A Black Veil for Lisa (1968) User Reviews

"She let me in....so to speak"

[Bezenby · 6/10 · 23 June 2017]

Massimo Dallamano made the great Bandidos and the also great What Have You Done To You Daughters, but here takes things a bit too laid back and therefore we end up with an okay giallo that could have used a nice kick in the arse plot wise.

It's still interesting enough, mind you. You have a detective (the almost immortal John Mills) who is investigating a series of knife murders in Hamburg (this is where the black gloved killer comes in and this isn't the last giallo set in Hamburg either). The problem is, the detective has this young, hot, young, hot, sexy, young, mysterious, hot, young, tepid, young, hot, young wife who had possible links to a criminal past but the detective's totally over that and he's only phoning her a hundred times a day to see if she needs milk, right?

So we move from the giallo that has the 'who is the gloved killer?' plot to that other kind of giallo - the kind where you have no idea what everyone is up to until the last ten minutes. Most of the time those turn out to be the more entertaining giallo but we have just a bit too much in the old dialogue stakes here and less on the actual action.

Still, Dallamano's skills as a cinematographer shine through nice and bright, but for some reason the sleaze that sticks to his other films is missing here. It's still worth tracking down but isn't any lost classic or anything.

An intricately-plotted giallo

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 24 November 2015]

The director famous for his controversial giallo classic WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?, Massimo Dallamano, also directed this earlier contribution to the giallo genre which focuses more on police procedure and investigation over the usual murder-mystery antics that the genre offers, although sex and violence are still main ingredients. This Italian thriller, however, is gripping stuff, especially due to an unforeseen and genuinely impressive twist which comes about halfway through.

A BLACK VEIL FOR LISA benefits hugely from the setting of '60s Hamburg, the decade reflected by a hummable and stylish soundtrack. The script is intelligent and the characters are particularly well-developed, especially John Mills' increasingly desperate Inspector Bulov whose life becomes more and more complicated throughout. Dallamano directs with the typical Italian flourish of having stylish camera angles and good, colourful photography which makes the film visually appealing. The plot twists and turns as layers of the story are constantly peeled off only to deepen the mystery and make the film more complex to watch (it's never confusing, either, often a flaw of these clever-clever mystery thrillers).

Mills is a familiar actor with considerably more fame than most gialli stars, and his appearance is definitely a departure from his more typically Hollywood roles. However, he copes admirably with the complex part and succeeds in creating a likable, believable character whom one can identify with despite all his flaws and mistakes. Robert Hoffmann is also very good as charismatic killer Max, and it's a mark of an actor's talent that he fits the role like a glove. The glorious Luciana Paluzzi, of THUNDERBALL fame, grabs an ultimate femme fatale role and is quietly brilliant at it. The supporting cast are uniformly good in their parts. A BLACK VEIL FOR LISA lacks the graphic violence of '70s Italian productions, but the combination of strong acting and an excellent plot make this movie worthwhile and a decent Italian spin on Hitchcockian themes.

competent and engaging mystery

[christopher-underwood · 7/10 · 28 May 2014]

Not the wildest of gialli, if indeed, it really does qualify as one, but a most competent and engaging mystery. John Mills is surprisingly good as the ageing husband to the flirty Bond girl, Luciana Paluzzi and although the bad boy seems far too glamorous for the role, Robert Hoffman does well. Decent script, which always helps and what starts simply enough becomes far more involved as we progress. Indeed we quickly learn who the killer is but not why or just how many are involved. That Mills plays as an Englishman gives this a certain slant that helps make the film different from others of the time and though the music is somewhat flat, seems fitting enough for the drab location. I don't know where this was shot but it doesn't look like Italy so is perhaps Germany or even Austria. No stunning set pieces and the flashes of nudity seem added and likely to not be Paluzzi.

'Gilda' Goes Giallo!

[dwingrove · 23 February 2004]

So few Euro directors have done more to exile themselves from the arthouse pantheon than Massimo Dallamano. His work is slick, trashy and stylish in the manner of a fashion supplement in one of the cheaper Sunday newspapers. Yet at least three of his films are compelling studies in morbid sexuality and erotic obsession. A Black Veil for Lisa is nowhere near as famous as Venus in Furs or Dorian Gray, but it's still an intriguing brew. Imagine a giallo version of Proust's La Prisonniere with sex, drugs and serial killings thrown into the mix.

