''The Cat o' Nine Tails'' ( it, Il gatto a nove code) is a 1971 ''

giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...

'' film written and directed by

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...

, adapted from a story by

Dardano Sacchetti Dardano Sacchetti (born 1944 ) is an Italian screenwriter who often worked with Italian directors Lamberto Bava and Lucio Fulci. Screenwriting Sacchetti was born in 1944,in Italy. His first screen credit was for Dario Argento's film ''The Cat o' Ni ...

Luigi Cozzi is a fictional character featured in video games and related media released by Nintendo. Created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi is portrayed as the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario, Nintendo's masc ...

, and an uncredited

Bryan Edgar Wallace Bryan Edgar Wallace (1904–1971) was a British writer. The son of the writer Edgar Wallace, Bryan was also a writer of crime and mystery novels which were very similar in style to those of his father. He was named after the American politician W ...

. It stars

Karl Malden Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was an American actor. He was primarily a character actor, who according to Robert Berkvist, "for more than 60 years brought an intelligent intensity and a homespun aut ...

James Franciscus James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: ''Mr. Novak'', ''The Naked City'', '' The Investigators'', '' Longstreet'', ''Doc Elliot'', an ...

, and

Catherine Spaak Catherine Spaak (3 April 1945 – 17 April 2022) was a French-born Italian actress and singer who acted in mostly in Italian films with some Hollywood and international productions. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Il Sorpasso'' (1 ...

. Although it is the middle entry in Argento's so-called "Animal Trilogy" (along with ''

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ''The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'' () is a 1970 giallo film directed by Dario Argento, in his directorial debut. The film has been credited with popularizing giallo, an Italian genre of thriller developed in the 1960s. It is the first in what ...

'' and ''

Four Flies on Grey Velvet ''Four Flies on Grey Velvet'' ( it, 4 mosche di velluto grigio) is a 1971 '' giallo'' film written and directed by Dario Argento. The film concerns Roberto Tobias ( Michael Brandon), who accidentally kills a man and is then tormented by someone w ...

''), the "cat o' nine tails" does not directly refer to a literal cat, nor to a literal multi-tailed whip; rather, it refers to the number of leads that the protagonists follow in the attempt to solve a murder. The film was a commercial success in Italy but not in the rest of Europe. However, it was acclaimed in the United States. Argento admitted in the book ''Broken Mirrors, Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento'' that he was less than pleased with the film, and has repeatedly cited it as his least favorite of all of his films.

Plot

An unknown individual breaks into the Terzi Medical Institute but supposedly takes nothing. One of the Institute doctors, Calabresi, confides to his fiancée, Bianca Merusi, that he knows who broke into the Institute and why. He attempts to

blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

the individual, but the thief pushes him in front of an arriving train, killing him. A

paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

photographer captures Calabresi's fall, but not the killer. Reporter Carlo Giordani has been covering the break-in investigation and writes an article about Calabresi's death, including the photo. Franco "Cookie" Arnò, a middle-aged blind man who was once an ace reporter, and his niece Lori visit Carlo after reading the article. Franco has a hunch that someone cropped the newspaper photo, and a call to the photographer confirms this. However, after they ask the photographer to print the entire picture, someone strangles him to death. The killer takes the photo and all the negatives before Carlo, Franco, and Lori arrive. Carlo, impressed with Franco, lets him assist his investigation. Discussing the case, they observe nine leads: the five remaining Institute scientists (Mombelli, Esson, Casoni, Braun, and director Terzi), Terzi's daughter Anna, Bianca (Calabresi's fiancée), the original break-in, and the missing photographs. They joke that the case is like a

Cat o' nine tails The cat o' nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed whip or flail that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment, notably in the Royal Navy and British Army, and as a judicial punishment in Britain ...

and resolve to follow each lead. Carlo interviews Anna, who reveals that the institute has been researching "

XYY syndrome XYY syndrome, also known as Jacobs syndrome, is an aneuploid genetic condition in which a male has an extra Y chromosome. There are usually few symptoms. These may include being taller than average, acne, and an increased risk of learning disa ...

." Their study suggests that people with the XYY chromosome have a "criminal tendency." Meanwhile, Franco and Lori meet with Bianca, who provides no additional information, but Lori remarks to Franco that Bianca was nervously fingering a

locket A locket is a pendant that opens to reveal a space used for storing a photograph or other small item such as a lock of hair. Lockets are usually given to loved ones on holidays such as Valentine's Day and occasions such as christenings, wedding ...

as she spoke. That night, Bianca searches Calabresi's car and finds a note detailing the thief/killer's identity. She hides the note in her locket. Bianca returns to her apartment, where the killer strangles her. The killer searches her but cannot find the note, which is hidden in the locket. Despite receiving a threatening note from the killer, Carlo and Franco continue investigating. Carlo speaks with other Institute doctors. Dr. Mombelli reveals that everyone at the Institute submitted blood samples to be tested for the XYY research. At the same time, Dr. Casoni speculates that testing for XYY may become a method for crime prevention. That night, Carlo and Franco both avoid separate attempts to kill them. Franco tells Carlo that Bianca must have died because the killer suspected she had evidence, and, remembering Lori mentioning Bianca's locket, he speculates the proof may be in the locket. They discover that Bianca got buried with the locket, so they go to her family crypt and search her

coffin A coffin is a funerary box used for viewing or keeping a corpse, either for burial or cremation. Sometimes referred to as a casket, any box in which the dead are buried is a coffin, and while a casket was originally regarded as a box for jewel ...

. Inside the locket, they find the folded note, but before they can read it, the killer shuts the crypt door, locking Carlo inside and attacking Franco outside. The killer takes the note, but Franco stabs him with his

sword cane A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane containing a hidden blade. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century, but similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Roman ''dolon'', the Japanes ...

