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Sunken treasures await your re-discovery: Blog 2016
"I always keep my word, I'll send him right where he told me to go ...HELL!"
July 2017
This Blog will be offering a colorful kaleidoscope of movie magic for cinema aficionados.
Crispy peanuts, thin-skinned baloons and thrilling sensations on celluloid.
See offbeat goodies and magic crumbs ...weekly!
The Story behind the Spectacle!
No inflated endlessly long stories, but short and crisp. 
'This is Helmet time!'
Photos beat content!
The Making of 'The Pleasure Seekers', 1964.
The American Director Jean Negulesco ('Titanic', 'How to Marry a Millionaire') filmed a charming little movie of 
playful light entertainment.
Sit down and relax and follow sexy travel guides like Ann-Margret, Carol Lynley and Pamela Tiffin to thrilling places of 
tourist interest in and around of Madrid, Spain, in the Sixties.
Some nice small surprises and twists, swinging tunes and a running gag with an love-crazed neighbor.
Nothing to think about, nothing that hurts. Colorful candy in high spirits.
Jean Negulesco (1900–1993) fell in love with the country and moved to Marbella, Spain, in the late 60s. 
He died in Marbella of a heart attack at the respectable age of 93. 
The easygoing movie deserves at least one extra point for the splendid filming locations!
6/10
The very famous spanish Flamenco dancer and choreographer Antonio Gades (1936–2004) trained Ann-Margret for 
her hot-blooded Flamenco Show in the movie.
She looks gorgeous in that red dress, while dancing Flamenco with Antonio Gades and singing 'The Pleasure Seekers'.
Costume Designer Renié (1901–1992) was responsible for all the dresses of the girls.
She worked for epics like 'Cleopatra' and 'Circus World'.
Nominated for five Academy Awards, she finally won an Oscar for her work on the stunning costumes of 'Cleopatra' (1963), 
in collaboration with star designer Irene Sharaff.
Filming a scene with Pamela Tiffin in front of the world famous PRADO Museum in Madrid.
The film highlights some significant places years before the big tourist boom.
On location in Madrid - Plaza de los Carros - Plaza de Puerta de Moros - Iglesia de San Andrés - 1964.
Ann-Margret and André Lawrence during a break.
Before Fran (Ann-Margret) rushes into the heart of the Doctor (André Lawrence) she is running over the famous Plaza Mayor and 
goes past the Bar 'Las Rejas', which still exists today!
Ann-Margret was always besieged by photographers, who were on the hunt for the latest gossip and hot photos.
Plaza de los Carros - Plaza de Puerta de Moros.
The friendly and cultivated Director Jean Negulesco (on the right) would like to start working again.
The Madrileños went really crazy wherever she appeared ...and you can see why. Ann-Margret, 1964.
Director Jean Negulesco, a talented painter and art collector,  in discussion with his DOP Daniel L. Fapp (1904–1986).
Daniel L. Fapp (right) was an American cinematographer, best known as director of photography for 
'West Side Story' (1961), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and a Golden Laurel Award, 
and the 'The Great Escape' (1963). 
He received different Academy Award nominations for his excellent cinematography, for example for 
'Ice Station Zebra' (1968) and 'Marooned' (1969).
Hope he got some extra money from the Spanish Tourist Office for his wonderful photography of the many 
Tourist Attractions in 'The Pleasure Seekers'.
Every Pulp mag had a story on Ann-Margret! 
Strange Press Shot of the filming in Toledo with Pamela Tiffin and Anthony Franciosa.
Ann-Margret enjoys grilled sardines on the Costa del Sol and sings in front of the Alcázar of Segovia (photo).
'The Pleasure Seekers' - Spain at its best!
An early adventure into clever 'product placement'. 
Your comments are always welcome!
The idea of a black 'Dracula' could have been exciting, theoratically, but
'Blacula' (1972) has absolutely nothing to do with the imaginative vibrancy and atmosphere of the old Hammer 'Dracula' films.
It's a blaxploitation quickie that suffers from a very low budget, a tiresome script and amateurish performances on almost all levels.
Well, there are a few hilarious moments and some funky tunes. 
