The Salamander

A political thriller involving secret plans to re-create a fascist government in Italy. This film is chocked full of stars like Christopher Lee, Anthony Quinn, Eli Wallach and the whole parade is led by Franco Nero who does a top notch job as high ranking officer investigating the murders involved in trying to obtain these documents.

They had some cash to spend on this film as you can see how elaborately furnished the interior shots are and most everything else.

The film mostly has Nero obtaining facts from interview to interview and there is a few chase scenes but its not a tense thriller just really interesting. The actors were amazing. If you get a chance give it a watch.

Peter Zinner won an Oscar for editing THE DEER HUNTER (1978); for his only directorial effort, he chose this adaptation of the Morris West best-seller which was shown on local TV back in the day (actually, that is how I first heard of it). He did manage to assemble an impressive all-star cast: Franco Nero plays the hero carabiniere in a throwback to some of the political thrillers he had made in his native country – such as DAY OF THE OWL (1968), in which he co-starred with Claudia Cardinale, and CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (1971), also featuring Martin Balsam; both actors also appear here, the latter as Nero's closest collaborator who eventually falls in the line of duty. Anthony Quinn is the titular figure (a wealthy industrialist and ex-legendary WWII partisan), Sybil Danning the mistress of a dead army officer (whose apparent suicide sets events in motion) but also serving as Nero's unconvincing love interest, Eli Wallach the General leading a proposed coup d'etat, Christopher Lee as Nero's superior (actually a prince[!] who is unsurprisingly inextricably related with the Government takeover plot – interestingly, his on-screen wife was played by Lee's own real-life spouse in an infrequent appearance), Cleavon Little as a Black American ex-colleague of Nero's (whom the latter calls upon when he is in a fix) and Paul Smith (as a sadistic "surgeon"). There are, however, also a number of Euro-Cult regulars: John Steiner in the role of Wallach's aide as well as lover of his neglected wife Cardinale, Renzo Palmer, Marino Mase' – unenviably playing a corpse! – and Nello Pazzafini. While tolerable as entertainment (though there is less action than I had anticipated) and featuring a decent score by the great Ennio Morricone, the film is ultimately too superficial and uneven to make a ripple in the circles it professes to denounce; nevertheless, the clever climax is surprisingly (but effectively) handled in the style of the "Thin Man" movies! Besides, one particular scene nearly turns this into a camp classic i.e. when the hero, caught and about to be tortured by Smith, attacks the latter clad only in a harness along his waist (which gives unwarranted prominence to Nero's groin while leaving his buttocks completely exposed!) but ends up slammed against the wall hanging upside-down instead!!

A Police Inspector : Franco Nero tries to find the assassination of antifascist leaders and follows clues that lead back to WWII , a partisan organization called The Salamander .You Are Cordially Invited to Rome, Milan and Venice...To Join in the Successful Investigation of a Most Bizarre Murder. With Every Clue the Conspiracy Deepens...The Danger Grows...The Suspense Mounts...

Thrilling and twisted movie about a detective attempts to uncover a strange underground movement linked to a plot to seize control of the Italian government . A disappointing and overwrought adapation based on Morris West novel depicting a neo-fascist conspiracy to carry out a coup de'etat in Italy and lead the country on the right track . So the main issue is the investigation of surprising killings , being carried out by a police colonel , as at each murder scene is left behind a drawing of a salamander and throughout the tumultuous procedure he is involved in conspiracy , persecution and also in a love story between Franco Nero and Sybil Danning . The intrigue is devilishly labyrinthine, and there are times when you no longer know who is who , or what new event to happen . It is a complex and twisted movie that complicates more and more until the surprising final outcome . Of course, we travel a lot and we wander through some gorgeous cities : Rome , Milan , Venice ...between murder and murder , while the great composer American Jerry Goldsmith struggles to put out a beautiful score that deserved a better picture. The cast is frankly impressive , starring Franco Nero giving an acceptable acting in his usual style as an Italian policeman investigates a series of murders involving people in prominent positions, Martin Balsam , Eli Wallach , extremely wasted Claudia Cardinale , Sybil Danning , Cleavon Little , Christopher Lee as an Italian Prince and Paul Smith repeating a similar role to Midnight Express . Along with brief interpretations from B-European actors ordinary in co-productions, such as : John Steiner , Renzo Palmer , Anita Strindberg , Nello Pazzafini , Attilio Dottesio , Tom Felleghy, Marino Masé , Fortunato Arena , Jacques Herlin.