, causing the killer to flee. The killer calls Franco and Carlo, revealing that he has kidnapped Lori and will kill her unless they stop investigating. Knowing that the killer will kill Lori regardless, they call the police. Franco, Carlo, and the police rush to the Terzi Institute to search for Lori, but they cannot find her. Carlo follows a trail of blood to the roof and finds Casoni, the killer, still bleeding from Franco's attack. Casoni prepares to stab a bound and gagged Lori, but Carlo leaps in front of her and gets stabbed in the shoulder. The police arrive on the roof and chase Casoni. Franco stops him with his cane blade; Casoni confesses that he initially broke in to replace the records that showed he tested positive for the XYY chromosome. When Franco asks about Lori, Casoni lies to Franco that he killed her. Enraged, Franco knocks him through a

skylight A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes. History Open ...

and down an elevator shaft to his death as a now-free Lori calls out for Franco.

Cast

as Carlo Giordani *

as Franco "Cookie" Arnò *

as Anna Terzi *

Pier Paolo Capponi Pier Paolo Capponi (9 June 1938 – 15 February 2018) was an Italian actor and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Subiaco, after his studies Capponi attended a theater school and later was chosen by director Vittorio De Seta for an import ...

as Police Supt. Spimi *

Horst Frank Horst Frank (28 May 1929 – 25 May 1999) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1955 and 1999. He was born in Lübeck, Germany and died in Heidelberg, Germany. Selected filmography * ''Der Stern von Afrika'' (19 ...

as Dr. Braun *

Rada Rassimov Rada Rassimov (born Rada Đerasimović (Serbian Cyrillic: Рада Ђерасимовић) on 3 March 1941 in Trieste, Italy) is an Italian actress of Serb origin, who has appeared in film since the early 1960s and television since 1975. Biog ...

as Bianca Merusi *

Tino Carraro Agostino Carraro (1 December 1910 – 12 January 1995) was an Italian stage, television and film actor. Life and career Born in Milan, Carraro started acting at young age in several amateur stage companies. Carraro then graduated at the , ...

as Professor Fulvio Terzi *

Cinzia De Carolis Cinzia De Carolis (born 22 March 1960) is an Italian actress, voice actress, dialogue writer, dubbing director and singer. She appeared in more than fifteen films since 1968 including her performance as Lori in ''The Cat o' Nine Tails ''The Cat ...

as Lori * Aldo Regianni as Dr. Casoni * Carlo Alighiero as Dr. Calabresi *

Vittorio Congia Vittorio Congia (4 November 1930 – 26 November 2019) was an Italian film actor and dubber.Ugo Fangareggi Ugo Fangareggi (30 January 1938 – 20 October 2017) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Genoa, Fangareggi worked as a dental technician when in 1961 he was noticed by Luigi Squarzina who chose him to act in the play ''Ciascuno a suo ...

as Gigi the Loser *

Tom Felleghy Tom Felleghy (born Tamás Fellegi; 26 November 1921) is a Hungarian-born Italian actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films since 1958. Filmography References External links * 1921 births Possibly living people Hungarian ma ...

as Dr. Esson * Emilio Marchisini as Dr. Mombelli *

Werner Pochath Werner Pochath (29 September 1939 – 18 April 1993) was an Austrian film actor. He worked in Germany, Italy and the United States, and then in the 1980s he began a second career as a Hollywood agent. He had been the partner of the ballet directo ...

as Manuel *

Fulvio Mingozzi Fulvio Mingozzi was an Italian actor. Active from 1966 as a character actor, he acted, albeit in brief and marginal roles and cameos, in all the films of Dario Argento ranging from ''The Bird with the Crystal Plumage ''The Bird with the Crysta ...

as Spimi's man *

Corrado Olmi Corrado Olmi (24 October 1926 – 29 December 2020)
w ...

as Morsella * Pino Patti as Barber

Production

Dario Argento and Dardano Sacchetti together mapped out the plot for ''The Cat o' Nine Tails'', and split the writing of the screenplay between them. However, because the production was set up on the basis of the first 40 pages of the script, and those pages were all written by Argento, Argento demanded that he receive sole screenplay credit. Being credited for story alone meant a substantial pay cut for Sacchetti, so this set off a bitter and publicized dispute between Sacchetti and Dario and Salvatore Argento (the film's producer, and Dario's father). ''The Cat o' Nine Tails'' was shot between September and October 1970. The film was shot on location in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

, and at Cinecitta Studios in Rome.

Release

''The Cat o' Nine Tails'' was released in Italy on February 11, 1971. International releases included the United States in May 1971, West Germany on July 15, 1971, where it was distributed by Constantin and in France on August 11, 1971, where it was distributed by Wild Side.

Box office

On its release in Italy in 1971, the film grossed a total of 2.4 billion

Italian lire The lira (; plural lire) was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. It was first introduced by the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1807 at par with the French franc, and was subsequently adopted by the different states that would eventually f ...

Critical reception

On the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, ''The Cat o' Nine Tails'' holds an approval rating of 82% based on 22 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.5 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''The Cat O'Nine Tails'' is a solidly entertaining Argento outing elevated by a well-chosen cast and the director's distinctive visual style." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100 based on 5 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Footnotes

References

* * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cat o' Nine Tails, The 1971 films 1970s thriller films 1971 LGBT-related films Italian thriller films Italian LGBT-related films French thriller films West German films German thriller films 1970s Italian-language films Films directed by Dario Argento Giallo films Italian serial killer films Films scored by Ennio Morricone Films about blind people Films set in Italy Films with screenplays by Dario Argento Films set in Turin Films shot in Berlin Films shot at Cinecittà Studios English-language French films English-language German films English-language Italian films 1970s Italian films 1970s French films 1970s German films