Bava In Black and White (for the last time)

 

 (imdb)

THE EVIL EYE aka THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH-1963-Nora Drozon (Leticia Roman) comes from America to visit her sickly aunt and meets her doctor, Marcello Bassi (John Saxon). At night the aunt dies. Nora goes to seek help and is attacked by a purse snatcher and knocked unconscious. When she wakes up, she sees the stabbing death of a woman. She faints and someone makes it seem like she'd been drinking. In a hospital, no one believes her story and she's labeled an alcoholic. Fortunately, Marcello arrives and gets her out. He doesn't really believe her either. Nora meets Laura (Valentina Cortese) whose husband is away in Switzerland (his picture looks like the killer Nora saw). When Laura goes to visit her hubby, she lets Nora stay in her house where Laura’s sister was stabbed to death 10 years before (according to the cleaning lady). 

Later, it seems there is a serial killer murdering people in alphabetical order and Nora may be next! They meet Landini (Dante DiPaolo), the reporter who worked on the case years before but he commits suicide. When Laura returns, we learn who the murderer is and the reasons behind the killings. 

This was the great Mario Bava's last black and white film. He was also the cinematographer. It's an interesting and stylish Giallo but the ending was changed in the US version, eliminating a sub-plot. The same year as this, Bava also made BLACK SABBATH and THE WHIP AND THE BODY. Lead actress Roman starred in RUSS MEYER'S FANNY HILL the next year.

Thanks for reading!