Soledad Miranda - Blood Queen

Here is Soledad's filmography with information on each of her movies, listed in the approximate order of filming. I have tried to unearth as much as I could on these films, but many are too obscure so there's little to no information available. Quite a few of her movies are not even available on video. An asterisk indicates that I have seen the movie and therefore more information is included. Be aware that some spoliers are revealed, so if you want the outcome of these movies to be a surprise, then read cautiously! I have noticed, eerily enough, that Soledad dies in a lot of her movies. If anyone has a copy of one of these movies that I haven't seen (movies without an asterisk) or further information on these films, please contact me. To purchase Soledad Miranda movies, please visit the store.

*La bella Mimí - *La reina del Tabarín - *Ursus - *Canción de cuna - *The Castilian - *Eva 63 - *Pyro - Cuatro bodas y pico - Bochorno - Las hijas de Helena - Los gatos negros / *A canção da Saudade - Un día en Lisboa - *Fin de semana - Playa de Formentor - *Currito de la Cruz - *Sound of Horror - La familia y uno más - ¡Es mi hombre! - *Sugar Colt - *Cervantes - *100 Rifles - Estudio amueblado 2-P - *Soltera y madre en la vida - Lola la piconera - *Count Dracula - *Cuadecuc/Vampir - *Nightmares Come at Night - Sex Charade - *Eugénie de Sade - *Vampyros Lesbos - *She Killed in Ecstasy - *The Devil Came From Akasava - Juliette - Other and Rumored Projects

*La bella Mimí (1960)...First Dancer
...aka Beautiful Mimí
Director: José María Elorrieta
Stars: Queta Claver; Jaime Avellán; Antonio Garisa
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This musical comedy was Soledad's first movie, though it wasn't released until April 1963. The film is surprisingly similar to Moulin Rouge in its look, characters, and plot. Soledad plays the lead dancer in the opening number and in all the other musical numbers in the movie. She dances in many styles, including can-can and cha-cha. In one scene she is made up to look like an old woman; in another she has a drunken barroom dance. She has quite a bit of screen time for her first movie, mostly dancing, her talent in which surely led her to get this role. The cast was a who's who of Spanish actors; Soledad later appeared with many of them in future movies. Quite interestingly, costar Diana Lorys, who plays another dancer, also later became a Jess Franco actress; she appeared with Soledad in Nightmares Come at Night and Sex Charade. Director José María Elorrieta must have been impressed by young Soledad, for she worked with him in a much larger role the next year in Canción de cuna, in which Jaime Avellán played her love interest and Antonio Garisa played her adoptive father.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from La bella Mimí and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is for sale in the store. My copy is in Spanish; if anyone has a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: They will love to see her dance in this movie. She is quite talented and appears in many musical numbers throughout the film. It’s also of interest as it is Soledad’s first movie, and naturally she looks much younger than in her more famous films of 1970. Finally, it is very eerie to see her in old-age makeup!

*La reina del Tabarín (1960)...Duchess (uncredited)
...aka Mariquita, la Belle du Tabarin; Queen of the Tabarin Club
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Mikaela Wood; Yves Massard; Danielle Godet; Antonio Garisa
Country - Language: Spain/France - Spanish

This musical romance was Soledad's first film with Jess Franco (and her first released film, in November 1960). The plot and setting are very similar to La bella Mimí. Soledad plays the part of a duchess (or queen, depending on the dub) who walks into the club and sits for a while. Blink and you'll miss her! Soledad got the cameo because she was a friend of star Mikaela Wood, who in turn knew Jess Franco. This was an important film for Franco as it was his entry into the professional film world. Franco later said of Soledad, "She played a very very small part and she was very nice and completely ignorant, she didn't know one word about cinema or about anything in the world. And she was very pretty." Several years later, Soledad became Franco's star in numerous movies (Count Dracula, Eugénie de Sade, Nightmares Come at Night, Sex Charade, Vampyros Lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy, and The Devil Came From Akasava). Oddly enough, the French version is in black and white and begins several scenes into the Spanish version, at the introduction of the leading man.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from La reina del Tabarín and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is for sale in the store. My copies are in Spanish and French; if anyone has a copy with English dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: This is how it all started. Though her presence in this film is negligible, it is of interest as it was her first time to work with Jess Franco, who later made her a star. Jess Franco fans should see it because it's where it all started for him, too (though it bears no resemblance to his later work!).
*Ursus (1960)...Fillide
...aka Mighty Ursus; Ursus, Son of Hercules; Ursus, Rächer der Sklaven
Director: Carlo Campogalliani
Stars: Ed Fury; Moira Orfei; Cristina Gaioni; María Luisa Merlo; Luis Prendes
Country - Language: Italy/Spain - Italian

Filmed in Madrid in 1960 and released in several countries from 1961-1963, this movie stars bodybuilder Ed Fury as the legendary Ursus in a sword-and-sandal adventure. The plot is typical peplum: good versus bad. Soledad plays a friend of the leading lady and often accompanies her. Sentenced to be sacrificed to the goddess, she is rescued from the killer bull but does not escape death when the final battle ensues. This is Soledad's first screen death by arrow; the other is in Cervantes. Soledad went on to appear with costar Luis Prendes in Pyro.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Ursus and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: She has a sweet role and looks great, plus this is her first of many screen deaths.

