Frightened Woman, The (1969)

The beautifully sensuous Dagmar Lassander stars as inquisitive journalist Maria, the living sex toy of rich, jaded sadist Dr Sayer (Philippe Leroy) who delights in killing women at the point of orgasm at his luxurious villa just outside Rome.

Sayer’s prolonged campaign of degradation pushes Maria right to the edge of death but the spell she casts on him will lead to the most extraordinary climax of a lifetime.

For the first half of the narrative, we see the heroine enduring pain and humiliation at Sayer’s hands – including being forced to make love to a dummy in his own image – until the tables are subtly, but unsurprisingly, turned.

Stylish, imaginative and deliciously twisted, Piero Schivazappa’s kitschy ’60s erotica-fest boasts a parade of incredible pop-art sets and production design, marking it as one of the most visually alluring delights from the golden era of Italian cult cinema.

Released in some markets as The Laughing Woman and Femina Ridens.

Dr Sayer
Philippe Leroy
Maria
Dagmar Lassander
Gida
Lorenza Guerrieri
Administrator
Varo Soleri
Sayer’s Secretary
Maria Cumani Quasimodo

Director
Piero Schivazappa