The Evil Eye (1963) User Reviews

Weed ain't that bad aft all, its taking things from strangers n staying in stranger's house which are bad.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 21 April 2021]

I saw this for the first time recently and that too the 89 mins Italian version.

This is no doubt the first giallo film and the last film Bava shot in black and white.

It is very mild when it comes to the gore n it aint scary but a bit comedic n predictable if u pay attention.

The movie plays more like a Hitchcockian thriller and it is obvious that this movie is one genius' homage to another genius.

I enjoyed this even more as i am a big fan of Saxon and his character is one of the suspect. The beach scene is hilarious.

The scene wher the priest picks up the cigarette laden with marijuana is epic.

Bava's cinematography is once again splendid.

The Piazza di Spagna n Spanish steps are captured very well.

Bava is so precise with the direction. After the murder there is rain, so one can't look for blood.

Also when the lead female is trying to recollect the murder n just when she is about to recollect the knife thrown by the killer, she is distracted by the gun shots (kid's toys) n she forgets.

P. S. In the Italian Version, Nora and Marcello are standing at an overlook, trying to forget what happened, planning their wedding. When Marcello wants to light a cigarette Nora got out of her purse, she starts thinking that it was all in her head as a result of smoking weed. She tosses the spliffs and a reverend picks them up. Now the word "FINE" appears on the screen.

In the US Version, a man with binoculars gets in a chair lift in order to shoot a woman. Nora and Marcello are in another chair lift and witness the entire thing. They are talking about getting married as well, but Marcello wishes that Nora would never ever start with any kind of crimes or murders.

Classic Bava

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 13 February 2005]

• Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) is a young woman hoping to have a wonderful vacation in Italy. Within 24 hours of her arrival, she is almost mistakenly arrested for drug smuggling, the aunt she is staying with dies, she has her purse stolen, and she witnesses a murder. But the police can find no body and no signs of a murder. It seems that no on believes her. It's up to Nora to discover the truth to what happened that rainy night in the plaza.

• Mario Bava is known for his magnificent use of color. So, it's a little odd that two of my favorite films that Bava made (The Girl Who Knew Too Much and Black Sunday) are black & white. Whatever the format, Bava again demonstrates his mastery of shadows and light very effectively. The film presents a series of images that are hard to forget. Each shot is perfection. One of my favorites is of the thief who steals Nora's purse as he moves from one side of the stairs to the other. It is admittedly a very minor moment, but Bava puts more care into this insignificant tracking shot than most director's do in the main scenes of their movies. It is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.

• The Girl Who Knew Too Much is an obvious (and not just in title) homage to Alfred Hitchcock. Bava has loaded the movie with moments that are done as I imagine Hitchcock would have done them. If the movie weren't in Italian, you would swear Hitchcock directed it.

• But the thing that make this movie so effective is Leticia Roman as Nora. Her performance is one of the best I've seen in a Bava film. She comes off as fragile, yet determined, depending upon what the script calls for. She has a believability that is necessary for this kind of movie if the audience to feel concern when she is in peril. Roman is perfect in the role.

• One final note, this movie is often cited as the first giallo. Whether this is true or not, I only know what I've read. The Girl Who Knew Too Much does establish a very elementary framework for later gialli to follow. But, it bears little resemblance to the gialli that would come later. It's not until Bava fleshed-out the giallo in Blood and Black Lace do we get look and "rules" that have become so familiar to fans of the genre.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 20 November 2007]

Nora(Letícia Román)comes to Rome to visit her sickly aunt and finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. After her aunt dies, Nora walks out into the dark, quiet Rome streets in shock, sees a female victim with a knife plunged into her back, and a brief glimpse of a man before fainting. Awakening in a hospital(great point-of-view shot of nuns standing over her), she tries to convince her attending physician, Dr. Marcello Bassi(a young, dashing & charming John Saxon)that she witnessed a murder. When no body is found, Nora still persists the fact that she saw this woman with a knife in her back and a killer drawing near. Shortly after attending her aunt's burial, a wealthy citizen nearby named Laura Craven-Torrani(Valentina Cortese)out-of-the-blue offers Nora a place to stay claiming she knew her aunt. Claiming that she was on her way to Switzerland, Laura allows Nora to remain in the house alone..the question is, why is Laura so generous? Nora, undaunted despite the idea of danger(..and the fact she often reads murder mysteries with the thrilling idea of partaking in one obviously motivating her participation in finding the murderer), will pursue the identity of the killer of that missing woman. Marcello, at first reluctant, decides to assist Nora in her sleuthing, falling for her in the process. Marcello even serves as host to Nora showing her Rome and it's many sights(..I felt this was Bava disguised as Marcello bestowing foreign audiences with the place he adores). While staying in Laura's home, she encounters a metal box with newspaper clippings of the notorious, supposedly solved, Alphabet Murders, detailing the serial killings of various women following a distinct pattern, a knife in the back with each female victim's last name starting in alphabetical order. Could Nora be the next victim? During their search, Nora and Marcello encounter a broken, pitiful former newspaper reporter, Andrea Landini(Dante DiPaolo)who followed the Alphabet Murders case and felt responsible for putting the wrong man behind bars for the crimes.

Bava's visual eye shows wonderful things as he shoots this film in B&W displaying a type of Rome both beautiful and, at the same time spooky, equipping the surroundings with the right pinch of dread and danger. The night time scenes are especially atmospheric as any body could be hiding in the dark, with a chance to murder without being caught. I also loved how Bava shoots Laura's house at night with a frightened, cautious Nora often looking over her shoulder as wayward shadows loom thereabouts. You never feel Nora is completely safe, even with Marcello often by her side. If you read the signs, you might figure out who the killer is..I think that mystery can be easily solved by those who have seen their share of gialli and murder mysteries. It's Bava's fantastic presentation that provides the thrills. It doesn't matter whether Bava shoots in B&W or color, he knows how to frame a stunning shot and add just the right amount of ambiance to it.

