La tarantola dal ventre nero (1971)

Country of Origin: France / Italy
Year of Production: 1971
Running Times: 89 mins
Format: Eastmancolor     35mm     Cromoscope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: D.A. Ma Produzione / P.A.C.
Producer: Marcello Danon
Production Manager: Maurizio Marvisi

SCRIPT
Script: Lucile Laks
Story: Marcello Danon

DIRECTION
Director: Paolo Cavara
Assistant Director: Fabrizio Castellani

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Marcello Gatti

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Mario Morra

MUSIC
Music: Ennio Morricone
Music Director: Bruno Nicolai

SOUND
Sound: Armando Bondani

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Fiorella Gaetano

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Piero Poletto
Set Decorator: Luigi Urbani

CAST
Giancarlo Giannini (Inspector Tellini)
Claudine Auger (Laura)
Barbara Bouchet (Maria Zani)
Rossella Falk (woman with mole)
Silvano Tranquilli (Paolo Zani)
Annabella Incontrera (Mirta Ricci)
Ezio Marano (masseur)
Barbara Bach (Jenny)
Stefania Sandrelli (Anna Tellini)
Giancarlo Prete (Mario)
Anna Saia (Zani's friend)
Eugene Walter (Ginetto)
Nino Vingelli (Inspector Di Giacomo)
Daniele Dublino (entomologist)
Giuseppe Fortis (psychiatrist)
Guerrino Crivello (informer)
Fulvio Mingozzi (director of clinic)
Giorgio Dolfin (policeman)
Carla Mancini (client at beauty parlor)

PLOT SUMMARY

A killer is on the loose, paralysing his victims before eviscerating them, apeing the behaviour of black wasps killing tarantulas. A police inspector finds himself under increasing stress as he finds his chief suspects falling prey to the killer...

AVAILABILITY

UK
Theatrical Distributors: MGM-EMI

USA
Theatrical Distributors: MGM

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: banned in 1972

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X

USA
Rating: R

TIMELINE

1971
August
12: Italy - theatrical release

1972
May
7: West Germany - theatrical release

June
7: USA - theatrical release

July
19: France - theatrical release

October
13: Sweden - theatrical release

POSTER TAGS

With needles dipped in deadly venom the victims are paralyzed - so they must lie awake and watch themselves die!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Black Belly of the Tarantula - US title
Med spindelns gift - Swedish title
Salaperäinen tappaja - Finnish title
La tarántula del vientre negro - Spanish title
Tarentule au ventre noir - French title

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

CinemaTV Today no.9993 (12 August 1972) p.15 (UK)
review (by Marjorie Bilbow)

Hollywood Reporter vol.221 no.15 (11 May 1972) pp. 4, 15 (USA)
credits, review (by David Field)

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.39 no.464 (September 1972) p.196 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review (by David Pirie)

KEYWORDS

detectives, flashbacks, gambling, private detectives, ransoms, serial killers, spas, stabbings

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009