One on Top of the Other
One on Top of the Other | |
---|---|
Cinematography | Alejandro Ulloa |
Edited by | Ornella Micheli |
Music by | Riz Ortolani |
Production companies | Empire Films Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld Trébol Films C.C. |
Distributed by | Fida Cinematografica (Italy) Alpha (France) Atlántida Films (Spain) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
Countries | Italy France[1] Spain[1] |
Languages | Italian English |
Budget | ₤445 million[2] |
Box office | ₤869 million |
One on Top of the Other (
One on Top of the Other was filmed on location in several United States cities, including a scene filmed in
Plot
George Dumurrier is a wealthy and self-centered San Francisco doctor who runs a clinic with his younger brother Henry, but leaves care of his asthma-stricken wife Susan to her sister Marta and a local nurse. He is engaged in an affair with Jane, the personal assistant to Larry, a trendy photographer. Although very much in love with George, Jane is fatalistic about the future of their relationship.
George and Jane travel out of town for a romantic break in
Meanwhile, an anonymous tip-off leads George and Jane to The Roaring Twenties, a
A police search of Monica's apartment turns up an envelope containing money. When George's fingerprints are found on the envelope, he is charged with murdering his wife for the insurance money. Monica goes missing, and George is tried, convicted and sentenced to death. Some months later, on the eve of George's execution, Henry arrives for a visit where, in the privacy of an interrogation room, he reveals the truth: he and Susan hatched up this entire plot to get him out of the way and get the insurance money all for themselves. Monica was really Susan all along and faked her own death to implicate him. After Henry leaves, George tries to get a stay of execution by informing his lawyer about what Henry said. But despite some last-minute investigation by Inspector Wald, George is unable to clear his name. Only Jane continues to believe his innocence, but she is held in check by Larry.
The day arrives as George is taken out of his cell to the
Cast
- Marisa Mell as Susan Dummurrier ("Monica Weston")
- Jean Sorel as Dr. George Dummurrier
- Elsa Martinelli as Jane Bleeker
- Alberto de Mendoza as Henry Dumurrier
- John Irelandas Inspector Wald
- Jean Sobieski as Larry
- Faith Domergue as Martha
- Riccardo Cucciolla as Benjamin Wormser
- Bill Vanders as Insurance Agent
- Franco Balducci as Officer Loveday
- Giuseppe Addobbati (as John Douglas) as Brent
- Félix Dafauce (as Felix De Fauce) as Royal Insurance Official
- Jesús Puente as Sergeant Rodriguez
- George Rigaud as Arthur Mitchell
Production
Prior to One on Top of the Other, director and screenwriter Lucio Fulci had mostly worked in comedies. The move to the giallo genre was a big change for Fulci, and may be that he was simply dabbling in an emergent and popular genre.[4][5] One on Top of the Other has been cited as having been inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo.[6] Fulci felt that the script for One on Top of the Other was among his best work.[7] Fulci and fellow writer Roberto Gianviti collaborated on a number of films together, including Operation St. Peter's, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, White Fang, Challenge to White Fang and Sette note in nero.[8] Edmondo Amati agreed to produce the film as he was already present in the United States, working on Alberto De Martino's Carnal Circuit.[7] Fulci worked with two assistant directors on the film, Mario Castellani and Albino Cocco, while Vittoria Vigorelli acted as script supervisor.[1] Future Oscar-winning producer Gray Frederickson, later known for his collaborations with Francis Ford Coppola, served as the film's location manager.[9]
Much of the film was shot on location in
Release
One on Top of the Other was released in Italy on 15 August 1969,[10] and went on to gross approximately ₤869 million.[7] Several versions of the film exist; the uncut Italian version, Una sull'altra, has a runtime of 108 minutes.[11][12] Most English-dubbed prints run for 103 minutes, with cuts made to the film's sex scenes and several on-location establishing shots, while the French version, Perversion Story, features a 97-minute runtime due to the removal of expositive scenes while retaining the sex scenes.[11][13][14][15] The French version, with English and Italian audio, was released on DVD by Severin Films in a two-disc set also containing a CD of the film's soundtrack.[16]
On 2 January 2018 Mondo Macabro announced that they would release the film in its "longest, most complete form" on Blu-ray during the year.[17] The distributor released their limited edition Blu-ray, consisting of a print run of 1000 copies, on 28 August via mail-order on their website. This release, presented in an uncut 108 minute version with English and Italian audio tracks, was restored from the original negative (with additional scenes provided by a 35mm print). The special features included are the film's trailer, interviews with Sorel, Martinelli and Fulci biographer Stephen Thrower, a wraparound slipcover illustrated by Justin Coffee, a reversible interior cover sleeve replicating the film's Italian and French posters, a 12-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by critic Roberto Curti, and miniature reproductions of German lobby cards and a poster for the film.[18] A retail Blu-ray, which does not include the slipcover, reversible cover sleeve, booklet or lobbycards, was released on 13 November.[19]
Reception
Footnotes
- ^ a b c "Una sull'altra | BFI". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ^ Curti, Roberto (2018). Time is the Murderer: Lucio Fulci's Una sull'altra (booklet). Mondo Macabro. p. 2. MDO185.
- ^ Howarth,Troy (2015). "Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his Films". Midnight Marquee Press. Page 125
- ^ Thrower,Stephen (1999). "Beyond Terror, the Films of Lucio Fulci". FAB Press
- ^ Hutchings 2009, p. 135.
- ^ a b Shipka 2011, p. 107.
- ^ a b c d Albiero & Cacciatore 2004, pp. 91–97.
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | GIANVITI, Roberto". bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ "Perversion Story". DVD Savant. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ a b Fountain, Clarke. "Una Sull'altra". AllMovie. Archived from the original on August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ a b Howarth,Troy (2015). "Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and his Films". Midnight Marquee Press. Page 128
- ^ "BFI | Film & TV Database | UNA SULL'ALTRA (1969)". bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 27 January 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ a b Jane, Ian (15 March 2007). "Perversion Story : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". DVD Talk. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ "Perversion Story Review". The Digital Fix. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Perversion Story Version Comparison". The Digital Fix. Retrieved 18 September 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Perversion Story |Severin". severin-films.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ^ "Lucio Fulci's Perversion Story coming to Blu-ray". Bottom Shelf Movies. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ "PERVERSION STORY - Limited Slipcover Edition". Mondo Macabro. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ "Perversion Story Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ Guarisco, Donald. "Una Sull'altra (1969) - Review - AllMovie". AllMovie. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ Moliterno 2009, p. 151.
References
- Albiero, Paolo; Cacciatore, Giacomo (2004). Il terrorista dei generi. Tutto il cinema di Lucio Fulci. Uno monde a parte. ISBN 8890062967.
- Hutchings, Peter (2009). The A to Z of Horror Cinema. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810868878.
- Moliterno, Gino (2009). The A to Z of Italian Cinema. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810868960.
- Shipka, Danny (2011). Perverse Titillation: The Exploitation Cinema of Italy, Spain and France, 1960–1980 (illustrated ed.). ISBN 978-0786448883.