The Weekend Murders
(aka:CONCERTO PER PISTOLA SOLISTA)
(1972)
review by Monkeyman

A group of typically British upper-class toffs are playing a round of golf when they discover a dead body in one of the sand traps, the arm sticking into the air in plain view of the golfers.

Cut to a typical Agatha Christie style will-reading in a huge country manor, where an assortment of British stereotypes have gathered to see how much they have been left in their fathers will. They are understandably dismayed when the lawyer reveals that the bulk of the money has been left to the deceaseds daughter, the wholesome Barbara,and they have received next to nothing. This sets off a chain of events which leads to the murder of the family butler(played by Ballard Berkely, the Major from Fawlty Towers!), which quickly heads off any possible accusations that the butler did it!!

The local policeman,Sergeant Thorpe quickly arrives on the scene, but his apparently slow-witted detection methods do not impress the family members and Scotland Yard are soon called, and the famed Inspector Gray (Lance Percival) arrives on the scene.
His interview with Barbara is rudely interrupted when someone begins to take pot-shots at the pair with a large gun. While the pair are still recovering from this ordeal, two more family members are killed, Cousin Ted and his wife Pauline being the unfortunate victims.
Ted was a keen photographer, and had asked for a batch of photographs to be developed, which leads the police to believe that he knew who the murderer was and had photographic evidence of the killers identity.

In the meantime,police investigations are being hampered by that well known horror film walking cliche, the Prankster, in this case an annoying character called Georgie who not only fakes a few deaths but also pretends to commit suicide. Now in my book this kind of behaviour during a police investigation certainly warrants a Rodney King style beating at the very least, but Georgie is simply let off by the smiling bobbys on the beat with a weary pat on the back.
Georgie is soon distracted by the family maid, a drop-dead gorgeous girl who delights in taunting Georgie at every possible opportunity.I dont know what it is about French maids outfits, but they really do it for me.I suspect its because of a misspent childhood watching “The Benny Hill Show” to be honest!!

This is a supreme example of the frothy comedy thrillers that the Italians churned out in the seventies, and while not totally succesful it is extremely entertaining. The only problem I have with the film is the performances of Lance Percival and Gastone Moschin in the roles of the two policemen. Their extreme overacting soon begins to annoy, and Percival in particular appears to think he is acting in a seventies British sit-com.

This aside though,there is a lot to enjoy in The Weekend Murder-an amusing script,sumptious sets and a lively cast playing their roles out in an exuberant manner and a knowing wink at the camera. Director Lupo shows an assuredly light comedic touch throughout the procedings, as he did in the only other film of his that I've seen, the crime thriller The Great Diamond Robbery.

The best way to track down this film is still the UK video release on the MGM-UA label-although its now long deleted and is fullscreen, its the only English language version Ive managed to find .