The Fourth Victim

IN FONDO ALLA PISCINE

THE FOURTH VICTIM

Spain 1974

D: Eugenio Martin

P: Tritone Film Industria, Filmmayer Produccione, & Estudios Cinematograficos//St & Sc: Vicente Coello, Santiago Moncada, Sabatino Ciuffini//DP: Guglielmo Mancori//E: Enzo Alabiso//M: Piero Umiliani//Art D: Ramirez Gomez//Costumes: Giovanni Naitana//Makeup: Gianfranco Mecacci

Cast: Carroll Baker, Michael Craig, Marina Malfatti, Miranda Campa, Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez, Enzo Garinei, Philip Ross, Alberto Fernandez, Manuel Gallardo, Alberto Gonzales Espinosa.

Dr. Andersen's wife is found dead in their pool. It was his third wife to die under mysterious circumstances. When his housekeeper testifies that the late Mrs. Andersen had threatened suicide the night before her death, he is found "not guilty." He soon meets and falls in love with his neighbor, Julie Spencer, a beautiful blonde. She immediately starts to plan for their wedding and insists that the good doctor take out a large insurance policy on her life with him as the beneficiary. They get into a big fight and she disappears. The police explain that Ms Spencer is insane and killed her first husband. Meanwhile, a strange woman spies on Andersen and appears to be the key to the entire film's plot machinations, that is if he lives long enough to discover it.

You'll think you're watching an Umberto Lenzi film (and indeed, Carroll Baker and Michael Craig appeared together in Lenzi's THE KNIFE OF ICE) as the film unwinds.  The story is a rehash of so many Lenzi/Baker collaborations. Eugenio Martin was a prolific Spanish director who could either be very good (A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL) or very bad (BAD MAN'S RIVER). Here, he falls on the poor side of things as he does nothing to rescue the hackneyed plot. British actor Craig is suitably menacing at the beginning, but is soon the poor misunderstood husband as Baker begins acting suspiciously. Had the film retained a Bluebeard-like plot line, things would have been much more interesting. The score by Piero Umiliani is the only thing of positive note as it's definitely in the kitschy mood he created for Bava's FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON. Too bad the film takes itself so seriously.