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7.0/10
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When a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.When a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.When a southern Italian town is rocked by a string of child murders, the police and two urban outcasts search for the culprit amid scapegoating within the superstitious community.
Georges Wilson
- Francesco
- (as George Wilson)
Virgilio Gazzolo
- Police Commissioner
- (as Virginio Gazzolo)
Fausta Avelli
- Malvina
- (uncredited)
Gianfranco Barra
- Impallomeni
- (uncredited)
John Bartha
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Empedocle Buzzanca
- Interrogation Officer
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLucio Fulci was arrested on child endangerment grounds due to the infamous scene where a fully nude Patrizia (Barbara Bouchet) flirts with the underage Michele (Marcello Tamborra). The charges were dropped when Fulci explained that the actors' close-ups were filmed separately, and that the shot of Michele walking towards Patrizia with a pitcher and glass of orange juice was achieved by having an adult dwarf actor, Domenico Semeraro, stand in for Tamborra (if you look carefully, you will notice how different Semeraro's facial structure is from Tamborra's). Tamborra joked many years later that he wished he could have filmed that scene. But his parents wouldn't even let him see the film until he turned 15.
- GoofsAt one point during the fight scene between Martelli and Don Alberto near the end, the camera's shadow can briefly be seen on the ground.
- Alternate versionsThe Anchor Bay release is the complete, uncut version of the film.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Innocence Lost (2015)
- SoundtracksQuei giorni insieme a te
Lyrics by Jaja Fiastri (uncredited)
Music by Riz Ortolani (uncredited)
Performed by Ornella Vanoni
Featured review
Lucio Fulci, later known for his graphic horror films like The Beyond and Zombie, was years earlier a master of the Italian giallo (in the company of Argento and Bava) with films like A Lizard In A Woman's Skin and his masterpiece, Don't Torture A Duckling. This film has all the elements of the Italian mystery/thriller genre known as the giallo, but really pulls the viewers in by having each key character with a skeleton in his/her own closet. This keeps you doing as much detective work as the detectives in the film itself. Who is killing the young boys in town? The young rich woman who is so bored that she sexually taunts the eventual victims, the reporter who likes to tamper with a crime scene to get a better photo shot, the townswoman with a mentally disabled daughter, the local witch, the town idiot....the list goes on, and you have to keep mental notes like a true game to play and solve. The themes in this film are very daring and done with that perfect Italian style in the early 1970s. It is certain that no American studio would have even considered making a film of such strong content, and that is precisely why this is such a satisfying film (despite some unusual accent choices for the dubbing for the English language version -- You'd do yourself a favor by watching it in its original Italian language, as that is how the actors spoke) and will definitely have people discussing its meanings long after viewing it. As the saying goes, they don't make them like this anymore, so get a copy and cherish an important film like this one!
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Ne mucite pace
- Filming locations
- Monte Sant'Angelo, Foggia, Apulia, Italy(the town of Accendura setting)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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By what name was Don't Torture a Duckling (1972) officially released in India in English?
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