Giallo Queens

Even though I still have a mountain of film reviews to get to, I’m compelled to chat about some of my favourite female characters from giallo films. As someone who loves both giallo and slashers, the former often leads into the latter, so the giallo queens are often progenators for scream queens and final girls in most cases.

These heroines would largely differ from their counterparts by being maturer in age (although, not considerably), independently spirited and stunningly glamorous. Therefore, they were another captivating element to a fashionable world full of blood, leather gloves and shameless product placement. 

Without further ado, here are five of your host's favourite giallo queens:

Edwige Fenech

You might say it’s cronyism, but Edwige Fenech truly deserves her giallo crown, regardless of being married to Luciano Martino, the producer of many of her best gialli — and many of which were also directed by her brother-in-law, Sergio. She showed she was a versatile actress beyond having to just yell ‘Pronto? Pronto? Pronto?’ into a phone like many of her peers. For instance, drinking dog’s blood at a Satanic cult shindig in All the Colours of the Dark (1972)..

She had the opportunity to go beyond just playing the damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. She was practically a villain flirting with her uncle and getting off with her aunt in Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972).

Plus, Fenech’s amazing on-screen chemistry with spaghetti western star and giallo king George Hilton in three classic films made them the Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable of the giallo world; albeit with plenty of nudity and sex.

Fenech also starred in Andrea Biachi’s Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975), which, aside from the unintentional sleaze and endless depravity, ends with the possibility of her being sodomised for the sake of a comedy ending. She also co-starred with Michael York and Donald Pleasence in Ruggero Deodato’s late-game entry Phantom of Death (1988), a film that is often labelled a giallo, although it's liberally applied here.

In Italy, Fenech is mostly known for a bunch of Italian sex comedies; the nation’s very own Barbara Windsor, if you will. For the rest of us, she’s better known for starring in some of the best gialli ever produced, which makes her the numero uno giallo queen.

Recommendations:

Five Dolls for an August Moon (Mario Bava, 1970)

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (Sergio Martino, 1971)

All the Colours of the Dark (Sergio Martino, 1972)

The Case of the Bloody Iris (Giuliano Carnimeo, 1972)

Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Sergio Martino, 1972)

 

Barbara Bouchet

Barbara Bouchet might have been an unofficial Miss Moneypenny and one of Captain Kirk's snogs, but to anyone familiar with the giallo genre, she is unquestionably one of its A-listers.

 

Bouchet shone in Emilio P. Miraglia’s gothic-tinged The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972) and Lucio Fulci’s controversially provocative Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972), which really put her on the map as a standout actress in the giallo genre.

 

She also starred in some of the more erotic films in the genre. Silvio Amadio’s Amuck! (1972) is a prime example, where she finds herself in the crosshairs of a couple with questionable tastes, played by the experienced Hollywood actor Farley Granger and the Italian enchantress Rosalba Neri (another entry on this list).

 

Another film that is worth mentioning is her brief appearance as an unfortunate prostitute who meets a gruesome end in the strange film The French Sex Murders. This film features a host of cult Euro-film stars, Anita Ekberg, Howard Vernon and the aforementioned Rosalba Neri to name a few. However, the film’s real highlight is its detective character, played by the American actor Robert Sacchi, who obviously got the part for remarkably looking like Humphrey Bogart. By no means a recommendable film, but an strange oddity for giallo addicts.

 

Barbara Bouchet also ventured into Eurocrime and Poliziotteschi action thrillers, such as the fantastic Italian gangster film Milano Calibro 9 (1972), Ricco: The Mean Machine (1973) and the unbelievably misogynistic Cry of a Prostitute (1974) starring Henry Silva. Her films are the very reason Quentin Tarantino looked like a gormless film nerd when photographed with her.

 

Recommendations:

Black Belly of the Tarantula (Paolo Cavara, 1971)

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (Emilio Miraglia, 1972) 

Don't Torture a Duckling (Lucio Fulci, 1972) 

Amuck! (Silvio Amadio, 1972)

 

Anita Strindberg

Swedish actress Anita Strindberg's legacy in giallo is as well defined as her cheekbones.

 

With her captivating looks and outstanding acting, she quickly moved from supporting roles such as Lucio Fulci’s A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971) to the main protagonist in Sergio Martino’s jet-setting thriller, The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail (1971).

 

Her most remarkable role, and perhaps the best in the entire giallo genre, is that of the wife of a decadent author who is both physically and mentally mistreated by him in Sergio Martino’s, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972). In a perfect world, Liza Minelli should have given her Best Actress Oscar for Cabaret (1972) to Anita Strindberg for her outstanding performance in this Edgar Allan Poe-inspired giallo.

 

Strindberg would also play a grieving mother alongside one-time Bond actor George Lazenby in Aldo Lado's whodunnit Who Saw Her Die? (1972). A dark film where the killer is dressed like a Monty Python granny. This giallo ought to interest fans of '70s British horror as it contains some uncanny similarities to Nicholas Roeg's classic Don't Look Now (1974), despite preceding it by a couple of years.

Yet to see The Two Faces of Fear (1972) and believe me, I've tried tracking it down countless times. Therefore I can't recommend it. I have seen the Haitian giallo Tropic of Cancer (1972), but it's largely forgettable, other than Anita Strindberg being in it. The same goes for Puzzle (1974), where she has a very minor role.

