Marisa Mell (born Marlies Theres Moitzi; 24 February 1939 – 16 May 1992) was an Austrian actress. Typecast as a
femme fatale
A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...
in European
arthouse
An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...
and genre films, she is best regarded for her performances as
Eva Kant
Eva Kant is an Italian comics character who originated in the series '' Diabolik'', issue #3 (3 March 1963).
The character is extremely popular in Italy, where she reached the status of fashion icon.
Fictional character biography
Eva is the girl ...
in
Mario Bava
Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the Ma ...
's critically re-assessed ''
Danger: Diabolik'' (1968), and the dual role of Susan Dumurrier/Monica Weston in
Lucio Fulci
Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...
's ''
giallo
In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...
'' ''
One on Top of the Other
''One on Top of the Other'' (Italian: ''Una sull'altra''), also known as ''Perversion Story'', is a 1969 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Fulci and Roberto Gianviti, the film stars Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, Elsa Martinelli ...
'' (1969).
After garnering popularity by appearing in such films as ''
Venusberg'' (1963), ''
French Dressing
French dressing, in consumer-facing American cuisine and store-bought products in the United States, is a creamy dressing that varies in color from pale orange to bright red. It is made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings, with the colo ...
'' (1964), ''
Masquerade'' (1965), ''
Casanova 70
''Casanova 70'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film produced by Carlo Ponti, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, Enrico Maria Salerno and Michèle Mercier.
Plot
NATO officer Andrea Rossi-Colombotti is a ladies ...
'' (1965) and ''
Secret Agent Super Dragon
''Secret Agent Super Dragon'' (Italian: ''New York chiama Superdrago'') is a 1966 international co-production Eurospy film directed by Giorgio Ferroni and starring Ray Danton as the titular secret agent.
Plot
The plot centers on a secret agen ...
'' (1966), Mell's attempt to launch a Broadway and Hollywood career ended with the failure of her debut musical ''
Mata Hari
Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by ...
''. She settled in Italy, where her high-profile love life and long association with Pier Luigi Torri, a playboy who later became one of the world's most-wanted fugitives, made her familiar to readers of tabloid press stories about the European jet set and elite Roman nightclubs. Her other notable films during this period include ''
Anyone Can Play
''Anyone Can Play'' ( it, Le dolci signore) is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring two Bond girls Ursula Andress and Claudine Auger.
Cast
* Ursula Andress as Norma
* Virna Lisi as Luisa
* Claudine Auger as Esmerelda ...
'' (1968), ''
Marta'' (1971), ''
Ben and Charlie'' (1972), ''
Seven Blood-Stained Orchids
''Seven Blood-Stained Orchids'' ( it, Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
Plot
A killer is driving around the streets of Italy looking for a specific victim w ...
'' (1972), ''
Gang War in Milan
''Gang War in Milan'' ( it, Milano rovente, lit=Scorching Hot Milan) is a 1973 Italian ''Poliziotteschi, poliziottesco'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi.
Cast
* Antonio Sabàto, Sr., Antonio Sabàto: Salvatore Cangemi
* Philippe Leroy (actor), P ...
'' (1973), ''
Mahogany
Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...
'' (1975), ''
Casanova & Co.'' (1977) and ''
Mad Dog Killer'' (1977).
Despite her typically resilient onscreen persona, Mell was privately a vulnerable figure who suffered from bad luck, ill-judged personal choices, and drug use. By the late 1980s, these factors had eroded the qualities that had earned her initial stardom, and she was forced to spend the remainder of her life in Austria, where she subsisted in straitened circumstances.
Career
Mell left her home city of Graz to attend the
Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...
drama school where her fellow students briefly included
Senta Berger
Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include three Bambi Awards, two Romys, an Ad ...
. After four years in stage work, she began to appear in starring roles in European films.
In 1963, she was involved in a serious automobile accident in France. For six hours, she lay unconscious, unaware that she nearly lost her right eye. The
disfigurement
Disfigurement is the state of having one's appearance deeply and persistently harmed medically, such as from a disease, birth defect, or wound. General societal attitudes towards disfigurement have varied greatly across cultures and over time, ...
extended to her lip as well. She spent the next two years undergoing
plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
, and no damage remained in her face except for a distinctive curl of her upper lip.
After the
Eurospy film
Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Italian-produced films in the genre), is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the British James Bo ...
''
Secret Agent Super Dragon
''Secret Agent Super Dragon'' (Italian: ''New York chiama Superdrago'') is a 1966 international co-production Eurospy film directed by Giorgio Ferroni and starring Ray Danton as the titular secret agent.
Plot
The plot centers on a secret agen ...
'' (1966), she secured the title role in the "utterly calamitous" musical ''
Mata Hari
Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (née Zelle; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari (), was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by ...
'' alongside
Pernell Roberts
Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American stage, film, and television actor, activist, and singer. In addition to guest-starring in over 60 television series, he was best known for his roles as Ben Cartw ...
