beloved is still in his arms. In short, he clings to
of rest. He explains to his girlfriend Deborah, who
an illusion he calls happiness.
accompanies him, that as a child he murdered
his own father to protect his mother, and the event
Notes
left him traumatized. His still young- looking
mother, Glenda, takes a dislike to Deborah, whom
1. Mino Milani, “Romy Schneider? Bellissima sotto il
Michael has introduced as his secretary. A few
trucco da ‘fantasma,’” Corriere della Sera, June 2, 2002.
2. Salvatore G. Biamonte, “‘Re dello swing chiude col
days later a director friend, Hans Schwartz, shows
jazz’: Torno alla musica classica,” Corriere della Sera, Feb-
up with his assistant Shirley and Beryl. The three
ruary 20, 98.
are poorly tolerated by Oliver, the enigmatic butler.
Meanwhile, strange events occur: someone tries
Murder Obsession (Follia omicida)
to drown Beryl in the bathtub, and Deborah ex-
(Murder Obsession, a.k.a. Fear)
periences an upsetting nightmare in which she is
D: Riccardo Freda. S: Antonio Cesare
subjected to a black magic ritual. The next day,
Corti, Fabio Piccioni; SC: Antonio Cesare Corti,
during a walk in the woods, Michael and Beryl
Fabio Piccioni, Riccardo Freda; Dialogue adap-
find an isolated spot and have sex: when Michael
tation: Simon Mizrahi; DOP: Cristiano Pogany
wakes up he finds Beryl’s dead body next to him.
(Telecolor); M: Franco Mannino; E: Riccardo
Schwartz, who witnessed and photographed the
Freda [uncredited]; PD, CO: Giorgio Desideri;
murder, is brutally dispatched with an axe, and
AD: Antonio Cesare Corti, Bernard Cohn [and
Shirley is decapitated with a chainsaw. All evi-
Jacqueline Freda, uncredited]; C: Roberto Lom-
dence points to Michael, to whom Glenda con-
bardi Dallamano, Guglielmo Vincioni; AC: Ste-
fesses that she was Oliver’s lover: when Michael’s
fano Guidi; ACO: Alberto Tosto; AE: Anne Bar-
father discovered them in the act of having sex,
rault; MU: Lamberto Marini, Sergio Angeloni;
he killed the man and blamed the child for it. But
Hair: Agnese Panarotto; SO: Davide Magara; SE:
Michael finds out that Oliver has committed sui-
Angelo Mattei, Sergio Stivaletti; SP: Debora
cide, leaving a taped confession where he reveals
Beer; KG: Gianni Savini; ChEl: Alberico Novelli;
that it had actually been Glenda who murdered
SS: Maria Luce Faccenna. Cast: Stefano Patrizi
her husband, and she is also the one responsible
(Michael Stanford), Martine Brochard (Shirley
for the gruesome killings. The woman, a practi-
Dawson), Henri Garcin (Hans Schwartz), Laura
tioner of black magic, is morbidly jealous of her
Gemser (Betty; English language: Beryl Fisher),
own son whom she believes is her husband rein-
76 1981: Murder carnated, and will stop at nothing to keep him
from Piccioni’s story (and the Oltretomba comic).
with her…
The rest, of course, was all Dario Argento’s in-
Eight years after Estratto dagli archivi segreti
vention. Still, it is no surprise that Argento chose
della polizia di una capitale europea (972), Ric-
not to follow the outrageous final twist, where
cardo Freda finally returned behind the camera
the murderer is not only revealed to be Ludwig’s
to direct a low- budget horror film. Its genesis is
mother, but the elderly woman turns out to be
as tortuous as it is emblematic of the subterranean
a man in disguise, his father’s longtime lover.
threads that ran across Italian cinema of the pe-
Piccioni recycled several elements from Il
riod, connecting and tangling up people, ideas
grido del Capricorno once more, a few years later,
and stories like in a spider’s web.
