S.S. Van Dine's The Benson Murder Case, the first giallo ever published (1929).

Giallo (pronounced IPA: ['ʤallo]) is an Italian 20th century genre of literature and film. It is closely related to the French fantastique genre, crime fiction, horror fiction and eroticism. The term is also used to mean an example of the genre, in which case it can take the Italian plural gialli. The word giallo is Italian for "yellow" (see Wiktionary: giallo) and stems from the genre's origin in paperback novels with yellow covers. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Jodi Benson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Jodi Benson File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... S. S. Van Dine was the pseudonym of Willard Huntington Wright (1888 - 1939), a U.S. art critic and author. ... The Benson Murder Case was the first novel in the Philo Vance series by S.S. Van Dine which became a best-seller. ... A genre [], (French: kind or sort from Greek: γένος (genos)) is a loose set of criteria for a category of literary composition; the term is also used for any other form of art or utterance. ... For other uses, see Literature (disambiguation). ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Fantastique is a French term for a literary and cinematic genre that overlaps with parts of science fiction, horror and fantasy. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with mystery_fiction. ... “Horror story” redirects here. ... Eroticism is an aesthetic focus on sexual desire, especially the feelings of anticipation of sexual activity. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

Literature

The term giallo was originally coined to describe a series of mystery/crime pulp novels first published by the Mondadori publishing house in 1929 (see Giallo Mondadori). Their yellow covers contained whodunits, much like their American counterparts of the 1920s and 1930s, and this link with English language pulp fiction was reinforced with the Italian authors always taking on English pen names. Many of the earliest "gialli" were however English-language novels translated into Italian.^[1] This article is about inexpensive fiction magazines. ... Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Spa is the most important publishing company in Italy. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A whodunit or whodunnit (for Who done it? and sometimes referred to as a Golden Age Mystery novel) is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is paramount. ... Pulp magazines, often called simply the pulps, were inexpensive text fiction magazines widely published in the 1920s through the 1950s. ... A pen name or nom de plume is a pseudonym adopted by an author. ...

An example of an Italian giallo cover.

Published as cheapish paperbacks, the success of the "giallo" novels soon began attracting the attention of other publishing houses, who began releasing their own versions (not forgetting to keep the by-now-traditional yellow cover). The novels were so popular that even the works of established foreign mystery and crime writers, such as Agatha Christie, Edgar Wallace and Georges Simenon, were labelled "gialli" when first published in Italy. Giallo Mondadori is currently published every month, as one of the most long-lived publications of the genre in the world. Image File history File links An example of a typical Montadori giallo cover File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links An example of a typical Montadori giallo cover File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... The Mixer (1927), 1962 Arrow paperback edition. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

This led to the word "giallo" to become, in Italian language, a synonym of the mystery, crime and detective story genre, with a more generic significance than that it has currently in English, especially when it defines the cinema genre (see later). Italian ( , or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people,[2] primarily in Italy. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Film

The film genre that emerged from these novels in the 1960s began as literal adaptations of the books, but soon began taking advantage of modern cinematic techniques to create a unique genre. Films known abroad as "gialli" are called thrilling or simply "thriller" in Italy, the first term usually referring to Italian 1970s classics by directors like Dario Argento or Mario Bava. Dario Argento (born September 7, 1940) is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Mario Bava (July 31, 1914-April 27, 1980) was an Italian director and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the golden age of Italian horror movies. ...

Characteristics

"Giallo" films are characterized by extended murder sequences featuring excessive bloodletting, stylish camerawork and unusual musical arrangements. The literary whodunit element is retained, but combined with modern slasher horror, while being filtered through Italy's longstanding tradition of opera and staged grand guignol drama. They also generally include liberal amounts of nudity and sex. A whodunit or whodunnit (for Who done it? and sometimes referred to as a Golden Age Mystery novel) is a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle is paramount. ... The original 1974 Black Christmas is considered the first authentic slasher. ... For other uses, see Opera (disambiguation). ... Promotional poster for a Grand Guignol performance This article is about the Paris theatre. ...

Gialli typically introduce strong psychological themes of madness, alienation, and paranoia. For example, Sergio Martino's Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (also known as Eye of the Black Cat) was explicitly based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Black Cat". Slave of the Cannibal God poster Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938 in Rome, Italy) is an Italian film director, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. ... Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Italian: Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave) is a 1972 giallo film directed by Sergio Martino. ... Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, playwright, editor, literary critic, essayist and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ...

They remain notable in part for their expressive use of music, most notably by Dario Argento's collaborations with Ennio Morricone and his musical director Bruno Nicolai, and later with the band Goblin. Ennio Morricone (born November 10, 1928; sometimes also credited as Dan Savio or Leo Nichols) is an Italian composer especially noted for his film scores. ... Bruno Nicolai is a pseudonym for composer-conductor Ennio Morricone. ... Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band who are known for their soundtracks on Dario Argento films (e. ...

