The seductive ballerina in Jess Franco's first horror film GRITOS EN LA NOCHE (1961) was born 66 years ago today. Franco also cast the smoldering actress as a femme fatale in his underrated Eurospy affair RESEDENCIA PARA ESPIAS (1966), one of Lord Jeffries' "witches" in THE BLOODY JUDGE (1970), and, perhaps most memorably, the pathetic victim of a criminal conspiracy in NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT (1969). Other Spanish horror roles followed, such as a buxom vampire woman in Amando de Ossorio's first horror film, MALENKA (1969). She was also excellent in Carlos Aured's 1973 Paul Naschy vehicle HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN as the embittered, deformed spinster who was a sympathetic witness to the wretched fate of Naschy's hounded criminal. She also appeared in several Spanish westerns.
Kit Gavin informed me that she had moved to Germany after that, continuing to act in local theater. There have been reports that she returned to Spain in recent years. A striking woman and one hell of an actress. Her very, very, very, very slow striptease in NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT is one of her, and Franco's, most exquisitely erotic and affecting scenes.
Diana Lorys, wherever you are, Happy Birthday!
COPYRIGHT ROBERT MONELL 2006.
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4 comments:
I noticed a couple of nights ago that Diana Lorys has a "hidden" role in another Franco movie. In LOS OJOS SINISTIEROS DEL DOCTOR ORLOFF (1973), a remake of NIGHTMARES COME AT NIGHT, she appears as a photograph on the desk of her uncle. I believe Franco inserted this as a "wink" for attentive viewers who recognized the similarities between the two films. I agree that Lorys makes NIGHTMARES a very sexy movie. Kudos for remembering her today!
I need to correct a misstatement in the above. Lorys appears as a photograph on the desk of the uncle of Melissa, the lead protagonist played by Montserrat Prous. The implication is that she's Melissa's dead aunt.
You have quite an "eye" to note that is Lorys in that photo! It gives me an excuse to watch it again. Thanks for that information, Tim.
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