Coming soon on the "Marisa Mell" Blog!

"New York chiama Superdrago"

During the height of the James Bond craze Marisa Mell could not escape becoming part of an Italian James Bond movie clone called "New York chiama Superdrago" . The film premiered on February 17 1966 and is now regarded als one of the so many movies trying to cash in on the spy wave of that era! Although having had in recent years several DVD releases the film is still not widely known among the general public and is probably best remembered from an episode of the cult classic television series "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" just like its counterpart "Danger: Diabolik!". Nevertheless these lobby cards are a real gem from an era long gone! And they really deliver what they should do namely giving the impression when you saw them in the cinema lobby that you are going to see a good action packed movie with spies, beautiful women, mad scientists and an über-criminal organisation gaining for world domination. Sadly the movie did not deliver that at all but is instead a real bore from start till finish, only highlighted by Marisa Mell's presence!

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Thanx again to Gerald S. from Krefeld, Germany for letting me use this wonderfull complete set of lobby cards! You are really spoiling me, my friend!

Finally! "Ruf der Wildgänse" on DVD

On April 26th 2013 one of Marisa Mell's earliest movies "Ruf der Wildgänse" will be released on DVD in Germany with a German audiotrack for the first time ever! In the past if you wanted to see this movie you had to tape the movie when it was broadcasted on a local German television station. This 1961 movie has the original running time of 91 minutes and was completely shot in Canada for exteriors, which at that time was quite an endeavor but gives the movie an authenticity that you seldom see in those kind of movies. It was an attempt to break away from the classical Heimat-movies in Germany and Austria that had stories which constantly played against the back drops of the Alpes in those countries. Secondly it has some notion of the western genre which became quite populair in the years to come in the 60's with cult television shows like Bonanza or Gunsmoke. For Marisa Mell it was a little step on the career ladder. The movie is issued in the series "Juwelen der Filmgeschichte" and is highly recommended for Marisa Mell fans who had never the possibilty in the past to see this movie outside of Germany wanting to know how Marisa Mell acted before she became a cult figure. The movie can be bought through the usual DVD-outlets.

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Thanks to André Schneider for pointing this one out! 

"The More It Changes The More It Stays The Same!"

I often wonder how fashion houses like Zara and H&M, the number 1 and 2 in the world of pret-à-porter, are able to make almost every season a new collection. Not an easy feat but inspiration has to come from somewhere so when the flow of inspiration is runnning low or even has dried up there is always the past to copy or take as a basis for your next collection! That is what H & M has done in recent past with their spring/summer collection. They copied the flower power style of the end of the 60's and gave it a modern twist. Since a few years H & M has decided for the presentation of their collections to work with the Ukrainian model Daria Werbowy. Personally I do not like her face or body but that is a question of taste! Marisa Mell was photographed by the famous Italian photographer to the stars Angelo Frontoni in the spring of 1969 in Rome, Italy. This picture of Marisa Mell became quite famous and was often used as magazine covers around the world.

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Thanks to Marisa Mell fan Gerald S. from Krefeld (Germany) for sending me these pictures and pointing this one out!

Ruf der Wildgänse!

In the early stages of her career Marisa Mell had not the luxury to choose the kind of parts in her movies as she wanted them to be. The main target foremost was getting a major speaking role in a movie hoping that it would be a break through success putting her name and face on the map of movie stardom! Hence the parts she played in those early years at the beginning of '60's where very different from one movie to another. So when in 1960 she was offered the part of Judith Gare in the  Austrian production "Ruf der Wildgänse" she grabed it with both hands! Although the movie was an Austrian production, it had all the characteristics of becoming a major international success! Not only was it based on the international bestseller "Wild Geese" by Canadian author Martha Ostenso with two major German speaking stars Ewald Balser as the tyranical father Caleb Gare and Heidemarie Hatheyer as the mother Amelia Gare but it was also entirely filmed on location in Canada which was never before seen for an Austrian production to do that in those years. And of course she would have a major speaking role next to the other two main characters. The movie was quite a success in Europe in 1961 when it was released but it would not yet make the name Marisa Mell a household name! For that she had to wait four more years and move to Italy, but that is another story!

These beautiful and very rarely seen lobby cards where provided by major Marisa Mell fan and collector Gerald S. from Krefeld in Germany. Thanx my friend!