*Canción de cuna (1961)...Teresa
...aka Cradle Song
Director: José María Elorrieta
Stars: Lina Rosales; Soledad Miranda; Jaime Avellán; Antonio Garisa
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This movie is the fourth adaptation of the classic melodrama by Gregorio Martínez Sierra, the first filmed in Spain, and was released in December 1961. Set at a convent around the end of the 19th century, it's about a group of nuns who raise a baby girl left at their door. Soledad is adorable as the ingenue and has a large role. This is not a musical, but Soledad has several songs throughout, showcasing her beautiful voice.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Canción de cuna and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store. My copy is in Spanish; if anyone has a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: This was Soledad's largest role in the early part of her career, and she performs very well. It's a great contrast to her later Franco movies, because of the singing but also because she spends half the movie with a huge smile on her face!

*The Castilian (1962)...Maria Estevez
...aka El valle de las espadas; Die Kastilier; I Leoni di Castiglia; Valley of the Swords
Director: Javier Setó
Stars: Cesar Romero; Broderick Crawford; Espartaco Santoni; Teresa Velázquez; Alida Valli
Country - Language: Spain/USA - English

The Castilian and Pyro are two films Soledad appeared in for American expatriate producer Sidney Pink. The former, about a nobleman leading his people against invaders, takes a look at the medieval Spanish wars between the Moors and the Christians. Filmed in 1962 at the actual sites in Spain where the historical events unfolded, it was released internationally between 1963-1966. Soledad plays a Castilian woman who is to be given to the Moors to appease them. (This annual tradition was known as the "Tribute of 100 Maidens" during the Islamic invasion.) She later appears as part of a group of young women who strip and bathe in a public stream to distract invading troops from the surprise military rebuttal of their men folk. Frankie Avalon appears as a traveling minstrel who narrates the story. In his autobiography So You Want to Make Movies: My Life as an Independent Film Producer, Sidney Pink relates the numerous frustrations of working on this movie and especially cites Espartaco Santoni as a terrible person to work with. Teresa Velázquez must have liked him, though, for they got married after working together in this movie.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from The Castilian and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: Soledad has a small part, but this was one of the major movies she appeared in as it has several international stars. It's also how Sidney Pink discovered her, which led to her much larger role in Pyro. Also of interest is that Soledad looks much more buxom and healthy than in her final (and more famous) films.

*Eva 63 (1963)...Soledad
Director: Pedro Lazaga
Stars: Laura Valenzuela; Elisa Montés; Elvira Quintillá; Soledad Miranda; Ángela Bravo
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This is a comedy about the intersecting stories of five women and their loves, hopes, problems, and failures, filmed in 1963. Soledad plays a seamstress who later becomes a movie actress and falls in love. In one scene she stands on top of a table and sings and dances for the other workers. Later she sings and dances at a club and is quite adorable! She sings to an older gentleman, a duke, who may be her father. She comes home drunk and is chastised by being put in the cold shower. Soledad later worked with director Pedro Lazaga in Fin de semana. Laura Valenzuela, here her roommate, later played her sister in Las hijas de Helena.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Eva 63 and here to find it on IMDB. To listen to Soledad sing in Eva 63, click here. This movie is for sale in the store. My copy of this movie is in Spanish; if anyone has a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: She sings and dances and is totally adorable! It's also a good example of her comedic talent.

*Pyro (1963)...Liz Frade
...aka Fuego; Pyro: The Thing Without a Face; Wheel of Fire
Director: Julio Coll
Stars: Barry Sullivan; Martha Hyer; Soledad Miranda; Sherry Moreland; Luis Prendes
Country - Language: Spain/USA - English

A forerunner of Fatal Attraction, this underrated Spanish thriller has a remarkably mature screenplay. Soledad plays a very sweet but naïve girl who has a soft spot for stray dogs. She falls for a mysterious older man. According to the pressbook, this movie had several firsts. It was the first movie to have a $50 million set (Spain's Belesar Dam). Additionally, it was the first horror suspense movie filmed in Spain. It also was the first movie ever to be filmed in the province of Galicia, which is in northern Spain. Apparently the locals turned out en masse to see the cast and crew filming the movie. According to producer Sidney Pink, it was also the first time in Spain's history that a native director was allowed to direct such internationally famous actors as Barry Sullivan and Martha Hyer. In So You Want to Make Movies: My Life as an Independent Film Producer, Pink describes the making of Pyro (or as he originally called it, Phantom of the Ferris Wheel) as "as delightful an experience as I ever enjoyed in my entire filmmaking career," quite unlike the other movie he made with Soledad, The Castilian. He describes working with Soledad in his book: "In making The Castilian, we discovered a sixteen-year-old blonde beauty, Soledad Miranda. I was so impressed by her native ability that we put her under long-term contract with our company. She played the part of the young daughter of the owner of the carnival who falls in love with the totally unresponsive ferris wheel repairman. It was a nothing role, but she did well with it." He sums the film up as "one of the pictures I am most proud of." The press campaign for the movie pushed eighteen-year-old Hispanic "sex-sation" Soledad Miranda as an up-and-coming actress to watch: "The young beauty displays freshness and natural acting ability which will make males whistle and demand to see more of her startling attractiveness. Remember the name - Soledad Miranda. Pyro is only the beginning for the youngster, a sure bet to take her place as Spain's representative among the world's top beauties and acting stars." Filmed in Spain in 1963, Pyro premiered in 1964 in America (January) and in Spain (March).
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Pyro and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: This film is a must for Soledad fans, especially since it is available on DVD. Not only does Soledad have a good-sized part, but of all her movies, this one (along with 100 Rifles) probably had the widest distribution and its two stars were big names in Hollywood. This is our first glimpse at her true acting talent as she holds her own with Barry Sullivan. Not only that, but it's simply a very good movie. Fans won't be disappointed!

