Ray Milland had a long career (1929-1985) and many roles, including his Oscar as Best Actor in Billy Wilder's Lost Weekend. He managed a couple of Italian films in the 70s, including this one.It is not a typical giallo, as the body count is very low. However, it does have a certain charm as a police procedural as they try to discover who killed the girl in the yellow pyjamas.Seeing Dalila Di Lazzaro certainly makes the film worthwhile, and you do see all of her as she romps with men and women (Vanessa Vitale, who was not bad herself.).Red herrings and surprises abound in a film that was shot in Sydney, and really looked good there. In fact, it was based upon a true story in Austrailia in the 30s.Good acting by Lazarro and Michele Placido, as well as a fine performance by Milland.

This is one of those unusual films that doesn't seem that good at the time but only once the final parts of the puzzle click into place is it apparent that there might have been more to it than at first met the eye. The reason for this is because, unless I was seriously missing a trick, the flash-back scenes in this film are never actually sign-posted as such. As an audience we believe that the two threads to the story are happening simultaneously and will eventually converge. Well they do converge but once they do, they put a whole new perspective on one half of the story. Until you realize this, the film appears to have a sort of aimlessness to it, and you simply can't see where it's going. Once the structure is revealed, however, it makes you want to watch the film again with this in mind.The Pyjama Girl Case is marketed as a giallo; even going as far as to include the term in its original Italian title (the dead girl wears yellow (giallo) pyjamas). But although the film certainly displays some conventions of the genre, it's loosely a giallo at best. For one thing, this is based on a true story, and even though a healthy number of liberties have been taken in this presentation, it's still much more grounded in reality than is typical of the giallo sub-genre. The film often focuses on issues like prostitution and loneliness in a socially dramatic way that is completely alien to the more straight-ahead thriller approach of the giallo. This is certainly an atypical film, and for that it has to be given some credit.The true story of the Pyjama Girl Case is truly tragic and mysterious with all manner of dark undertones regarding the Australian justice system. If the material had been played straight it would have the potential for a great film. As it is, this Italian version of an Australian story is set decades later and includes a number of what-if scenarios. At times it exaggerates true elements to an almost psychotronic level, e.g. the scene where the dead woman's body is on display to the public – the body was on display but certainly not in the bizarre way depicted in the movie!In summary, The Pyjama Girl Case is a true Australian story told in a semi-true Italian way in a semi-giallo style in a series of flash-backs that only become obvious as such by the end of the film. And if that sounds a bit weird, well I suppose that's because it is. This film isn't what you think it's going to be that's for sure.

Loosely based on a true-life murder mystery that gripped Australia in 1934, Flavio Mogherini's "The Pyjama Girl Case" (1977) is a deliberately paced crime thriller that ultimately leaves the viewer with a distinct feeling of sadness. In it, Golden Age great Ray Milland plays Insp. Thompson, a retired homicide detective living in Sydney who is coaxed back into the game when the body of a young woman--shot, battered and burnt beyond recognition--is found in a wrecked car on a beach. Using old-fashioned legwork and bulldog determination, this raincoated Aussie Columbo gets to work, as the film treats us to a concurrent, seemingly unrelated side story: the plight of a young Dutch woman named Glenda (Dalila Di Lazzaro, who resembles a cuter variation of Uma Thurman) and her attempts to juggle her Italian immigrant husband, her German lover, and her married-doctor boyfriend. How these two apparently discrete story lines come together is one of the film's surprises, along with the truly startling death of one of the film's principal characters roughly 2/3 of the way in. The picture's other saving grace, I suppose, is Milland, who is always a joy to watch, even here at age 72 and in the twilight of a glorious career. The film also provides us with a gorgeous travelogue look at Sydney, beyond the usual Opera House shots, so yes, the picture does look great. Unfortunately, it is also occasionally dull and plodding, has been terribly dubbed, and comes with a funky musical score by Riz Ortolani that many may find inappropriate (it grows on one, though). Still, Italian crime pictures shot in Sydney and starring Ray Milland are not exactly common, so this sui generis film may just fit the bill one evening for the discriminating viewer. And oh...I agree with many others that the 30-minute extra on this Blue Underground DVD, with author Richard Evans detailing the actual 1934 crime, is, in a way, more interesting than the film itself. Remake, anyone?

The Girl in the Yellow Pyjamas is an oddball entry in the Giallo cycle as it veers away from so many of the key elements of the style. The most obvious difference between this and the rest is that the body count is amazingly scarce, featuring only three murders; none of which are very bloody. Furthermore, we don't have a black-gloved killer to follow, and the majority of the film follows just one murder - which actually takes place before the film begins! The plot is split into two halves; first of all we've got the investigation into said murder, and this is backed up by a story told in flashbacks of the murdered girl's life up until it ended. The way that director Flavio Mogherini implements these two stories works well in a way, as it gives us a different angle than featured in most Giallo films and it allows us to identify with the victim despite the fact that we already know she's dead - but on the other hand, it's often confusing as to exactly what is going on because it's never really made clear that we're watching flashbacks, and the girl's life really isn't all that interesting; which made me continually want the film to get back on track with the police investigation.At the start of the film, we see a young girl find a horrifically mutilated corpse on a beach. This then leads to an investigation into the murder, which is most notable for the fact that the body is put on public display in order to allow the body to be identified! The Australian setting is well realised by Mogherini, and makes for an interesting place for a Giallo to take its scene as the majority of fans are so used to seeing them set in Italy. The sun drenched locations help to set the scene, and this is excellently offset by the sleazy atmosphere, which is propped up by scenes of prostitution and voyeurism. The majority of Giallo fans will be used to seeing the story take place in a lush vibrant world of colours; and that is something lacking here. Prior to this movie, Flavio Mogherini was the art director for a few well known Giallo films; but it seems that the style's preoccupation with tension and thrills didn't wear off on him. The film is held together by Ray Milland, who stands out as the old detective investigating the case. He is joined by a talented cast of Italian performers, including an excellent Dalila Di Lazzaro in the title role. Overall, this isn't the greatest Giallo and fans of the more macabre entries may be disappointed; but if you ask me, The Pyjama Girl Case is definitely worth a watch.