. A preview performance in Washington, D.C. became infamous for its numerous technical problems, and producer
David Merrick
David Merrick (born David Lee Margoulis; November 27, 1911 – April 25, 2000) was an American theatrical producer who won a number of Tony Awards.
Life and career
Born David Lee Margulois to Jewish parents in St. Louis, Missouri, Merrick gradua ...
decided to close the production.
For the rest of her life, Mell had difficulty acknowledging the failure, which may have played a part in her moving to Italy where her stories of a successful Broadway run were not challenged.
She said she had turned down a lucrative seven-year Hollywood contract because "the contract was a whole book. I think that even to go to the toilet I would have needed a permission."
In 1968, Mell had her best-known film role as Eva Kant in ''Danger: Diabolik'' (1968), which initially was poorly received but has been championed by later film critics. At this time, Mell was appearing in what were by Italian standards major productions, which got American releases, such as Lucio Fulci's early giallo ''One on Top of the Other'' (1969). She suffered the death of a prematurely born daughter in 1969, and never had another child.
Mell's name had been romantically linked with number of European and Hollywood male stars, but in Italy she was often the center of paparazzi stories along with Pier Luigi Torri, her aristocratic, nightclub-owing boyfriend. In 1971, he got into a series of legal difficulties over cocaine being supplied to his nightclub's clients, and fled the country on his yacht. After being arrested in London over a $300 million gold mine and bank scam, and in an ironic echo of ''Danger: Diabolik'', Torri got out the cell, made a daring and acrobatic rooftop escape, and evaded a huge search by infuriated English police; he eventually was recaptured in America after 18 months at large.
As one of the more recognizable beauties in Italian film, Mell continued to work steadily throughout the 1970s, and posed for Italian ''Playboy''.
Mell's marketability depended on her youth and stunning looks, which hardly faded, even as she moved into middle age. In Italy, where she had been a genuine celebrity, her box-office appeal had declined by the late 1980s, hardly unusual for a woman of her age in that era. Mell's public profile was very low by her latter years although she got some acting work shortly before her 1992 death in Vienna, aged 53, from throat cancer.
Selected filmography
* ''Das Licht der Liebe'' (1954) - (uncredited)
* ' (1959) - Liliane
* ''
Der brave Soldat Schwejk'' (1960) - Olly (uncredited)
* ' (1960) - Alka
* ' (1960) - Inge
* ''Lebensborn'' (1961) - Erika Meuring
* ''
The Cry of the Wild Geese
''The Cry of the Wild Geese'' (German: ''Ruf der Wildgänse'') is a 1961 Austrian historical drama film directed by Hans Heinrich and starring Ewald Balser, Heidemarie Hatheyer and Brigitte Horney.Bock & Bergfelder p.217
The film's sets were ...
'' (1961) - Judith Gare
* ''
The Puzzle of the Red Orchid
''The Puzzle of the Red Orchid'' (german: Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee) and also known as ''The Secret of the Red Orchid'') is a 1962 West German black-and-white crime film directed by Helmut Ashley and starring Christopher Lee, Adrian Hoven, ...
'' (1962) - Lilian Ranger
* ''Dr'' (1962) - Klara
* ''
Venusberg'' (1963) - Florentine
* ''Der grüne Kakadu'' (1963) - Léocadie
* ''
A Man in His Prime
''A Man in His Prime'' (German: ''Ein Mann im schönsten Alter'') is a 1964 West German drama film directed by Franz Peter Wirth and starring Karl Michael Vogler, Pascale Audret and Françoise Prévost.
The film's sets were designed by the art d ...
'' (1964) - Brigitte
* ''
The Last Ride to Santa Cruz
''The Last Ride to Santa Cruz'' (german: Der Letzte Ritt nach Santa Cruz) is a 1964 West German-Austrian Western film directed by Rolf Olsen and starring Edmund Purdom, Mario Adorf, and Marianne Koch. The film was shot at the Spandau Studios, ...
'' (1964) - Juanita
* ''
French Dressing
French dressing, in consumer-facing American cuisine and store-bought products in the United States, is a creamy dressing that varies in color from pale orange to bright red. It is made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings, with the colo ...
'' (1964) - Françoise Fayol
* ''
Masquerade'' (1965) - Sophie
* ''
Casanova 70
''Casanova 70'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film produced by Carlo Ponti, directed by Mario Monicelli and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, Enrico Maria Salerno and Michèle Mercier.
Plot
NATO officer Andrea Rossi-Colombotti is a ladies ...
'' (1965) - Thelma
* ''
Diamond Walkers'' (1965) - Irene de Ridder
* ''
City of Fear'' (1965) - Ilona
* ''
Train d'enfer
''Train d'enfer''/''Operation Double Cross'' is a 1965 Italian/ French/Spanish international co-production spy film starring Jean Marais. Based on a novel by René Cambon, the film was directed by Gilles Grangier.
Plot
In Barcelona, secret ...
'' (1965) - Frieda
* ''
Secret Agent Super Dragon
''Secret Agent Super Dragon'' (Italian: ''New York chiama Superdrago'') is a 1966 international co-production Eurospy film directed by Giorgio Ferroni and starring Ray Danton as the titular secret agent.