Bava's first Giallo; a minor-masterpiece of style and energy

[ThreeSadTigers · 15 July 2008]

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) is director Mario Bava's gleeful homage to Hitchcock; and one of the earliest examples of the Italian Giallo sub-genre of horror/suspense cinema that would go on to inspire an entire generation of horror filmmakers throughout the subsequent two decades. If you're at all familiar with the work of director Dario Argento for example, then you can see the roots of films like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), Deep Red (1975) and Tenebrae (1982) already being established by the skillful blending of low-key thrills, character development and good old fashioned murder mystery, as captured by Bava in this excellent, slow-burning suspense piece. Although it may take some viewers a while to settle into the overall tone of the film - with those first few scenes presenting us with a veritable bombardment of information, both narrative and thematic, before the first murder has even taken place - the eventual unravelling of the plot, and Bava's excellent direction eventually draw us deeper into a story that is here punctuated by a charmingly romantic subplot, a miniature travelogue around the tourist traps of Rome, some subtle moments of almost slapstick humour, and the director's always inventive use of visual experimentation.

The usual Gialli trademarks are already beginning to take shape here, with the film focusing on a foreigner - in this case, twenty-year old American student Nora Davis - who travels to Rome to visit her ailing aunt and inadvertently witnesses a murder. Alongside this central plot device, which would be utilised by Argento in many of his greatest films, such as the three aforementioned, we also have the ideas of sight and perception; with the central protagonist unintentionally witnessing something that is shrouded in elements of doubt and abstraction, and thus having to prove what she saw to sceptical police officers and those nearest to her. Bava's film is also given a neat touch of self-referential sub-text; opening with a shot of the central character herself reading a Giallo murder mystery, casting some doubt as to whether or not the film plays out in the literal sense, or whether it is a merely a constructed reality, taking place in her own mind as she reads the book to herself. This is a thread of interpretation that is examined throughout by the filmmaker, with the title of the book itself, "The Knife", having an importance on the plot that perhaps surreptitiously suggest some element of imagined fantasy.

Once we get through those hectic opening sequences, which introduce the characters and a number of potential sub-plots that are essentially window-dressing to throw us off the trail, the film settles into the murder mystery aspect and the burgeoning relationship between Nora and her young doctor friend, Marcello Bassi. Through the relationship, Bava introduces a subtle comment on the Holmes vs. Watson partnership recast as a romantic dilemma, whilst also creating space within his story to let the audience catch up and think about the potential clues already collected in order to lead us to the eventual discovery of the killer's identity. The use of sight and Bava's directorial slight-of-hand is used meticulously for the initial murder sequence; with the director creating a literal feeling of hazy disconnection and a distorted perspective through a somewhat dated visual effect and the always masterful use of light and shadow. Although the actual effect - which replicates the look of ripples on a pond - might lead a more contemporary audience to giggle or cringe, it does tie in with the continual use of water-symbolism in Bava's work, from the final story in The Three Faces of Fear/Black Sabbath (1963), and A Bay of Blood (1971) most famously, as well as a somewhat cheap gag about marijuana cigarettes that will pay off in the film's closing moments.

Again, the use of humour taps into the spirit of Hitchcock, with intrigue, voyeurism, suspense and murder being reduced to mere complications in the continual romantic wooing of Nora by the charming Dr. Bassi. Nevertheless, the thriller aspects are what we remember most clearly; with Bava's always atmospheric direction, iconography and ability to create tension from the slightest movement of the camera. Once the credits have rolled, we release just how subtle much of Bava's use of sight and perception actually was; with a number of scenes leading on from a moment of confusion by the central character, in which she thinks she sees something that turns out to be nothing of the sort. Again, it shows the director playfully undermining the central character; presenting Nora as someone unable to trust her own eyes, and thus, unable to be trusted with the ultimate unravelling of the plot. Nonetheless, Bava also succeeds in throwing us into this enigmatic mystery; undermining our own perspective of the story by showing us important information early on, allowing us to feel superior to Nora with our benefit of a forewarning, only to then cast further doubt in our mind as the gallery of suspects mount up.

Though still something of a minor work for Bava, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is undoubtedly great; enlivened by the fine performances from the two leads, John Saxon (a cult actor with an impeccable list of credits) and the delightful Leticia Roman (I'm honestly quite smitten), and absolutely brimming with style and energy. The gag at the end is in-keeping with Bava's work, but certainly doesn't lessen the impact of the more thrilling scenes that came before, or the air of grand mystery and excitement suggested by his excellent approach to editing, cinematography and design. Beware that the film also exists under the title The Evil Eye; re-edited by Bava for the American market as more of a light-hearted romp (Tarantino calls it's a masterpiece). The version reviewed here is the original Italian version, a minor masterpiece of Giallo thrills, cinematic abstractions and an old-fashioned approach to storytelling that grips us from the start and never lets us go.

Classic and frightening Giallo by the great Mario Bava with the ordinary cruel murders

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 6 November 2005]

The movie tells how an US tourist young girl (Leticia Roman) travels to Rome and is witness a killing by a brutal killer . She's only helped by an Italian mistress (Valentina Cortese) and a good-looking young (John Saxon) , they will help resolve the series of unsolved crude assassinations carried out by the so-called Alphabet Murderer . Later on , the police wants her cooperation to seize the executioner while the mysterious series-killer soon targets her for his next victim .

