Saturday, January 18, 2020

UNA SULLl'ALTRA - "One On Top Of The Other" (1969)

It's a Stack 'Em Up Saturday Night Special down here in The Dungeon, and a wild and crazy film directed by Horrormeister Lucio Fulci called "One On Top Of The Other."

I thought it was a pretty stoopid title, but "One On Top Of The Other" is actually a direct translation of the Italian title "Una Sull'altra." In an effort to sell it to as many audiences as possible, it has also been released as "Perversion Story," and "Hot To Trot," none of which make any sense!

Although it's an Italian movie, the exterior shots were mostly all done in California, in San Francisco, and the general bay area.

I thought this looked familiar, the "Dumurrier Clinic" is actually Pebble Beach Golf Resort!
Today, it would cost the entire film budget just to use this place!

Here's the deal! Dr. Dumurrier has a very sick wife, and even though he has this fancysmancy clinic, he can't seem to make her better!

Instead the good Doctor prefers to go spend the night with his girlfriend!

Next thing you know, his wife is dead, and she has left her husband two million dollars. It's more than enough to get his clinic out of hock!

 Normally glamorous Dungeon Queen Faith Domergue has the dour role of Matha/Marta.

Just to make it absolutely clear that this is San Francisco, they hit some of the main local attractions like the crazy curvy Lombard Street......

..........And what would San Francisco be without The Golden Gate Bridge?

At first I kind of doubted it was really San Franciso, but the trolley car and just the fact that all the cars were U.S. makes, made me realize it was true. The interior scenes were shot at Cinecittà Studios in Rome.

The Doctor follows his girlfriend down to the cool little central coast town of San Luis Obispo, and they used the actual train station there.

Before they head back to San Francisco, they go to this casino, and since I used to live in beautiful that area, I can guarantee you that in the 60's, there was not a casino any where near there.
These scenes were shot in Reno, Nevada!

Back to reality, "Varni's Roaring 20's Club" was a real place in San Francisco.

Fun place, lots of balloons and topless girls on swings!

Uh, Oh! What the heck's going on now? A Woman who looks just like the Doctor's dead wife is the main attraction in this strip club. Her hair and eyes are a different color, but other than that........
The Doctor and his girlfriend are seriously dumbfounded by the sight.
The stripper's name is Monica, and she is played by the amazing Marisa (Danger: Diabolik, Super Dragon Secret Agent) Mell.

I  guess I should introduce you to the Doctor and his girlfriend Jane.
Dr. D. was played by Jean (Disorder, Hypnosis, I Spit On Your Grave) Sorel.
Jane Bleeker is played by elegant Elsa ( Blood and Roses, Hatari!) Martinelli.

Monica is also a whore, so the Doctor buys himself a good time while pursuing the mystery. After they're done, she plays solitaire!

You know back in 1969, you couldn't have a studio without at least five bean bag or inflated chairs!

John Ireland's the Detective trying to untangle the whole damn mess!
John's a familiar face around here, having been in "I Saw What You Did," "Satan's Cheerleaders," 

"Una Sull'altra" is a pretty cool movie and one of the taglines is "This film begins where Hitchcock ends," for it's supposed influence from "Vertigo." It's not gory like many of Fulci's films, but it does have it's fair share of sex, if you need something to complain about.


And more than anything else, "Una Sull'altra" has got an excellent, super cool and swingin' soundtrack created by one of my favourite composers, Maestro Riz Ortolani, and if you don't believe me, then listen for yourself! You won't regret it, I guarantee!
A Big Thanx to the Pop Up Sounds.Over-Blog for making the music available!

2 comments:

  1. As for filming on the Golden Gate bridge, back in the very early '80s, I worked for a retired Army colonel, driving him around the Bay Area in his old Mercedes, and every time I had to go to San Fran for him, I hated that bridge, because I always got vertigo driving across it. Dizzy, queasy, etc. Had to pull over once I reached land again, so I could get out of the car to regain my land legs and calm my stomach. (Bad enough I had to listen to his "war stories"!) Just looking at pictures taken from the POV of a car driving across the bridge makes me a wee bit dizzy again.

    So THANKS guys! :C~~~~~ ;)

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  2. Any time! Good story! Glad to be of service!

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