Libido

Mara Maryl (Mrs. Gastaldi) is the Italian sex kitten in the style of Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren and her performance, and Dominique Boschero's performance, gives Libido its energy and forward thrust. Their easy-on-the-eyes beauty and great bodies don't help young Giancarlo Gianni forget the childhood memories that haunt him. His father was a sexual sadist who took pleasure in abusing women and Giancarlo fears he has inherited his dad's sickness. He also fears he is being haunted by his ghost. Mara's character, the wife of the ubiquitous Luciano Pigozzi (the Italian Peter Lorre), is ditsy but that's kind of a facade. Unfortunately, despite the great reputation of Ernesto Gastaldi as a giallo master, Libido is not on DVD or Blu Ray in North America and that's a bummer because it's one of the best of the early giallos. The black and white cinematography and location is excellent. It would have been less impressive in color. If you can find this film on the web or through a DVD vendor, give it a watch. Mara, as Maria Chianetta, wrote the giallo film Scorpion With Two Tails.