In the movie there is suspense , thriller , horror and results to be very exciting . The film is entertaining for continued tension , emotion , intrigue ; besides , appearing numerous palaces , famous buildings and squares that create spectacular scenarios . The picture is considered to be the first Giallo , being rightly regarded as the seminal work in what became known as the "Giallo" genre , a sub-genre invented by Mario Bava and successfully continued by Riccardo Freda and Dario Argento . Bava would follow filming Giallos as ¨Blood and black lace¨ and classics of horror cinema as ¨Mask of demon¨ , ¨Black Sabbath¨ and ¨Planet of vampires¨ . Film casting is frankly well . Leticia Roman as an enticing scream girl is enjoyable and attractive , John Saxon as her young friend is very fine and veteran Valentina Cortese is excellent . Robert Nicolosi's musical score is atmospheric , though in the US version is composed by Les Baxter , Corman factory's regular , and the catching opening song is sung by Adriano Calentano . Magnificent white and black cinematography by the same Mario Bava , as usual in most his movies , and this was his final black and white production . At the film is shown and well photographed several monuments and squares from Rome , such as : Foro Italico Stadium , Piazza Navona , Mincio Square , Colisseum , Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna . This motion picture which in some countries was released under the following titles : "The Evil Eye" , ¨Incubus¨ or ¨Obsession diabolique¨ will appeal to terror cinema fans and Giallo enthusiasts . Rating : Good . Well worth seeing

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (Mario Bava, 1963) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 10 June 2007]

This Bava film (whose title is clearly a nod to Alfred Hitchcock), credited with being the first giallo, was also one I could have watched earlier – having long considered picking up the now-OOP Image DVD, not to mention via a DivX copy I've owned for some time – but thought it best to wait for this definitive edition (complete with a Tim Lucas Audio Commentary).

Anyway, I don't know whether it's because I preceded it with Riccardo Freda's delirious and luridly-colored THE GHOST (1963) or the fact that the film retains an incongruous light touch (and leisurely pace) throughout – including the heroine's ruse to ensnare her stalker by the unlikely methods adopted in the pulp thrillers she avidly reads – but, while I enjoyed it a good deal, it felt to me like an altogether minor work from the maestro! Similarly, the murder sequences – a stylized highlight of later giallos – are pretty mild here. Still, Bava's consistent virtues – as a director – for creating tremendous suspense and the fantastic lighting and crisp cinematography that come with his intimate knowledge of the camera are well in evidence.

The first half-hour is pretty busy plot-wise, as all sorts of things happen to the charming leading lady (the striking-looking Leticia Roman, daughter of Oscar-winning costume designer Vittorio Nino Novarese): first she gets involved with a drug-dealer, then the old woman she was to live with dies on her, after which she roams outside in a frenzied state to be held up by a small-time crook and witness a knife-murder across Rome's famous Piazza di Spagna! Her disoriented frame-of-mind is effectively rendered by Bava through simple expedients, such as distorting lenses and focus-pulling. Incidentally, the foreigner-investigating-a-series-of-murders-in-Italy plot line prefigures such notable Dario Argento films as THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970) and DEEP RED (1975). Interestingly, since there was no yardstick for the genre as yet, Bava relied on such familiar film noir trappings as first-person narration to push the story forward.

The film also features a young John Saxon in his first of many "Euro-Cult" outings as Roman's boyfriend and Valentina Cortese as her wealthy, eccentric landlady; the script provides plenty of suspects, but the final revelation comes as a surprise (though, in hindsight, it seems pretty obvious) – and this is followed by a lengthy explanation of the motive behind the killings, which became a standard 'curtain' for this type of thriller. There's an amusing final gag involving a packet of cigarettes and a priest, while Adriano Celentano's catchy pop song "Furore" serves as a motif during the course of the film.

Additional footage was prepared for the U.S. version (snippets of which are present in the accompanying trailer), while the title was changed to THE EVIL EYE and Roberto Nicolosi's score replaced with that of Les Baxter (as had already proved to be the case with Bava's BLACK Sunday [1960])! It would have been nice to have had this cut of the film (which is said to stress the comedy even more) included for the sake of comparison – and it had actually been part of the original announcement for "The Mario Bava Collection Vol. 1", along with the similar AIP variants for BLACK Sunday itself and BLACK SABBATH (1963), but these were subsequently retracted! Incidentally, I now regret not renting the alternate version of THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH on DVD-R while I was in Hollywood – but, back then, I wanted first to watch the film as the director intended.

In John Saxon's otherwise entertaining interview on the Anchor Bay DVD (in which he recounts his experience working on this film and other stuff he made during his tenure in Italy), he erroneously mentions that he worked with director Lucio Fulci – whose name he even mispronounces as Luciano! Despite there being a considerable amount of dead air throughout Tim Lucas' Audio Commentary, it does a wonderful job at detailing the film's background – plus offering his own take on events: it does prove enlightening on several aspects of the film I had initially overlooked, such as how the costumes were carefully chosen to define character or the impressive contribution given by Dante di Paolo (George Clooney's uncle!) as the dour journalist investigating the murder spree. Surprisingly, Lucas also mentions that some of Bava's camera moves are more elaborate and graceful as seen in THE EVIL EYE (which makes me want to see it even more!) – but, then, important dialogue stretches heard in the Italian original involving the creepily asexual voice of the killer were bafflingly left out of the American version!!

Both clumsy and fabulous, silly and riveting

[secondtake · 7/10 · 20 March 2013]

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

Well, this is a classic worth watching for film buffs interested in the first giallo movie ever made (if we ignore the Hitchcock precedents). Giallo films are purposely simple and gory and filled with dramatic camera-work. In a sense they play off the style, one after another, becoming increasingly about the genre rather than movies that stand on their own. It's like slasher films these days, or maybe even zombie films, where you watch knowing what you're going to get, and that's exactly what you want.

Even the director, Mario Bava, admitted openly this was a silly film with great cinematography. That sums it up. He couldn't even remember the two leading actors. There is a bizarre, cheesy, low-budget thriller aspect to the whole enterprise that makes it fun in a campy way even if you aren't a giallo fan. But it's not good in a traditional sense.

Even the main premise is old as the hills--a serial killer is stabbing women in the back in alphabetical order by last name. This is oddly confused in the plot, because woman C was killed a decade before and we see the next woman killed before our eyes. But the heroine's last name begins with D, as if she is going to be next, and indeed she finds her picture in a file at the end suggesting she really is next in line. So what letter did the woman killed before our eyes have?