Cuatro bodas y pico (1963)
...aka Four Weddings and Tip
Director: Feliciano Catalán
Stars: Antonio Garisa; Antonio Casal; George Martin
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This is a typical Spanish comedy. Don José is a writer from Madrid, the father of four beauties with boyfriends. Soledad plays the younger sister (father's favorite) whose boyfriend wants to marry her. The other rebellious sisters force their fiancés to ask the father for marriage. He doesn't agree, because to marry four daughters at once is above his economic possibilities. A publisher entrusts him to write a novel around the rebellious, maladjusted, resentful youth. But the girls act like fools, and their father is forced to accept the proposals. This way four weddings are celebrated, with an extra "tip": the maid takes advantage of this situation to also get married. Returning from the honeymoon, each has problems. The younger is jealous of her husband's client, who is a dentist. The second, who has married a taxi driver, doesn't accept his hobby as embalmer. The third lives in the house of her husband's aunt, with considerable daily conflicts, and the fourth girl is married to a journalist who works at night and sleeps all day. So sorrow by sorrow, all the girls run away and return back to the house of their father, and after a few minutes their husbands arrive too. Don José will use all of his diplomacy and his cognac to achieve the reconciliations.
Click here for pictures from Cuatro bodas y pico and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know. According to the IMDB, this movie was released in Germany over 40 years after its original Spanish release!

Bochorno (1963)
...aka Shame
Director: Juan de Orduña
Stars: María Mahor; José Moreno; Gina Romand
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

Released in November 1963, this drama is based on the novel by Ángel María de Lera. Miguel is looking for good work and making plans with Cristina, his fiancée. But he is going to undergo a strong temptation. Leandro, an important and unscrupulous businessman, wants to use Miguel to his benefit. Soledad later appeared with costars Antonio Casas in Sound of Horror and Cervantes and María Mahor in Las hijas de Helena. Diana Lorys also makes an appearance.
Click here to find this movie on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know. According to the IMDB, this movie was released in Germany over 40 years after its original Spanish release!

Las hijas de Helena (1963)...Mari Pó
... aka Las tres hijas de Elena; The Daughters of Helena
Director: Mariano Ozores
Stars: Isabel Garcés; Antonio Ozores; Laura Valenzuela; José Luis López Vázquez; María Mahor
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

In this comedy, it is the wedding day of three beautiful sisters. Soledad plays one of them. She acted with several of her costars from this movie in other films, including José Luis López Vázquez later in several films. The publicity campaign proclaimed the film would cause infectious laughter. And one publicity phrase was "Three weddings suspended! Not even Alfred Hitchcock has never achieved as much 'suspense'! He has never achieved a greater 'thriller'!"
Click here for a synposis and pictures from Las hijas de Helena and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

Los gatos negros (1964)
...aka Canción de nostalgia; Os gatos pretos; The Black Cats
Director: José Luis Monter
Stars: Ismael Merlo; Florbela Queirós; Américo Coimbra; Soledad Miranda
Country - Language: Spain/Portugal - Spanish

*A canção da Saudade (1964)...Babá
... aka The Song of the Homesickness
Director: Henrique Campos
Stars: Ismael Merlo; Florbela Queirós; Américo Coimbra; Soledad Miranda
Country - Language: Portugal - Portuguese

In 1964, Soledad starred in three films shot in Portugal that brought together artists from Portugal and Spain. The first two were musical comedies filmed in Lisbon, alternate-language versions of the same story for Spain and Portugal, and shared the same producers and cast and crew members. The Spanish version, Los gatos negros (called Canción de nostalgia in Spain during filming), was directed by Monter, and the Portuguese version, A canção da Saudade, by Campos. The third film was a short travel documentary directed by the cinematographer of the musical. All three films included José Manuel Simões in the cast. Years later, when Soledad had married Simões, she revealed that they'd met on the set of this musical and that he had been a producer on it. There is more information available about the Portuguese version of the film, A canção da Saudade, which was released in Portugal in September 1964. It featured the real-life rock and roll band Los gatos negros. Soledad plays the girlfriend of the lead singer of the band; her diverse dancing talents are put to good use. In interviews at the time, Soledad said this was one of her favorite films she'd made so far.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from these films. Click here to find Los gatos negros on IMDB and here to find A canção da Saudade on IMDB. If anyone has the Spanish version, or a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know. The Portuguese version is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: This is the Soledad who released records as a pop singer. Her hair is light-colored and it's wonderful to see her cute rock and roll dancing! Furthermore, Soledad was proud of this film. It's also fun to hear her speak Portuguese.

