The Cuckoo Clock

Here's an interesting precursor to the giallo film, a nicely done murder mystery from director Camillo Mastrocinque. In 1815 Italy, a rich banker is killed under strange circumstances. The motive seems to be to get hold of some gold hidden inside a cuckoo clock. Vittorio De Sica heads the cast of this complex mystery, in which a huge, American-manufactured cuckoo clock is purchased by a European banker for the express purpose of smuggling gold into England. Set during the early 19th century, "The Cuckoo Clock" is lovely to look at but a bit thin dramatically. This Italian historical melodrama was acquired for US distribution by MGM-who promptly shelved the film for several months in reflection of mounting anti-Mussolini sentiments in the US.