One of the weird aspects to the plot might explain this--the woman accidentally smokes a marijuana cigarette at the beginning of the movie, and we come to realize she might have dreamed the whole episode. Never mind there are other deaths and mishaps that seem rather real. And a handsome Italian doctor in love with her.

It's also weird in a funny way that the lead woman is an Italian actress playing an American visitor in Rome. Naturally her Italian is excellent. And the whole movie is centered around the Spanish Steps, which are often completely (completely) empty, not a person around. Adds to the surrealism. There are creaky horror film conventions like the shadowy man seen through the window, or the overdecorated house with creepy lights where the woman is staying, alone of course.

What's to recommend this? The photography. The noir influence (and the Roger Corman one, I suppose) is clear. And beautiful. Now if the story and acting made some modicum of sense we'd be set for a classic over-the-top scary movie. Yes, it's important as a giallo example, but don't overblow the result.

Only Bava Giallo with Sympathetic Characters

[eibon09 · 8/10 · 20 April 2001]

La Ragazza Che Sapeva Troppo/The Girl who Knew too Much(1963) is the first of the giallo genre that didn't blossom until the late 1960s. Also the final film by Mario Bava to be done in black and white. Although a Giallo, the film follows the plot lines of the more traditional mystery story with a few twists. The film that uses the perverse and violent elements of the Gialli or Giallo is Blood & Black Lace(1964). Mario Bava's next film, Blood and Black Lace(1964) is less interested in story and more interested in mood and style. The plot involves a woman who misinterprets the meaning of a murder she witnesses. The first horror picture that John Saxon was in.

Bava in a rare instance uses naturalistic lighting. Usually the lighting in a Bava film is drenched in artful color. The only other film by Mario Bava to use naturalistic lighting is Rabid Dogs(1974). Lacks the sex and violence that dominates the gialli novels. The director was fascinated by the deception of appearences in this film and in his entire filmography. He seemed to have little optimism about human behavior or human nature. There are only three murders that occur in the film while the others happen before the story begins.

The Girl who Knew Too Much(1963) deals with Bava's favorite theme of greed. The murderer before being overcome with bloodlust does these deeds because of obsession with money. Greed is the seed of destruction for the characters in Blood & Black Lace(1964), A Bay of Blood(1971), and Rabid Dogs(1974). Part Alfred Hitchcock and part Edgar Wallace. The acting in the film is good. Leticia Roman is excellent as the naive and attractive Nora Davis. Mario Bava was not interested in doing the film but due to money reason directed it anyway.

Downplays the romantic subplot involving Nora Davis and Dr. Marcello Bassi. The scenes that uses suggestions of drug use were cut for the USA release. I love the scene where Nora sets up a booby trap to catch the murderer with disasterous results. The camera was in love with the figure of Leticia Roman during the scene at the beach while panning from her face to her feet. The short love scene between Nora and Marcello has a short spurt of eroticism. One of the writers who worked on the film was Django director, Sergio Corbucci. John Saxon does some fine acting as the leading man.

Mario Bava and John Saxon did not get along due to many misunderstandings during filming. The director it seems didn't think too highly of actors or actresses. Dante Dipaolo plays the newspaper reporter with sympathy. The use of the tape recorder by the murderer is cleaver. Valentina Cortese gets the top acting honors as the mysterious Laura Terrani. The discovery of the murderer is one of the film's main highlights. Impressed Dario Argento when he did The Bird with the Crystal Plumage(1969) and thus being responsible for the longevity and success of the Giallo in Italy.

The original giallo

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 7/10 · 19 January 2006]

Nora Davis (Letícia Román) is an American tourist in Rome who witnesses the brutal murder of a woman on her first night in the city, however circumstances prevail that no body is found and the police and pretty much every one else believe she is a little crazy, except that is for a young Dr. Marcello Bassi (John Saxon)that she has befriended who plays along and helps her investigate. Nora's investigations brings up three earlier killings in the same place on the Spanish Steps in Rome,that at the time were called the Alphabet Murders, due to the killer's preponderance for killing women that had the respective letter in their surname,but the killer was caught and imprisoned for life,so who is it doing the killings?soon Nora realizes that the letter "D" is next on the killers list and that she is to be his next victim.

Well, I've searched high and low for this granddaddy of the Gialli Genre for over two years now and finally got myself a copy,and was it worth it?….Its Mario Bava of course it was…..Filmed in stunning black & white the film boasts some fine performances from the leads, it is also regarded as the film that started the ball rolling for the giallo on film.The Girl who knew too much also gives a very firm nod to the work of Hitchcock whose "Man who knew too much" the title is borrowed from.The film is full of suspense with some very nice scenes and keeps you guessing until the end,as all fine Gialli should…..it is quite low on the bloodletting though, a trait the Giallo would ignore more and more as it entered the 1970's, but this is still an excellent film and well worth checking out….if you can find a copy that doesn't mean breaking the bank. 8/10

Bava creates the giallo by way of Hitchcock

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 10 August 2011]

With The Girl Who Knew Too Much, director Mario Bava planted the seed that would evolve into the sub-genre known as the giallo. In fairness, it doesn't much resemble the films that would typify this genre in the 70's. Bava's next film Blood and Black Lace would truly be the definitive template film that would inform the giallo. But there is no doubting that some of the recurring motives and ideas of this most Italian film genre began here.

