Sometimes, a comparison just has to be made. . . and that is the case today with the 1977 giallo Nine Guests for a Crime, directed by Ferdinando Baldi (a film maker who was usually manning westerns or sword and sandal epics, with this being his only foray into the genre). It is also worth noting here that the movie has also been called Death Comes From the Past (in Spain), as well as having the alternate Italian title A Scream in the Night.
So, their ship disappeared off the shores of this uncharted desert isle, with Greta (Rita Silva), the Skipper too (he dies too soon), the Millionaire Patriarch (Arthur Kennedy) and his much younger wife (Caroline Lawrence), the Soothsayer (Sofia Dionisio), the Professor of Truths (Dana Ghia), and Michele too (Massimo Foschi), here on Giallo’s Isle.
Now this is the tale of our castaways, they won’t likely be with us for a long, long time, they won’t make the best of things, it’s an uphill climb. Okay, you get the point. Like a gialli version of Gilligan’s Island, this rich, debaucherous family makes their way to their own private island getaway, only to soon find out that their luxurious sailboat has disappeared (the above mentioned Skipper murdered by an unknown assailant), and the spark plugs for their motorboat have been removed.
Stranded together, it’s not the best scenario, for these nine must be descended from the god Bacchus (aka Dionysus) – for their obsessions include alcohol, insanity, ritual madness, with a sexual free-for-all wrapping the whole thing up chaotically. You’ve got Michele having an affair with his father’s wife, the pair planning on offing his significant other Carla (the Soothsayer), as well as hers – the Millionaire Patriarch. Then there’s Walter (Venantino Venantini) who’s sleeping with his sister-in-law, Greta. . . much to the chagrin of her cuckolded husband Lorenzo (John Richardson). At the same time, you’ve got gloomy Elisabetta (the Professor of Truths) ruminating about how her family murdered her young lover on the island decades ago (could he be haunting the locale?), while Carla predicts that they’ll all start dying soon enough. . . good times!
And, of course, prophecy becomes reality when a seemingly random drowning is followed up by a death by supposed murder, the unholy triumvirate completed after it looks like a suicide occurs on the beach. Leaving the remaining six family members reeling, they are unsure as to whether this is an elaborate revenge plot from a fellow black-gloved guest (after all, there was the decades old murder and all of the extramarital schtupping going on), a vengeful spirit, or the worst case of luck since seven stranded castaways missed their chance escaping from a deserted island once a week for three long running seasons.
Based upon Agatha Christie’s oft adapted “And Then There Were None” (which, as you probably know, has been known by many different titles), this is a solid enough entry into these adaptations. With a cool setting, intriguing if unlikable characters, and 70s modernized premise, it does leave some questions dangling in unceremonious fashion, but still delivers with Peyton Place like suspense, shocking murders, and tense familial drama. The stunning Sardinian locale must also be mentioned (with its crystal clear waters and craggy rock formations, there is no better backdrop), while the set design, featuring several devices similar to Newton’s cradle, adds a feeling that time stands still here, and that this island abode might just be inescapable for its guests.
A fun late 70s giallo entry, Nine Guests for a Crime features a quality cast, cheeky modernized old school premise, and enough thrills to pay the bills. It is also worth noting that this is a rare giallo title that wholly makes sense without needing a PhD to decipher it. So, join this island getaway. . . just maybe try to avoid going to a watery grave like so many others did in this one.
This film is in Italian with English subtitles