Sergio Martino: The Man with the Key to Your Vice

by Phillip Escott

Sergio Martino was born in Rome on the 19th July 1938. He is the Grandson of famed classic director Gennaro Righelli and the younger brother of writer/producer Luciano Martino. With family links within the cinema world dating back as far as 1911, when his Grandfather first directed, his entry into the industry was almost an inheritance. His brother had established himself as a screenwriter by the mid 50’s and it wasn’t long before Sergio was involved himself, acting in Sergio Corbucci’s L Ragazzi dei Parioli (Boys of the Pariloi) in 1959.

By 1963 Martino was the 2nd assistant director for exploitation/art house darling Brunello Rondi (The man who wrote Fellini’s 8 ½ and Joe D’Amato’s Black Emanuelle, White Emanuelle!), for horror flick Il Demonio (The Demon), based on a Luciano Martino script. The same year Sergio acted as 2nd assistant director for no other than the master of the macabre himself, Mario Bava (Blood and Black Lace), for his Christopher Lee vehicle La Frusta e il Corpo (The Whip and the Body).

Before his directorial debut in 1969, Sergio appointed himself with a few aliases and began working as a screenwriter, cinematographer and various other jobs on other people's work, including his brother’s directorial debut on Le Spie uccidone a Beirut (The Spy Killers) under the alias of Julian Barry. In 1968 Martino was appointed as production manager on Romolo Guerrieri’s Il Dolce corpo di Deborah (The Sweet Body of Deborah), this was he first Giallo to have any Martino involvement and helped form relationships with genre regulars who would appear in his later efforts: actor George Hilton and Giallo writer Ernesto Gastaldi being the two biggest collaborators.

His directorial debut, 1969’s Mille Peccati… nessuna virtu (The Wages of Sin / Mondo Sex) was a documentary about the swinging 60’s that was poorly received and slipped into oblivion fairly quickly. If this year wasn’t significant enough, it also saw Sergio walk in his brother’s shoes and act as producer, on Umberto Lenzi’s Cosi Dolce… Cosi Perversa (So Sweet… So Perverse), a classic Giallo that’s beloved by fans and seen as one of Lenzi’s better directorial efforts.

Sergio continued directing in 1970, knocking out a couple of obscure documentaries America un Giorn and America cosi Nuda, cosi Violenta (Naked and Violent), then came his first feature length film Arizona si scateno… e li fece fuori tutti (Arizona Lets Fly and Kill Everyone) a spaghetti western starring the lovely Rosalba Neri (Jess Franco’ 99 Women). Then, in 1971, Sergio had his first real hit; Lo Strano vizio della Signora Wardh (The Strange vice of Mrs. Wardh).

The film has become a cult classic and a bona-fide Giallo masterpiece. Sergio cast George Hilton as his leading man, shot from a script by Ernesto Gastaldi and had his brother Luciano produce. The final ingredient was French beauty, Edwige Fenech, a sex icon and wife to Luciano Martino. The finished result is the much loved movie that has been rediscovered and cherished all over again, even appearing in a Sergio Martino retrospective in Venice. The beautiful theme song, from Nora Orlandi, was used in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2 as a sign of the wonder kids’ appreciation of Martino’s work.

Martino wasn’t finished however, the same year he hit Giallo fans with another fine slice of gialli gateaux with La Code dello Scorpione (The Case of the Scorpions Tail). Teaming up with Hilton and Gastadli once again, the film does lack the Fenech appeal but benefits from the presence of the Swedish lovely, Anita Strindberg (who appeared in Lucio Fulci’s Una Lucertola con la Pelle di Donna/Lizard in a Woman’s Skin the same year). Although not as enjoyable as Mrs. Wardh, it is an accomplished movie with some atmospheric set-pieces and a remarkably fake plane explosion. Martino also delivers a fantastic climax, set on a small boat, that’s intense as anything seen in his filmography, and one of the best finales in a gialli.

