The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is a 1971 giallo mystery film directed by Sergio Martino, and starring Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Ivan Rassimov, and Alberto de Mendoza. Its plot follows the wife of a diplomat who finds herself being stalked by her former abusive lover in Vienna. The letter "h" was added to the name "Ward" when an Italian woman named Mrs. Ward threatened legal action over the original title's potentially damaging her good name, just before the film was released. The film was originally released under the title Blade of the Ripper in the United States. It was also released under the alternate titles Next! and The Next Victim. Plot In Vienna, a homicidal maniac is killing women with a straight razor. Julie Wardh and her diplomat husband, Neil, return to the city after time spent in New York City. Julie married Neil to escape her abusive former lover, Jean, who lives in Vienna. Jean begins stalking Julie, and she grows increasingly anxious. At a high society party, Julie's friend Carol introduces her Australian cousin George. George and Carol's wealthy uncle has just died, and they are his only heirs. George flirts with Julie, who is unhappy in her marriage to the neglectful Neil. After a lunch date, George and Julie begin an affair. Julie receives a call from a blackmailer who threatens to tell Neil about the affair. Julie suspects Jean is the blackmailer, and Carol insists on meeting the blackmailer in Julie's place. Carol goes to meet the unknown individual in a forested park, where she is attacked and slashed to death by someone wielding a straight razor.