William Marshall is suitably wooden as 'Blacula', braked by a tangled Plot and a Direction which give him almost nothing 
of any interest to do.
'Say, man, that is one strange dude'. 
Black Beauty Vonetta McGee is dating the Vampire. No risk no fun.
A gleeful oddity of the 70s.
5/10
William Crain directs with enthusiasm but with only modest possibilities and little imagination.
The effects are not particularly striking nor the characters particularly thrilling, but the technical side of
the makeup Design is competently handled by Fred B. Phillips (1908–1993).
His 'Blacula' concept in combination with the hair style is a first-class work!
The famous Makeup Expert of the original Star Trek Series worked very often uncredited as makeup artist 
on a number of films including 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) and 'Around the World in Eighty Days' (1956). 
Later in his career his credited work included 'Blacula' (photo) and 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975).
He is best known for his pioneering work on the classic Star Trek TV show.
He designed the Vulcans, original Klingons, Romulans and the majority of the other aliens in the series. 
Fred Beauregard Phillips went on to work on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and was responsible for shaving 
Persis Khambatta's head so that she could portray Ilia in the film.
In 1980 Phillips was nominated for a Saturn Award for best makeup on the film Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 
which he shared with his daughter Janna Phillips and fellow makeup artist Ve Neil. 
Phillips was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his makeup work in 1983 by the Society of Operating Cameramen.
He was also the makeup supervisor for all 49 episodes of 'The Outer Limits' (1963 to 1965), where he created alien makeup 
as well as for humans.
The physical effects work on 'Blacula' was handled by Sp/Fx and pyrotechnics expert Roger George (1925–2007), 
who created the fireworks for a cute bunch of Trash Movies.
The official poster of the 17th Cannes Film Festival honors a great Epic film production. 
The Festival opened with a showing of Samuel Bronston's glorious 'The Fall of the Roman Empire'.
Screened out of competition in Cannes on April 29, 1964, as some kind of continental Europe Premiere, 
as it already started in England.
A big Gala Event in a Casino was given to celebrate the 'Premiere' with Sophia Loren and Director Anthony Mann as honored guests.
A rare shot of the 'La chute de l'Empire Romain' Gala Event in Cannes, 1964 (Kodak Transparency).
Director Anthony Mann (on the left) and Sophia Loren enjoying the celebration.
Lucilla (Sophia Loren) was greeted at the Nice airport by a gilded Chariot drawn by four white steeds.
Too bad that Livius (Stephen Boyd) wasn't there to ride her to Cannes in the Chariot.
An elegant 'Saloon Car' took her along the shore road to Cannes.
You will find several stories about this remarkable Epic on my website.
Here is one on the making of the 'Chariot Race' and another one pays tribute to the fearless 'Stuntmen' of the Show.
I recently got the french DVD (Gaumont on demand) of this wonderful little Costume-Adventure-Comedy 
directed by René Clair (photo).
As far as I know this is the only release of 'The Lace Wars' (1965) so far. 
The Adventure Comedy offers some nice visual splendours and superb performers like Jean-Pierre Cassel (1932–2007) and 
Marie Dubois (1937–2014).
It was filmed in the prominent 'Bucharest Film Studios' in Romania, one of the most important Studios in Central and Eastern Europe.
A large Fortress Set was built on the backlot of the Studio for 'Les fêtes galantes' near the Lake Buftea.
The charming adventure is rarely shown, but deserves a greater attention.
7/10
An old shot of the Bucharest Film Studios with the Fortress Set on the right.
Learn more about the Studio here: www.bucharestfilmstudios.com
The French Director René Clair (1898–1981) in the middle of the action. 'The Lace Wars' was his last big movie.
One strengths of the movie is the visual sense of its designers and set decorators, 
closely linked to one name, Production Designer Georges Wakhévitch ('Mayerling').
Wakhévitch even had an eye on the Costume Design, with the help of Nelly Grigoriu-Merola.
'The Lace Wars' is mainly the show of Jean-Pierre Cassel (Melville's -'Army of Shadows' / Chabrol's - 'La Rupture' ), 
who has a fine talent for comedy and adventure. 
The versatile actor played in a bunch of sword fighting adventure flicks.