The following year proved that ’71 was no fluke, as Martino directed two more gialli that are still considered classics, especially the first title he released in ’72; Tutti I Colori del Buio (All the Colors of the Dark). Using his ever reliable screenwriter, Ernesto Gastaldi, he hired his leading man, Hilton, once again. He also brought back his brother’s wife, Edwige Fenech: to many a cheer from genre fans. Where this movie differs from its typical gialli roots, is its inclusion of Satanism. Here, all the murders, and general wrong doings, are carried out by a cult; as opposed to a single person or duo, and it remains a fresh entry into the Giallo canon.

Then came Il Tuo Vizio e una Stanza e Solo ion e La Chiave (Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), it’s a film that still splits fans of the genre, and Martino’s work. It’s a film that is either loved, or hated. The cast is a tantalizing one. Geroge Hilton has been dropped for Luigi Pistilli (Mario Bava’s Twitch of the Death Nerve), Edwige Fenech is cast in a villainous role (of sorts) and Anita Strindberg is given leading lady duties. We also have Ivan Rassimov (a significant character in most of Martino’s Gialli) on hand.

Taking its inspiration from Edgar Alan Poe’s The Black Cat, the films focus is on an alcoholic writer (Pistilli) and his battle with not just booze, but with monogamy and his wife’s damn cat! It’s not Martino’s greatest achievement, but it is a fine, subtle little tale that deserves the respect that it has garnered over the years. This two year period will be seen as the period that made Sergio Martino, the subsequent years have not shared the same success as these two, but he was far from done with directing quality exploitation.

First out the gates in 1973 was sex-comedy Giovannona coscialunga, disonorata com onore (Giovannona Long-thigh), starring, once again, Edwige Fenech. It has become a Cult classic in recent years, no doubt thanks to the presence of Fenech, and it seen as a prototype for familiar sex-comedies that Italy produced throughout the 70’s. His next feature was the director’s first foray into the poliziottesco genre; which replaced the Giallo as the working man’s genre in the mid 70’s. Milano trema – La Polizia vuole giustizia (Violent Professionals), saw Martino team up with a new leading man, Luc Merenda, who would appear in his fair share of Martino films.

His final film for the year has become one of Euro-cult fan favorite; it’s also credited as having a huge influence on the slasher genre that boomed in 80’s American cinema. The film was called I Corpi presentano trace di Violenza Carnale (The Bodies Bear Traces of Carnal Violence, now known simply as Torso). It features a pounding score from the De Angelis Brothers, a tense script from Ernesto Gastaldi and some extremely beautiful women; who do not hesitate to disrobe at a moments notice. Basically it’s a must for fans of Martino, the Giallo genre and the slasher genre.

After this, Martino’s work suffered from a constant change in quality; producing some wonderful films next to some overly shoddy material. Making poor sex-comdies like Cugini Carnali (Hot and Bothered – 1974) next to his underrated giallo/poliziottesco hybrid Morte sospetta di una minorenne (Suspected Death of a Minor – 1975). Throughout the 70’s he produced some great genre fair like La Citta gioca d’azzardo (Gambling City – 1975) and Mannaja (A Man Called Blade - 1976) while knocking out his low-brow sex-comedies minus the passion and enthusiasm.

1978 saw the release of his most controversial title La Montagna del dio Cannibale (Mountain of the Cannibal God). Starring Ursula Andress, Stacey Keatch and Martino’s latest leading man (after Merenda) Claudio Cassinelli, who appeared in Morte sospetta di una minorenne, it has courted much controversy over its inclusion of animal cruelty (a stable of the genre). Martino states that he only filmed what nature showed him, if you watch the Anchor Bay/Blue Underground release, you’ll see a poor monkey is actually tied to a rope and thrown to a boa constrictor, which Martino states did not happen, but the evidence is there for all to see; covered up by a questionably super imposed branch. All of this is topped off with simulated bestiality, explicit female masturbation and a naked Ursula Andress – needless to say it’s a cult classic. Where the movie differs from the other Cannibal cycle movies is in its cinematography. Here it’s overly polished and fantastically realized; it looks beautiful. So when the natives starting rubbing one out or banging hogs, it seems totally out of place.

