepgen, who became mayor of Berlin in the 1980s.

---

Connections

Edited into Final Journeys (1998)

---

Soundtracks

Let's Twist Again
(uncredited)
Written by Kal Mann and Dave Appell
Performed by Chubby Checker

User Reviews

One of the better mondo movies, Or if you must see one mondo movie before you die, this is it.

Before TV and video bringing us the strangeness of the world there was the travel film which brought the sites into local theaters. Then in the 1960's we had the travel film spawn the Mondo movie where all of the weird things in the world were brought to your local theater. Most of the films were an odd mix of real and staged events (many mid-cycle films were all staged). Most have dry witty or pithy commentary by a well known star.

The films were mostly of the sort of thing where "if you've seen one you've seen them all". Ecco rises some how above the standard rut of the Mondo movies. Yes, there are things to turn your stomach and others to make you question if its real or not, as all of these films do, but Ecco has one thing the others don't and that is George Saunders doing the narration.

Saunders was a master of dry wit and his delivery works wonders with the material. In all of the other mondo movies you remember the momentary bits that shocked you, but here you remember Saunders voice, with his inflections revealing infinitely more than the words do. You want to hear his narration which seems to rise above the material.

For the life of me I couldn't tell you one thing that happens in this movie, but I remember the voice. Its the voice that makes me want to watch this every now and again while almost every other mondo movie I've seen could disappear and I wouldn't care.

If you must see one mondo movie in your life see this one. If you want to see one that doesn't suck see this one.

8 out of 10.