 

Murder Obsession (1981) was one of her final films before she from acting. It's sometimes described as a giallo, but it's more of a supernatural slasher, in my opinion. Regardless of genre, it's an underrated film and deserves more love from Italian horror fans.

 

Recommendations:

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (Lucio Fulci, 1971)

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (Sergio Martino, 1971)

Who Saw Her Die? (Aldo Lado, 1972)

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Sergio Martino, 1972)

 

Suzy Kendall 

Suzy Kendall might not have starred in as many gialli as the rest of her peers, but quality over quantity is more than applicable for the former missus of one half of Derek and Clive. Her films are legitimately amongst the best in the genre.

 

The British actress, best known for To Sir, with Love (1967) and Up the Junction (1968), would get a taste for the psychological thriller in the obscure home invasion film The Penthouse (1967). A foray of thrillers would follow, most of which were giallo, but the bizarre thriller Assault (1971) is worth a mention on account of it being produced by Eric Rogers of the Carry On film series.

 

The actress made her official debut in giallo with Dario Argento's classic The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). The terror laced scene where she is trapped in her apartment whilst the killer whittles her front door with their knife, is one of the seminal set pieces in the film and one of the obvious examples as to why it helped reinvigorate the genre.

Kendall would also appear in Sergio Martino's Torso (1973), a giallo which can just as easily be labelled a slasher, thanks to containing many elements with it. Above all, it's the final act of the film, where Kendall's character finds herself trapped in a country home while the killer chops up her classmates oblivious of her presence, that truly takes it into slasher territory. 

 

Umberto Lenzi's problematically named giallo Spasmo (1974) would mark her final role in the genre. Perhaps not one of the director's best known films, but it's one of his better entries in the genre. Well worth checking out as it features one of giallo's most recognisable faces in Italian genre cinema, Ivan Rassimov. It also boasts a great score by Ennio Morricone, too.

 

Decades after retiring from film, Kendall would make a return as Toby Jones's mum in Peter Strictland's fantastically surreal Berberian Sound Studio (2012); a hypnotic ode to Italian film set in the '70s.

 

Recommendations:

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (Dario Argento, 1970)

Torso (Sergio Martino, 1973)

Spasmo (Umberto Lenzi, 1974)

 

Nieves Navarro (AKA Susan Scott)

Spanish actress Nieves Navarro began making real moves in spaghetti westerns in the 1960s. Her glamorous appeal was a match made in heaven when she transitioned into a giallo queen at the star of the 1970s.

 

The actress would play memorable supporting roles in some major gialli, but it wasn't until the Death... films, directed by her husband Luciano Ercoli, that she would get to play more leading roles. 

Navarro's fiery, Latin temperament made the characters she played stand out from the more timid and fragile female protagonists one would find in gialli. This virtue would also lend to being a weakness at times, as she would avoid major red flags and be completely unaware of any potential dangers until it eventually comes knocking at her door.

 

After the classic era of the giallo had passed, Navarro would appear in much smuttier genre offerings, notably some of the Black Emanuelle films starring the cult actress Laura Gemser. As much as I'm a fan of Joe D'Amato's Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals (1975), it's hard to argue with these films not being a low point for any actor, sadly.

 

Recommendations:

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (Luciano Ercoli, 1970)

Death Walks On High Heels (Luciano Ercoli, 1971)

All the Colors of the Dark (Sergio Martino, 1972)

Death Walks at Midnight (Luciano Ercoli, 1972)

So Sweet, So Dead (Roberto Bianchi Montero, 1972) 

Death Carries a Cane (Maurizio Pradeux, 1973)

 

Marina Malfatti

Even though Marina Malfatti never had a lead role in a giallo, she has played many supporting roles where she is a genuine scene-stealer and far more memorable than the main female character. Therefore, Malfatti is a sound choice to complete this list.

A big part of what makes her interesting is her posh persona, no matter the character she plays. It is often enhanced by an upper class English accent for the international dub version.

However, what really makes her stand out is the outrageous outfits she wears. Her signature look is usually revealing her midriff and showing off a lot of cleavage, whether she is in sparkly tops or sheer gowns with plunging necklines that go all the way down to her navel.

 

My favourite Malfatti role is her playing Edwige Fenech's bourgeios, British neighbour in Sergio Martino's classic All the Colours of the Dark (1972). She's perhaps at her most stylish as she's dressed similarly to Ingrid Pitt's iconic blue gown from Countess Dracula (1971), replete with a choker. Her piercing stares and graceful poise reinforce the untrustworthy aristocrat vibe exuding from her roles. As evident when I recently watched for the first time The Blood-Stained Lawn (1973); which is not a giallo, in my opinion, given it features a blood-sucking robot.

 

Recommendations:

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (Emilio Miraglia, 1971)

All the Colors of the Dark (Sergio Martino, 1972)

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (Emilio Miraglia, 1972) 

Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (Umberto Lenzi, 1972)

 

I had planned to include ten giallo queens in this list, but since I started working on it during the summer heatwave (which I admit was on and off), it might have taken another five months to wrap it up. Still, it’s a great reason to create another list down the road when I have more time to dedicate and focus on this subject matter.