Showing posts with label ursula andress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ursula andress. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Battle of the Blondes: Marlene Dietrich VS Ursula Andress.
Marlene Dietrich (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992,) remained popular throughout her amazing career by continually re-inventing herself, as an actress. Her performance as Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel, brought her international fame and provided her a contract with Paramount Pictures in the film Shanghai Express, showcasing her glamour and exotic looks.
The Blue Angel (1930). Directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat. The film is considered to be the first major German sound film and it brought world fame to actress Marlene Dietrich. It also introduced her signature song, Friedrich Hollaender's "Falling in Love Again ".
Shanghai Express(1932). The pre-Code film stars Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, and Warner Oland. It was written by Jules Furthman, based on a story by Harry Hervey. It was the fourth of seven teaming of Sternberg and Dietrich.
Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss actress and a sex symbol of the 1960s. She is known for her roles as Bond girl Honey Ryder in, Dr. No, for which she won a Golden Globe, and as Vesper Lynd in the 1967 James Bond parody Casino Royale. Ursula Andress first sought out film work while on a holiday to Rome. After a string of films, Andress was brought to the U.S. as the New Dietrich, although the only things she actually had in common with Marlene Dietrich were German heritage and a magnificent legs. She became an international sensation through her bikini-clad appearance as Honey Rider in the first James Bond movie Dr. No (1962). Within a year, Andress was sharing billings with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in Four for Texas, and Elvis Presley in Fun in Acapulco (both 1963). After this her burst of super-celebrity, Andress settled into a series of films. During the making of 1981's Clash of the Titans, she linked up with the film's much younger leading man Harry Hamlin, who became the father of her child. Although Andress continued to make movies in the 1980s and '90s.
She(1965). Is based on the novel by H. Rider Haggard. It was directed by Robert Day and stars Sandahl Bergman, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
After, receiving honorable discharges from the British Army, Professor Holly, Leo Vincey and their servant Job, go on expedition to north-east Africa.
They find themselves in the lost city of Kuma, ruled by Ayesha, the immortal queen and former high priestess, who sees Leo as the reincarnation of her former lover, the priest Kallikrat.
Ayesha, tries to convince Leo, to walk into a bonfire after it has turned blue, which happens during special astronomical conditions. By entering the fire, Leo will become immortal.
Ayesha's army is attacked by Amahagger tribesmen, because Ayesha had the beautiful, Ustane executed. A young woman, who had fallen in love with Leo. Ustane's father Haumeid, had also befriended Leo, Holly and Job.
Leo, battles Bilali, Ayesha's priest, who wants immortality for himself. After battling Leo and giving him up for dead, Bilali enters the blue flames when he is killed by Ayesha.
Ayesha takes Leo's hand and leads him into the fire. The same fire destroys Ayesha's immortality, and she dies as the centuries catch up with her and she ages in a few seconds.
Andress gives one of her best acting performance in this film. The settings look amazing and the score by composer James Barnard, creates wonderful music which enhances the action and romance in this film.
Fun Fact:
For the final stage of Ayesha's disintegration, makeup was not applied to Ursula Andress, but to an uncredited elderly actress who doubled for the star.
Clash of the Titans (1981). Fantasy/adventure film involving the Greek hero Perseus.
Please click here to read Clash of Ttitans(1981) movie review.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Happy Birthday: Ursula Andress!
Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss actress and a sex symbol of the 1960s. Andress, became famous as Honey Ryder, in the film, Dr. No (1962), the first Bond movie. In a well-known scene, she rises out of the Caribbean Sea in a white bikini. The scene made Andress the "quintessential" Bond girl.
Andress, also co-starred with Elvis Presley in the film, Fun in Acapulco(1963), with Frank Sinatra in, 4 for Texas (1963), opposite Marcello Mastroianni in, The 10th Victim (1965), and as the countess in, The Blue Max (1966). She also performed in the Bond satire, Casino Royale (1967). Her heavy accent was dubbed over in Dr. No, but she used her own voice in Casino Royale.
In 1957 Andress married actor/director, John Derek; they divorced in 1966. Andress dated many of Hollywood's leading men, including co-stars Marlon Brando and James Dean. In 1980 she had a son, Dimitri, with American actor Harry Hamlin, her co-star in the film, Clash of the Titans(1981).
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Clash of the Titans (1981). Fantasy/adventure. Based on the myth of Perseus. A novelization of the film by Alan Dean Foster was published in 1981. Cast: Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin, Burgess Meredith and Ursula Andress. Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are set to release a remake of the film in 3-D on April 2, 2010.
King Acrisius of Argos locks his daughter Danae in prison to keep her from having a son. While she is imprisoned, the god Zeus impregnates her. After the King learns about the pregnancy, Acrisius casts his daughter and her son Perseus out to sea in a wooden coffin.
Angry, Zeus orders Poseidon, to release the Kraken to destroy Argos. Meanwhile, Danae and her son safely make it to the island of Seriphos. Calibos, son of the sea goddess Thetis, is to marry Princess Andromeda, the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia.
Calibos has killed entire herd of flying horses (except for Pegasus) and as punishment Zeus changes Calibos into a monster who now lives in the swamps. Thetis, heartbroken, promises that if Calibos cannot marry Andromeda, no other man will either. Thetis then transports Perseus from Seriphos to Joppa.
Perseus, becomes friends with Ammon, where he learns of Andromeda and her curse(she cannot marry unless her suitor answers a riddle and any suitor who does not answer the riddle correctly is burned at the stake).
Carrying gifts from the gods a sword, shield, and a helmet, Perseus captures Pegasus and follows Andromeda's on her journey to learn a new riddle from Calibos. Knowing the answer, Perseus is attacked by Calibos, but escapes.
Perseus ready for the next ceremony answers the riddle correctly winning Andromeda's hand in marriage. At the temple Calibos prays to his mother Thetis to take vengeance on Perseus. Thetis tells Calibos that she cannot because Perseus is protected by Zeus, but she will take vengeance on Joppa.
At the wedding, Queen Cassiopeia compares Andromeda's beauty to that of Thetis, which angers the goddess. The statue of Thetis begins to grumble and the head comes to life, demanding Andromeda as a virgin sacrifice to the Kraken in thirty days, or else Joppa will be destroyed.
Perseus begins his journey to battle both Medusa and the Kraken monster to save the Princess Andromeda.
Clash of the Titans, has been one of my favorite movies since my son and I watched it with a bowl of popcorn when he was a little boy... I really enjoy mythology and epic adventures. The special effects were in my opinion very well done..
FUN FACTS:
The original script wanted Perseus to cut off Medusa's head by throwing his shield at her. Harry Hamlin convinced the producers to let him use his sword, because that was how it happened according to Greek Mythology.
The Kraken was not the name of a titan in Greek mythology, but a sea monster from Scandinavian mythology.
Neil McCarthy only played Calibos in head shots and half-body shots. All full body shots of Calibos were played by a stop-motion model.
Screenwriter Beverley Cross was a student of mythology and he developed a story-line centering on Perseus and Andromeda which linked together a number of myths. He took the idea to producers Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen. The story was modified to add more creatures. Cross's wife, actress Maggie Smith, appeared in the film as Thetis.
According to mythology after Medusa's head was severed from her neck, two offspring sprang forth: the winged horse Pegasus and the giant Chrysaor.
According to mythology there was Cerberus, the THREE-headed dog but no Dioskilos with two. They asked Ray Harryhausen why he didn't use a three-headed dog, and he said it takes too much time to animate the extra head.
Ray Harryhausen Official Websight
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)