Operazione paura [1966]

Country of Origin: Italy
Year of Production: 1966
Running Times: 75 mins [USA - 1972 re-release]     83 mins [USA]    85 mins
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: FUL Films
Producers: Nando Pisani, Luciano Catenacci
Production Supervisor: Nando Pisani

SCRIPT
Script: Romano Migliorini, Roberto Natale, Mario Bava
English Language Version Dialogue: John Hart
Story: Romano Migliorini, Roberto Natale

DIRECTION
Director: Mario Bava
Assistant Director: Lamberto Bava

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Antonio Rinaldi, Mario Bava [uncredited]
Cameraman: Saverio Diamanti
Assistant Cameraman: Salvatore Caruso
Lab: S.P.E.S.
Lab Director: E. Catalucci

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Romana Fortini

MUSIC
Music: Carlo Rustichelli

SOUND
Sound Recordists: Romano Pampaloni, Armando Tarzia
English Language Version Dialogue Director: Lewis E. Ciannelli
Recorded At: C.D.S. Studios, Rome
Sound System: Westrex Recording System

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Maurizio Giustini
Hair: Marisa Laganga
Wardrobe: Tina Grani

VISUAL EFFECTS
Optical Effects: S.P.E.S.

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Set Decorator: Sandro Dell'Orco

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Girl: Rosalba Scavia

LOCATIONS
Studio: Titanus Appia Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

CAST
Giacomo Rossi-Stuart [Dr Paul Eswai]
Erika Blanc [Monica Schuftan]
Fabienne Dali' [Ruth]
Piero Lulli [Inspector Kruger]
Max Lawrence (real name: Luciano Catenacci) [Karl]
Micaela Esdra [Nadienne]
Franca Dominici [Martha]
Giuseppe Addobbati [innkeeper]
Mirella Panfili [Irena Hollander]
Valerio Valeri [Melissa Graps]
Giana Vivaldi [Baroness Graps]

SUMMARY

Dr Eswai is called to a small village to help with the autopsy of a young woman who has been found impaled in some fencing. Eswai's investigations suggest that the woman and several other villagers who have met sticky ends have fallen foul of the ghost of Melissa Graps, a young girl. Eswai and local nurse Monica wind up at the Villa Graps for a final confrontation with Melissa.

AVAILABILITY

Australia
DVD Distributors: Showtime DVD

Canada
Theatrical Distributors: Astral Films [1968]; Ambassador Film Distributors [1974]

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Europix Consolidated Corp
Video Distributors: Electric Video Inc; Sinister Cinema; Something Weird Video
Laserdisc Distributors: Image Entertainment Inc; PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
DVD Distributors: Sinister Cinema; VCI Home Video; Brentwood [440099 - Fright Night: 10-Movie Set]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Italy
Rating: VM14

USA
Rating: PG

TIMELINE

1966
January
10: Italy - filming begins
21: Italy - filming ends

July
8: Italy - theatrical release

October
8: USA - theatrical release

1970
March
13: West Germany - theatrical release

2002
August
20: USA - DVD release [Brentwood [440099 - Fright Night: 10-Movie Set]]

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Curse of the Dead - UK title
Curse of the Living Dead - US re-release title
Don't Walk in the Park
Kill, Baby... Kill! - US title
Mata, Bebê, Mata - Brazilian title
Operation Fear
Opération peur - French title
Die Toten Augen des Dr Dracula - West German title
Die Toten Augen - West German video title

LINKS

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell [1987]
Shiver and Shudder Show [2002]

KEYWORDS

children, doctors, ghosts, impalement, nurses, police, spiral staircases, witches

Last Updated: 6 March, 2007