for a story with a contemporary setting. The re-
A former assistant director to Lucio Fulci,
sulting script—concocted with the participation
Edoardo Mulargia and Giuliano Carnimeo, in
of Antonio Cesare Corti and Freda—was titled
the early 970s Fabio Piccioni had penned a
Murder Obsession. It is the story of a young dis-
short story titled Il grido del Capricorno, which
turbed actor, Michael, who—after almost mur-
he adapted into an adult comic book in the
dering an actress during the filming of a horror
Oltretomba series (Oltretomba Gigante #9, Feb-
movie—returns to his secluded mother’s house
ruary 974, with drawings by José María Bel-
for a brief vacation, together with the film’s di-
lalta). Set in 894, Il grido del capricorno was the
rector, the latter’s assistant, the aforementioned
story of a young musician, Ludwig von Mayer,
actress, and his fiancée. Michael is obsessed
who lives in the shadow of his late father, a com-
by the memory of his late father, an orchestra
poser and orchestra conductor, and is oppressed
director, and has a domineering, overly posses-
by a domineering mother who wants him to fol-
sive mother. Unsettling, horrific events ensue:
low in his father’s footsteps and become as fa-
Michael’s girlfriend experiences an eerie night-
mous as him. Meanwhile, a black- gloved killer
mare, supernatural forces seem to materialize,
starts dispatching the young man’s lovers and
and most characters meet gruesome deaths. The
friends in gruesome ways (and with ample dis-
horrible truth behind Michael’s shady past is re-
play of nudity and sadism, as was customary
vealed: a flashback hints at the child apparently
with adults- only comics). The police and a crim-
murdering his father, with the key image of the
inologist start suspecting Ludwig, who is re-
boy holding a bloody knife in his hand, as if hyp-
vealed to have killed his own father as a child
notized by the red stains on the blade. But the
but bears no memory of the event. Then, after
murderer turns out to be someone else…
Ludwig’s wife- to-be Helga is horribly murdered
Some sources list the script’s original title
too, a shocking truth is revealed.
as L’ossessione che uccide, whereas the script in-
Being in severe shortage of cash, Piccioni
cluded in the Simon Mizrahi fund at the BiFi
approached Salvatore Argento—with whom he
(Bibliothèque du film) in Paris is titled Deliria,
was on good terms and whose office was just in
signed by Corti (as “Tony Blond”) and Piccioni,
front of his house in Rome—and sold him Il
and dated 976. The 4-page synopsis retained at
grido del capricorno for 00,000 lire. The deal
Rome’s CSC is already titled Murder Obsession.
had an ironic side which perhaps came unno-
Marked January 8,
980, it dates the project
ticed to both parts, given that a couple of scenes
slightly after Qualcosa penetra in noi (Le notti
in the comic were blatantly stolen from L’uccello
di Satana), a erotic horror film scripted by Piero
dalle piume di cristallo (970), namely the killer
Regnoli which Freda was supposed to direct
terrorizing a woman in bed and ripping off her
in 979 (taking over from Roberto Bianchi
panties, and the maniac attempting to penetrate
Montero, who was originally attached to it) but
Helga’s house, by jimmying the door with a knife,
which never took off.2 The CSC synopsis for
as the woman watches in terror.
Murder Obsession is basically identical to the
Very little of Il grido del capricorno ulti-
finished film, save for the characters’ different
mately migrated into what became Profondo
names: Michael’s fiancée is named Frances, the
rosso, but it was vital to the film’s plot: the rela-
director’s name becomes Ken and Michael’s de-
tionship between Carlo (Gabriele Lavia) and his
ceased father was a Wilhelm von Holbach.
oppressive mother (Clara Calamai) derives from
According to Jacqueline Freda, her father’s
it, as does the brief opening flashback in which
aim when taking on the project was merely to
a child is seen picking up the knife that just
resurface on the market in order to arouse the
killed his father, an image taken almost verbatim
interest (and raise the money) for his biopic on
1981: Murder
77
World War I ace aviator Francesco Baracca,
Lovelock (who even recalled having been pre-
which he had been trying to mount since the
pared for the role and having made a screen-
early 970s.3 A low- budget horror film seemed
test) was replaced at the last minute by Stefano
the easiest and fastest way. The director managed
Patrizi for the role of Michael.
to involve producer Enzo Boetani, with his com-
Born in Milan in 90, the blond and hand-
pany Dionysio Cinematografica. Freda had be-
some Patrizi had arrived in Rome in 97, and
come acquainted with Boetani since the late
took his first steps in the movie business thanks
90s, when the latter collaborated as executive
to his fiancée Barbara Mastroianni (Marcello’s
producer with Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, but the
daughter), first as assistant editor (for Ruggero
two had never had the chance to work together,
Mastroianni, on Visconti’s Ludwig and Francesco
although they had tried to mount various proj-
Rosi’s Lucky Luciano), and then as an actor, on
ects. Such a one was a horror movie to be co-
Visconti’s Gruppo di famiglia in un interno (a.k.a.
produced with a French company, whose title
Conversation Piece, 974), followed by a number
Boetani does not recall, whereas another was
of often prestigious titles, including George Pan
Superhuman, announced in the January 979
Cosmatos’ The Cassandra Crossing (976), the
issue of the Foreign Sales Italian Movie Trade
grim crime film Liberi, armati, pericolosi (a.k.a.
magazine. According to the producer, it was in
Young, Violent, Dangerous, 976, directed by Ro-
the vein of the superhero- cum-wrestler films
molo Guerrieri and written by Fernando di Leo)
that were all the rage in South America, and was
aimed specifically at that market, with Freda at-
tached to direct it, but it all came to nothing be-
cause of problems with the South American
buyer.4
As Boetani recalls “It was Riccardo who
came to me with the script for Murder Obsession
and suggested an Italian/French co- production.