The motion picture was middlingly directed by Peter Zinner in his only one , failing at the international boxoffice . He was an important editor who frequently edited Richard Brooks, Frank Pierson and Francis Ford Coppola movies. He contributed with the editing of three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather : Part II (1974) and The Deer Hunter (1978). All three are winners in the category. Other notorious movies he edited were the following ones : An Officer and a Gentleman , Gladiator , Saving Grace , Omega Code, The Red Tent , a Star is Born and Darling Lili.

THE SALAMANDER had so much potential, especially with an all star cast of supporting actors like Anthony Quinn, Martin Balsam, Eli Wallach, Christopher Lee, Cleavon Little, Paul Smith, and Claudia Cardinale. The leads were Franco Nero, who had such a strong Italian accent that his English was hard to understand and Sybil Danning, who played her character with the personality of a roof shingle who was always dressed like a nun or the wife of the Quaker Oats guy so she was playing against type and her persona. She was suppose to be a spy and the mistress of the assassinated General but the conservative and bland way she was dressed indicated to me that he might just have committed suicide.......On the DVD extra's one of the men associated with the film referred to Sybil with this disrespectful comment, " " which I found shocking because there was no cleavage displayed at all with that Puritan wardrobe in the movie. There is very little action in the film, basically one car chase and then the torture scene which turned out more like comedy then anything else where Paul Smith was to torture Franco Nero to get information and what made it funny is it turned out to look like Franco Nero was torturing Paul Smith by sexually assaulting him hanging on his back with Paul Smith screaming and Nero with his bare arse hanging out of his jock strap. The scene was so absurd and ludicrous that it came off as comical rather then scary. The best acting was done by Martin Balsam who played Nero's father figure like partner, who gets killed midway so you lose the most interesting character in the film. Anthony Quinn was 2nd to Balsam in performance and he made the most of the material he worked with. Cleavon Little has a small part and did a great job but you wonder why he was not given more and the most disappointing part of the film were the two villains, Eli Wallach and Christopher Lee who barely had any screen time and just a few lines. They just weren't utilized and neither was Claudia Cardinale who was so stunning in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST but had the same wardrobe designer as Sybil so she looked like an Amish farmer or Quaker Oats girl with maybe two lines of dialog. It was not the worst film, it just did not live up to its potential

When the Chief of the Italian Defence Staff is found dead, it is put down to an heart attack and the nation mourns. Colonel "Dante Mattuci" (Franco Nero) is drafted in to handle what ought to have been a peremptory investigation, but it is soon clear to him that there is much more going on here than meets the eye. Pretty quickly, he is enveloped in a conspiracy to take over the state - but who might be behind it? His boss "Prince Baldasar" (Christoher Lee); the General who succeeded him "Leporello" (Eli Wallach) or perhaps the wealthy kingmaker "Manzini" (Anthony Quinn). The production is a bit all over the place, here, but the cast work well on this quite well paced story of internecine politics. Nero is efficient, as are Wallach and Quinn, and the story moves along quickly amongst some beautiful surroundings. The ending lets it down a bit - it is just too implausible given what has gone on before, but though flawed it is still a decent thriller that pulls together some good supporting stars - Claudia Cardinale and Anita Strindberg provide the glamour, if not a great deal else - and is still worth watching on the telly on a wet Tuesday afternoon.