Sette scialli di seta gialla (1972)

English Title: The Crimes of the Black Cat
Directed by: Sergio Pastore

This review contains a Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains MAJOR spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A blind pianist / composer named Peter Oliver (Anthony Steffen) gets caught up in sleuthing when he thinks he may have overheard the person behind the killing of his girlfriend and other fashion models.

Featured Felines: The murders themselves are a mystery. After tracking the person he thought he overheard, Peter only learns they were wearing a hooded robe. The person wearing the robe is pet shop owner Susan (Jeannette Len) who owns a black cat. Susan is a drug addict but she loves her cat dearly.

Crimes of the Black Cat - Susan Jeanette Len reaching for black cat

Crimes of the Black Cat - Susan Jeanette Len hugging black cat

Crimes of the Black Cat - Susan Jeanette Len hugging black cat and crying

Crimes of the Black Cat - Susan Jeanette Len picking up and hugging black cat animated gif

One model, Helga (Annabella Incontrera), is seen at home. She puts on a shawl which was worn by the previous murder victim. A black cat then shows up in her room.

Crimes of the Black Cat - black cat entering room

Crimes of the Black Cat - Helga Annabella Incontrera looking back at black cat

Crimes of the Black Cat - Helga Annabella Incontrera looking back at black cat animated gif

She calls to the cat but it attacks her and she is killed. The attack is filmed using a fake cat with glowing eyes jumping at the camera repeatedly.

Crimes of the Black Cat - close up of black cat's eyes

Crimes of the Black Cat - fake black cat with glowing eyes

Crimes of the Black Cat - Helga Annabella Incontrera being attacked by black cat animated gif

The next time we see the black cat it is back with Sharon. She is having a drug withdrawal and starts freaking, which not only upsets her pet black cat but the other animals in the pet shop, including a tabby cat.

Crimes of the Black Cat - black cat sitting

Crimes of the Black Cat - close up of black cat

Crimes of the Black Cat - close up of tabby cat

Crimes of the Black Cat - Susan Jeanette Len freaking out with shots of black and tabby cats animated gif

Sharon injects herself with drugs she received in the mail and is out cold when someone else comes and takes the black cat from her.

Crimes of the Black Cat - black cat lying next to Susan on bed in the dark

This mysterious person then frightens another model, Wendy (Liliana Pavlo) at the train station, causing her to fall onto the tracks.

Kitty Carnage Warning! Unfortunately for the cat, it too falls victim to the train. The detectives find the cat’s severed head on the tracks.

With this information, Peter is able to deduce how the killings took place. He demonstrates with a black cat brought in a basket, the same way it had been transported for the murders. He has his helper wave a yellow shawl in front of the cat with no effect.

Crimes of the Black Cat - black cat sitting in basket

A chemical is then poured on to the shawl and it is shown to the cat again. This time the cat goes crazy, leaping and ripping at the shawl. (Or rather the cat actor is catapulted into the shawl and looks like it just wants to get away!) Peter explains that the cat’s claws had been dipped in the poison curare which brought about the death of the women.