''The Salamander'' is a 1981

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

directed by

Peter Zinner Peter Zinner (July 24, 1919 – November 13, 2007) was an Austrian-American film editor. Following nearly fifteen years of uncredited work as an assistant sound editor, Zinner received credits on more than fifty films from 1959 to 2006. His most ...

in his directorial debut. The film is based on a 1973 novel with the same name by

Morris West Morris Langlo West (26 April 19169 October 1999) was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels '' The Devil's Advocate'' (1959), '' The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (1963) and ''The Clowns of God'' (1981). His books were pub ...

Plot

Policeman Dante Matucci investigates a series of murders involving people in prominent positions. Left behind at each murder scene is a drawing of a salamander. As the body count grows he sees a pattern that might point to a

neo-fascist Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration ...

conspiracy to take over the Italian government.

Cast

Franco Nero Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero (born 23 November 1941), known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film '' Django'' (1966), ...

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...

Colonel Dante Matucci *

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

as Bruno Manzini *

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New Y ...

as Captain Steffanelli *

Sybil Danning Sybil Danning (born Sybille Johanna Danninger) is an Austrian actress, model, and film producer. She is best known for her frequent appearances in B movies during the 1970s and 1980s. Biography Early years and first films Born in Austria, Dannin ...

as Lili Anders *

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultim ...

as Prince Baldasar, the Director of Counterintelligence *

Cleavon Little Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He began his career in the late 1960s on the stage. In 1970, he starred in the Broadway production of '' Purlie'', for which he earned both ...

as Major Carl Malinowski,

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

* Paul L. Smith as The Surgeon *

John Steiner John Steiner (7 January 1941 – 31 July 2022) was an English actor. Tall, thin and gaunt, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed on-stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company, but was best known to audiences for his roles i ...

as Captain Roditi *

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose "Claudia" Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938) is an Italian actress. She has starred in some of the most iconic European films of the 1960s and 1970s, acting in Italian, French, and English. Born and raised in La Goulette, a ...

as Elena Leporello *

Eli Wallach Eli Herschel Wallach (; December 7, 1915 – June 24, 2014) was an American film, television, and stage actor from New York City. From his 1945 Broadway debut to his last film appearance, Wallach's entertainment career spanned 65 years. Origina ...

as General Leporello * Renzo Palmer as Carabinieri Major Giorgione * Anita Strindberg as Princess Faubiani *

Marino Masé Marino Masè (21 March 1939 – 28 May 2022) was an Italian actor who appeared in more than 70 films. Life Masè was born in Trieste on 21 March 1939. While still a teenager, he joined the laboratory for young actors of the production company ...

as Captain Rigoli *

Jacques Herlin Jacques Herlin (17 August 1927 – 7 June 2014) was a French character actor. Born in Paris as Jacques de Jouette, he appeared in an impressive number of films from the early sixties. He was also active on stage and on television. He died i ...

as Woodpecker *

Fortunato Arena Fortunato Arena (23 May 1922 – 7 March 1994) was an Italian stuntman and actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1954 to 1989. Selected filmography * ''Blood for a Silver Dollar'' (1965) * ''Conqueror of Atlantis'' (1965) * ...

as General Pantaleone *

John Stacy John Will Stacy (born March 29, 1953) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Kentucky House of Representatives representing District 71 s since January 1993. Education Stacy earned his BS from Morehead State University and ...

as Concierge * Gitte Lee as Princess Baldasar *

Nello Pazzafini Nello Pazzafini (15 May 1933 – 9 January 1996) was an Italian actor who appeared in a very large number of Peplum movies, Spaghetti Westerns and Poliziotteschi. He was an ex-bodyguard and often played a "tough guy" character. Partial filmo ...

as Manzini's Bodyguard

References

External links

* 1981 films 1981 directorial debut films British political thriller films 1980s police films 1980s political thriller films Films set in Italy Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith Films based on works by Morris West ITC Entertainment films Films produced by Paul Maslansky Films with screenplays by Rod Serling Films about murder Films about coups d'état 1980s English-language films 1980s British films {{1980s-thriller-film-stub