Kriminal (1966)

Interesting facts

Kriminal is a 1966 superhero film co-written and directed by Umberto Lenzi, based on the Italian comic book created by Magnus and Max Bunker. It stars Glenn Saxson in the titular role, along with Helga Liné, Andrea Bosic, Ivano Staccioli and Esmeralda Ruspoli. In the film, master thief Kriminal is embroiled in a diamond smuggling plot.

Production

In August 1964, the fumetti neri series Kriminal began publication. The comics often contained themes of sex and violence, which included the title character seducing scantily-dressed women, then strangling or stabbing them to conceal his identity. Director Umberto Lenzi stated that he initially wanted to make a comic book-inspired film with an adaptation of Diabolik.

The lead role was played by Dutch actor Glenn Saxson (real name: Roel Bos), who previously had leading roles in Spaghetti Westerns such as Go with God, Gringo. Saxson did a screen test for Lenzi, who was looking to portray Kriminal as a younger character compared to his fumetti counterpart.

Shooting for the film lasted approximately two months. Interiors were shot in Rome, while exteriors were filmed in Madrid, Istanbul, The Black Sea and London. Most of the physical stunts in the film were performed by Saxson's double Attilio Serverini, except for one of the more dangerous sequences involving Kriminal running atop a speeding train.

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