Avenger X
Avenger X (Italian: Mister-X) is a 1967 film based on the Italian comic series Mister-X. [1]
| Avenger X | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Piero Vivarelli |
| Screenplay by | Eduardo Manzanos Brochero |
| Story by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Emanuele Di Cola[1] |
| Edited by | Gianmaria Messeri[1] |
| Music by | Manuel Parada[1] |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Euro International |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Italian |
| Box office | ₤112 million |
Plot
George Lamarro is the head of a pharmaceutical company that is also involved in the production and distribution of illegal narcotics. When his secretary attempts to blackmail him for a share of the profits and his hand in marriage, he has her killed with her death arranged in a way to implicate a master criminal called "Mister X" who is a master of disguise, efficient killer and professional golf champion. The real Mister X uses his skills to discover the criminals are involved in a scheme by an unnamed foreign nation using the company and a Scottish and an American criminal to distribute illegal narcotics in the Western World.
Cast
- Pier Paolo Capponi as Mister X
- Gaia Germani as Timmy
- Armando Calvo as George Lamar
- Anna Zinnemann as Dolly
- Umberto Raho as MacDoug
- Renato Baldini as Jack Caruso
- Franco Fantasia as Inspector Roux
- Dante Posani as Jim
- Helga Liné as Gloria
Production
Avenger X was based on the comic series Mister-X as created by writer Cesare Melloncelli and drawing artist Giancarlo Tenenti.[1] The comic was first published by Milan's Edizioni Cervinia in October 1964.[1] Unlike other fumetti neri of the era, Mister-X had very little violent content, with the titular character being a gentleman thief similar to Arsène Lupin.[1] In the film, the titular character Mister X visually differs from the comics design who had a black hood and leotard opposed to the red cape, white boots and hood that covers his face that his comic book counterpart wears.[2]
Parts of the film were shot in Rome including location shooting at the Stadio dei Marmi.[2]
Release
Avenger X was released in Italy in 1967 as Mister X.[1] The English-language title of the film ignores the characters name and is titled Avenger X.[1] Director Piero Vivarelli stated most of the violent scenes in the film were removed from the Italian version of the film to earn a V.M.14 rating.[2] Censors documents only suggested that 47 seconds of the film were cut in Italy[2] This included scenes where a blowtorch approaches Mister-X's bare chest and a shot of a speedboat moving towards a reef.[2] The film grossed 112 million Italian lire in Italy during its theatrical run.[3] The film was distributed by Euro International.[4]
The film was released in Spain on 22 January 1968 where it sold 707,889 admissions.[5]
References
Footnotes
- Curti 2016, p. 60.
- Curti 2016, p. 61.
- Curti 2016, p. 62.
- Cowie & Elley 1977, p. 317.
- "Mister X". iicaa Catalogo de Cinespanol. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
Sources
- Cowie, Peter; Elley, Derek (1977). World Filmography: 1967. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. ISBN 0498015653.
- Curti, Roberto (2016). Diabolika: Supercriminals, Superheroes and the Comic Book Universe in Italian Cinema. Midnight Marquee Press. ISBN 978-1-936168-60-6.