Like the other two films, it has a protagonist whose physical beauty and sexual magnetism leave her immune to the qualms of everyday good behaviour. Lisa is played by Luciana Paluzzi - a voluptuous, flame-haired tigress who's best remembered as the bad girl in Thunderball. Like almost every Bond girl since Ursula Andress, she somehow failed to become a great star. Bitterly unjust, as Paluzzi in this film is a femme fatale to rival Rita Hayworth in Gilda. We can well understand the anxieties of her drab and dreary husband (John Mills) who obsessively polices her every move.

The mystery, of course, is why Lisa married this old dolt in the first place. Suspecting his wife of sleeping around, Mills commits a grave breach of professional ethics (he's a police inspector, no less) and blackmails a hunky hitman (Robert Hoffmann) to kill her. Naturally, Lisa and said hitman fall in love...and there are plenty more twists where that came from. A Black Veil for Lisa could never be mistaken for Art. Still, it's a potent reminder that Trash is often more fun!

Quality character drive giallo

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 7/10 · 19 July 2007]

Inspector Franz Bulon (Sir John Mills) is a veteran Hamburg police detective in charge of a drugs investigation, but is finding it hard to break the case, his mind is elsewhere…on his beautiful young wife Lisa (Luciana Paluzzi) that is, a former criminal herself, though never convicted, a fact that Bulon's colleagues never let him forget, Bulon's problem is that he suspects Lisa of cheating on him a fact he can't quite prove, until one day he thinks he has caught her out and sets about hiring a local killer Max Lindt,(Robert Hoffman) the man behind the killings of witnesses in his drugs investigation, to kill his wife in return for him hiding the evidence building against him.

A Black Veil for Lisa deviates from normal giallo practice by telling us who the killer is, much like Luigi Cozzi's The Killer must kill again. The story is driven by the man (Bulov) who hires the killer to do his dirty work, as a result, Dallamano replaces the lack of mystery with some decent character development, Mills is excellent and portrays well Bulov's obsessiveness with his wife's cheating, which ultimately leads to his own self destruction.

This intriguing/chilling Italian Giallo displays colorful images , disturbing frames and suspenseful scenes .

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 10 December 2021]

"A Black Veil for Lisa" is a decent mystery/thriller with a lot of mysterious murders and combining the elements of intrigue with drama , shocking scenes , jealousy , plot twists and a pretty unexpected, unpredictable conclusion . Atmospheric and oddball Giallo with chilling frames , twisted scenes , taking place cruel killing s , and confusion around a really jealous hubby . This is pretty entertaining stuff deals with a commissioner , Inspector Franz Bulon (John Mills) , a tough narcotics detective who's attempting to find out a series of grisly murders , while bring down a major drug syndicate in Hamburgo town . But Bulon results to be also a possessive husband who hires a murderer (Robert Hoffmann) to kill his unfaithful wife Lisa (Luciana Paluzzi) , but the hunter and the hunted soon begin an affair . However, every time Bulon gets close to a potential informant , the said person has a nasty knack of turning up dead . Bulon's superiors are concerned that his mind doesn't seem to be on the job due to he is being thwarted at every turn . And to a high degree they're alright , that's why Bulon is so preoccupied with keeping tabs on his spouse that he isn't keeping on top of the rest of his work . He also believes that she is having an affair , and is plagued by thoughts of her with other men . He also suspects his spouse Lisa of sabotaging a big narcotics case he's working on . White veils for angels...

An attractive Giallo that focuses on police procedure with usual investigation over the usual murder-mystery antics as well as the dramatic events about a jealous husband . A mystery/thriller in which the starring leading to the edge of sanity and extreme violence , resulting in unpredictable consequences , including spine-tingling intrigue , thrilling events with plenty of shocks , deliciously twisted happenings and brief touches of erotism with brief nudism . Suspenseful and interesting screenplay with mysterious events written by Giuseppe Belli , Vittoriano Petrilli and Massimo Dallamano himself . Although there are various incidents that defy belief , filmmaker Dallamano does a competent work of keeping pace and tension cranked up . Makes for some pretty intriguing and suspenseful moments that somewhat make up for the weak climax . Good film with Giallli overtones and surprising intrigue being well proceeded here and there , along with an unbearably tense in charge of the three adequate protagonists giving top-notch interpretations . Stars the veteran John Mills who gives a terrific acting as the obsessed , abussive usband , the handsome Robert Hoffmann as a tough hit-man , he also starred another good Giallo : Naked Girl Murdered in the Park (1972) and the extremely gorgeous Luzziana Paluzzi of Thunderball. Being an Italy/West Germany co-production shows up secondary actors from both countries , such as Renata Kashe , Carlo Hintermann , Tullio Altamura , Enzo Fiermonte , Jimmy il Fenomeno , among others .