As the title suggests, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is indebted to Alfred Hitchcock more than anything else. The idea of an innocent thrust into the middle of a deadly situation is one Hitchcock used many times. While the romantic sub-plot and moments of light comedy also recall his work. These latter two elements are mainly what mark out TGWKTM as a cross-over film, as they are certainly not features of giallo cinema as it would develop. But the light, comic approach is one of the things that make this one of the most playful and upbeat films that Mario Bava ever made. Unlike his three other gialli, this film actually has sympathetic characters. While it doesn't have the melodramatic tendencies that those ensemble movies had either. The approach is much more restrained, with a fairly simple amateur sleuth narrative being the framework. Completely different too is the black and white aesthetic. Bava is of course rightfully famous for his masterful use of colour but in this film he shows that his use of light and contrast is just as impressive. This is a very handsome looking movie. Letícia Román adds to this aesthetic too of course, seeing as she is a very beautiful woman. Visually, this is a terrific film. Story-wise, it's certainly less interesting. The fairly mechanical plot is sufficient enough in taking us from A to B but it isn't particularly memorable. But it does introduce some of the motives that would go on to form an important part of giallo cinema such as the convoluted mystery, the bizarre reasoning for murder and the importance of optical subjectivity as well as the focus on style over substance.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a film that should be seen by fans of Mario Bava as well as dedicated students of all things giallo. It's a film that is as breezy and light as the genre ever got. It's a lovely and beautiful looking flick from a master film-maker.

One of Bava's best giallo

[funkyfry · 7/10 · 11 October 2002]

Very good suspense, excellent photography, and negligent characterizations comprise this class-A terror package from Italian genre pro Bava. Romain is sufficiently terrified, and photographs well in stark B & W. Saxon is strictly sleepwalking through this Italian work/vacation. A woman comes to stay with an elderly relative in Rome; finding her dead on her first night in town, she runs into the street and ends up being robbed and possibly witnessing a murder. Of course, in true Giallo form, no one believes her and she spends a lot of time receiving threatening phone calls. Not much of a shocker ending, but with plenty of payoff along the way.

Bava was a director by this point, but he had just left behind a career in film photography a few years before making this film, and it shows in the excellent visual qualities of this film (as well as all his films, even the worst of them). One thing I find interesting is that Bava is known for his black and white photography, but also developed interesting techniques with lighting in color that allow him to use the same type of shadow/alternating light effects that work in black and white in color films. I've noticed these types of effects in other Italian films, but none so striking or consistent as in Bava's films, which leads me to believe he is one of the innovators of this style. Despite the often wonderful results achieved by Bava as a color-film director, his black and white film "Black Sunday" is best regarded, and I think "Evil Eye" should be given a second look, because it seems that with black and white Bava is at his best.

Admire the lack of colours

[KuRt-33 · 8/10 · 3 July 2001]

It's no wonder so many novels by Vladimir Nabokov were made into movies. After all, we are talking about the man who once said: "If you don't admire all the colours when you are outside, there is no point in becoming a writer." The same goes for watching a movie by Mario Bava: he was a genius at composing colourful movies. Many movies from the sixties have a special colour, but even amongst other movies from that decade, Bava's clearly stand out.

The Evil Eye (also known as The Girl who Knew too Much) is a black-and-white movie. There are no colours to admire, apart from the variations in grey. Is it still a great movie? Yes. The colours are that little bit extra, the bit that makes a good movie excellent. In The Evil Eye we follow Nora, an American girl who goes to Italy to visit her sick aunt. There she witnesses a murder, or so she thinks. There is no body to be found and, only moments before the murder, Nora had been attacked by a thief. As we follow her on her journey to the truth, it becomes clear why the European title (a literal translation from the original Italian title, La Ragazza che sepeva troppo) is The Girl who Knew too Much. This is the Bava version of a Hitchcock movie, a case study for Bava's later gialli.

If we forgive the movie for being a bit too sketchy at times, we are left with an intriguing puzzle, with a movie that wants to show beauty in almost every scene, with a few scenes that'll remain in your head for at least a few months. in short, with a very good movie. Letitía Román is so intriguing it looks like she is having an affair with the camera. There is no reason why you shouldn't be the voyeur.

The first Giallo?

[ODDBear · 7/10 · 11 May 2004]

I read somewhere that this movie, directed by the famed Mario Bava, was the first Giallo. I found it to be a fairly suspenseful, highly stylish, little film. A young woman believes she witnessed a murder but when there's no evidence to support it she begins to doubt what she saw. Lucky for her she´s got Detective John Saxon to help her get to the bottom of it.

Bava is said to have influenced Dario Argento with his filmmaking techniques and it shows here. He makes great use of location shooting, set pieces and lighting to create a chilling athmosphere. There's also a solid story here and a clever mystery which unfolds in a memorable fashion.

The actors are quite good, it's always nice to see John Saxon, even if he's dubbed in italian.

All in all a good film from the old italian maestro. 7 out of 10.

Overrated Thriller

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 4 July 2009]

The American fan of mystery novels Nora Davis (Letícia Román) travels from New York to Rome to spend vacation with her mother's friend Ethel Windell Batocci (Chana Coubert). In the airplane, she accepts a pack of cigarettes from the passenger on the next seat and in the airport she finds that the man is a drug dealer. When she arrives at Ethel's place, she meets Dr. Marcello Bassi (john Saxon) and finds that the old lady is in the deathbed. During the night, Ethel has a heart attack and dies; Nora runs to the hospital to call Marcello. However, she is attacked and robbed in a staircase by a thief and faints; while awaking, she witnesses a stabbed woman and a man after her. In the hospital, nobody gives credit to her words. In the funeral, the stranger Laura Craven- Torrani (Valentina Cortese) introduces herself as a friend of Ethel and invites Nora to stay in her apartment while she travels to Switzerland to meet her husband. Nora accepts the invitation and decides to investigate the murder; she believes that the serial-killer of the so called Alphabet Murders is chasing her and she will be the next victim.

"The Girl Who Knew too Much" is an overrated melodramatic thriller by Mario Bava visibly inspired in Alfred Hitchcock. The awesome cinematography in black and white using shadows gives a fantastic atmosphere to the streets of Rome. However, the hysterical Nora Davis is annoying in many moments and the attitudes of Dr. Marcello Bassi are silly and naive. The conclusion of Dora about the cigarette of marijuana is ridiculous. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "A Garota que Sabia Demais" ("The Girl Who Knew too Much")

A key film in the development of the Giallo

[Camera-Obscura · 7 March 2007]

THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Mario Bava - Italy 1962).