The relationship between me and Freda was of
mutual esteem, and honestly I must say I agreed
to make the film for Riccardo—to make him and
the crew work, since it was a difficult period for
many of us—rather than because of the script’s
inner qualities.” The film would be an Italian/
French coproduction, and the French financer
would be Freda’s longtime friend, film critic
Simon Mizrahi. “It was a low- budget movie, I
think around 20 or 30 million lire, and we had
to follow a tight shooting schedule,” Boetani ex-
plained. “However, with Simon the situation was
not so idyllic in the end, as there were problems
with the French financiers.”
Filming went on for three weeks, in April
980, mostly in Borghese Palace in Artena—one
of the staple locations of Italian Gothic since Re-
nato Polselli’s L’amante del vampiro—and at
Parco della Mola, in Oriolo Romano, where
Laura Gemser’s murder was filmed. Jacqueline
Freda worked on the film as her father’s uncred-
ited assistant. Boetani cast three actors who had
just finished working in a film he produced,
Franco Molè’s Prima della lunga notte (L’ebreo
fascista) (980): Ray Lovelock, Silvia Dionisio
and Molè’s wife Martine Brochard. Dionisio was
cast as the fiancée, now called Deborah, a part
the Italian poster for Murder Obsession (1981),
originally to be played by Janet Agren, whereas
Riccardo Freda’s final film.
78 1981: Murder and the controversial Lion of the Desert (980,
waits and the estrangement from the working
Moustapha Akkad), starring Anthony Quinn
reality on set were undermining. I had decided
and Oliver Reed.
to quit that job, and sincerely I really did not
Michael’s mother, Glenda, was played by
consider myself up to it … after six months in
Anita Strindberg, an oft- seen presence in 970s
Africa shooting Lion of the Desert I was spent,
gialli, such as Fulci’s Una lucertola con la pelle
and had decided to move away from Rome, with
di donna and La coda dello scorpione (a.k.a. The
the aim of settling in Milan and starting over
Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, 97, Sergio Martino);
with something that would give me a more solid
John Richardson (La maschera del demonio) was
future and a full involvement… . ” Patrizi can-
cast as the enigmatic butler, Oliver. The bare-
didly admitted to this writer that he has no rec-
bones cast also featured Laura Gemser (the star
ollection whatsoever of Murder Obsession: “I
of the Black Emanuelle series) as Beryl and
vaguely recall Freda as a harsh man, of a few
Henri Garcin as the director, Hans Schwartz.
words and not very affable.”9
Filming was not a pleasant experience for
Boetani—who maintains that Freda always
most of the people involved. “Mamma mia what
behaved deliciously with him, and even intro-
a nightmare!” Laura Gemser recalled. “I remem-
&n
bsp; duced the producer to his future wife, script girl
ber that I had to shoot a scene with Anita Strind-
Maria Luce Faccenna, the daughter of producer
berg who had to grab a real knife and pretend
Angelo Faccenna—adds a significant anecdote.
to stab me. I shouted at Freda: ‘You’re crazy?
“Once I came on the set and watched him direct
What if she really hits me?!’ He said: ‘What are
a scene. He set up the camera, yelled ‘Action’ …
ya gonna do?’ They would have done anything
and turned his back on the actors! (laughs) ‘But
to save money on these sets. On top of that, I
Riccardo, why are you doing that?’ ‘Well, you
was naked, just for a change, and I was lying on
know, I can’t make them act to save their life!
the bank of a lake and it was freezing!”6
Even if I don’t watch them, that’s the same—if
Martine Brochard’s recollections were not
it’s good for the camera, then it’s good for me
happy either: “I remember I did not have much
too!’ (laughs) You know, he was joking, but I
fun doing it, especially a scene where there was
think he really meant that… . ”0 Overall, the feel-
a glass which had been cut expressly so that I
ing between the director and the cast was mu-
could put my head over it, and the camera was
tual: “He hated them,” Jacqueline maintains. “He
over a chainsaw that came closer and closer,
thought they were just terrible.”
and there I must confess I was really scared.”7
The film opens with a quote allegedly from
Brochard was not kind about Freda too: “He was
a 7th century philosopher named Hieronimus
a very tough type, of a wickedness I did not ex-
A. Steinback. “For centuries, theologians, philoso-
pect and which upset me, so much so that on
phers, and poets have delved into the universe in
the very first day I answered him back, but then
search of proof of the existence of the devil. It
I took him aside, talked to him and he softened
would have sufficed to look into the depths of
a bit. There were two French actors in the film
their own souls.” In the glorious tradition of Ital-
and he treated them so badly that there was this
ian Gothic, the line is totally made up, and the
actor, who worked on stage and was an impor-
name “Hieronimus A. Steinback” is a fabrication
tant name in France [Author’s note: Henri
Italian Gothic Horror Films (1980-1989) Page 23