Un día en Lisboa (1964)
...aka A Day in Lisbon
Director: Alfonso Nieva
Stars: Soledad Miranda; José Manuel Simões; Alberto Bausili
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This is a short travel documentary with a fictional representation about a couple of lovers traveling across the cities of Lisbon and Estoril, Portugal. The director was the cinematographer on Los gatos negros and A canção da Saudade. Un día en Lisboa, Los gatos negros, and A canção da Saudade all costarred an actor named José Manuel Simões, who a couple of years later became Soledad's husband in real life. Read the bio page for more details and the eerie coincidence between this movie and Soledad's death. Click here to find this movie on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

*Fin de semana (1964)
...aka Weekend
Director: Pedro Lazaga
Stars: José Luis López Vázquez; Antonio Ozores; Elvira Quintillá
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This romantic comedy was filmed in Madrid and released in November 1964. Soledad plays a girl whose boyfriend takes her on a date. Unfortunately for him, she decides to bring her little brother along. In a bizarre fantasy sequence, Soledad is a cave woman captured by a gorilla!
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Fin de semana and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is for sale in the store. My copy of this movie is in Spanish; if anyone has a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: It's a good example of her comedic talent. She remains believable even in the strangest of sequences. And who doesn't want to see cave-woman Soledad?

Playa de Formentor (1964)
...aka Beach of Formentor
Director: Germán Lorente
Stars: Gabriele Tinti; Margit Kocsis; Gérard Tichy; Soledad Miranda
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This movie is about romantic and social intrigue among young well-to-do summer vacationers at the beach. With a theme of mundane modern life in the upper echelons, it deals with lavishness and frivolity. A press ad advises that "it could have happened last summer..." and calls the story "unknown and intense." Apparently Soledad had to go beyond the normal duties of acting in a scene of her driving a speedboat. In a magazine article about the film, Soledad was said to have run up the beach crying of joy after the sports expert for the movie taught her to drive the boat. She had to live up to costar Margit Kocsis, whom she had watched filming a water skiing scene an hour before. Since her boat lesson went well, Soledad felt confident about her stunt. Although the film began shooting in October 1964, it was not released until November 1965. In interviews at the time of filming, Soledad said this and Los gatos negros were her favorite films she'd made so far. Currito de la Cruz would soon top that list.
Click here for pictures from Playa de Formentor and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

*Currito de la Cruz (1965)... Rocío
...aka Currito of the Cross
Director: Rafael Gil
Stars: Francisco Rabal; Arturo Fernández; Manuel Cano "El Pireo"; Soledad Miranda
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This drama is based on the novel by Alejandro Pérez Lugín and was released in July 1965. It was the fourth and definitive cinematic version of that book, which was about bullfighting (with a stellar cast and the first shot in color). Previous versions had been made in 1926, 1936, and 1949; all were Spanish. Soledad is the leading lady in this tale of unrequited love. This movie was filmed in Madrid, Murcia, and Seville, Spain. Soledad later worked with Arturo Fernández as her love interest in Sound of Horror, with Francisco Rabal in Cervantes, and with director Rafael Gil in ¡Es mi hombre!. The pressbook advertised Francisco Rabal and Arturo Fernández in a sensational artistic "mano a mano." One critic, who called 90 percent of Spanish film irrelevant, was surprised to enjoy this film; he says his opinion was influenced by the performance of Soledad, who acts naturally and miraculously manages to give sympathy to her seduced and abandoned character. Part of the film's proceeds went to help injured bullfighters.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Currito de la Cruz and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is for sale in the store. My copy of this movie is in Spanish; if anyone has a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: In this movie we see Soledad stretch her drama muscles in a challenging role in which she evolves from a silly girl into a mature single mother. She acts alongside some of Spain's leading men in her sizable role. She also sings a heartfelt song during a religious procession and we later see her dance yet again. She is very gorgeous and sophisticated-looking in this film. Furthermore, Soledad was proud of this film. Bullfighting, however, is a deplorable sport and this movie is very graphic.

*Sound of Horror (1965)...Maria
...aka El sonido de la muerte; El sonido prehistórico; The Sound from a Million Years Ago; Sound of Death
Director: José Antonio Nieves Conde
Stars: James Philbrook; Arturo Fernández; José Bódalo; Soledad Miranda; Ingrid Pitt
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This is an adventure/horror movie about a small group of treasure hunters who accidentally release a terrifying invisible dinosaur. Filming began in Spain in 1965 and it was released in August 1966. Soledad looks beautiful as always, yet quite different from her well-known films of 1970. There is a wonderful scene where she performs a traditional Greek dance for the other members of the expedition. Interestingly enough, this movie starred two actresses who would go on to become cult stars of European horror movies: Soledad, of course, and also Ingrid Pitt, who said: "Soledad Miranda played my opposite number in it. I don't remember much about it, except that it was very cheap!" Visit the tribute section to read more comments about Soledad from Ingrid Pitt. Arturo Fernández played her love interest in this movie; he had played her love interest in Currito de la Cruz.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Sound of Horror and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: It's another must for Soledad fans as she has a large role and this was also a movie distributed internationally. The movie is worth watching just for her dance! The biggest bonus is getting to see her act alongside a young Ingrid Pitt, another cult legend. This is a pretty cheesy movie, but the suspense is actually good in places and Soledad looks good and handles the material well.

