Gritos en la noche, as the movie was originally called, can be seen as the first Spanish movie with a scary theme. The viewer follows the former prison physician Dr. Orloff as he and his deformed assistant Morpho kidnap young women which they find in night clubs. He needs their skin in order to restore his daughter's scared face. However, he has to hurry because the young policeman Tanner and his girlfriend Wanda slowly get behind his evil scheme...

The movie's storyline contains a few parallels to genre classic like Georges Franju's Eyes Without a Face. Several official and inofficial sequels followed. The director Jesus Franco can actually be seen in a cameo appearance as a pianist.

This is the comparison between the French Theatrical Version and the International Version, both taken from the German Edition Tonfilm DVD.

Running times:
French Theatrical Version: 82:12 Min. PAL
International Version: 92:59 Min. PAL

10 minutes and 47 seconds are missing in 18 shots.

Extended Scene:
00:02:13
In the first victim's apartment: Polly Petterson is slightly drunk and takes something to sleep in from her wardrobe. While she is stumbling back to her bed, Morpho can be seen hiding in the wardrobe. She does not see Morpho before hanging her coat in the wardrobe.

59 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:05:02
Inspector Tanner is arriving at the police station together with the ballerina Wanda Bronsky. Before he enters, they talk about the last 14 days since they have met each mother. A small part of the conversation is missing. Wanda asks the inspector whether the would pick her up later that evening and adds that policemen are doing great work. Tanner replies that it seems more interesting in crime novels.

12 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:06:58
Upon arrival, Tanner is asked to come to the chief inspector, who congratulates him on his latest success and gives him case #3253. When Tanner asks whether this is the case regarding the four women who disappeared, the chief inspector corrects him by saying that it is now five women. The short version does not show Tanner mentioning that the best investigators could not crack that case and that it is supposed to bring bad luck. His boss interrupts him by saying that this is the important case Tanner has asked for. Tanner adds that he would prefer something smaller, but he does not have any choice.

20 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:07:52
The chief inspector gives Tanner further information. The latest victim is the 25-year-old Jenny Frank. Her screams woke half the neighbourhood, but she was already gone when help arrived. Traces of violence were found in her apartment. Tanner already wants to leave when he gets the information that there is a witness this time: the 22-year-old Estelle Carmille Marian Francis Schneyder is already waiting in the next room.

40 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:08:57
The interview takes longer because Carmille does not stop to talk. She tells Tanner about her three aunts she lives with. Tanner has to tell her several times to stick to the topic, to no avail. He eventually learns that Carmille saw a man in dark clothes carrying a woman in his arms. She noticed his weird style of walking.

1 min. and 32 sec.

Same scene a little later:
00:10:51
Carmille mentions that the suspect looked like a gentleman before he disappeared with his victim in the night.

16 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:29:20
Tanner wants to talk to all witnesses at the same time, hoping to bring all the information together and create a facial composite. The flower salesgirl talks a little more. She saw how her friend Polly Peterson left a bar with someone else. Polly supposedly was very drunk and wanted to buy all of her flowers. Her companion then paid for everything.

11 sec.

Same scene a little later:
00:29:42
The drawer Klein can be seen longer doing his work.

31 sec.

Same scene a little later:
00:30:30
Another victim says that he had a crash with a man in a cloak one hour before the disappearance of the victim. The man just walked on without saying sorry.

23 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:44:37
Tanner questions Mr. Hogan, who bought the latest victim's necklace. He says that the 'professional loafer' Jeannot sold him the necklace four days ago. Tanner is not delighted and confiscates the necklace. He does not like people like Mr. Hogan and goes directly to arrest Jeannot.

2 min. und 12 sec.

Extended Scene:
00:47:10
Jeannot says that he went fishing on the 23rd of the previous month. The account of his first catch, a fish, is missing. He caught the necklace with his second throw, which is the only one that is mentioned in the short version.

24 sec.

Same scene a little later:
00:47:57
Jeannot suddenly remembers where he stayed on the 23rd and tells the policemen to ask the local bartender. He states to have been sleeping in the tavern for the last two months and talks about his drinking habits.

48 sec.

Extended Scene incl. Alternative footage:
00:55:02
Dr. Orloff has found his next victim, the night club singer Irma Gold. The following operation is different. While he, for whatever reason, bares her breast in the cut version, he can be seen tranquilizing his victim and apllying the scalpel.

30 sec.

Short Version	Long Version

Extended Scene:
01:03:39
When Elias Hausmann, the maniac calling himself the killer, is being dragged out of Tanner's office and the shot fades over to Dr. Orloff, a few frames are missing.

2 sec.

Extended Scene:
01:07:10
A small part of Goethe's Faust is missing. Tanner is watching while sitting in a loge.

31 sec.

Extended Scene:
01:25:13
Morpho pursues Wanda longer through Orloff's castle before catching up with her.

8 sec.

Extended Scene:
01:31:18
After Morpho was shot by Tanner and fell from the tower, Wanda looks down to the inspector longer. The dying Dr. Orloff can be seen a bit earlier and sees his daughter's corpse before finally collapsing.

23 sec.

Extended Scene:
01:32:00
All's well that ends well. A small shot is missing, however. Tanner thanks Jeannot for his help and asks him to become his assistant, which he refuses.

40 sec.