The Salamander

The Salamander is a 1981 British-Italian political thriller that marked the directorial debut of veteran film editor Peter Zinner. Adapted from Morris West's 1973 novel of the same name, with a screenplay by Robert Katz and Rod Serling, the film stars Franco Nero, Anthony Quinn, Martin Balsam, Christopher Lee, Claudia Cardinale and Eli Wallach.

The story follows Dante Matucci (Nero), a colonel in the Italian carabinieri assigned to investigate the assassination of the chief of staff of the Italian army. As Matucci digs deeper, he uncovers evidence of a neofascist conspiracy brewing within the country, while the death toll rises among those connected to the inquiry. With the help of a powerful industrialist and a decorated World War II hero known by the code name "Salamander" (Quinn), Matucci eventually tracks down those responsible and thwarts a plot to overthrow the government. The film premiered in the United Kingdom in 1981 and was released in the United States in May 1983.