Development

As well as the literary giallo tradition, the films were also initially influenced by the German "Krimi" phenomenon - originally black and white films of the 1960s that were based on Edgar Wallace stories. The Edgar Wallace movies are motion pictures based on the works of British novelist and playwright Edgar Wallace. ... The Mixer (1927), 1962 Arrow paperback edition. ...

The first film that created the giallo as a cinema genre is La ragazza che sapeva troppo (The Girl Who Knew Too Much) (1963), from Mario Bava. Its title referred to Alfred Hitchcock's famous The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), again establishing strong links with Anglo-American culture. In Mario Bava's 1964 film, Blood and Black Lace, the emblematic element of the giallo was introduced: the masked murderer with a shiny weapon in his black leather gloved hand.^[2] The Girl Who Knew Too Much (La Ragazza che sapeva troppo) is an Italian film by Mario Bava released in 1963. ... Mario Bava (July 31, 1914-April 27, 1980) was an Italian director and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the golden age of Italian horror movies. ... Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 â€“ April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1956 suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. ... Blood and Black Lace is a 1964 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. ...

Soon the giallo became a genre of its own, with its own rules and with a typical Italian flavour: adding additional layers of intense colour and style. The term giallo finally became synonymous with a heavy, theatrical, and stylised visual element.

The genre had its heyday in the 1970s, with dozens of Italian giallo films released. The most notable directors who worked in the genre were Dario Argento, Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, Aldo Lado, Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi, and Pupi Avati. Dario Argento (born September 7, 1940) is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Mario Bava (July 31, 1914-April 27, 1980) was an Italian director and cinematographer remembered as one of the greatest names from the golden age of Italian horror movies. ... German gore director Andreas Schnaas (left) and the late Lucio Fulci (right) at the 1994 Eurofest, London, England Lucio Fulci (June 17, 1927 - March 13, 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. ... Slave of the Cannibal God poster Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938 in Rome, Italy) is an Italian film director, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. ... Umbero Lenzi (Massa Marittima, Italy, August 6, 1931), is an Italian film director who has mainly been active in low budget crime films. ... Giuseppe (Pupi) Avati is a director, producer and writer of mainly fantasy films and horror films. ...

Although often based around crime and detective work, Gialli should not be confused with the other popular Italian crime genre of the 1970's, the Poliziotteschi, which refers to 'tough-cop', action-oriented films. Directors and stars often moved between both genres, and some films could be considered under either banner, such as Massimo Dallamano's 1974 film What have they done to your daughters? Maurizio Merli on the DVD cover for Napoli violenta (1976) Poliziotteschi is a nickname for a sub-genre of crime and action film that emerged in Italy in the late 1960s and became popular in the 1970s. ...

Notable giallo films

Poster art for Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970).

• The Girl Who Knew Too Much (Mario Bava, 1963, also known as The Evil Eye)
• Blood and Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964, also known as Fashion House of Death, Six Women for the Murderer)
• The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (Dario Argento, 1970, also known as Phantom of Terror, Point of Terror, The Gallery Murders)
• Five Dolls for an August Moon (Mario Bava, 1970, also known as Island of Terror)
• Lizard in a Woman's Skin (Lucio Fulci, 1971, also known as Schizoid)
• The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (Sergio Martino, 1971, also known as Blade of the Killer, The Next Victim, Next!)
• The Cat o' Nine Tails (Dario Argento, 1971)
• Four Flies on Grey Velvet (Dario Argento, 1971)
• Short Night of the Glass Dolls (Aldo Lado, 1971, also known as Paralyzed)
• The Case of the Bloody Iris (Giuliano Carnimeo, 1972, also known as What Are Those Strange Drops of Blood Doing On Jennifer's Body?)
• Don't Torture a Duckling, starring Barbara Bouchet, (Lucio Fulci, 1972)
• Who Saw Her Die? (Aldo Lado, 1972, also known as The Child)
• Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Sergio Martino, 1972, based on Poe's "The Black Cat" and also known as Eye of the Black Cat)
• What Have You Done to Solange? (Massimo Dallamano, 1972, music by Ennio Morricone)
• Knife of Ice (Umberto Lenzi, 1972, also known as Silent Horror)
• They're Coming to Get You (Sergio Martino, 1972, also known as All the Colors of the Dark, Day of the Maniac, Demons of the Dead)
• Torso (Sergio Martino, 1973)
• Eyeball (Umberto Lenzi, 1974, also known as The Devil's Eye, The Eye, The Secret Killer, Wide-Eyed in the Dark)
• A Dragonfly for Each Corpse (León Klimovsky, 1974, also known as Red Killer)
• Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975, also known as Profondo Rosso , The Hatchet Murders, The Sabre Tooth Tiger)
• Strip Nude for Your Killer (Andrea Bianchi, 1975)
• The House with Laughing Windows (Pupi Avati, 1976, also known as Casa dalle finestre che ridono, La)
• The Psychic (Lucio Fulci, 1977, also known as Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes, Seven Notes in Black)
• The Blood Stained Shadow (Antonio Bido, 1978, also known as Solamente nero)
• Tenebrae (Dario Argento, 1982, also known as Unsane or Under the Eyes of the Assassin)
• The New York Ripper (Lucio Fulci, 1982)
• Camping del terrore (Ruggero Deodato, 1987)
• Deliria (film) (Michele Soavi, 1987)
• Opera (Dario Argento, 1988, also known as Terror at the Opera)
• Sleepless (Dario Argento, 2001)

