What Have You Done to Solange?

Also Known As

• ¿Qué habéis hecho con Solange? (Spain)
• Das Geheimnis der grünen Stecknadel (Germany)
• Mais... qu'avez vous fait à Solange? (France)
• Mannen i svart (Sweden)
• Que Fizeram a Solange? (Portugal)
• Solange (UK) (video box title)
• Terror in the Woods (USA)
• The School That Couldn't Scream (USA)
• The Secret of the Green Pins (USA)
• Tromos sto parthenagogeio (Greece)
• Vahset - Solange'e ne yaptiniz? (Turkey) (Turkish title)
• Viasmos sto parthenagogeio (Greece) (reissue title)
• What Have They Done to Solange? (USA)
• What Have You Done to Solange? (UK) (video title)
• Who Killed Solange?
• Who's Next? (UK)

Main Details

• Released in 1972
• Color
• Running Time: Italy:103 min | UK:102 min | West Germany:96 min
• Production Co: Italian International Film | Clodio Cinematografica | Rialto Film Preben-Philipsen (as Rialto Film Preben Philipsen GmbH & Co. KG)
• Distribution Co: Italian International Film (1972) (Italy) (theatrical) | American International Pictures (AIP) (1975) (USA) (as "Terror in the Woods") | Constantin Film (1972) (Germany) (theatrical)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Massimo Dallamano
• Written by Bruno Di Geronimo, Massimo Dallamano
• Starring Fabio Testi, Cristina Galbó, Karin Baal, Joachim Fuchsberger, Günther Stoll, Camille Keaton
• Produced by Leo Pescarolo, Fulvio Lucisano, Horst Wendlandt
• Original Music by Ennio Morricone
• Cinematography by Joe D'Amato (as Aristide Massaccesi)
• Film Editing by Antonio Siciliano, Clarissa Ambach 

I had never seen What Have You Done to Solange until I decided to review it for this blog.  I didn't have the highest of expectations but I was more than pleasantly surprised.  This is one of the best giallo (Italian whodunit) films that I have ever seen.  Just when you think you know what is going to happen, everything changes and then when you think you know who the killer is, you are wrong.  The film keeps you guessing the whole time, adding new elements and plot twists until the very end.

The film begins with an Italian born teacher having an adulterous affair with one of his English Catholic schoolgirl students.  That's right, our protagonist is an Italian pedophile. He and his underage lover are out on a romantic rowboat rendezvous when she witnesses a man in dark robes shove a butcher knife up the nether regions of a female classmate on the riverbank.

When news of the murder comes out and other girls start dying in the same manner, Henry -the Italian pedophile- is linked to the first crime through a dropped pen at the murder scene, but he cannot reveal his reason for being there because his German wife would find out about the affair.  He is therefore implicated in the murders by a pipe smoking detective, Inspector Barth.  Eventually convinced of Henry's innocence, these two team up to investigate these gruesome murders and reveal the story of Solange.  Who is killing these girls?  Who the hell is Solange?  Will a pedophile be allowed to continue teaching gym class?  You will have to watch to find out.

What Have You Done to Solange is a pretty great film.  If you are a fan of murder mysteries or just like ample violence and boobies in your movies, this one's for you.  In my opinion, this film is on par with or possibly even better than the gialli of the masters Argento, Fulci and Bava.  I highly recommend it.

Violence Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Booby Rating:  4 out of 5