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Ida Tuclidis is the main antagonist of the 1977 giallo film Death Steps in the Dark. She is a greedy drug dealer who becomes a serial killer in order to eliminate anyone she would have to share profits with or people who try to blackmail her.
She was portrayed by Barbara Seidel.
Biography[]
Ida Tuclidis lived in Athens, Greece, along with her husband Johnny. Despite giving her a decent life, the life Johnny provided for her wasn't enough for Ida. She wanted a luxurious and exciting life, so she became a drug dealer. However, she wasn't too keen on sharing her profits and wanted to keep the whole percentage. Mad about her jibbing her on the profits, a former partner of hers, Annie Farrow was going to rat her out. Needing to silence her, Ida bought a train ticket and got on the same train to Athens as Annie. She sabotaged the trains lights and then used a letter opener to stab Annie while the train went through a tunnel. But, because the letter opener belonged to another passenger, the police believed it to be him.
A little while later, another of the train's passengers, a photographer named Raul, had picked up a pair of gloves that Ida had dropped while leaving the bathroom of the train. Recalling who they belonged to, Raul tried to blackmail Ida into paying him 10,000, but upon going to retrieve the money, he was bludgeoned and had his throat slit by Ida. However, the blackmail didn't stop there, as Raul had given the other glove to his lover Ulla. Ulla sent another blackmail letter to Ida, and realizing that she was the blackmailer, Ida broke in to her house to find the glove. She was interrupted by Ulla's secret girlfriend, whom Ulla had asked to retrieve the glove, but Ida had caught her off guard and dunked her face in a water tank, before slitting her throat.
Ulla returned home and drew herself a bath, until the blood from her girlfriend began to come through the faucet. Ulla tried to run, but was confronted by Ida who tripped her, smashed her head between the door, and slashed her belly open. After the murders, Ida tore apart the house looking for the glove but couldn't find it. She soon realized that Ulla had given the glove to her boyfriend, art gallery owner Theodorus Dedopoulos, to keep in his safe. Unfortunately for her, the reporter who owned the letter opener, had also figured this out and organized a heist to get into the safe. However, she got there first, retrieving the glove and murdering Dedopoulos.
After the ordeal at the art gallery, the reporter and the inspector decided to set a trap for the killer by using a lifelike gold bust that the art gallery owner made of Ulla, to construct an Ulla mask for one of the reporter's friends to wear. They then invited everyone who was on the train and more, to a fashion show. At the show, the reporter's friend, wearing the mask of Ulla offered cigarettes to everyone that was on the train. While most had no reaction (because they had no idea Ulla had died.), Ida fell right into the trap, by reacting just as they'd hoped. Shocked at assumingly seeing Ulla, Ida fled to the roof of the building where visions of the people she murdered began to haunt her and made her fall to her death.
Victims[]
- Annie Farrow - Stabbed with a letter opener.
- Raul - Bludgeoned with an iron bar/throat slit with a straight razor.
- Ulla's Girlfriend - Drowned in a water tank/throat slit with a straight razor.
- Ulla - Head crushed with door/belly slashed with a straight razor.
- Theodorus Dedopoulos - Bludgeoned with a fireplace tool/throat slit with a straight razor.
Gallery[]
