Death Occurred Last Night

Death Occurred Last Night' is a gripping and well executed Giallo thriller with a sombre tone and an interesting central mystery that despite not offering the usual violent or sleaze that the genre usually offers, instead we get a more character driven story that focuses more on the investigation aspects and while this is not an entirely new take as there are plenty of early Giallo's that plays out like a cop show, this is definitely one of the better ones thanks to its stellar writing and efficient pacing.

The plot = A widower Amanzio Berzaghi (Raf Vallone) mentally challenged daughter Donatella (Gillian Bray) is kidnapped and forced into prostitution, the father then asks the police Captain Lamberti (Frank Wolff) for help in solving the case.

The movie may not appeal to all fans of the genre due to its more depressing nature and lack of violent set pieces, but don't let that put you off as this is something unique and really good, thanks to its more straightforward approach and its superb direction by Duccio Tessari who crafts a compelling narrative that packs an emotional punch especially towards its thrilling climax, which ends everything with an almighty bang.

The cast here are excellent with Raf Vallone delivering and tragic and sympathetic character, while Frank Wolff delivers an excellent and compelling performance. Gabriele Tinti also delivers a standout and interesting performance in her role. In fact, all of the cast are solid in their roles.

Overall 'Death Occurred Last Night' is a thoughtful, powerful and a somewhat unexpected gem of the genre that comes highly recommended.

A very interesting director and especially this film being a part giallo part cop procedural and we have a sexy 25 year old woman with the mind of a three year old. This being as tasteful as possible and she disappears, the police straight away think of prostitution but there is also some humour but the ending is amazing. The very next year is really a giallo, The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) and later on Puzzle (1974) both great and earlier Duccio Tessari had two, just as splendid spaghetti westerns, A Pistol for Ringo (1965) and The Return of Ringo (1965). In this film it gets a bit confusing now and again but then a giallo usually does but it is all so well done and with Raf Vallone so really good as the father, it could easily have been a bit silly. Frank Wolff as the inspector and has a great time with Eva Renzi as his wife around the flat, in bed and even strumming his guitar.

A mentally backward 25 year old woman mysteriously vanishes and consequently turns up dead. The investigation then tries to find out who was responsible for the brutal murder. This poliziotteschi/giallo hybrid delves into the dark underbelly of Milan, where it turns out many shady individuals reside. Tonally, this is more on the poliziotteschi side of the fence than the giallo, consequently its a bit darker and nihilistic, with a more cynical view of life overall. Its still an involving mystery/thriller whatever its categorisation though and keeps you guessing. It also benefits from the great Frank Wolff on hand as the police inspector on the case.

Inappropriate title in the German dubbing, great film: Raf VALLONE in an exciting mix of giallo thriller and crime film

A widower (great: Raf Vallone) from Milan lovingly looks after his already grown but mentally retarded daughter (Gill Bray). One day she disappears from their shared apartment without a trace. An inspector (Frank Wolff) investigates, but encounters resistance. Is it possible that a prostitution ring is behind this? The desperate father no longer knows what to do...

Duccio Tessari ("Uomo senza memoria" with the chainsaw-wielding Senta Berger) has presented an impressive film that was co-produced by Artur Brauner and his CCC FILMKUNST. Unfortunately the German title is very inappropriate, there is not much fog in Milan. The alternative title "Murders only happen on Saturdays" is at least a little better. The Italian original could be translated as "Death occurred last night". Eva Renzi (as the inspector's wife) and Beryl Cunningham can be seen in other roles. The event of the film, however, is Raf Vallone, who impresses with his sensitive acting and sheer physical strength. The end of the film still offers a few surprises. In the Italian box office it grossed a decent 568 million ITL.

A gem worth seeing from the almost inexhaustible reservoir of Italian crime films of the 1970s!

Part giallo and part drama, this movie's been overlooked by both the "mainstream" critics and the Italian-horror fans alike, and that's a shame, because it's one of Italy's more serious genre efforts of the 70's. The distraught father's race to find his kidnapped daughter before the police do, is both tense and poignant. It's free of the exploitative elements most genre films have, and along with Tessari's other thriller (Bloodstained Butterfly), one of the most mature Italian thillers of the decade. The ending is painful without being gratuitous, and well above something Hollywood could handle: compare the father's obsession to find the girl in this to Cage's in 8MM and be amazed at how crassly the latter is constructed. See this one!