La familia y uno más (1965)...Patricia
...aka The Family Plus One
Director: Fernando Palacios
Stars: Alberto Closas; Julia Gutiérrez Caba; José Luis López Vázquez
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This comedy was released in September 1965. It is a sequel to La gran familia (1962; by the same director), which was one of the most famous films of Spanish cinema. The enormous box office success of La gran familia led to two sequels: La familia y uno más and La familia, bien gracias (as well as a TV movie in 1999). The life of the large family of Carlos Alonso, an architect’s assistant, has undergone many changes with the passage of years. The birth of his sixteenth child, little Maria, coincides with the death of his wife. His grandfather also has passed away. His godfather, a pastry maker, has married and his sons have been growing quickly. His elder daughter has become engaged, while his son who studied architecture is a famous architect. Nevertheless, the father still must take care of the rest of his children. Also, his first grandson is born, and Carlos begins to fear the day he will be left alone. Soledad plays Patricia, a young wealthy girl with bad eyesight (she wears a pair of oversized glasses). Her car crashes several times in the movie with Carlos's car. She is really pretty and amusing, with her "blonde" appearance, beautiful smile, and her stunning big black eyes. At the end of the film, she becomes the fiancée of Carlos's son (the architect). Soledad herself drove the car for stunts where her character crashes with another. One of the crashes was a bit too hard and it made Soledad afraid of driving.
Click here for pictures from La familia y uno más and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

¡Es mi hombre! (1966)...Leonor Jiménez
...aka He is My Man
Director: Rafael Gil
Stars: José Luis López Vázquez; Soledad Miranda; Mercedes Vecino; Rafael Alonso
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This comedy is the fourth cinematic adaptation of the play by Carlos Arniches, updated for 1966. The movie was filmed in Madrid and released in March 1966. Soledad plays a pure and virginal girl in this moralizing tale. The filmmakers recruited real yé-yé clubgoers to appear in the film.
Click here for a synopsis and pictures from ¡Es mi hombre! and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

*Sugar Colt (1966)...Josefa
...aka El día de la masacre; Rocco der Mann mit denn Zwei Gesichtern
Director: Franco Giraldi
Stars: Jack Betts (aka Hunt Powers); Soledad Miranda; Giuliano Raffaelli; Gina Rovere; George Rigaud
Country - Language: Spain/Italy - Italian

In this spaghetti western filmed in Italy, Soledad plays a flirtatious barmaid who falls for the gunslinger Sugar Colt. Despite not liking him initially, she grows fond of him and by the end of the movie she is stowed away in his horsecart. Over 40 years after it was made, Sugar Colt was screened at the 2007 Venice Film Festival in a spaghetti western retrospective. Director Franco Giraldi and star Jack Betts were in attendance. Cinema Retro's John Exshaw spoke to Giraldi, who said of his film: "It's not perfect, not all. It is, I think, very naïve. But there are things I like... I have not seen it for years." He agreed that Soledad Miranda was good, adding "but she died very young." Star Jack Betts told me that Soledad "had a light in her eyes that assured me that I was going to have a terrific time working on this film." Visit the tribute section to read what else he said about Soledad.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Sugar Colt and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: Soledad is absolutely charming in this movie: coy, cocky, and flirtatious. Her part is a good size and her comedic rapport with Hunt Powers is great.

*Cervantes (1966)...Nessa
...aka Les aventures extraordinaires de Cervantes; Cervantes: Der Abenteurer des Königs; The Young Rebel
Director: Vincent Sherman
Stars: Horst Buchholz; Gina Lollobrigida; José Ferrer; Francisco Rabal; Louis Jourdan; Fernando Rey
Country - Language: Italy/Spain/France - English/Spanish

This epic adventure chronicles the early life of Miguel de Cervantes, Spain's great 16th-century novelist, playwright, poet, and the author of Don Quixote. It is highly fictionalized and based on the book Cervantes by Bruno Frank. Soledad plays a kind slave who nurses Cervantes to health after he has been beaten and then falls in love with him. She is shot with an arrow and killed during an uprising of the slaves. This movie's full American title is Cervantes: The Young Rebel from LaMancha. This is Soledad's second screen death by arrow; the first was in Ursus. Before signing the contract, Soledad had to say her role in English. Luckily, she had learned English, and used it recently while filming Sugar Colt. It's worth noting that Soledad filmed some of her scenes when eight months pregnant! She had to film the scene where she was killed. Luckily, she was only needed in closeups and a non-pregnant double was used for body shots. This movie was filmed in beautiful locations in Italy and Spain, including the Alhambra and Generalife. Cervantes was shot at the height of the tourist season. The actors spent lots of time posing for pictures and filming was often interrupted. Director Vincent Sherman came up with a solution: he divided his cast and crew into "real" and "make-believe". The phony unit had lights, actors, and a camera, but no film. Sherman would stage something spectacular for the phony crew to distract the tourists and then quietly steal back to his real camera for some semi-private shooting. Filming began in 1966 and the movie was released in several countries between 1967-1969.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Cervantes and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is for sale in the store. The version of the movie I have is edited to 118 minutes, but the full version contains about ten minutes of extra footage. Unfortunately, some of the deleted scenes are with Soledad. It's also possible that several of her scenes were cut from the original version. If anyone has the full version of this movie, please let me know!
Soledad fans should see it because: Soledad’s role is not very big, but it is pivotal and very touching. Plus, she shares the screen briefly with the very highly respected late actor José Ferrer, who happened to be George Clooney's uncle.

*100 Rifles (1969)...Girl in Hotel
...aka Les cent fusils; El Verdugo; 100 Gewehre
Director: Tom Gries
Stars: Jim Brown; Burt Reynolds; Raquel Welch; Fernando Lamas
Country - Language: USA - English

After Cervantes, Soledad traded her artistic life for family life and took a two-year break from performing. In a December 1968 interview, she revealed: "The truth is that I did not think of returning, but when they gave me a role in 100 Rifles it occurred to me that, in spite of being very happy with my husband and my son, staying in cinema would complete my happiness." Filmed in Spain and released in March 1969, this western is based on the novel by Robert MacLeod and portrays a shady Indian, Yaqui Joe Herrera, played by Burt Reynolds. Soledad appears at the beginning of the movie in a scene with him. They are in a hotel and are lovers; Soledad demands money from him, but he refuses and it gets a little rough. Their fracas on the hotel balcony (where Soledad is topless) is witnessed by all the townspeople. A Spanish journalist who saw the film in London wrote that Soledad's "charms" had nothing to envy of Raquel Welch's, and begged the Spanish censors to let her countrymen see and admire all that God had given her!
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from 100 Rifles and here to find it on IMDB. Click here to hear an MP3 of Soledad speaking English in this movie. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: Another must for Soledad fans; her part is small but we see her in a topless argument with Burt Reynolds…definitely the most famous actor Soledad worked with and probably one of the most generally famous movies she was in, as well as one of the most widely-distributed.

Estudio amueblado 2-P (1969)...Maribel
...aka Furnished Studio 2-P
Director: José María Forqué
Stars: Fernando Fernán Gómez; José Luis López Vázquez; Amparo Soler Leal; Esperanza Roy; Soledad Miranda
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This comedy was filmed in several Spanish cities and was released in October 1969. It is about two bank employees who use a computer to determine the girls for their sexual affairs. Soledad plays one of the girls. I haven't seen the movie, but by the looks of the publicity stills, Soledad dances her heart out! This movie brought back two actresses who had left the movies for various reasons: Amparo Soler Leal, who had a serious illness that kept her from acting for over a year; and Soledad, who after her happy marriage and motherhood continued feeling the acting bug and got permission from her husband to work again.
Click here for a synopsis and pictures from Estudio amueblado 2-P and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

*Soltera y madre en la vida (1969)...Paloma
...aka Unmarried and Mother in Life
Director: Javier Aguirre
Stars: Lina Morgan; Alfredo Landa; Manolo Gómez Bur; Laly Soldevila; Soledad Miranda
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

This comedy was filmed in Madrid and was released in October 1969. The movie recounts the hardships of a woman who will have to face single motherhood after being seduced and abandoned by her boyfriend whose friends convinced him he has nothing to do with her situation. Soledad plays her best friend who works at a beauty salon.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Soltera y madre en la vida and here to find it on IMDB. Click here to hear an MP3 of Soledad speaking Spanish in this movie. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store. My copy is in Spanish; if anyone has a copy with English or French dubbing or subtitles, please let me know.
Soledad fans should see it because: Soledad shines in comedic acting in this film, and she looks absolutely gorgeous! In my opinion she looks more beautiful here than in any other movie she did.

Lola la piconera (1969) (TV)...Rosarillo
...aka Lola the Coal Girl
Director: Fernando García de la Vega
Stars: Rocío Jurado; Soledad Miranda; Rafael de Córdoba; Germán Cobos; Tomás Blanco
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish
This sentimental musical, based on the play Cuando las Cortés de Cádiz by José María Pemán, was made for Spanish television. The most famous adaptation of his story was in the 1951 melodrama starring Juanita Reina. According to a magazine article about this film, the music is very Spanish and the costumes and choreography are spectacular. The film was shot during the summer, and it was apparently quite hot. A journalist visitor to the set admired the cast and crew's dedication and love for their work, despite spending so long in the heat and managing not to faint. Many scenes were set at gypsy camps and the studio used real gypsies, along with their donkeys and carts! There were a lot of big numbers, so many of the cast were professional singers and dancers. Though it was made for television, the director chose to use film cameras and also to shoot in color, as he was anticipating the future of television. Soledad plays a sympathetic gypsy; her husband was played by the popular singer "Rafa" de Córdoba. Soledad and Rafa escaped a serious accident when a lamp exploded and shattered hot crystals where they had been minutes before.
Click here for pictures from Lola la piconera and here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

