Mannequin in Red (1958)

I first became aware of this Swedish thriller via Tim Lucas' Audio Commentary for Mario Bava's "Giallo" landmark (and, arguably, masterpiece) BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964); the latter was said to be somewhat reminiscent of it and, having now watched the earlier effort for myself, I can see where such an argument is coming from – as there are undeniable thematic and stylistic (more on these later) and even aural (meaning, the score) parallels…yet how deliberate imitations they were I cannot tell! Still, considering just how many films directly ripped off the Bava classic – without taking the edge off the prototype, I might add – one can make concessions for its having drawn a certain inspiration from somewhere, too!For the record, here we have a fashion-house setting (with the colour scheme – right from the opening credits sequence – being similarly given its due), blackmail (though the main reason behind the killing spree is actually the usual one of inheritance – thus also numbering males among the victims in this case!) and, while no specific aura is created around the figure of the assassin, the perpetrator does manage a few sensational slayings (in fact, twice are dead models discovered as having replaced a dummy – one is stabbed and arranged in a window display, and another is memorably hung way up in the air on a symbolic gallows). Incidentally, it seems that if Bava had indeed watched this, he would derive elements from it for at least two other movies of his: the presence of a dagger (or a set of them here) is also central to the Italian Maestro's THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963), whereas that of the wheelchair-bound elderly owner of the establishment – to say nothing of the whole string of murders spun by the coveting of her legacy – looks forward to A BAY OF BLOOD (1971)!Otherwise, the protagonists are an icy blonde undercover model, her debonair investigator husband, his obligatory comic relief sidekick (he not only stutters but is, annoyingly, an automobile nut into the bargain!); the suspects, then, are likewise stock characters: ambitious shop manager, ne'er-do-well 'son', philandering/extravagant relatives, etc. However, there is also a middle-aged lady who repeatedly turns up and somehow comes into possession of the old woman's white cat following her demise – but, for the life of me, I could not fathom what her exact function within the narrative was supposed to be! The film, then, is quite handsome-looking and reasonably enjoyable, if a bit long at 106 minutes (when BLOOD AND BLACK LACE clocked in at a mere 85, which I would say is just about right for this sort of fare!)…while the twist ending was predictable enough (albeit, still effectively rendered). By the way, this was the second of 5 'vehicles' for the central sleuthing couple (and their klutzy assistants!) director Mattsson would helm; I do not own any of the others, but did manage to acquire copies of his ONE SUMMER OF HAPPINESS (1951) and THE DOLL (1962) over the years, though both remain unwatched up to now.

A private detective is called in to investigate the murder of a blackmailing model ("The Red Mannequin") at a haute couture salon called "Le Femme" where his wife is working undercover on another case. Behind the chic veneer of the fashion house facade lies a hotbed of illicit intrigue and a clever killer uses the establishment as a human hunting ground despite the investigators' presence...Between 1958 and 1963, director Arne Matteson (dubbed "The Swedish Hitchcock") whipped up five mystery-thrillers featuring PI John Hilman, using a different color in both title and motif and the rarely-seen (until its recent restoration, anyway) and ahead-of-its-time MANNEQUIN IN RED was the second of his "colour series" (the others are THE LADY IN BLACK, RIDER IN BLUE, LADY IN WHITE, and THE YELLOW CAR). Not only is the movie an exercise in striking visual style, it's also a granddad to the giallo and undoubtedly a major influence on Mario Bava's similarly-set BLOOD & BLACK LACE (1964), generally considered a reel pioneer of the Italian horror sub-genre. Quite a few genre conventions get their start in Matteson's movie ***spoiler*** (the crippled and the dead aren't what they seem, an inheritance scheme, more than one murderer, bizarre kills, quirky characters, erotic hints of lesbianism, a stalking sequence) ***end spoiler*** and the atmosphere has a pop-cultural modernity that would predominate in later gialli rife with garish 70s psycho-chic. The color red is present in every scene and the overall effect is impressive even if the lack of gore (as well as a memorable score) plant it firmly in "proto-giallo" terrain. In maestro Mario's copycat ode to atmospheric style (minus the comedy bits), the murders are more graphic but the tale's not as well-plotted as its Scandinavian inspiration and instead of a predominant color, certain scenes are bathed in an eerie blue and green light. Bava's version of "the model murder" doesn't seem as novel now that the Matteson's come to light but it's still ground-breaking and the two films compliment each other nicely when paired as a double feature.

There are a few things that really impress me in this movie. First of all, this should be seen on a large screen where one can be impressed with the beautiful Eastmancolor. Arne Mattsson is known for using complicated camera movements There are two actresses that stand out. Anita Björk can portray subtle feelings with just a twitch of her mouth. And Lillebil Ibsen does the role of aunt Thyra wonderfully. It is positively impossible to hear a Norwegian accent, although she apparently was one of Norway's biggest stars. The plot itself can be a bit tricky to follow and one has to see the movie more than once to really comprehend all the innuendos and hints from the characters, to understand what role they play and why they act like they do.Of course, the director could have streamlined the movie much more, e.g. by removing the funny sidekick, Freddy, altogether. The movie is a bit too long with its 110 minutes and it could have been paced much quicker.

This is not necessarily a good movie, with a creaky storyline (along with the old lady's wheelchair), some stiff and some overplayed performances and silly "funny" moments. Still, I am very fond of this. It has several suspenseful sequences, a few on-the-spot performances and, above all, a gorgeus photography. It predates all the giallos of the sixties and seventies in its appearance with at least 4-5 years and some chunks could have been lifted from this movie to "Blood and black lace", Mario Bavas tour-de-force in giallo and the start of a whole trend. These films also share its environment, a fashion-salon. The murders are not gruesome by todays standards of course, the atmosphere is right!! Two thumbs up!!