Plot
The plot centers on a secret agen ...
'' (1966) - Charity Farrel
* ''
Objective 500 Million'' (1966) - Yo
* ''Che notte ragazzi!'' (1966) - Mónica
* ''
Danger: Diabolik'' (1968) - Eva Kant
* ''
Anyone Can Play
''Anyone Can Play'' ( it, Le dolci signore) is a 1968 Italian comedy film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring two Bond girls Ursula Andress and Claudine Auger.
Cast
* Ursula Andress as Norma
* Virna Lisi as Luisa
* Claudine Auger as Esmerelda ...
'' (1968) - Paola
* ''Stuntman'' (1968) - Gloria Hall
* ''
One on Top of the Other
''One on Top of the Other'' (Italian: ''Una sull'altra''), also known as ''Perversion Story'', is a 1969 Italian giallo film directed by Lucio Fulci. Written by Fulci and Roberto Gianviti, the film stars Jean Sorel, Marisa Mell, Elsa Martinelli ...
'' (1969) - Susan Dumurrier / Monica Weston
* ''Les belles au bois dormantes'' (1970) - Isabelle
* ''Senza via d'uscita'' (1970) - Michèle
* ''
The Great Swindle'' (1971) - Carla
* ''
Marta'' (1971) - Marta / Pilar
* ''
Ben and Charlie'' (1972) - Sarah
* ''
Seven Blood-Stained Orchids
''Seven Blood-Stained Orchids'' ( it, Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso) is a 1972 ''giallo'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
Plot
A killer is driving around the streets of Italy looking for a specific victim w ...
'' (1972) - Anna Sartori / Maria Sartori
* ''
Alta tensión'' (1972) - Laura Moncada
* ''Tutti fratelli nel West… per parte di padre'' (1972) - Lulu 'Miss Dynamite' Belle
* ''Bella, ricca, lieve difetto fisico, cerca anima gemella'' (1973) - Paola
* ''
Gang War in Milan
''Gang War in Milan'' ( it, Milano rovente, lit=Scorching Hot Milan) is a 1973 Italian ''Poliziotteschi, poliziottesco'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi.
Cast
* Antonio Sabàto, Sr., Antonio Sabàto: Salvatore Cangemi
* Philippe Leroy (actor), P ...
'' (1973) - Jasmina Sanders
* ''Violent Blood Bath'' (1974) - Patricia Bataille
* ''La moglie giovane'' (1974) - Louisa
* ''
Parapsycho – Spectrum of Fear'' (1975) - Greta
* ''La encadenada'' (1975) - Gina / Elisabeth
* ''
Mahogany
Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Unive ...
'' (1975) - Carlotta Gavina
* ''Amori, letti e tradimenti'' (1975) - Greta
* ''Taxi Love - Servizio per signora'' (1976)
* ''L'ultima volta'' (1976) - Jusy
* ''
Casanova & Co.'' (1977) - Duchess of Cornaro
* ''
Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein'' (1977, TV series) - Chantal
* ''
Mad Dog Killer'' (1977) - Giuliana
* ''Obscene Desire'' (1978) - Amanda
* ' (1979) - Agatha
* ''Under Siege'' (1980) - Kim Lombard
* ''
La liceale al mare con l'amica di papà
''La liceale al mare con l'amica di papà'' (''High School Girl at the Beach with Dad's Friend'') is a 1980 commedia sexy all'italiana film directed by Marino Girolami and starring Renzo Montagnani. Although presented as the latest installment in ...
'' (1980) - Violante - wife of Massimo
* ''Peccati a Venezia'' (1980) - Melissa
* ''La compagna di viaggio'' (1980) - Woman with hat-veil
* ''Febbre a 40!'' (1980) - Linda Martin
* ''
La dottoressa preferisce i marinai'' (1981) - Mrs. Clara Morelli
* ''Corpi nudi'' (1983) - Marisa
* ''Seifenblasen'' (1984) - Fernsehjournalistin
* ''La tempesta'' (1988)
* ''
Quest for the Mighty Sword
''Quest for the Mighty Sword'' (also known as ''Ator III: The Hobgoblin'', ''The Hobgoblin'', or ''Troll 3'') is a 1990 Italian fantasy adventure film directed by Joe D'Amato. It is the fourth and final film in the ''Ator'' film series.
Plot ...
'' (1990) - Nephele
* ''Sensazioni d'amore'' (1990) - Signora Elena Aloisi
* ''
I Love Vienna
''I Love Vienna'' is a 1991 Austrian comedy film directed by Houchang Allahyari. The film was selected as the Austrian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 64th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Librar ...
'' (1991) - Selina (final film role)
References
External links
Marisa Mell fansite*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mell, Marisa
1939 births
1992 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Austria
Deaths from esophageal cancer
Austrian film actresses
Spaghetti Western actresses
Actors from Graz
20th-century Austrian actresses