Crime Cult Classic

Gloved murders, a boozy reporter, and Rome’s darkest corners—one finger at a time.

THE FIFTH CORD

1971 · 1h 30m · NR · Crime / Mystery / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

After a high-class party in Rome, there's an assault. The victim is injured but lives. Andrea, an investigative reporter who drinks too much, is assigned the story. Then, always on Tuesdays, there are a series of murders. At each crime scene, a glove is left with a finger cut off for each victim. After four murders, Andrea thinks he's making progress, but by this time he may himself be a suspect, and someone he loves is in danger.

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Vault Note

If you ever need an excuse to skip Tuesday plans, cite a giallo killer’s schedule.

Programmer's Pick

Luigi Bazzoni’s The Fifth Cord lets Franco Nero stumble through Rome’s murder scene with a whiskey in one hand and a suspect’s list in the other. If you like your mysteries with black gloves and Tuesday killings, this one’s a prime slice of giallo paranoia.

— SassyFlix Programmer

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Quick Answer

What is The Fifth Cord about?

The Fifth Cord is a 1971 Italian crime, mystery, and thriller film directed by Luigi Bazzoni about a troubled reporter investigating a string of murders marked by severed glove fingers.

Details & Specs

Director: Luigi Bazzoni
Writers: David McDonald Devine, Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, Mario Di Nardo
Release: 1971
Runtime: 1h 30m
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Also Known As: Ein schwarzer Tag für den Widder, El día negro, Journée noire pour un bélier, Evil Fingers, The Fifth Cord

Synopsis

"Mr. Bild" is a reporter with a drinking problem who is assigned to investigate an assault in a tunnel. In the meantime, a number of murders begin to pile up in which the killer is leaving a black glove with digits cut off to symbolize the number of people he has killed. The speculation is that the first victim was not killed due to the intervention of a couple making out near the tunnel, but now the killer has returned to finish killing his victims. The police have no clues, but as Mr. Bild gets closer and closer to the truth, the police begin to suspect him, his newspaper tries to take him off the story, and the killer makes threatening phone calls. More people are killed however, until the killer tries to kill his son and Mr. Bild intervenes, catching the real murderer red-handed.