18 August, 2009

Soledad Miranda: July 9, 1943 - August 18, 1970



I don't exactly remember what I was doing on August 18th, 1970, the day Soledad Miranda died after a car accident near Lisbon, Portugal. I had heard of Jess Franco the year before but she was not on my radar. I didn't know about VAMPYROS LESBOS or EUGENIE DE SADE or any of her previous non Jess Franco films.

Since her death she has become an icon. After dying at the age of 27 she has become immortal. I often wonder what would have happened to her if she had lived. She was going to sign a contract with CCC executive Artur Brauner. She was set to appear in another Franco film. She might have gone onto further international stardom in the 1970s and perhaps would have eventually worked in German television. Perhaps she would have retired from cinema, as she had previously done to focus on her family.

Who knows? She was certainly a multifaceted talent and could play polar opposites as she does in EL CONDE DRACULA and VAMPYROS LESBOS. In one she's a victim in the other a predator. In EUGENIE DE SADE she's both.

I'm particularly interested in seeing some of her earlier non-Jess Franco work. I guess this is a day to think about her... what could have been and what was.

Thanks to www.soledadmiranda.com for the above image. Please visit this essential site today.






4 comments:

dfordoom said...

I haven't seen any of her non-Jess Franco work either. I'm not even sure if any of it is obtainable?

Robert Monell said...

any of it is obtainable

I actually did see one, THE SOUND OF HORROR (1965), a Spanish horror film about an invisible dinosaur! An outrageously schlocky but interesting to see [for her] item available on ALPHA VIDEO... I think that's the label. She's striking, but unremarkable, in it.

dfordoom said...

Sound of Horror features both Soledad Miranda and Ingrid Pitt! And it's still available, I just looked it up. I don't see how I can possibly not buy this movie!

Rob Talbot said...

That sounds like it HAS to be bought.