99 WOMEN aka 99 FEMMES/DER HEISSE TOD (1969)

Jess Franco's twenty-fifth film was 99 WOMEN aka 99 FEMMES/DER HEISSE TOD. Written by Harry Alan Towers, Milo G. Cuccia, Carlo Fadda, Jess Franco and Javier Peres Grober. Produced by Harry Alan Towers, with music composed by Bruno Nicoli, released by Commonwealth United Entertainment, Inc and Towers of London Films, Ltd. It was filmed in Rio, Brazil and Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain, in colour. The film runs to various times throughout the world. Argentina 99 mins, Australia 81 mins, Italy 90 mins, Sweden 86 mins, UK 70 mins, USA 86 mins, West Germany 94 mins and Spain 83 mins. It made ESP 12,654,873 in Spain. It starred Maria Schel as Leonie Carroll, Herbert Lom as Governor Santos, Mercedes McCambridge as Thelma Diaz, Luciana Paluzzi as Natalie Mendoza, Maria Rohm as Marie, Rosalba Neri as Zoie, Elisa Montes as Helga, Valentina Godoy as Rosalie, Jose Maria Blanco as Doctor and Jess Franco in an uncredited role.

After watching THE GIRL FROM RIO, seeing 99 WOMEN is a bit of a shock, where the former is a good old fashioned spy romp along the lines of THE MAN FROM UNCLE, 99 WOMEN is a lot darker and a depressive affair.

The film opens with a close up of a dead animal, flies buzzing around it. The camera pans back to revel that we are in a coastal location. We see a boat approaching the shore, on board are five people, four women and a man. One of the women asks where are they being taken too, the reply is too the island. We see a fort on top of a hill. It is called Castilla de la Morta, The Castle of Death.

They disembark and are driven up to the castle, where they are taken inside for inspection. Inside the first girl wearing a red jumper is asked who she is, she replies Natalie Mendoza. This prompt a women in uniform to slap her around the face. Once she stops she asks her who she is. This time the woman responds 98. She then asks the second woman, dressed as a showgirl, who she is, she replies 97. She is recognised as someone who has been there before. She admits that she was there two year earlier. She is then asked how long is she in for this time, she replies one year. They are then told that from now on they have no name only a number.

They are taken to the cells. Number 98 is placed in a cell on her own, while 97 and the other woman are placed in a cell with five other women. The third woman notices that 98 is not well. 97 says that she is probably a drug addict. They go and sit down. 97 tells the woman that she is in because she was caught hustling and asks the woman what she is in for, but she does not want to tell.

In the Superintendent's office a man is eating some food, when the superintendent enters, she thanks the man, whose name is Governor Santos, for coming over promptly, he replies it was nothing because he has enjoyed himself with one of the blond prisoners. The Superintendent mentions that another blond has arrived that morning, number 99, this is the third woman to of arrived on the boat along with numbers 97 and 98. He warns her that she must be careful about how she treats the girls, she has already had two deaths in a year and if she has a third, then the new minister of justice make start making enquiries. Before he leaves he mentions that he is in charge of a mens prison on the other side of the island. The superintendent asks if she will see him tomorrow, he says he might, just to see number 99.

Latter that night in the cells, number 99 is having a bad dream. One of the girls in the cell goes over and starts to comfort her. While they are talking in the next cell number 98 is making a noise, which wakes up 97. She goes over to 99 and the other woman, asking what the problem is. 99 replies that Natalie/98 is not very well. 97 tells her not to worry, but 99 says that she does think she is a drug addict, that she has something wrong with her. She calls out for help. The Superintendent arrives and tells her that the punishment for insolence is seven days in the punishment cells. 99 says that 98 needs help. The Superintendent replies that continued insolence will lead to fourteen days in the punishment cells and walks off.

The next morning a doctor finishes examining the body of 98. He reports to the Superintendent and mentions that he will have to report this death to the Ministry of Justice.

On a work gang latter that day, 97 gets talking to a woman who has only been in the prison for two weeks, it is her first offence, so she has only been sentenced to one year. One of the other girls says that she knows why 97 is really in prison for, its because her sexual business has dried up. This annoys 97 and she strikes out. They start to fight and the other women try to intervene. 99 drags the girl off 97 and they start to fight. One of the guards breaks it up and takes 99 and the other girl away.

That night the Governor visits the Superintendent. He mentions about the doctor visiting that morning and the Superintendent mentions that he was not her fault that 98 died, she did not know that she required surgery. The Governor then asks about 99. The Superintendent mentions that she was caught fighting with 76, a girl that the Governor knows, he replies that he does and calls her by the name of Zoe. The Superintendent informs the Governor that he girls are being held in the hospital wing.