After the infamy of Mountain of the Cannibal God, Martino kept his head down and created a couple of creature features L’ Isola degli uomini Pesce (Island of the Fish Men – 1979) and Il Fiume del Grande Caimano (Big alligator River – 1979) neither are really memorable but they do feature some eccentric cameo’s from, Lucio Fulci’s Zombi alum, Richard Johnson. These were followed by a number of sex comedies, Sabato, Domenica e Venerdi (Saturday, Sunday and Friday – 1979), Zucchero, meile e peperoncino (Sugar, Honey and Pepper – 1980), Spaghetti a mezzanotte (1980) and Cometti alla Crema (Custard Croissants - 1981) all featured the lovely Edwige Fenech apart from Spaghetti… which was never given a release outside of Italy.

1982’s Assassinio al Cimitero Etrusco (Murder in an Etruscan Cemetery) is worth noting as it was Sergio Martino’s only entry into the extremely popular Zombie italiana cycle that was born from the success of Fulci’s Zombi. Ernesto Gastaldi is on hand once again from writing duties and Claudio Cassinelli shows up to flex his acting chops; it also features the legendary John Saxon (Enter the Dragon). His other title of the year was a comedy starring Edwige Fenech; and saw Martino working with George Hilton once again in Ricchi, ricchissimi… praticamente in mutanta (Don’t play with Tigers).

His next batch of titles from 1983 failed to secure any distribution outside of Italy and remain obscure, if it hadn’t of been for the final film of that year, 2019: Dopo la caduta di New York (2019: After the fall of New York), this would go on to become an cult classic for fans of post-apocalyptic cinema and a Euro-favorite that still has a strong fan base. His only film for the following year L’ Allenatore nel Pallone (1984) was a cult hit in Italy but failed to get a wider audience outside of its homeland.

Due to the lack of international interest in his output at this time, possibly due to the material, Sergio was reduced to TV work that he continues to be very active in. He would occasionally release a title theatrically, but they are few and far between. Titles like Vendetta del Futuro (Fists of Steel – 1986) lacked the classy productions values of his earlier output and failed to find a fan base. Unfortunately, this title remains notorious for the fact that it cost Claudio Cassinelli his life, which was tragically cut short during a helicopter accident during the making of this film. It’s an event that had a devastating effect on the director, and close-friend of Cassinelli. Critics were scathing and deemed that this was a film that no actor should have died for, a remark which Martino has taken personally for years, as he replies “what movie is worth the life of an actor?”

Qualcuno paghera? (The Opponent – 1987), Mal d’Africa (Beyond Kilimanjaro, Across the River of Blood – 1990), Sulle trace del Condor (After the Condor – 1990), American riscio (American Rickshaw – 1990) which was wrongly mistaken for a Umberto Lenzi film starring Donald Pleasance, were the last of his cheap action flicks before moving on to steamer affairs. Moving into the erotic thriller field, once Basic Instinct became an international hit, with the like of Spidando Marina (The Smile of the Fox – 1992) and Graffiante desiderio (Craving Desire – 1993), both failed to repeat any sort of success seen by his earlier films or held a candle next to Paul Verhoovens' sleaze-opus.

His final film of the millennium came in 1999 with serial killer movie Mozart e un assassino (Mozart is a Murderer), it has failed to get a release outside of Italy (aside from a non-English friendly Dutch DVD in 2005). Stuck in TV work since 1999 it’s been a long time since Martino was behind the camera of a feature film, this will be changing with the release of L’ Allenatore nel Pallone 2, which was released in Italy on the 11th January 2008. It’s a sequel to his last hit and will star Anna Falchi (who was in Michele Soavi’s Dellemorte, Dellamore), hopefully it will be a much deserved hit for him at home and provide him with further cinematic work.

Here’s hoping.

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