It contains an atmospheric and evocative musical score in the Sixties style from Giovanni Fusco , Richard Markowitz , Gianfranco Reverberi , adding the catching song Melodie de Lisa Words and music by Alan Gordon and Gary Bonner . Here stands out the colorful and brilliant cinematography by Angelo Lotti with a well remastered copy .The motion picture was competently written and directed by Massimo Dallamano or ¨Max Dillman¨ who previously photographed ¨Fistful of dollars¨and ¨For a fistful dollars more. Dallamano managed to make a fluid , witty and agreeable Giallo . He also proved his experience in thriller and other Giallo movies , such as : "What Have You Done to Solange?" , "The Cursed Medallion" ,¨Portrait of Dorian Gray ¨ ,"Colt 38 Special Squad" , "Mafia Junction" , "What Have They Done to Your Daughters?" or "The Coed Murders" , among others . Rating 6.5/10. Well worth watching . The flick will appeal to Gialli fans.

Okay thriller but could have done with a bit more flair

[acidburn-10 · 6/10 · 22 August 2022]

'A Black Veil for Lisa' is a competent and nicely shot German giallo flick directed by Massimo Dallamano that goes for a more subdued tone with an interesting and well-constructed narrative that features many staples that would become synonymous with the genre. However despite the being tightly paced, it lacks the style and visual flair and could have done with a bit more suspense to keep the momentum going.

The plot a narcotics detective Franz Bulon (John Mills) is the middle of an investigation into a powerful drug syndicate and each time he gets closer the possible witnesses are getting murdered by a black gloved killer. Meanwhile at the same time he suspects that his wife Lisa (Luicana Paluzzi) is having an affair and hires a hit-man Max Lint (Robert Hoffman) to kill his wife, but the hit man for hire and unfaithful wife begin an affair.

The central main characters are well defined and service the story quite well with Luicana Paluzzi stealing the show as Lisa with her stunning looks and alluring presence which makes her ideal as the femme fatale. John Mills delivers an utterly convincing performance as the troubled and possessive detective and fully embodies his role brilliantly and then finally Robert Hoffman is brilliantly cast as the handsome yet soulless assassin.

Overall 'A Black Veil for Lisa' is a solid yet standard thriller that could have done with more pizazz. Not a classic in the genre by any means, but an above average effort.

Builds up to a predictable finale

[dopefishie · 6/10 · 12 November 2021]

Builds up to a predictable finale.

First, this film lacks important giallo qualities. Most importantly, there is no mystery about who the killer is. It's a relatively bloodless film with little cat-and-mouse/stalking shenanigans to speak of.

On the plus side, there are some good characters here. They are well-written and well-acted. However, after the build up of suspense around tulips and around the police report in the envelope, there is no payoff. Things play out to their natural conclusion. There are no surprises to be had here.

Thriller with unlikely plot details and casting, but a decent effort nonetheless.

[barnabyrudge · 5/10 · 5 June 2010]

If only I had a pound for every time a big British or American movie star lent their name to a European film venture. It was a common ploy in the 60's and 70's, designed to give films a certain appeal outside their country of origin. In this one, John Mills is the star in question and he is easily the best thing about this thriller, even if he is rather miscast. It is hard to believe Mills would be married to fiery red-headed femme fatale Luciana Paluzzi, and harder still to swallow the concept of him as a hard-edged cop who throws gangsters and drug dealers around his office like some 9-stone version of Dirty Harry. However, if one can forgive these unlikely contrivances, the film does have its share of intriguing moments.