In the hospital wing Zoe is moaning about how 99 and 97 hurt her in the fight, but she says that she can forgive her, if she will be more friendly with her. 99 asks her to leave her alone, which annoys Zoe and starts slapping her around the face. At this point the Governor enters and sees whats happening. Startled, Zoe leaps off of the bed. The Governor walks over to the bed, mentioning how hot it seems and removes his jacket. Zoe moves back to 99 and starts to undo her dress, 99 leaps off the bed, screaming no and runs into a corner.

Zoe runs over to her and starts to wrestle with her, she then drags her over to the bed. Forcing her onto the bed and sitting astride her, she begins to kiss her fully on the mouth. Then as 99 still tries to resist her, she slaps her around the face until she gives in. Then she starts to undo 99's dress, exposing her breasts. She starts to make love to her.

After a while of watching, the Governor joins in.

The next morning the boat returns to the island, bring two women. One of the women asks the other one her name, she replies that it is Magda and she is in for six months hard labour. She ask the other woman how long she is in for. She replies she does not know. Magda says an open sentence, she could be there for life. The woman says it could be possible.

When they arrive, they are asked for their papers. The woman hands over just a letter, marked for the attention of the Superintendent.

She is shown into the Superintendent's office. It seems that the woman has been appointed as temporary Superintendent Caroll. She as the Superintendent to stay for a month, so she can learn the ropes. She asks to be shown the prison. When they come to the punishment cells, she asks to be shown the prisoner inside. At first the Superintendent refuses to let her see her, but then she gives in. The prisoner is 99, she has been there for seven days and six nights, chained to the wall. When she is released, she collapses to the floor. Superintendent Caroll, goes over to her and asks her, her name, she replies 99. She says, she wants to know her real name. The Superintendent shouts out that prisoners do not have names. Superintendent Caroll says that she has asked the question and expects to get an answer. 99 replies that her name is Marie. Superintendent Caroll tells the guard to take 99/Marie to another cell and tells the Superintendent that she would like to see 99/Marie on her own. This seems to amuse the Superintendent.

Back in the Superintendent's office, Governor Santos is waiting. He is introduced to Superintendent Carroll. She hands over to the Governor a letter addressed to him personally. The Superintendent leaves the office, leaving Caroll and Santos on their own. The letter states that the Justice Minister expects daily reports from the Governor about Superintendent Caroll's progress. The Governor says that he is not surprised to see her there. He warned the Superintendent that she would get a visit. But he tells her that she needs keep up the discipline or she will get trouble.

99/Marie is placed in a cell with Zoe.

Zoe tells 99/Marie that she used to be a dancer. In her last job, she was employed by a lesbian club owner and she was hired to be an exotic dancer. One night she was dancing with her boyfriend, but the owner becomes jealous and confronts her in her dressing room with a gun.

A fight breaks out and in the fight the gun goes off and the owner is dead. Confessing this leaves Zoe upset and in the process of comforting her 99/Marie makes love to her.

In the Superintendent's office, the Governor and the Superintendent are playing chess, talking about Superintendent Caroll. The Superintendent mentions that Caroll might be sending reports back about him as well as her. This worries the Governor and he decides to send a report, behind Caroll's back, about her. The Superintendent informs him of Caroll's fondness for some of the prisoners, especially for 99, implying that might be a lesbian. This annoys the Governor and he starts to write his report.

The next day during lunch, 99/Marie is asked to go to see Superintendent Caroll. She asks 99/Marie why she was punished, she mentions it was because she asked for help, for 98, who died. She then asks her how comes she is in prison. 99/Marie tells her that she was waiting for a bus one evening in the rain. But the bus never came and a man on a motorcycle offered her a lift, which she accepted. He took her to an alleyway, where there was a gang of men waiting. They then raped her, but one of them left a knife unattended and she used that to kill one of the gang members and get away. Caroll believes 99/Marie's story and says that she will help her in trying to get an appeal.

Later on that day the women are working on a chain gang, when 97 spots a work party of men. She points this out to the girl that has only been inside for two weeks. When she looks she recognizes one of the men as her boyfriend Andiago. 97 says she will give her cover, so she can go and speak to him.  In a small out building, Andiago tells her, that on the other side of the island, there is a fishing village. In ten days time, he and a friend are going to escape to the village. At dawn he and his friend will meet Rosa, that is her name, on a jetty and then leave in a boat, that they will steal.

That night 99/Marie see Zoe and one of the other girls making love. When she calls out to Zoe, Zoe implies that she is free to take a new lover, because 99/Marie has a lover in the form of Superintendent Caroll and if she is, then 99/Marie will never leave the prison.

The next morning Superintendent Caroll receives a letter and is informed that 99/Marie wants to see her. The Superintendent also mentions that is annoyed that the night watch has been done away with, because this will leave the girls able to escape and make their way to the fishing village, but Caroll informs her that if they do manage to escape there is thirty miles of jungle and thick swamp in-between the prison and the village. In the corse of the argument,  Superintendent Caroll says that if the Superintendent had more trust in her prioners, then the prison would be a happier place, the Superintendent tells her the prison should not be a happy place. "In that case, you have been very successful", responds Caroll and any person who might of had cause to complain has died. This makes the Superintendent say that Caroll wants to get rid of her.

In the cells, 97 asks 99/Marie if she could put a word in with Superintendent Caroll about improving the food. This makes Zoe reply with a coment that upsets 97. As they square off to one another, Zoe goes to stroke 97's face.

This sparks off a fight between the two of them. Which is broken up the Superintendent. Just as she is about to dish out their punishment, Superintendent Caroll intervenes and asks why the fight started. Zoe tells her that 97 started the fight, because she had said that she was not into women, unlike some people, looking knowingly at Caroll. When Caroll asks Helga, which is 97's name, who started it, she says it was Zoe. So Caroll decides that both girls should go with out food for a day as punishment, which does not go down well with the Superintendent.

99/Marie is taken to see Caroll, who tells her the appeal has been unsuccessful. Marie does not believe this and asks to see the letter. Caroll tells her that she has destroyed the letter. She says she does not believer her and that the other women are all saying that she is in love with her, which shocks her.

The evening, 97/Helga informs 99/Marie that both her and Rosa are going to escape that night and they need a third person.

For some reason Zoe is placed on medical watch and give the keys to the cell. Rosa fains illness, so that 97/Helga and 99/Marie can jump her a take the keys to the cell. The girls throw a rope, made of knotted bed sheets over the wall and climb down it and make their escape into the jungle. (Cue the scenes shot in Brazil, while they had to wait for the carnival to start, while filming THE GIRL FROM RIO (1969)).

They make their way though the jungle, with Rosa appearing to be the weak link. The sirens sound, first from the womens prison and then from the mens. As they progress through the jungle, they come into a clearing and encounter a snake, (which looks as deadly as a grass snake, but sends Rosa and Marie into a panic.) Rosa goes to pieces over the snake, but Marie and Helga attack it with Helga cutting and stabbing at it. (The snake is a real one and Elisa Montes realy does attack it. As it slides off camera, you can see the real wounds. A scene like this would not be done these days.)

They progress on and come a cross a pond, where they decide to bathe. While bathing Rosa spots a man watching them. Helga recognizes from the clothes that he is wearing, he must be from the mens prison. Rosa asks where is her boyfriend. He tells her that he was killed by the guards while escaping. The sound of dogs can be heard, so they set off deeper into the jungle, the man helping a distraught Rosa. They come across a cave and take shelter for the night. The man lights a fire, so they can keep warm and suggests that they huddle together to keep warm. Marie and Helga and the man and Rosa.

During the night, while comforting each other, the man and Rosa begin to make love.

Marie wakes up and watches them. Her absence makes Helga wake up and when she sees Rosa and the man having sex, she turns away in disgust.

That morning they leave the cave heading to the fishing village. On the way they come across a work gang from the mens prison on a food break. The man asks one of the prisoners if he can spare some food. He agrees, but when some of the men notice that there are girls with him, they get excited and as a mass they attack and kill their guards, stealing their weapons. The man tells the girls to run and he tries to stop the mob of crazed men, but he is shot and killed for his efforts. Rosa insists that they should go back and help him, but the other two just keep on running. Rosa stumbles and falls to the ground, making the men able to catch up with her. Like a pack of dogs they descend onto her. Raping her and killing her. Helga tells Marie there is nothing they can do for her and anyway this will delay the men and give them a better chance to escape. (And so ends the scenes filmed in Brazil, when they had time on their hands.)

The Marie and Helga make it to the fishing village, but just as they are about to make to a boat, a shot rings out and there standing behind them is the Governor and his men.

Back in prison Marie and Helga are distraught and then they are whipped in the punishment cells. Superintendent Caroll tries to intervene, but as Governor Santos points out, they are being punished in accordance with the regulations regarding prisoners who try and escape and there is nothing that she can do to stop it.

When the girls are returned to the cells, all the female prisoners band together and riot.

The Superintendent blames Superintendent Caroll for the riot and asks how is she going to stop it. She replies that she will talk to them, to see sense.

Confronting them,she tells the girls they must stop the riot and return to their cells, but they do not listen to her. The riot is stopped with the aid of the Governor's own men.

Caroll decides that she has failed in her mission to try and reform the prison and she will leave, meaning that the Superintendent will remain in charge.

As Caroll leaves the prison all the girls are being stood in the yard watching her go.

The film has been released in the UK on the Redemption label as a Region Free DVD with the same extras as the Blue Underground release, it can be bought from Play.com by clicking the link below.

http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/3325111/802356380/Redemption-99-Women/ListingDetails.html?searchstring=99+women&searchsource=0&searchtype=r2alldvd&urlrefer=search&strefer=r2alldvd&searchfilters=s%7b99+women%7d%2bc%7b57%7d%2b

Or you can buy the Blue Underground release by clicking the link below, this again is a Region Free release.

http://www.blue-underground.com/product.php?product=54

The version I have watched is the Blue Underground release.

I thought the film was very good and stands up well, even now and compared to what Jess Franco would do latter on when returning to this genre, he is very restrained. Coming after watching THE GIRL FROM RIO (1969) it is a bit bleaker, but still a very well acted film. I liked it.

On the DVD the extras are an interview with Jess Franco, under the title JESS' WOMEN, a deleted and alternate scenes option, a theatrical trailer, a poster and still galleries and a DVD-ROM link.

During the interview, Franco talks about the fact there is an X-rated version of 99 WOMEN, but as he says he had nothing to do with that and hates the fact that they were put into, because they change the entire film.

The first deleted scene is an extension of the Marie rape scene from the German version of the film. It is in this footage that Jess Franco appears.

The second deleted scene is an extension of Zoe's story, but was not filmed by Jess Franco and does not star Rosalba Neri. This was included on the Greek video release.

The third deleted scene is the extended ending of the film, taken from the Spanish version. Again it comes from a video release. It lessens the impact of the original ending.

The DVD-ROM extra is a reproduction of the book Jess Franco, written by Tim Lucas and published by Video Watchdog, in a PDF fille.

Maria Schell was born 15th January 1926 in Vienna, Austria, she was the daughter of a Swiss author and an Austrian actress and the older brother of Maximilian Schell. She studied in a religious institution in Colmar, France. She graduated to a dramatic education in Zurich, Switzerland, while studying there she worked as a secretary. She made her first film in 1942 at the age of 16 called STEIBRUCH. In 1951, at the age of 24 she THE MAGIC BOX, a film that also starred Robert Donat and William Hartnell. Latter on she would make THE BLOODY JUDGE with Jess Franco, THE ODESSA FILE, VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED with Laura Gemser, SUPERMAN and THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES. She married twice, first to Horst Hachler, whom she married 26th April 1957 and divorced in 1965, they had one child, a son, Oliver Hachler born in 1962, now known as Oliver Schell and then she married Veit Relin in 1966 and divorced him in 1986, they also had a child, a daughter, Marie Theres Relin born 30th June 1966. Her last film was a French TV movie called LE DERNIER MOT, shown in 1991. She died 26th April 2005 in Preitenegg, Carinthia, Austria.

Herbert Lom was born 11th September 1917 in Prague, Czech Republic. His first film was made in 1937, it was called ZENA POD KRIZEM, his British film was THE YOUNG MR. PITT made in 1942. He made three films with William Hartnell; THE DARK TOWER (1943), APPOINTMENT WITH CRIME (1946) and HELL DRIVERS (1957), which also stared a very young Sean Connery. He made seven films with Peter Sellers. He would make one more film with Jess Franco, COUNT DRACULA (1970) and the last film that he made was a TV movie, AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE: THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE.

Mercedes McCambridge was born 16th March 1916 in Joliet, Illinois, USA. She began her career as a radio actor during the 1940s. Orson Welles called her "the world's greatest radio actress." She made her film debut in 1949 aged 33 in ALL THE KING'S MEN in the role of Sadie Burke for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actess. In 1956 she starred alongside James Dean in GIANT, alongside Elizabeth Taylor in SUDDENLY, LAST SUMMER in 1959, in Jess Franco's MARQUIS DE SADE: JUSTINE, in THE EXORCIST she provided the voice of the demonic possession in THE EXORCIST and also appeared in AIRPORT '79...THE CONCORDE. On 2nd March 2004 she died in La Jolla, California, USA.

Luciana Paluzzi was born 10th June 1937 in Rome, Italy. Her first film was a walk-on part in THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN in 1954. Her first talking part was in an Italian film called SUA ALTEZZA HA DETTO NO!. She is mainly known for playing the role of Fiona in the James Bond film THUNDERBALL (1965) alongside Sean Connery. Her last film to date was DEADLY CHASE in 1978.

Rosalba Neri was born 19th June 1939 in Forli, Italy. She made her film debut in I PINGUINI CI GUARDANO (1955) aged 16. She would go onto make three films with Jess Franco. Her last film was IL POMICIONE in 1976.

THE GIRL FROM RIO aka DIE SIEBEN MANNER DER SUMURU/MOTHERS OF AMERICA/RIO 70 (1969)

Jess Franco's twenty-fourth film is THE GIRL FROM RIO aka DIE SIEBEN MANNER DER SUMURU/MOTHERS OF AMERICA/RIO 70. It was written by Franz Eichhorn, Bruno Leder and Harry Alan Towers (writting as Peter Welbeck), based on the novels of Sax Rohmer. The music was by Daniel White, produced by Tibor Reves, Harry Alan Towers and Louis M. Heyward, filmed in Barcelona, Cataluna, Spain and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in Colour, it was released by Ada Films, Terra-Filmkunst and Udastex Films, it runs for 94 mins and it made ESP 8,159,021 in Spain.

It stars Shirley Eaton as Sumuru/Sumatra, Richard Wyler as Jeff Sutton, George Sanders as Sir Masius, Maria Rohm as Leslye, Herbert Fleischmann as Carl, Marta Reves as ulla Rossini, Elisa Montes as Irene, Walter Rilla as Ennio Rossini, Beni Cardoso as Yana Yuma, Valentina Godoy as Amazon and Jess Franco as Guitar Player.

The film opens with a woman standing in a glass cage, wearing a string dress, with nothing on underneath, after all this is Jess Franco, with smoke swirling around her ankles. She then lies down on the floor surrounded by smoke and starts to writhe around, while being watched by a naked man. He then joins her on the floor. They begin to make love, while being watched by Sumuru/Sumatra. Then another women enters, wearing a red mini dress and black boots, places her left foot on the mans neck, much to the delight of Sumuru. She then leans over and scratches his neck with her long nails, killing him. Cue the opening titles with the very catchy song 'The Girl from Rio'.

Shot over footage of Rio de Janeiro's beaches, this establishes that we are in South Americia. A man in a black suit is looking though a pair of binoculars, observing the arrival of planes at Rio de Janeiro-Galeao International Airport. When a man in a silvery blue suit leave the airport, the observer seems satisfied.


The man in the silvery blue suit arrives at a hotel, not far from the MESBLA building, he checks into the hotel and gives his name as Jeff Sutton, this attracts the attention of a man reading The Wall Street Journal a newspaper in the foyer, as he moves the paper to one side, it is revealed that he is the same man who was observing him at the airport. Jeff asks the receptionist for a barbar, a manicurist and the bell boy to bring up some sports shirts, size 15, to his room.

A hearse, driven by the man who has been following Jeff, arrives at an apartment block. He boards a lift and ascends to the penthouse apartment. In the apartment is Sir Masius, being given a massage, which he is not enjoying. The man enters the apartment and indicates to the masseur that he will take over, upon doing this he begins to enjoy the massage and recognises it to be Carl. He asks him how it is going and he is informed that the person has arrived, where Sir Masius mentions that $10,000,000 is worth considering. The telephone begins to ring, a girl in a swimming pool, swims over and answers the phone, she mentions that Sir Masius does not want to be disturbed. He asks who it is and she replies that it is a long distance call from Madrid. He asks who it is and the girl swims over with the phone, while dunking it under the water!

She gives him the phone, soaking wet, he says, "Hello, hello...I can't hear you." I'm not surprised after the dunking its just received. This leads to a great comedy scene with the telephone, with a play on words between what Sir Masius says to the person on the telephone and what Carl does and says to him, being mistaking by the recipient as being aimed at them. The caller, who Sir Masius calls excellency, so it must be General Francisco Franco, asks if he has heard of Jeff Sutton, he makes out he has not. He is then offered a lot of money, how much we never find out, but it must be more than $10 million, to look after him, which Sir Masius says that they will.

Meanwhile back at the hotel, Jeff has just had his hair cut, while getting his nails done, after dismissing the barbar, he looks at his nails and asks if the manicurist is available at 9 o'clock, she asks if he means tomorrow morning, he replies tonight.

Over a tracking shot of the mountains of Brazil a woman's voice can be heard announcing "This is Femina, city of women. This is control, calling the women of Femina. Attention everybody. We are chosen. Women whose destiny has been decided in the never ending struggle. Woman against man. We are the victors. We give each day our gratitude and obedience to our leader." Sumuru then give a speech about how women are superior to men, how men only have their uses for labour and money, that is how the city of Femina was built, and this is how they will defeat man.

That night at a club, where a mood music version of the theme song is playing, Jeff and the manicurist are dancing together and begin to kiss. Also at the club is Sir Masius, Carl and the girl.

The following morning Jeff and the manicurist are walking back to the hotel, siting by a wall is a guitar player (non other than Jess Franco). As they walk along, someone is a grotesque mask turns round and faces them, with a cigarette poking out of the mouth. 

Jeff assumes that he wants a light and lights the cigarette for him. They then walk on, only to be confronted by another man wearing a similar mask, they turn away and there is a third man, also wearing a mask, but this one is laughing. The second one produces a flick knife, as does the third one. Then in front of them appear to other men, holding flick knives and wearing masks. Then in the middle of them appears Carl, but he is not wearing a mask. Jeff asks what does he want and Carl replies that he wants them to come with him. Jeff then produces a gun and holds it to Carl's neck and tells the surrounding men, that if any of them moves, he will kill Carl. As they walk away, Carl manages to knock the gun out of Jeff's hand and this gives the signal for the masked men to pursue Jeff and the girl. A fight ensures, where Jeff shows off his martial art skills and escapes from the masked men.

Back at the hotel, Jeff is tidying himself up, while the girl is taking a shower, cue some scenes of naked breasts. The girl asks Jeff to help her and then is shocked as he walks into the bathroom and sees her naked, hiding behind the shower curtain, she asks him to pass her a towel. Once they move back into the bedroom and after the girl removes the towel, Jeff asks her what her name is, she replies that it is Leslye.

Watching them from outside is Carl with his binoculars.


Back at the room, a newspaper is pushed under the door, with the headline, "American Playboy Disappears, Ten Million Dollars Missing." Leslye picks up the paper and reads the headline. She then walks over to where Jeff has left a briefcase and picks it up, but Jeff sees her and tells her not to move, while he covers her with his gun.

She asks him what is he going to do with the money, he tells her that it is none of her business. She replies that in Rio, some of the biggest gangsters are based and they would be after Jeff and his money. She suggests that he gets out of town.


Outside Carl is still watching them.

Leslye gets dressed. While she has been doing this, Jeff has been thinking over what she said about getting out of town and agrees with her that it would be a good idea, but if he gets out of town, where would he go? Leslye replies that he should leave that to her.


They leave the hotel, watched by Carl and get into a taxi. Carl gives chase in the hearse. When they arrive at the airport, Jeff runs over to the hearse and asks him want does he want. Carl replies that he wants nothing, he is waiting for a client. WTF!


Jeff and Leslye enter the airport, when there is an announcement of a message for Miss Leslye Manners and could return to the check-in desk in the main departure hall. Making her excuses to Jeff, she heads off to the message desk. On route she is attacked by two men in black suits.


Jeff hears a message informing them that their plane is about to depart and makes his way over to the aircraft, but is once again surrounded by four men dressed in black suits, observed by Carl. Once again Jeff shows of his fighting skills and making his way onto the tarmac, he encounters one of Sumuru's girls. She tells him that if he gets onto her plane, he will be able to make his escape. On board the plane, another girl asks if Jeff is comfortable. He asks about Leslye, but the woman knows nothing about her. She then asks him if he knows about the new mask for oxygen. He replies he does not and she proceeds to place one over his face and gases him.

Back at Sir Maius, the girl is lying on a diving board running her hands though the water of the swimming pool. She gets off the diving board and walks over him. He is on the phone, tell General Franco that Jeff is dead and the money was lost in a fire, when Jeff died. The girl does some quick calculations and hands him a piece of paper, saying that he should charge Franco $60,000 for the job. Carl enters and tell him that Jeff escaped. This annoys Sir Maius and he tells Carl that he wants Jeff back at his place, alive!


Meanwhile in the city of Femina, Jeff comes too, lying on the floor with four women standing around him and one standing over him. He is being watched by Sumuru. The lady standing over him is called Yana. Sumuru informers her that she wants to look at Jeff and tells her to bring him to her.

Jeff is brought into her inner sanctum. Sumuru orders the girls and Yana to leave them alone. Jeff asks where he is and Sumuru informs him that he is in her city of Femina. He asks her what she wants with him. She tells him that he has something that she wants and proceeds to make love to him.


Back at Sir Maius', one of his henchmen is being killed for letting Jeff get away. Standing near by watching all this, while being held, is Leslye. They then begin to torture her. Watching all this going on is Sir Maius' girl, who is starting to look a bit worried about what is going on. Sir Maius wants to know where Jeff is. After repeatedly hitting her in the stomach and then holding her head under water, she gives in and revels that Jeff is being held in Femina.


Back at Femina, Jeff is being given the guided tour of Femina by Sumuru and Yana. First he shown how proficient they are at using weapons, by witnessing an execution of one of her girls.

He is then told that there is no escape from Femina, he is shown her vault full of gold, where upon she informs him, that if any man reaches the vault the city will explode into a thousand pieces. So if that is the case, how comes it doesn't when he enters it!?

He then sees a master class on how the women of Femina are taught how to be irresistible to men, by practising on a mannequin. He is then shown into a room with five glass cages. In three of them are men, the fourth a woman and the fifth is empty. He is told this is the room reserved for their special guests. One of the men is introduced as Wesley, one of the last Great Train Robbers, he looks a bit like Ronnie Biggs, who was living in exile in Rio at the time. He brought Sumuru £2 million. After being show other captives, he is informed that the smoke in the cages, weakens their will and eventually kills them. When he asks about the girl, he is told that she is Ulla, whose father is very rich.

She did not want to join Sumuru and her women, but she is beginning to change her mind. He is then placed into a glass cage and smoke begins to poor into it. Jeff attracts Ulla's attention and tells her that her father arranged for the robbery to take place, so that he could find her and free her.

Just then Yana walks in with some guards and takes her and Jeff to a torture chamber. Sumuru asks where the money is and Jeff replies he will not tell her. She instructs Yana to start the process.

Two girls are beckoned over and start to kiss him. Yana then joins in, all the time watched by Sumuru. When this does not work, two more women enter and place their feet on his stomach.

After all this, they see that it is not working, so they proceed with the next phase, which is placing a devise that emits rays that destroy the organs of the body very slowly, over Ulla. This is too much for Jeff and he gives in and tells Sumuru that there is no money and it was all a scam so that he could rescue Ulla. This annoys Sumuru.

Latter on in her sanctum she is visited by Yana, who undress and begins to make love to each other. After they have finished Yana leaves and sets Jeff and Ulla free. They make their way to the airfield and escape in one of the planes. One thing I must mention is the lack of firing. The guns have no bullets and to show that they are firing guns, the girls just shake them.

Yana returns to Sumuru's sanctum and informs her that Jeff and Ulla have escaped.

Jeff and Ulla arrive in Rio, with Carl watching the airport. Upon leaving the airport, Carl drives up and offers them a lift, which Jeff refuses. Once again Jeff gets into a taxi and Carl purses them in the hearse. This time Carl blocks the path of the taxi and holding a gun on them insists that they get into his car. He drives them to Sir Masius'.

Jeff walks inot Sir Masius' and asks him, "Who the hell are you?" Sir Masius replies who he is and introduce the girl as Irene his accountant and income tax adviser. Sir Masius was to discuss a deal over the $10 million, but is shocked to discover that there is no $10 million.

Back at Femina, Yana is tied to a table, naked face down. The ray machine is brought over to her and activated.

Jeff and Ulla are being kept at gun point. Sir Masius explains to Jeff why he was interested in him and now he has escaped from Femina, he could help him lead an assault on the city with him. Jeff refuses, saying all he wants to do is get Ulla back to her parents. Carl persuades Jeff otherwise.

Back at Femina, Yana is being held in front of Sumuru. She tells her that she will give her one more chance, but if she fails her again, she will be killed. Also she has decided to silence Jeff, once and for all.

Back in Rio, it is carnival time. At Sir Masius apartment Leslye is brought in wearing an 18th Century page boys outfit. He tells her that he wants her to take a message to Sumuru, who he believes is in Rio, he would like to make a bargain with her. He will trade Jeff and Ulla for half of her fortune. He calls Carl over, who is dressed as a clown and tells him not to let Leslye out of his sight. As they go to leave the apartment, Leslye knocks Carl out and then removes a pendant from her outfit and talks into it. Sumuru who is in the carnival dressed as Cleopatra.

She gives Leslye instructions on where to meet. As she is receives her orders, Irene and Ulla, also dressed for the carnival, see her and listen to her conversation.

When Leslye leaves, Irene and Ulla follow. When Leslye meets Sumuru, she gives her Sir Masius' message. Seeing who Leslye has met and hearing her answer, Irene and Ulla decide to go back and warn Sir Masius, but they have been spotted by Sumuru, who instructs her guards to give chase. The girls go into a warehouse full of old carnival models, to hide from the guards. Only for them to run into Sumuru.

Sumuru contacts Jeff at Sir Masius' apartment to tell him that she has Irene and Ulla. Jeff asks what does she want, because she knows he does not have $10 million, she replies that it has become a personal matter. To make Jeff give up, she instructs Yana to torture Ulla with an electric fan, by holding it against her face. He gives in and she tells him to meet her at 9 o'clock at the airport next to the plane he stole.

That morning, Jeff arrives at the airport alone, were Sumuru, Irene, Ulla, Yana and the guards are waiting for him. They take them back to Femina, where they are manacled to a wall. Sumuru informs them that they will killed one by one, in a manor that she believes is original and that it will take place that night.

That night, Jeff, Irene and Ulla strapped to the floors of the torture room. The ray machine is being used on Jeff.

The next morning an armada of helicopters attacks Femina. The guards respond to the alarm being raised by leaving Jeff and the girls alone. Because of the angle that the machine has been left at, it destroys on of the straps, making it possible for Jeff to get free. He then uses the machine on Ulla's straps, while Irene asks Jeff to free her as well.

Once they are free, they make their way into the room with glass cages. Jeff tells them to stay there, while he goes outside to take a look. As he makes it outside he is confronted by a girl holding a gun, it is Leslye. She tells him not to move or she will shoot, but he keeps on walking towards her and she does not shoot! When he gets close enough he gives her a kiss and that seems to put her back on his side. Sheesh. Irene and Ulla go outside to see what is taking Jeff so long and find him kissing Leslye.

Jeff meets up with Sir Masius and Carl. Once Sir Masius tells Jeff that before they will leave he wants to see Sumuru's gold. Jeff takes them to Sumuru's vault, handy of her to of shown him where it was. But surprise surprise there is Sumuru in green with a big 'S' on it, standing the the middle of the vault surrounded by her gold. Sir Masius tells her that he does not want all of her gold, only a business merger, Sumuru scoffs at him and tells him that in 30 seconds time there will nothing left of them as she is going to blow up Femina. She reaches out and press a button to destroy Femina. Sir Masius, Carl and Jeff make their escape, but Sir Masius is gunned down. Carl returns fire and then runs in another direction. Making is way outside, he too is gunned down. Jeff, Leslye, Irene and Ulla make it to a helicopter and take off. Watching from above they witness the destruction of Femina.

Down by the docks a group of women all dressed in black make their way to a boat. Once aboard it sets sail and in the breeze blowing of the sea, the lead woman's veil is blown back and it revels her to be Sumuru.

All in all not a bad little film from Jess Franco and Harry Alan Towers, with a catchy theme song, which I find myself still humming way after I have finished watching the film. Clearly of it's time, you could almost say its Jess Franco does James Bond. He has taken his lead from the Bond films GOLDFINGER (1964) and YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967). With Richard Wyler like Eon Productions in 1969, he has found a decent substitute to James Bond. Shirley Eaton is just lovely to watch, George Sanders is great as the ever so camp gangster, Maria Rohm is very good as Leslye, Herbert Fleischmann is great as the comedy heavy, Marta Reves looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car, Elisa Montes is wonderful as the scatty accountant for Sanders Sir Masius, while Yana is there for the eye candy.

The film does have its flaws, the guns never firing, the holes in the plot and the repetitive shots of the same girls being shot in the climax, when earlier on they had a lot more. But I can not fault this film that much, but then I am a big fan of sixties spy films. In fact this film reminds me more of THE MAN FROM UNCLE films  more than the James Bond ones.

The DVD was released by Blue Underground in 2004, it is a fully restored animorphic widescreen edition with vibrant colour. It comes with four extras, Rolling in Rio a documentary on the making of the film, with interviews from Jess Franco, Harry Alan Towers and Shirley Eaton., Poster and Still Gallery, The Facts of Sumuru and a Jess Franco Bio.

The DVD can be bought from www.blue-underground.com by clicking the link below.

http://www.blue-underground.com/product.php?product=24

Shirley Eaton says that the love scene between Sumuru and Yana, was shot with a double playing her part, which is true, for the woman playing Sumuru has much longer hair that what Shirley has in the film and her back is towards the camera all the time. THE GIRL FROM RIO was to be Shirley Eaton's last film, after she got back from Brazil, she told her husband, Colin Lento Rowe, that she wanted to concentrate on bring up their two children.

George Sanders would go onto make ten more films before committing suicide in Barcelona in 1972.

Jess Franco shot the film so fast that they still had a week to go before the carnival started. So Harry Alan Towers came up with the idea of another film, 99 WOMEN (1969) and Franco went and shot 25 mins of screen time set in the jungle.

While in Rio, Franco notice the nice hearse's that were used, so he decided that he could use one in the movie, in some ways harking back to the first James Bond film DR. NO (1962).

Richard Wyler was born 20th June 1923 in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, as Richard Stapley. He wrote his first novel when he was 17 in 1940. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Air Force. Following the war he began acting in theater roles in London. He signed to MGM and made his first film in 1948, THE THREE MUSKETEERS opposite Elizabeth Taylor, acting under his birth name. In 1960 he returned to England and made films under his stage name of Richard Wyler. In the 1970s he returned to acting under his birth name. By the 1980s acting roles began to dry up, so he became a radio announcer in Britain and drove racing motorcycles, where he was hospitalised after a crash. He returned to the USA, wrote a novel in 2004 called Naked Legacy and was working on his autobiography when in died on 5th March 2010 of kidney failure.

Maria Rohm was born 13th August 1945 in Vienna, Austria as Helga Grohmann. She began acting at the famous Vienna Burgtheatre at the age of 4 and left when she was 13. She carried on acting on stage until 1963 when she was 18 and she auditioned for Harry Alan Towers. She made her film debut playing a prostitute in TEUFEL IM FLEISCH (1964). Her second film was the first that she made with her husband Harry Alan Towers, whom she married on 28th February 1964, it was called MOZAMBIQUE (1965). She made her last film in 1976, BLUE BELLE playing Susan.

Elisa Montes was born 15th December 1934 in Granada as Elisa Ruiz Penella. She began acting as a child, making her film debut in 1954 aged 20 in ELENA. In 1958 she married Antonio Ozores. In the 1960s she starred in spaghetti-westerns and Jess Franco films. On 2nd February 1966 she gave birth to her daughter Emma Ozores in Madrid, Spain. Her daughter has also become an actress. Also in the 1960 Elisa started her television career. In the 1980s she began her theater career and retired in the 1990s.

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