The Case of the Scorpion's Tail

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1971 Italian film

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail
Italian theatrical release poster
Directed by	Sergio Martino
Screenplay by	Eduardo Manzanos Brochero Ernesto Gastaldi Sauro Scavolini
Story by	Eduardo Manzanos Brochero
Produced by	Luciano Martino
Starring	George Hilton Anita Strindberg Alberto de Mendoza Janine Reynaud Evelyn Stewart Luigi Pistilli
Cinematography	Emilio Foriscot
Edited by	Eugenio Alabiso
Music by	Bruno Nicolai
Production companies	Devon Film Copercines Cooperativa Cinematográfica
Distributed by	Titanus
Release date	16 August 1971 (1971-08-16)
Running time	93 minutes
Countries	Italy Spain
Language	Italian
Box office	€19,571,993 (Spain)

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (Italian: La coda dello scorpione / Tail of the Scorpion) is a 1971 giallo film directed by Sergio Martino, produced by Luciano Martino and co-written by Ernesto Gastaldi and Eduardo Maria Brochero. It starred George Hilton, Anita Strindberg, Ida Galli and Janine Reynaud, and the music soundtrack was by Bruno Nicolai. It’s an international co-production between Italy and Spain.

Plot

After her husband Kurt dies in a plane accident, Lisa Baumer receives one million dollars, which she is to collect in Athens, Greece. Lisa's ex, Philippe, stalks her and demands a payoff. When they meet to meet, she finds Philippe dead and flees to catch her flight to Greece.

Insurance investigator Peter Lynch is hired to tail Lisa to affirm the legitimacy of the payout. He meets Lisa when his cover is blown at the hotel. Also following Lisa is Kurt's mistress, Lara Florakis, along with her muscle, Abad Sharif. Cornering her at an abandoned theater, they try to get the money, but Lisa runs away. They try to capture her, but Lynch helps Lisa escape. Once Lisa gets the money, she arranges to meet her lover in Tokyo. However, a masked killer breaks into Lisa's hotel room and slashes her to death, before stealing all the money.

The police of Athens are on the case, led by Inspector Stavros. Also investigating is Interpol agent John Stanley, who had been following Lisa since the airplane explosion, which his agency believed was a bombing. Lynch and Florakis are questioned. Soon after, a journalist, Cléo Dupont, meets Lynch. They soon start a relationship and agree to investigate together.

Lynch himself goes to question Florakis, where Stanley also arrives. Sharif narrowly kills Lynch with a hatchet. Florakis plays dumb when Stanley also questions her, but Lynch accuses her and Sharif of being the killers. That night, the killer murders her. Sharif, arriving from her distress call, chases the killer to the rooftop, where he falls to his death.

Lisa's lover, George Barnet, reconvenes in a hotel with a stewardess, his girlfriend. Barnet also has a uniform in his possession. One night, when Lynch joins Cléo at her studio apartment, the killer attacks her. Lynch arrives and saves her. At the scene is a cuff link, in the shape of a scorpion. An image of Kurt shows him with the same cuff links, and Lynch surmises Kurt is alive and in turn the killer. Meanwhile, Barnet is attacked and killed in London.

Lynch and Cléo arrange a trip on Lynch's yacht as part of a getaway. In the meantime, the police meet the stewardess, noticing her lapel pin is the same design as the cuff link. While on the yacht, Cléo sees Lynch dive into an underwater cave. When Cléo reaches air, she finds in the rocks of the cave floor a plastic bag with the insurance money. Lynch catches her and forces her back to the boat, admitting he really was the killer all along. Lisa's lover was his accomplice, and the bomber of the plane, and the whole plot was arranged to lure Lisa where she was to be killed, all to take the money. Lynch escalated to killing all liabilities, including Barnet, who was arranged to attack Cléo to divert suspicion from Lynch.

When Lynch offers to escape with Cléo, she rushes to the radio and tries to call for help. Lynch subsequently chases after her. Cléo stabs Lynch's shoulder with a harpoon, dives into the sea, and flees to a nearby island, Lynch in tow not far behind. When he catches up to her, Lynch is shot by the police.

Cast

George Hilton as Peter Lynch
Anita Strindberg as Cléo Dupont
Alberto de Mendoza as John Stanley
Ida Galli as Lisa Baumer
Janine Reynaud as Lara Florakis
Luigi Pistilli as Inspector Stavros
Tom Felleghy as Mr. Brenton
Luis Barboo as Sharif
Lisa Leonardi as Hostess
Tomás Picó as George Barnet

Critical reception

AllMovie called it a "devilishly entertaining giallo thriller".

Adrian Luther Smith wrote "....one of the best of Sergio Martino's impressive batch of thrillers. It has considerable energy, some pleasing exotic locations and is crammed with a great cast of shady characters.....The resulting gory carnage is graphically presented."

References

Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 20
Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 20
Robert Firsching (2015). "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17.
Firsching, Robert. "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
Luther-Smith, Adrian (1999). Blood and Black Lace: The Definitive Guide to Italian Sex and Horror Movies. Stray Cat Publishing Ltd. p. 20

External links

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail at IMDb

v t e Films directed by Sergio Martino
Arizona Colt Returns (1970) The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971) The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971) All the Colors of the Dark (1972) Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972) The Violent Professionals (1973) Torso (1973) Giovannona Long-Thigh (1973) La bellissima estate (1974) The Visitor (1974) Gambling City (1975) Sex with a Smile (1975) The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975) Silent Action (1975) Sex with a Smile II (1976) Mannaja (1977) Slave of the Cannibal God (1978) The Great Alligator River (1979) Island of the Fishmen (1979) Cornetti alla crema (1981) Spaghetti a mezzanotte (1981) The Scorpion with Two Tails (1982) 2019, After the Fall of New York (1983) L'allenatore nel pallone (1984) Vendetta dal futuro (1986) The Opponent (1988) Casablanca Express (1989) Un orso chiamato Arturo (1992) L'allenatore nel pallone 2 (2008)

Films directed by Sergio Martino

Arizona Colt Returns (1970)
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971)
The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971)
All the Colors of the Dark (1972)
Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972)
The Violent Professionals (1973)
Torso (1973)
Giovannona Long-Thigh (1973)
La bellissima estate (1974)
The Visitor (1974)
Gambling City (1975)
Sex with a Smile (1975)
The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975)
Silent Action (1975)
Sex with a Smile II (1976)
Mannaja (1977)
Slave of the Cannibal God (1978)
The Great Alligator River (1979)
Island of the Fishmen (1979)
Cornetti alla crema (1981)
Spaghetti a mezzanotte (1981)
The Scorpion with Two Tails (1982)
2019, After the Fall of New York (1983)
L'allenatore nel pallone (1984)
Vendetta dal futuro (1986)
The Opponent (1988)
Casablanca Express (1989)
Un orso chiamato Arturo (1992)
L'allenatore nel pallone 2 (2008)

This article related to an Italian film of the 1970s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

This article related to a Spanish film of the 1970s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

This article about a psychological thriller film is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: