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.