Hamburg cop, Franz Bulon (John Mills) is trying to bring down a major drug syndicate in the city. However every time he gets close to a potential informant, the said person has a nasty knack of turning up dead. Bulon's superiors are concerned that his mind doesn't seem to be on the job, which is why he is being thwarted at every turn. And to a degree they're right – because Bulon is so preoccupied with keeping tabs on his wife Lisa (Luciana Paluzzi) that he isn't keeping on top of the rest of his work. He suspects that she is having an affair, and is plagued by thoughts of her with other men. When Bulon eventually tracks down Alex (Robert Hoffman), the assassin that has been picking off his informants, he decides not to charge him but instead hires him kill his wife…

A giallo thriller which tips its hat to the hard-boiled film noirs of the 40's and 50's, La Morte Non Ha Sesso is a perfectly watchable film throughout. The plot keeps you guessing, the music and photography create a suitably murky mood, and the film moves briskly enough to avoid taxing the patience, There have been a few notably scathing reviews of the film – the Radio Times claims it "hardly passes muster in any department", and castigates it as "one of John Mills's lowest career points". Such criticism is hardly warranted in all honesty. La Morte Non Ha Sesso is certainly no masterpiece but it is an intriguing minor thriller with flashes of style.

"Do you mean to tell me you have no morals?"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 5/10 · 19 August 2023]

Not quite a giallo, not quite a police procedural, not quite a gangster film and not quite a soap opera. The film has a lot of plot though and a lot of holes in the plot. What is the significance of the yellow tulips? What did Rabbit know? Was it Lisa who infomed the drug baron about her husband's movements? Who was drowned in the bathtub? Why would Lisa cry at the funeral of the husband whom she knew tried to have her bumped off? Were there two red Porsches? It was all rather confusing. It did look good however with fine outdoor location shooting. Of the actors the beauteous Luciana Paluzzi and the handsome Robert Hoffman stood out for me but veteran John Mills as the inspector husband was perhaps miscast. A film not quite the sum of its parts.

Character-driven Giallo masterpiece!

[The_Void · 8/10 · 11 May 2006]

A Black Veil for Lisa is one of the earlier films in the Giallo cycle, and has taken much of its influence from the film noir style of film-making. Directed by Massimo Dallamano, the man behind the unofficial 'Schoolgirls in Peril' trilogy, the film is often seen as trash; but personally, I couldn't disagree more. With this movie, Dallamano takes us on a roller-coaster of emotion and the director does an excellent job of setting out the characters, their situations and motives; which is a great benefit to a film that is very much character driven. The twisted plot emerges from the character's flaws, and follows the themes of jealousy, love and revenge. We follow Inspector Bulov; a man on the case of a murderer that is leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. He polices the streets and also his wife; the buxom and beautiful Lisa. Our leading man has a few years on his beautiful other half, and this combined with her character has lead him to relentlessly follow her every move, even to the point where it interferes with his work. And to say any more about the plot, would spoil the film!

A Black Veil for Lisa benefits from a trio of great central performances. John Mills gives it his all in the lead role, which sees him looking and acting the part of the jealous husband brilliantly. Mills also brings a distinct British style to the picture, which lends it a classy feel which is unlike other Giallo films. The title role is taken by former Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi, and while she isn't given too much time to shine acting wise; she looks the part and brilliantly offsets Mills' leading performance. Robert Hoffmann rounds off the central cast in the role of the murderer, and while he looks a bit too polished to viciously commit murder, his good looks serve him well after the first twist has been dealt out. This Giallo is unlike others in that there is no mystery surrounding the identity of the murderer; and the focus of the movie is always on the relationship between the central characters. The order of priority regarding this is shown brilliantly by the dubious way that the identity of the killer is revealed; it's not very realistic, but it does relate to the character - and this film is all about its characters. Overall, A Black Veil for Lisa is a great Giallo and one that I hope gets a decent DVD release soon so more people will be able to see it!

An engrossing, beauteous-looking, late-60s, Martini-age Giallo classic!

[Weirdling_Wolf · 8/10 · 23 January 2014]

Regarded by some cult cineastes as a relatively unsung Giallo stylist maestro, Massimo 'What Have They Done to Solange' Dallamano ably directed one of the earlier entries in the soon-to-be-blooming Gialli cycle. 'A Black Veil for Lisa' aka 'La Morte Non Ha Sesso' remains a tremendously engrossing, twist-laden 60s terror treat. Exploiting the prototypically menacing Giallo motif of darkly glistering, black gloved killer, it eschews much of the gruesome hysteria, providing a more sombre examination of debilitating paranoia, sexual infidelity and the toxic jealousies it inevitably engenders.