*Count Dracula (1970)...Lucy Westenra
...aka Bram Stoker's Count Dracula; El conde Drácula; Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht; Il conte Dracula; Les nuits de Dracula
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Christopher Lee; Herbert Lom; Klaus Kinski; Maria Rohm; Soledad Miranda; Jack Taylor
Country - Language: Spain/West Germany/Italy/Liechtenstein - English/Spanish

Filmed in Spain and Germany, Jess Franco's version of the Bram Stoker classic has Count Dracula as an old man who grows younger whenever he dines on the blood of young maidens. This movie is quite faithful to the novel, unlike so many other Dracula films of the period. Starring screen legend Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, it also features Franco regulars Fred Williams, Maria Rohm, Jack Taylor, and Paul Müller. Franco appears in the film (as he does in many of his movies) as a servant to Professor Van Helsing. Soledad plays Lucy, the innocent girl who becomes a seemingly all-too-willing victim of the Count and later becomes a vampire herself. Franco contributes great direction and a perfectly eerie atmosphere to this low-budget film, which was one of Soledad's most prominent international roles. They were filming in Spain because they had gorgeous locations there, but they needed to give a good role to a native Spaniard in order to please the film authorities. Franco suggested Soledad, "and so we ask her to come and I introduce her to the executive producers of that, and she was so pretty that immediately they were interested." According to Franco, Christopher Lee was not very happy when he learned Lucy would be played by a "Spanish all-hot gypsy girl from Andalucía." But Franco said "Shut up, Christopher. Wait the first shooting day with her and then, you tell me what you think and what you want." Franco said, "as a matter of fact when he shot the first sequence with her, after that he came 'Oh my god, she's unbelievably good. OK.'" Between takes of a scene in which Dracula seduces Lucy and bites her throat, Christopher Lee is reported to have confessed to his director: "I've played this scene many times, but this woman is giving me something no other actress ever has." The book Immoral Tales says of Soledad: "The normally reticent Lee waxed poetic about the sheer chemistry of this naturally poised beauty." The talented cast and direction, as well as a fantastic score by Bruno Nicolai, make this one of the best filmed versions of the Dracula story and a great companion to Francis Ford Coppola's version made decades later. This movie premiered in Germany in April 1970 but was not shown elsewhere until after Soledad's death (1971 in Spain and France; 1973 in the US, UK, and Italy).
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Count Dracula and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store. The US DVD print is a bit dark, but the Spanish DVD print is a bit yellow.
Soledad fans should see it because: You can’t really be a Soledad fan unless you’ve seen this movie! It’s her first real role in a Jess Franco movie, she portrays Bram Stoker’s famous character Lucy, and, most of all, she has several scenes with the legendary Christopher Lee. A definite must!

*Cuadecuc/Vampir (1970)...Herself
Director: Pere Portabella
Stars: Christopher Lee; Herbert Lom; Soledad Miranda; Jack Taylor; Maria Rohm
Country - Language: Spain - English

This is an avant-garde experimental documentary about the filming of Count Dracula. Director Pere Portabella took the same actors, sets, and part of the plot of Franco's movie, and turned them into a poem. There is no dialogue, only an atmospheric background score and eerie sound effects (except for at the end, when Christopher Lee reads an excerpt from Bram Stoker's novel). It is the only known footage of Soledad as the person she was in real life. In one of the film's most magical moments, Portabella captures the filming of Lucy's staking, including the precious preparatory moments of Soledad's stage makeup being applied and Jack Taylor (who plays the role of Quincey Morris) gathering her up in his arms and placing her inside her casket. There is some confusion about how the title is written. I have seen it referred to as Vampyr/Cuadecuc; Cuadecuc-Vampir; Cuadecuc, vampir; and Cuadecuc (Vampir). The actual onscreen title is Cuadecuc, with Vampir in smaller letters below. Therefore, I refer to it here as Cuadecuc/Vampir. Cuadecuc is Catalan for "worm's tail," so the title means "worm's tail vampire." This has to be Soledad's most high-brow work; it showed at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1971. Jess Franco himself had high praise for the documentary in an interview in Cine Zine Zone in 1991, while noting his love for his own film Count Dracula has cooled over the years: "Anyway, over the years, the film, in my opinion, left me a little cold... Maybe, and I refuse to give you the reasons, it's because of an excess of respect in comparison to the book. It was a very eventful shooting and the presence of Pere Portabella, with his cameras around the filming locations and revealing all my tricks, led to difficulties. VAMPIR-CUADECUC constitutes, in the Spanish fantasy movies, my favorite movie." In 1996 Franco told European Trash Cinema: "I like it very much, very much. Because I think it's the other side of the whole thing. [...] His point of view is plastic but it's fantastic and I love it."
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Cuadecuc/Vampir and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: This is the only known footage of Soledad in real life. Fans will be touched to see her in behind-the-scenes footage as she flirts with the camera and is placed in her coffin.

