Ennio Morricone - "Guardami Negli Occhi," from Vergogna Schifosi

Here's an upbeat little ditty from Italian film composer Ennio Morricone. It's from the film, Vergogna Schifosi ("Dirty Angels"), from 1969, directed by Mauro Severino. Morricone has written music for over five hundred films, many of them unknown to English-speaking audiences. This one is little known here in the U.S.

I found two synopses for this movie online:

Three young people arrive in the city from the provinces to make their fortunes. They become firmly established in their work and social life. They have behind them important people who use them to make money but also provide them with affluence. But their new-found rich existence is shattered when menacing letters start arriving through the post. The letters threaten each with death. The three decide that the letters are being sent by a fourth friend who left the provinces with them, but was later abandoned by them. They find him and bring him back into the group to find out if he is the one who is sending the letters. They find that he is playing a very cunning game, and so they decide that he must die. -- Eric Marks, DBCult Film Institute

An old pornographic photo and an anonymous letter are sent to two men and a woman, who now enjoy a respectable social status, accusing them and questioning things they have done in their lives. -- British Film Institute




I've played other selections ("Matto, Caldo, Soldi, Morto... Girotondo," and "Un Altro Mare") from this soundtrack many times on my show over the years, most often as talk-over music. Here's a very stylized scene from the film that features "Matto, Caldo..." (and some great chairs)



and the closing credits, featuring the same piece (and some more great chairs):



Vergogna Schifosi - Il film che esalta l'amore di gruppo



Do Your Own Thing main page
Busy Doing Nothing with Charlie playlist index
WFMU home page