After the swinging 'The Lace Wars' he got a role in the Epic war film 'Is Paris Burning?', directed by René Clément.
Jean-Pierre Cassel is the screen-lover of some of the best actresses like Jean Seberg, Brigitte Bardot, Claude Jade, Catherine Deneuve, 
Stéphane Audran or Marie Dubois.
The great actor died on April 19, 2007, at the age of 74 years.
'Inside Out' (1975) is a British old-school 70s Caper flick with an offbeat plot and a cool pace.
The old socks, Telly Savalas, Robert Culp and James Mason, are all playing with verve and fun.
We get suspenseful scenes spiced up with humor and the huge 'Telly' charisma. 
Yeah, and a bunch of convincing supporting Players (Aldo Ray, Adrian Hoven, Doris Kunstmann..) 
make us happy in small but nice roles, like Constantine Gregory as corrupt Russian Col. Kosnikov.
Peter Schlesinger as Udo Blimperman, an obese costume shop owner, or the brilliant Günter Meisner as Adolf Hitler. 
A lively little thriller with potential. Released in the Warner Archive Collection.
Good vibrations.
7/10
Director Peter Duffell ('The House That Dripped Blood'- Amicus 1971) and the incredible Telly Savalas on location 
in Berlin (Germany) for 'Inside Out', 1975.
The movie was lensed by DOP John Coquillon (1930–1987), a favorite of Sam Peckinpah.
Check it out, it's good entertainment.
The list of experts who handled the excellent Effects Work (visual/physical) for the Ray Harryhausen movie 'Clash of the Titans' is long.
Producer Ray Harryhausen sculpted small figures of the creatures, like the figure of CALIBOS shown above.
The full-size Make up effects for Calibos, played by Neil McCarthy, were handled by Colin Arthur.
The legendary British creator of Special Make-Up Effects worked for movies like 'Cross of Iron', 'Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger' 
and 'Conan the Barbarian'. 
He ran an FX Shop in Spain over many years.
Another great Make Up fx magician was part of the 'Titans' crew as prosthetics technician (uncredited), Nick Maley.
Nick has some great film credits under his belt. He created figures for the 'Star Wars' circus and was in charge of numerous 
wonderful make up designs for movies like 'Krull' and 'Lifeforce'.
'Clash of the Titans' was the last special effects gig for Ray Harryhausen, and he produced a great Show!
Sketch and miniature figure of Calibos made by Ray Harryhausen.
Calibos - Neil McCarthy in the make up chair of the British wizard Colin Arthur (left).
Colin was also responsible for the big KRAKEN miniature with challenging scenes filmed on Malta.
He designed the animatronic life-size head of Medusa.
Medusa miniature by Ray Harryhausen.
The animatronic Medusa head of Colin Arthur on Set and in Action.
They used some fresh veal (stored in a cooler) in these scenes to get a better Effect.
'Put the meat on the head' said production manager Tony Waye when the crew was ready for a shot with the Medusa head. 
His commentary became quite a running joke on the Set ('Starlog', 1981).
Sanctuary of Medusa - Rare early concept painting of production Designer Frank White.
The complete Medusa sequence is a brillantly staged and photographed FX show.
Producer Charles H. Schneer on Set. 
Behind of him you can spot a life-size cardboard cutout of a two-headed wolf (dog?), the DIOSKILOS.
These cutouts were used to give the actors an impression of the monsters.
Sometimes the actors fight with trained stuntmen (they pretend to be the monster), to learn the motions and the choreography.
Later the actor fights air. 
The magic is created by the perfect combination of live action and stop motion. 
Dioskilos sketch by Harryhausen (?).
British Director Desmond Davis on Set filming a scene for 'Clash of the Titans', 1981.
'Clash of the Titans' movie location near Guadix (Spain). Perseus (Harry Hamlin) is searching for Pegasus the Winged Horse.
I discovered the well-chosen location in 2009 and shot some comparison photos.
Filming of 'Clash of the Titans' near Guadix in Spain. 
Burgess Meredith and Judi Bowker are standing on the ladder watching the scene.
1981 - 2009 / Greek mythology - Spanish olive trees.
Comparison photo of the location 2009.

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