Deadly Inheritance is probably most interesting as an example of an early giallo. It was released a couple of years before the genre was codified by the release of Dario Argento's debut film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. As a result it's a good deal more restrained than the gialli of the 70's. It's not alone in this, as other late 60's gialli were pretty much the same. However, it does incorporate the serial killer on the loose mystery narrative that would go on to become a key aspect of the genre.
The story is about a family of greedy siblings who want to inherit the money left by their recently killed father. All his money is left to his adopted son Janot, who is mentally retarded. Pretty much immediately, a string of murders begin.
This is an example of the rural giallo. In the main the genre was an urban based genre and the rural ones are few and far between. The setting is in fact the French countryside. The location is decent enough. The cast has no big names but does have a few faces genre enthusiasts will recognise, such as Femi Benussi who starred in several Italian horror and thriller films such as Hatchet for the Honeymoon. Also of note is Ernesto Colli who plays Janot, he is an agreeably odd looking guy and also starred in the later giallo Torso. The best feature of the movie has to be the soundtrack though. The music is composed by Stefano Torossi. It's varied and of a good standard throughout. The film itself is solid enough although it's overall a little plodding. The murders are committed more or less off-screen and the suspense is a little limited. Interesting enough as a 60's giallo though.