I finally got to watch this in the way of the relatively cheap French DVD-release LA FILLE QUI EN SAVANT TROP, which includes Bava's original Italian cut as well as the American cut (titled THE EVIL EYE), which has a completely different ending and excludes some references to marijuana, as well as a stronger emphasis on the romantic plot line between the two leads John Saxon and Letícia Román, reputedly to make the film more marketable for children(!), which I find impossible to comprehend, but apparently this was what U.S. distributors had in mind. Furthermore, a bombastic Les Baxter score was added, a common treatment for most U.S releases of Italian films in that period, instead of the charming jazzy score in the Italian version (and a very catchy theme song).

Letícia Román stars as a young American woman who loves reading mystery novels. In fact, she's seen reading a detective novel called "The Knife" when we meet her on the plane. She plans to stay with her aged aunt, but one evening, the old lady dies before her eyes. When she stumbles upon the streets, she witnesses a woman stabbed to death in front of the Spanish Steps and suspects it's the work of a serial killer. Going unconscious, she awakens in the hospital and tries to convince everyone she witnessed a murder, but since no body was found, nobody believes her. She does convince a young doctor (John Saxon) to help her investigate the murders, and they soon find out a series of murders was committed ten years ago, the "Alphabet Murders." She realizes that previous victims had surnames beginning A, B and C and, because her name starts with a D, she could be the next victim.

This is often cited as the first Giallo, that specific Italian breed of thriller, named after the line of books with yellow covers, hence Giallo, Italian for yellow. THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH basically contains most core elements attributed to this particular cinematic sub-genre, with the prime motive of the helpless heroine subjected to all kinds of dangers and physical as well as mental abuse. Nora Davis is seen reading a Giallo novel on the airplane; the foreigner as vulnerable outsider in Italy; an obsession with travel and tourism, the first murder takes place before the Spanish Steps, but the film shows countless tourist hotspots throughout Rome, and the fascination with fashion and style or the jet-set in general. Although it would take Bava's own BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964), lavishly shot in colour, to introduce the more elaborate, lengthy and - above all - much more violent and bloody killing sequences which would typify many later Giallos, carried out by the archetype Giallo killer with gloves and black raincoat. Wide-eyed Letícia Román is the kind of innocent looking girl with just the right combination of sexiness and innocence to pass as a very likable heroine, perhaps a touch too innocent and certainly worlds away from the sexually liberated female in later Giallos.

Early sixties' fashions and habits abound, such as Nora Davis' exuberant snake leather jacket. There's also a lot of smoking on the plane and later on Nora condones Marcello's smoking habits claiming it's bad for his health, which is presented as the audience is supposed to laugh at her "preposterous" observation, instead of Marcello's smoking habit. Typical role reversal. There's also the running gag with marijuana. In the first scene, the man next to Nora on the plane turns out to be a marijuana smuggler, but on arrival in Rome, the always alert Italian police is quick to take this character into custody. Perhaps Bava's way of saying the Italian police is always on top of these issues and malicious elements from abroad are dealt with in proper fashion.

Masterfully shot in black-and-white, the film doesn't contain the outrageous imagery of THE BODY AND THE WHIP (1963) and BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, both sumptuously shot in colour, and certainly is much lighter in tone with the sadistic bloodletting so typical of that other pivotal entry in the development of the Giallo, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, largely lacking. Originally, it was conceived as a romantic comedy and - hence the title - as a light parody on Hitchcock's work, but Bava decided to put a larger emphasis on the more horrific elements of the story, but doesn't lose sight of the plot development, which I always found a major demerit of BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. A bit old-fashioned perhaps by American or British standards, but combining these elements with a more typical Italian tone, Bava does create something new here. Nevertheless, the tone remains conspicuously breezy and that's probably why this film turns out to be such an endearing mixture of clever Hitchcockian suspense and the occasional comedy relief. Perhaps a bit too cutesy and innocent for many Bava-fans, but I found his a thoroughly enjoyable film.

Camera Obscura --- 8/10

Genre beginnings

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 29 August 2021]

A first-time watch for me of Mario Bava's THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1963, original title La ragazza che sapeva troppo), widely regarded as the first giallo film. I'd say that this is more of a proto-giallo as it has some elements and ideas that would become prominent in the genre while at the same time part of it feels very much like a romantic comedy instead - almost like a local version of ROMAN HOLIDAY complete with a flirtatious John Saxon and Leticia Roman as the put-upon protagonist at the mercy of an inexorable fate.

The opening scenes are nicely handled, keeping you guessing and introducing one of those witness-to-a-murder sequences that Argento would go on to popularise when he came to the genre the following decade. Bava's cinematography is quite excellent throughout; this was his last black and white movie and he makes the very best of that format, particularly in regard to shadow and lighting. I've got the Arrow blu-ray and of course it looks fantastic in high definition. Don't go in expecting gore murders or bags of creepy atmosphere, as this is tonally much more a light comedy while paying tribute to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie and the like. Some of it gets a bit absurd, like when Roman sets up the string trap in her apartment, but a lot of it is likeable, particularly Saxon as the accident-prone love interest. Bava would go on to fully immerse himself in the genre with his next giallo, the all-time classic BLOOD & BLACK LACE.

Hitchcockian!

[RodrigAndrisan · 6/10 · 23 May 2017]

I'm glad to write this opinion on this movie now in May 2017, considering that all three main actors, Leticia Román, John Saxon, Valentina Cortese, are three symbols of longevity, all three are alive. Valentina Cortese (94), I know her from many other films, especially Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth," Truffaut's "Day for Night" and Fellini's "Juliet of the Spirits". A very good actress, who also plays a great role here. I saw John Saxon in many movies, an effective actor here too. I do not remember Leticia Roman from "Old Surehand" (1965) and "Mannix" (TV Series), I was too little when I saw them, and she had little roles. Here, she has the main role and she does it very well. The film is by no means a masterpiece. But neither is it bad. It has a very confusing scenario, not easy to understand by everyone. It's really great filmed instead. Director of photography is the same Mario Bava, the director. Bava was a good director and an even better director of photography. He was a specialist in the genres Mystery, Thriller, Horror. His best film, in my opinion, a cult movie, a true masterpiece, "Danger: Diabolik" (1968).

