A rare giallo that is co-produced and directed by Americans, 1974’s The Girl in Room 2A fuses the prototypical Italian suspense/thriller with the claustrophobia and psychedelic visions found in Rosemary’s Baby, the gothic horror of Edgar Allan Poe (specifically, the macabre 1964 Roger Corman rendition of The Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price), American exploitation. . . as well as a few other touches (you might see some Psycho and early slasher film samplings pop in here).
Co-produced by eccentric exploitation maestro Dick Randall (if you think of the infamous Weng Weng Filipino James Bond spoof For Y’Ur Height Only, this should give you an idea of the types of movies this guy made) and directed by William Rose (a man with only seven directorial credits to his name – though gems like 50,000 BC (Before Clothing) might sound Oscar worthy to some), this American pair take a unique path for their story.
Instead of hiding their villains in hazy shadows that consist of red herrings and a rotating door of suspicious individuals, we pretty quickly realize that nearly everyone (outside of our lead) is likely complicit. Our protagonist is Margaret Bradley (Daniela Giordano – the winner of Miss Italy 1966), a woman who was falsely imprisoned for drug dealing – only behind bars for a short time, her life is still in shambles. Aided by Alicia Songbird (Rosalba Neri), the social worker finds her a room in a moody home that seems to have taken on those feelings from its owner, Mrs. Grant (Giovanna Galletti) – whose husband was murdered years ago. . . yet her vitriolic anger and hunt for revenge has never dissipated. She often has a group of unusual guests drop by, including Mr. Drees (Raf Vallone), as well as, at least in Margaret’s visions, a red boot, cape and mask wearing murderer.
Mrs. Grant’s awkward (and slightly creepy) adult-aged son, Frank (Angelo Infanti), still lives at home as well. He promptly takes a liking to their new boarder (though still loves his room full of human-like mannequins a bit more), though quickly questions her claims that she is innocent – giving this whole thing a sense that she might just be an unreliable narrator (of sorts). Unluckily for mommy dearest’s el creepo, Margaret bumps into one Jack Whitman (John Scanlon). . . something this new man most definitely meant to do. With a sister that was a former renter of Mrs. Grant as well (and also had a quick stint in the clink), he wholeheartedly believes that she did not commit suicide whilst living there. What exactly is going on in Mrs. Grant’s home? And, perhaps more importantly, who will win Margaret’s heart – the forty year old live at home son or the stalker-like (but in a good way) guy who has rented the room across from hers (which allows him to ‘keep an eye’ on her)? And women say its hard to find a good man!
Less about the twists and turns, and more about the claustrophobic atmosphere, this film mostly works by playing on our most innate and basic fears. A blood-like stain that disturbingly reappears each day, a creaky old house in which windows swing open unexpectedly or are too stiff to do so, shadows consistently appearing outside her door as she tries to sleep, horrific visions that recall a prison sentence or gruesome murder, unfriendly faces visiting the home, and a long line of disappearances, suicides and deaths linked to the house, make for a most chilling setting.
A quickie giallo made to capitalize on the growing trend, The Girl in Room 2A (known as House of Fear in Italy) is bloody fun despite its pacing problems, straight-forward storyline, and average at best acting. I must also mention Berto Pisano’s score. . . though it might be a bit too cheerful for this type of fare, its hurried, jaunty beat (that would likely fit better in a playful action chase scene) is addictive in a most bizarre way. A last warning that needs to be highlighted, the violence is more graphic than the average giallo. . . and that’s saying something. So, enter this room if you dare, it likely won’t purify your soul. . . but you can give it a try.
This film can be watched in Italian with English subtitles or in dubbed English