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage poster art File links The following pages link to this file: Dario Argento The Bird with the Crystal Plumage Giallo ... The Bird With The Crystal Plumage poster art File links The following pages link to this file: Dario Argento The Bird with the Crystal Plumage Giallo ... The Girl Who Knew Too Much (La Ragazza che sapeva troppo) is an Italian film by Mario Bava released in 1963. ... Blood and Black Lace is a 1964 Italian horror film directed by Mario Bava. ... Luccello dalle piume di cristallo, also called The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, is a suspense thriller directed by Dario Argento (his directorial debut) and released in 1970. ... Dario Argento (born September 7, 1940) is an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter. ... Five Dolls for an August Moon (original title 5 bambole per la luna dagosto) is a 1970 Italian thriller film directed by Mario Bava, from a screenplay by Mario di Nardo. ... Lizard in a Womans Skin (a. ... German gore director Andreas Schnaas (left) and the late Lucio Fulci (right) at the 1994 Eurofest, London, England Lucio Fulci (June 17, 1927 - March 13, 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. ... Slave of the Cannibal God poster Sergio Martino (born 19 July 1938 in Rome, Italy) is an Italian film director, notable for his contributions to the giallo genre. ... The Cat o Nine Tails is a 1971 Italian mystery thriller. ... Four Flies on Grey Velvet (4 Mosche di velluti grigio) is a 1972 Italian mystery thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento and produced through a joint French-Itallian effort. ... Dont Torture a Duckling, ( Italian: Non si sevizia un paperino) is a Giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci in 1972. ... Barbara Bouchet, born Barbara Goutscher on August 15, 1943 in Reichenberg, (now Liberec), Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic]. She has acted in more than 80 films and television episodes. ... Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Italian: Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave) is a 1972 giallo film directed by Sergio Martino. ... Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short story writer, playwright, editor, literary critic, essayist and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. ... Ennio Morricone (born November 10, 1928; sometimes also credited as Dan Savio or Leo Nichols) is an Italian composer especially noted for his film scores. ... Umbero Lenzi (Massa Marittima, Italy, August 6, 1931), is an Italian film director who has mainly been active in low budget crime films. ... León Klimovsky (16 October 1906–8 April 1996) was an Argentine film director. ... Profondo Rosso (also known as Deep Red or The Hatchet Murders) is a 1975 giallo thriller film directed by Dario Argento and starring David Hemmings. ... Andrea Bianchi (born March 31, 1925 in Rome) is an Italian film director and writer. ... The House with Laughing Windows (La Casa dalle finestre che ridono) is a 1976 Italian mystery-horror film co-written and directed by Pupi Avati. ... Giuseppe (Pupi) Avati is a director, producer and writer of mainly fantasy films and horror films. ... Tenebrae (also known as Tenebre) is a 1982 Italian horror thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento. ... The New York Ripper is a 1982 film directed and co-written by Lucio Fulci. ... Camping del terrore, also known as Body Count in the UK and The Eleventh Commandment in the USA, is a 1987 slasher/Horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato and filmed in Italy and the USA. Camping del terrore was one of the numerous sub-categorized backwoods slashers that occurred during... Ruggero Deodato, born May 7, 1939 in Potenza, Italy, film director, actor, screen writer. ... Deliria is a 1987 Italian horror film. ... Michele Soavi, sometimes known as Michael Soavi (born July 3, 1957) is an Italian filmmaker. ... Opera is a 1987 horror film written and directed by Dario Argento. ... Sleepless (Italian: Non ho Sonno) is a 2001 horror film by Dario Argento. ...

References

Notes

Sources

• Adam Rockoff (April 2002). Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978 to 1986. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0786412273. 
• Rick Worland (2006-10-01). The Horror Film: A Brief Introduction. Blackwell Publishing Professional. ISBN 978-1405139021. 
• Mikel J. Koven (2006). La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film. Scarecrow Press. 

External links

• KinoEye: An Introduction to the Italian 'Giallo'
• Italian bibliography (1929-1941) of giallo novels
• The Giallo Zone at EOFFTV
• Gialli reviews at Hysteria Lives!
• The Giallo Scrapbook Tribute books to Giallo cinema
• DIY Giallo Kit Do-It-Yourself Giallo Generator
• "Yellow" a short Giallo A short homage to Giallo
• Terrore Italiani: Classical Detective Fiction and the Giallo An academic thesis on the giallo's relationship to classical detective fiction.

Blogs

• Killing in Style: A blog about the Giallo
• giallo fever: A blog about the Giallo
• The Film Walrus Reviews: a blog about the Giallo and other cult cinema