Shown on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater only in 1971

[kevinolzak · 6/10 · 6 September 2020]

1962's "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" (La Ragazza che Sapeva Troppo) was a lesser known thriller from Italian maestro Mario Bava, virtually the genre debut for Hollywood veteran John Saxon, who would eventually become one of Italy's busiest stars (Dario Argento used him in 1982's "Tenebrae"), pegged as leading man by the beautiful Leticia Roman, a native of Rome whose American career petered out before the decade's end. Cast as mystery buff Nora Davis, Leticia's arrival in Rome to visit her ailing aunt swiftly turns into tragedy despite meeting Saxon's handsome doctor Marcello Bassi, as the sickly old woman expires right before Nora's eyes; moments later, while on her way to see Marcello at the hospital, she is first accosted by a violent purse snatcher before witnessing the stabbing murder of a young woman, the knife protruding from her back as a shadowy male figure pulls out the weapon, flings it aside, then drags the body away. Passing out from the strain as the rain starts to fall, no trace of a crime is found in the morning, the blood having been washed away during the night, and for a time she is branded an obsessed bibliophile whose imagination has simply run away from her. Curiously, Nora receives an offer to stay at the very residence where the murder took place, Valentina Cortese as Laura Torrani leaving to visit her husband on the road, yet strange things are left behind such as newspaper clippings describing the killing as Nora saw it, then conversations with a probing reporter (Dante Di Paolo) suggesting that what she witnessed could well be a telepathic connection from 10 years before, the third in a series of incidents labeled the 'Alphabet Murders.' Nora soon realizes that the most recent victim had a last name beginning with C, and that she herself is bound to be next as her name is Davis. Leticia makes for an appealing heroine, well matched with John Saxon, but the shifting, uncertain tone loses steam after an intriguing opening half hour, and the viewer never is shown any reason to be truly afraid for our brave heroine. The climax foreshadows the better known Giallos to come with an absurd and torturous confession from the guilty party, perhaps most influential on Dario Argento for his debut "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage." The US cut includes more footage aboard the plane during the opening yet drops the references to cocaine and marijuana, adding Mario Bava's amusing cameo as the portrait of Nora's voyeuristic uncle, seemingly watching her with his eyes only when her back is turned, also expanding on a neurosurgeon discussing psychic phenomena in the belief that Nora experienced a 10 year old murder. Both versions end quite differently, Nora throwing away the drugged cigarettes before Marcello can light one up in Bava's cut (confiscated by an unknowing priest), while in the AIP edit the couple are discussing their upcoming nuptials as Marcello chastises her not to allude to any more killings as shots ring out nearby (she simply smiles knowingly: "something happen?"). Leticia makes for an appealing heroine, well matched with John Saxon, but the shifting, uncertain tone loses steam after an intriguing opening half hour, and the viewer never is shown any reason to be truly afraid for our brave heroine. The title of this embryonic Giallo indicates its obvious debt to Alfred Hitchcock, his color remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" having been released in 1956, Bava's handling adding a bit more spice than was there, just not enough to make it a particularly memorable mystery, his final black and white feature.

Arguably the first giallo ever made.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 10/10 · 25 May 2005]

Young Nora Dralston(Leticia Roman)takes a vacation to Rome,arriving, unfortunately,on the eve of her aunt Edith's passing.Rushing down a grand set of steps to summon a doctor,she's attacked by a purse-snatcher and knocked unconscious... but witnesses a second crime,the murder of a helpless young woman.In hospital,Nora is dismayed when everyone discounts her murder story-even her new acquaintance,a charming but rather clumsy young doctor,Marcello Bassi(John Saxon).But a strange man in a hat seems to be stalking her.And when she moves into a nearby flat adjacent to the ill-fated steps,she finds newspaper clippings about a string of killings called The Alphabet Murders.With potential murderers hovering all about,even the attentive Marcello begins to look suspicious."The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is a glorious Mario Bava's mystery with some giallo elements.The film is fast-paced and Bava's intensely dramatic lighting is used effectively.The overall tone of the film is light,even sometimes comedic.Bava's inimitable close-ups,favoring unusually wide,white eyes,are arresting just by themselves-there's a basic visual link from this film to "Blood and Black Lace",with its emphasis on glamorous,but often dead and glassy,eyes.Give this charming and unpredictable thriller a look.10 out of 10.

Enjoyable but not one that sticks

[Johan_Wondering_on_Waves · 6/10 · 27 March 2015]

This murder mystery is atmospheric and it's cool to see the images of Rome in the sixties. Even in black and white it looks wonderful and having visited the town in 2014 I must say I still recognized quite some places. It's nice to have a female protagonist who goes to investigate a murder she has seen. The idea that she might have witnessed a murder that happened 10 years ago was certainly interesting. The movie goes at a pretty relaxing pace along where we get to know every bit of these ABC murders. A few times we are tricked into having a false murderer. In the end the true murderer is found and I must admit I didn't see that coming. The movie is good with interesting ideas but its problem is there is no memorable scenes at all. Also the role of the young doctor clumsy and for comical relief at times did not really work well in my opinion. Leticia Roman was great in her role though.

'The Birth of Giallo,' and 'The Bava Influence.'

