Antoine Gottvalles is the secondary antagonist in the giallo film The French Sex Murders a.k.a. House of Rendezvous. Gottvalles is a violent ex-con and the prime suspect in the murder of prostitute Francine Boulert. he's convicted and later dies in an escape attempt, only for a killing spree to make it look like he returned from the dead for revenge to actually prove he was innocent.
He's portrayed by Italian actor Pietro Martellanza, who also portrayed Stefano at Death Walks at Midnight.
Biography[]
Gottvalles was an ex-con and a frequent patron of Madame Colette's brothel, favoring Francine Boulert the most. Despite his rugged looks, Gottvalles was a thug and a misogynist, wanting every session perfectly his way and flying into spontaneous rages at and beating the women and Madame Colette when he wasn't fully gratified. He was eventually banned, but to schomooze his way in, Gottvalles stole gold adornments from a church, then went to the brothel to show them as his payment to Francine. This was convincing enough for Madame Collette to permit Gottvalles again. He met Francine again, and the session went well, Francine adoring the jewelry. But when she tried to leave once they were done, Gottvalles was furious and commanded more from her, but she shouted at him to get out. Gottvalles jumped Francine and beat her savagely while screaming she was a "whore". He then stormed out and fled the brothel.
Francine was later found bludgeoned to death with a lamp, Gottvalles the obvious suspect. Madame Collete ordered the lounge quarters cleared, the women and clients isolated into their rooms, and the police called to the scene, everyone adamant Gottvalles should be arrested. Gottvalles demanded his sister Mariette let him hide out, but her boyfriend Pepe threw him out, and Gottvalles bashed on the door, screaming he'd kill them. When he heard sirens, he ran, but when the chief inspector pretended to offer him a cigarette to cuff him, Gottvalles swore him out for the ploy. Judge George Teschi found Gottvalles guilty and sentenced him to the guillotine, while Gottvalles protested his innocence, looked out to the gallery, and swore to take named of people he'd kill from beyond the grave.
Gottvalles eventually escaped, stealing a car and wearing a beret to hide in plain sight. He switched to someone's motorcycle, drove through a police a barricade, and evaded gunshots through an off-road route. Not watching where he was going, Gottvalles took a blind turn, didn't stop the motorcycle in time, and slammed right into a pickup truck on a country road. A metal slab in its cargo hold beheaded Gottvalles instantly. Shortly after, the killings started again, people on his "hit list" murdered as if the "curse" were real, the next murder even reflecting Francine's. Professor Theodore Waldemar convinced Judge Teschi, his friend and chess partner, to give him Gottvalles' head for study, a head with pupils still moving their muscles.
it was revealed that Waldemar was the killer, as because he never raped his daughter Leonora, he overcompensated with women in prostitution. when Francine rejected and insulted him in her own pain, Waldemar lashed out at her by beating her to death. he other killings were to eliminate witnesses under the guise of the "curse", but Waldemar alleged Gottvalles' eyes "drove" him in the direction of the other murders. Waldemar escaped punishment by committing suicide from jumping off the Eiffel Tower.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Gottvalles is very similar to Richard P. Robinson, the young john tried and acquitted for the violent murder of sex worker Helen Jewett.
- Gottvalles’ “curse” is also very similar to the “hex” declared by condemned and executed serial killer Jake Bird. Bird predicted the untimely and suspicious deaths of several people he mentioned by name who were tied to his case.