Os Ambiciosos Insaciáveis

When you think of Carroll Baker, you most likely remember her roles in Elia Kazan's "Baby Doll" or George Stevens's "Giant", or something of that nature. What you might not know is that she spent a few years in Italy starring in giallo movies. Among her most notable outings in this genre were Umberto Lenzi's movies. She started with his "Orgasmo"* (called "Paranoia" in the US), playing a rich woman from the US who has a bizarre experience with some young people in Italy. Another entry in this genre was Lenzi's "Paranoia" (called "A Quiet Place to Kill" in the US, to avoid confusion with the other movie).

My interpretation of this movie is clouded by the poor copy that I watched; the DVD kept skipping over damaged areas, so I don't know how much of the movie I saw. What I saw was tolerable, if less than stellar.

Whatever the case, these movies are good for a watch. And seriously, was Carroll Baker a babe or what? Okay, if nothing else.

*I learned of Baker from this movie. It turned out that I'd already seen her in some movies, but she hadn't registered in my mind previously.

The engaging, jet-set jazzy thriller, 'A Quiet Place to Kill' (1970) aka 'Paranoia' is another visually resplendent, sinfully stylish Giallo from the playful master of sexual intrigue, Umberto 'Eyeball' Lenzi. Many Gialli fans share the opinion that this murderously Machiavellian Mediterranean outing is markedly inferior to his iconic, highly regarded, Martini-cool Giallo masterclass, 'Orgasmo' (1969), but maestro Lenzi's fizzy, cocktail-fuelled psychodrama, 'A Quiet Place to Kill' distils a no less intoxicating plot, as our emotionally fragile heroine, Helen (Carroll Baker) recuperates from a car accident, she fatefully reunites with her dashingly duplicitous ex-husband Maurice (Jean Sorel), and before you can say 'lashings of J&B-laced jiggery-pokery', increasingly fell deeds turn Helen's louche, seaside convalescence into a memorably murderous ménages à trois!

With its luxurious lounge-core soundtrack, ubiquitously labyrinthine plotting, glamorous vistas, sublime fashions, and a nuenced performance from one of the most delectably diminutive divas of Gialli, the golden-haired, sinfully skittish, glitteringly glamorous screen goddess, Carroll Baker. Sadly, poor Helen suffers greatly at the manicured hands of her scheming, beguilingly suave, cocksure paramour Maurice. This preternaturally gorgeous male, disingenuously clad in benign, pastel-hued v-neck sweaters, slyly harbours hateful plots against his significant others! Incredibly, Sorel's perverse preference for Val Donican's Christmas wardrobe does little to mute his sleekly manipulative portrait of a callous, languidly libidinous playboy on the make, thereby making the appealingly sin-dappled, breezily-paced, 'A Quiet Place to Kill' a scintillating, must-see Giallo for all Lenzi-Baker Gialli fans!

A Quiet Place to Kill is not be confused with the earlier Orgasmo, though unfortunately confusing the pair is very easy as they're from the same director, both feature American actress Carroll Baker and they were both released under the title 'Paranoia'! Quite what the reason for both films featuring the same title is anyone's guess: I know that Italian filmmakers were more interested in making money than anything else, but surely releasing two films under the same title would do more harm than good when it came to the box office...but oh well. It's usually Orgasmo that gets most of the fans; but if you ask me, this second version of Paranoia is the better of the two. Like Lenzi's earlier 'So Sweet, So Perverse', it would appear that the plot has been lifted from the French classic 'Les Diaboliques', and focuses on a love triangle. Playboy Maurice is married to Constance, a woman who decides to invite Maurice's ex-wife Helen to stay with them. Helen doesn't question it too much and accepts the invitation, and soon learns that the reason she's there is to help Constance kill Maurice.

The first half of the film is much better than the second, as A Quiet Place to Kill unfortunately looses a bit of steam once it gets the first part of the plot out of the way. In spite of that, however, the film is certainly a very interesting Giallo and definitely delivered many of the things I love about this type of film. Umberto Lenzi manages to ensure that all of the major players are interesting, and Lenzi also ensures that all are guilty in one way or another, which ensures that everyone deserves what they get by the time it finishes. Carroll Baker is not my favourite Giallo heroine, but I liked her in this one. She seems to enjoy acting alongside Jean Sorel, who is as charming as ever. Unknown actresses Anna Proclemer and Marina Coffa round off the cast, along with the experienced Alberto Dalbés - all of which fit into their roles well. The upper class setting does the film a lot of favours, and the locations and fashions are all nice to look at. The plot mostly flows well and while it's usually fairly clear where it's going, A Quiet Place to Kill still manages to be interesting. This is not the best Giallo that Lenzi made (that would be Seven Blood-Stained Orchids), but it's certainly a good one and I recommend it.

Watched this on Tubi TV in March 2021. This is a great thriller with a beautiful looking cast, stunning scenery and a crisp transfer. The plot centers around two women who conspire to kill a man who has been a lover to both of them and then things go haywire. Great little thriller and the scenery and beautiful cast make this film definitely worth the watch.

I recently watched the Italian thriller A Quiet Place to Kill (1970) on Shudder. The storyline revolves around a wealthy woman fed up with her husband's womanizing and leaching behavior. To be rid of him, she invites his ex-wife to help in her plan, creating a slippery love triangle where the stakes of life and death become uncertain.

This picture is directed by Umberto Lenzi (Cannibal Ferox) and stars Carroll Baker (Kindergarten Cop), Jean Sorel (One on Top of the Other), Luis Dávila (Mission Stardust) and Alberto Dalbés (Kiss Me Killer).

This unique Italian picture, predating the giallo boom, incorporates elements from that genre, engaging in cat-and-mouse games and keeping viewers guessing about who is playing whom. The kills are creatively executed, concealing motives until the end. Outstanding acting, particularly from the gorgeous Carroll Baker, adds to the film's appeal. Multiple twists at the end blend triumph and tragedy.

In conclusion, A Quiet Place to Kill is a well-written and executed slow burn, making it enjoyable to watch unfold. I would give it a 6/10 and recommend seeing it at least once.