[grahamcarter-1 · 8/10 · 10 May 2017]

'Giallo' initially found its roots in the German 'Krimi.' These were adaptations of British writer Edgar Wallace mystery and crime stories, made specifically for the German market between 1959 and 1972. 'Giallo' were more baroque in style and notable for extended murder sequences, stylish camera work, and Grand Guignol style drama. Full of madness, alienation and paranoia; atmosphere is everything and character development, acting, and strong pacing are immaterial. Unlike the American horror / stalker / slasher / final-girl films, the killer is rarely male or suffers from gender confusion that places him in the feminine position; Argento's The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970) is an example, as is Fulci's A Lizard In A Woman's Skin (1971). Almost as a convention, 'Giallo' titles frequently feature animals or numbers, such as Fulci's Don't Torture a Duckling (1972), or Umberto Lenzi's Seven Blood Stained Orchids (1972).

Mario Bava's "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" (1963) is considered the first 'Giallo' film. A cinematographer who received his first chance to direct finishing Riccardo Freda's 1956 I Vampiri (which is considered the first Italian horror film), Bava then handled cinematography and special effects on Hercules (1957) kick starting the sword and sandal genre. He shot The Day The Sky Exploded (1958), which is the first Italian sci-fi film, with a large German 'Krimi' cast. He then had a chance to shoot and finish directing another Freda film, Caltiki – The Immortal Monster (1959), a genre favourite. It is remarkable to watch Planet Of The Vampires (1965) and then take a moment to think about whether Alien (1979), could exist without it (answer? It couldn't). Bay Of Blood / Twitch Of The Death Nerve (1971) was hugely influential in regards the American 'slasher'/'body count' genre.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much establishes what will become one of the critical conventions of 'Giallo,' that of an outsider or foreigner who witnesses a murder and investigates the crime. Trouble comes when warnings not to get involved are ignored. 'The Girl…' is more restrained than any of Bava's later 'Giallo,' in which he would develop a baroque and garish use of colour. Filmed in black and white that connects it to film-noir (the literary-pulp origins of 'Giallo'), and Hitchcock's influential Psycho (1960, and the title refers to Hitchcock's 1934 and 1956 The Man Who Knew Too Much), Bava mixed in the conventions of the thriller, film noir and horror creating 'Giallo.'

Check it out!

Fun, light, Hitchcokian thriller by Bava

[runamokprods · 7/10 · 27 November 2011]

Bava pays explicit homage to Hitchcock in this fun, mostly light hearted black and white mystery.

An American girl vacationing in Rome witnesses what might be a murder (or is it her overactive imagination, spurred on by her love of cheap mystery novels?). And before you know it, she's the possible target of a serial killer.

The black and white photography is beautiful, but Bava tones his style down just a bit, and it works; the photography compliments the story, without swamping it,.

There are weak spots, like an annoying voice over that insists on explaining what the images are making very clear by themselves, and performances that are uneven (especially in supporting roles). But, the bottom line is, if it wasn't in Italian, one could even believe this was a Hitchcock film, which is a pretty high compliment...

A Giallo mystery that even Hitchcock himself would appreciate!

[Coventry · 9/10 · 7 March 2005]

"The Girl who knew too much" is a terrific film and I personally have the advantage that it unites two of my all-time favorite cinema persons. Mario Bava (the greatest director who ever lived) directs John Saxon (one of the most charismatic actors ever) in this genuinely creepy and well-constructed Italian milestone. This outstanding Bava effort might be considered as the very first Giallo ever made: the Italian variant on the detective-story, complete with slick plot twists, macabre visuals and extravagant characters. The story centers on Nora, a beautiful young American whose vacation in Rome starts out miserable. She's almost mistaken for a soft-drugs smuggler at the airport, her beloved aunt dies right after her arrival, she's robbed and – on top of all – she witnesses a vile murder during her first night. When she comes to her senses, it seems that all the traces that could lead to the killer have been erased and no one believes her. Along with the handsome doctor Bassi (Saxon!), the stubborn Nora starts her own private investigation that brings her close to "the Alphabet Killer" who was active in the area ten years earlier. Bava stuffs his film with tributes and references towards Hitchcock's repertoire (the title alone is an obvious homage) but he certainly is a good match for "the master of suspense" himself. The soundtrack is perfect and the atmospheric black and white cinematography even increases the already high-tension level. This latter aspect is quite ironic, as Mario Bava is especially famous for his brilliant use of color. I stated this in all my Bava-reviews but I can't repeat it enough: Mario Bava was a genius and every single one of his cinema achievements is an absolute must for horror fanatics. You'll never see so much beauty and elegance in movies that actually handle about morbid topics.

unceremoniously dragged away

[christopher-underwood · 7/10 · 5 November 2017]

Much feted as the prototype giallo, if not the first of the genre, this is certainly a striking and then original piece of work. Viewed today, it almost appears as an homage or satire of gialli, as so many of the tropes that those who love the films will recognise are present here. The opening is stunning, never mind a death during a thunderstorm before we are even into the story, there is a fantastic and very creepy, wonderfully lit sequence on the famous Spanish Steps in Rome. Dark shadows, light reflected in pools - of blood or water - and we are away. Half naked girl strewn across the path and a knife in and out a body which is then unceremoniously dragged away. The film is uneven and although the lovely Leticia Roman and (a very young) John Saxon do well there are short periods when all is not quite so great. Plenty more brilliantly lit and varied scenes to come though before the surprising denouement. Thank you Mario Bava, maybe not the greatest giallo but you opened the door.

What's Going On Here?

[aristotle61 · 4/10 · 11 March 2021]

I don't understand what the people reviewing the movie here are thinking. It's like they watched a different movie than me. I'm pretty sure part of it is pretentiousness, and the fact that everyone likes to state how this is the first Giallo movie. Is that supposed to make the movie better?

I give the movie four stars because the story is not bad and it's amusing sometimes, but the acting is absurdly bad except for John Saxon. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, and they are doing it for comedic effect, but if that's the case it's not funny. One of the reviewers here actually stated that Leticia Roman's acting was good! I'm not familiar with any of her other movies, but her acting here is some of the worst I have ever seen.

I usually don't even care that much if the acting isn't great if the movie is good, but the acting in this movie completely ruins it. It's pretty sad when John Saxon is the best actor by far in a movie!