''A Black Veil for Lisa' has a gripping, Krimi-like narrative, wherein a slick, shadowy hit-man (Robert Hoffman)is hired by vicious drug dealers to bump off all those who might expose their malign activities. His executions come to the attention of troubled, increasingly paranoid Inspector, Franz Bulon (John Mills). Bulon's valiant investigations fatefully propose a coolly logical, devastatingly immoral solution to his marital torment! John Mills is on compellingly terse form as the cuckolded inspector, and, Robert Hoffman is sinfully suave as the blue-eyed libidinous hitman. The preternaturally luscious, dazzlingly beautiful starlet, Luciana Paluzzi making for memorably luminous eye candy! Doing little more than sultrily slink about in a salacious serenade of risqué regalia, this tantalizing auburn-haired temptress does it with an eye-boggling élan!

Maestro, Dallamano directs his engaging 60s Giallo with real cinematic verve, and the garotte taut narrative wickedly wends its thrilling way to a genuinely desperate, nerve-flayingly dramatic conclusion! Evocatively shot in picturesque Hamburg, 'A Black Veil for Lisa' remains a rewardingly refined late-night entertainment. This visually stylish, stiletto cool, psychologically tweaked thriller has credible performances and is all together cinematic. A Black Veil for Lisa's somewhat incongruent obscurity belies an engrossing, beauteous-looking Martini-age Giallo classic!

Exceptional Giallo with Great Cast

[info-627-664439 · 10/10 · 9 March 2013]

The 1968 film, "A Black Veil for Lisa" ("La Morte Non Ha Sesso") starring John Mills, Luciana Paluzzi and Robert Hoffman was directed by Massimo Dallamano in Eastmancolor and Widescreen. Dallamano also directed "The Secret of Dorian Gray" (1970) starring Helmut Berger and "What Have You Done to Solange?" (1972). I have never seen Luciana with a better part or one more substantial and John Mills is excellent in a role he could be considered "miscast" but it is really more a departure for him and becomes one more wonderful facet of a rewarding career. He played a similarly obsessed top brass to the point of question to his sanity with his award-winning role in "Tunes of Glory." Although the film is not as well known, Dallamano's direction is wonderfully realized. The music is exceptional by Gianfranco Reverberi with cinematography by Angelo Lotti.

From The Theme Song: "If Lisa Had A Heart She Never Let It Shooowww!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 24 August 2021]

Inspector Franz Bulon (John Mills) suspects his wife Lisa (Luciana Paluzzi) of sabotaging a big narcotics case he's working on. He also believes she's having an affair.

Meanwhile, a mysterious black-gloved killer is bumping off criminals before the police can question them. Bulon, driven by jealousy, tracks down the killer in order to see if he can help him with his marital problems.

A BLACK VEIL FOR LISA is a great giallo with several twists. Straying from the typical formula, we know what's going on ahead of time, we just don't know how it will play out. It does bog down a bit toward the end, but the finale redeems it...

Luciana PALUZZI and Robert HOFFMANN in Hamburg

[ZeddaZogenau · 8/10 · 5 November 2023]

German-Italian Giallo with Luciana Paluzzi and Robert Hoffmann

Inspector Franz Bülow (John Mills, 1908-2005, who was often cast as the husband of much younger women in those years) investigates a mysterious series of murders in his native Hamburg, in which a killer with black gloves is up to mischief. He is played by Robert Hoffmann, who was born in Salzburg in 1939 and got his start in the Roman film industry after the West German shocker "Again the Ringer".

But back to the plot of the film: In his private life, the aging inspector is a real lucky guy. He has recently been married to the beautiful Lisa (Luciana Paluzzi / who was born in Rome in 1937 and remains the most beautiful Bond villain since "Thunderball"), who is also a lot younger than her husband. He is driven by jealousy and mistrust. He constantly controls his wife - out of fear that she might cheat on him. Paranoia taken to the extreme leads to an unforeseen discharge...

Death knows no gender, according to the original Italian title, is a masterful game of confusion by Massimo Dallamano, which was released in cinemas by Titanus. Beautiful images of Hamburg in the late 1960s are contrasted with black gloves and yellow tulips.

The effects of hashish consumption are also translated into images and blur the boundaries between delusion and reality.

Elements of the crime film, the giallo and the relationship drama are mixed together. Great filmmaking and excellent actors make this film an enigmatic pleasure.