The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969 film)
| The Girl Who Knew Too Much | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Francis Lyon |
| Produced by | Earle Lyon |
| Written by | Charles Wallace |
| Starring | Adam West Nancy Kwan Nehemiah Persoff Robert Alda Buddy Greco |
| Music by | Joe Greene |
| Distributed by | Commonwealth United |
| Release date(s) | November, 1969 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a 1969 film starring Adam West as Johnny Cain, a nightclub owner and former freelance adventurer who is forced out of retirement when a crime syndicate boss is murdered in his nightclub and investigations lead into unexpected areas.
The film co-stars Nancy Kwan, Nehemiah Persoff, Robert Alda, Patricia Smith, David Brian, and noted jazz musician Buddy Greco as nightclub entertainer Albert "Lucky" Jones. Its melodramatic promotional tagline was: "You have to be crazy or in love — to take on the syndicate!"
The film was intended to be a vehicle for Adam West to escape his Batman stereotype by playing a cynical, hard-edged tough guy. The movie's dialogue is typified by a scene between West's Cain and the manipulative Grinaldi played by Smith:
- Mrs. Grinaldi: "And what do you do for a living, Mr. Cain?"
- Cain: "I kill people, Mrs. Grinaldi."
The Girl Who Knew Too Much was not a box office success in theatrical release, but became a staple of late-night showings on WCBS-TV and other television stations in the early 1970s. Despite this exposure, it has never been released on VHS or DVD, and thus is in danger of becoming a lost film.
[edit] Homage
Although unrelated to Mario Bava's earlier Italian film La Ragazza che sapeva troppo (the English title of which is also "The Girl Who Knew Too Much"), Lyon's film pays homage to Bava's in several important respects. The chief cast of the Italian film play bit parts or cameos in the US film – Letícia Román is a flower-seller in the underground scene, and actor Dante DiPaolo appears as Dr. Hims. Neither has a speaking part, although Roberto Calvi (who plays a tramp) speaks English briefly.
[edit] External links
 |
This article about a crime film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
