LA REINA DEL TABARIN aka QUEEN OF THE TABARIN CLUB (1960)

Jess Franco's ninth film was his third feature film, LA REINA DEL TABARIN aka QUEEN OF THE TABARIN CLUB. The film was written by Ernest Arancibia, Jose Gallardo, Luis Lucas Ojeda and Maria A. Spaltro, the music was composed by Jose & Angel Pagan with Antonio Ramirez Angel, it was produced by Hipamer Films, filmed in Colour and ran for a total of 97 mins in its original Spanish version, however there was also an editied French version which runs for 85 mins. The film was released on 14th November 1960.

It starred Mikaela as Lolita, Yves Massard as Fernando, Dora Doll as Cabaret Singer, Danielle Godet as Monique, Antonio Garisa as Pepe, Juan Antonio Riquelme as Miguel and in her first film with Jess Franco and only her second film ever, but the first to be released, was a 17 year old Soledad Miranda, an actress who would go onto have a short but brilliant career with Jess Franco.

Lolita is a street singer who, along with her uncle and his organ, travel through the neighborhoods of Madrid in the early part of the Twentieth Century. When a businessman hears her singing, he decides to invite her to act as a showgirl in his theater, but she does not accept.

At a party, where she has been invited to sing in exchange for food, she meets Fernando, who invites her to sing at the legendary music hall Tabarin in Paris. She accepts.

The film was a major turning point in the career of Jess Franco. It was with this film that he make his entry into the professional film world. He described the film as "very good in the first half, which has a cheerful jovial tone, like a farce. But a farce with a certain freshness, which I like a lot. The second, now was within the classic melodrama of the woman, whose employer is in love with her and she does not love him because she has the memory of an aristocrat who she loved on day."

The appearance of Soledad Miranda is very fleating. She plays a Duchess, who enters the club and sits down. She was a friend of the star Mikaela, who in turn knew Jess Franco. "The story is that through star Mikaela, Jess Franco met Soledad Miranda, since the two of them shared an apartment."

You can see Soledad Miranda's brief apperance by clicking on the link below.

A wonderful website dedicated to Soledad Miranda and also where you can buy a copy of the film can be found below.

http://soledadmiranda.com/movies.html