The Laughing Woman
| The Laughing Woman | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Italian theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Piero Schivazappa |
| Written by | Piero Schivazappa |
| Produced by | Giuseppe Zaccariello |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sante Achilli |
| Edited by | Carlo Reali |
| Music by | Stelvio Cipriani |
Production company | Cemo Film |
| Distributed by | Cemo Film |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
The Laughing Woman (Latin: Femina ridens), also known as The Frightened Woman, is a 1969 Italian erotic thriller film directed by Piero Schivazappa.[1][2][3]
Plot
Dr. Sayer, the director of a philanthropic foundation, spends his weekends at his luxurious villa outside of Rome toying with sadistic fantasies. His games are usually acted out with the help of a prostitute conversant with his desires. When his regular prostitute becomes unavailable at the last minute, Sayer substitutes Maria, a young journalist on his staff. After the drugged Maria regains consciousness at his villa, Sayer realizes that he now has a real victim on his hands. She is subjected to his unpleasant games but soon begins subverting him.[4][5]
Cast
- Philippe Leroy: Doctor Sayer
- Dagmar Lassander: Mary
- Lorenza Guerrieri: Gida
- Varo Soleri: Administrator
- Maria Cumani Quasimodo: Sayer's Secretary
- Mirella Pamphili: Streetwalker
Soundtrack
| Femina Ridens | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 1969 |
| Genre | |
| Label | CAM |
The soundtrack to the film was composed by Stelvio Cipriani and released in 1969.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Stelvio Cipriani.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Week-End with Mary" | 2:02 |
| 2. | "Love Symbol" | 2:20 |
| 3. | "Hot Skin" (Vocals by Edda Dell'Orso.) | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Chorus and Brass “Fugato”" (Vocals by Edda Dell'Orso. Choir by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni.) | 2:18 |
| 5. | "Rendez-Vous in the Castle" | 1:51 |
| 6. | "Sophisticated Shake" (Vocals by Edda Dell'Orso.) | 3:43 |
All tracks are written by Stelvio Cipriani.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "“Femina Ridens” Song" (Choir by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni. Vocals by Olympia.) | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Mary's Theme" | 2:08 |
| 3. | "The Shower" (Vocals by Edda Dell'Orso. Choir by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni.) | 2:44 |
| 4. | "The Run in the Alley" | 2:48 |
| 5. | "Fight of Love" (Choir by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni.) | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Femina Ridens" | 1:48 |
Release
English-language prints have badly faded, so the theater is screening an 85-minute digital English-language version followed by the first three 35mm reels (about 60 minutes) of the Italian version (without subtitles), allowing the viewer to "bathe in the vivid colors and intense production design."[6]
References
- ^ "The Frightened Woman (Piero Schivazappa, 1969)". houseofselfindulgence.blogspot.de. 21 February 2013.
- ^ "Piero Schivazappa – Femina Ridens AKA The Frightened Woman (1969) (DVD)". worldscinema.org | Cinema of the World. Archived from the original on 2012-09-21.
- ^ "The Frightened Woman". AllMovie. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "The Laughing Woman". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ "The Laughing Woman". MUBI. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
- ^ Johnson, G. Allen (Sep 6, 2017). "1969 Italian exploitation film 'The Laughing Woman' plays at Roxie". sfgate.com. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
External links
Reviews
- "Bluray Review - 'The Frightened Woman'". The Movie Waffler. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- The Frightened Woman - The Spinning Image
- The Overlooked Brilliance of Femina Ridens (1969) - thecarbonfreeze.com
- Hopkins, Peter (29 February 2024). "Italian erotic thriller 'The Frightened Woman' out now". HORROR SCREAMS VIDEO VAULT.
Metadata
- The Frightened Woman - Grindhouse Cinema Database
- "The Laughing Woman". tcmdb Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 29, 2016.
- "The Frightened Woman". AllMovie.
- The Laughing Woman at IMDb