*Nightmares Come at Night (1970) (as Susann Korda)...Neighbor's Girlfriend
...aka Les cauchemars naissent la nuit; Nachtmerries komen's nachts; Les yeux de la nuit; Sangre en la noche
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Diana Lorys; Paul Müller; Colette Giacobine; Soledad Miranda; Andrés Monales
Country - Language: Belgium/Liechtenstein - French

In this film, Soledad plays a jewel thief's greedy girlfriend and spends her time spying on the neighbors, drinking, and lounging about naked. There has been much confusion about the chronology of Sex Charade and Nightmares Come at Night. It was said that Jess Franco made a deal after the success of Count Dracula to film three erotic thrillers and offered Soledad a part in each. Franco is known for shooting footage for several movies simultaneously. However, Sex Charade and Nightmares Come at Night were actually begun before Count Dracula (according to Alain Petit, this was verified by Franco himself, who said Sex Charade was shot first). Franco started the two films in his holiday time between filming The Bloody Judge and Count Dracula, with money from his friend Karl Heinz Mannchen. Petit says another producer invested more money later on and the films were completed. It is likely that Franco added Soledad into these films after working with her on the Dracula film. Soledad had not worked in erotic films before, but trusted Franco implicitly. He said, "I asked her about the problems of nudity, she said 'fwooh, my god, I have no this kind of problem.'" Concerned about maintaining her family's privacy, Soledad agreed to appear in these films under the condition that she could use a screen name, and that her known professional name would appear only on heavily-censored Spanish prints. Franco said, "She and the family didn't want to mention that name for a kind of sexy or half-erotic or whatever film." Franco agreed with the request, concocting a new identity for his star with the name "Susann Korda." Franco said, "We ask her of course, 'How you like to be called Susann Korda?' [She] said 'Strange, it's funny but I like.'" According to Petit, Franco later regretted having advised Soledad to make this career move, feeling that it ultimately factored in her fatal accident. (Lest there be any confusion, be aware that "erotic" in this case does not mean pornographic! It just means sexy nudity; in fact, these films are less graphic sexually than many mainstream films made today.) These films share many of the same cast members (several of which Soledad had worked with before), including Paul Müller, Diana Lorys, and Maria Rohm. Jess Franco reportedly produced Nightmares Come at Night himself and therefore was free from any censorship, so it is very erotic. It was released in Belgium several years after it was made and has been unavailable until its DVD release.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Nightmares Come at Night and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: Her part is small, but very upbeat for a Franco movie. She looks great!
Sex Charade (1970) (as Susann Korda)...Anna
...aka Le labyrinthe du sexe
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda; Paul Müller; Diana Lorys; Maria Rohm
Country - Language: Liechtenstein - French

Jess Franco has said that Sex Charade was shot before Nightmares Come at Night; in another interview he said Nightmares was Soledad's first erotic film with him. So perhaps her role in Sex Charade was not erotic. Although it has been reported that Soledad plays Anna, the star, Jess Franco said that Soledad "played a very small part. And she was very good." The movie is unreleased so I don't know if she plays Anna or a smaller part as Franco said. Anna is a single woman who lives alone in a cottage. She has to harbor a fugitive from an asylum when an escaped maniac forces his way into her home, vowing not to harm her if she does not alert the authorities. In order to stay awake and prevent Anna from getting help, he makes her tell him a story. Inspired by her situation, Anna spins a fanciful narrative concerning a young girl who escapes from her imprisonment by savages only to find herself yearning for a return to bondage. According to the book Immoral Tales, Sex Charade was pieced together using leftover footage from other projects. It is a cyclical film, a series of stories designed to be shown continuously so that the audience could walk in at any point and be able to follow the action. Though a good concept, the end product apparently didn't live up to expectations; it was a sexploitation romp that didn't go anywhere. Despite rumors of a DVD, this movie remains unreleased and unavailable since its French premire in 1970. Click here to find it on IMDB. I've never seen this movie, so if you have please let me know.

*Eugénie de Sade (1970) (as Susann Korda)...Eugénie de Franval
...aka De Sade 2000; Eugénie; Eugenie Sex Happening; Sade's Eugenia
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda; Paul Müller; Jess Franco; Andrés Monales; Greta Schmidt
Country - Language: Liechtenstein/France - French/German

Jess Franco finally cast Soledad as his star in Eugénie de Sade after giving her smaller parts in Count Dracula, Sex Charade, and Nightmares Come at Night. In Eugénie de Sade, Soledad is transformed from the classical victim of Count Dracula into a truly modern sadist. Franco based his screenplay on the Marquis de Sade's Eugenie de Franval, and it remains the closest any film has come to capturing the spiraling contradictions of Sadean philosophy, as well as the dry wit of the notorious author. In this movie, sex and death are inseparable. Soledad dominates and enriches the film; her coquettish behavior and enigmatic screen presence make it impossible to look away. She seems to spend half her screen time curled up with her knees to her chest, looking perfectly innocent, which makes her turn to the "dark side" all the more interesting. Franco himself appears throughout the film, whose storyline is told from Eugénie's deathbed as she recounts her tragic life to him. The film's last shot of him, looking mournfully down at the dead woman, is one of Franco's finest moments as both actor and director. A lush and haunting melodic score by Bruno Nicolai (who also composed the music for Count Dracula) adds to the beauty of this film, which was shot in Paris and Berlin. Franco said of Soledad, "I think she's very good in Eugénie, she's wonderful in Eugénie." Robert Monell was lucky enough to interview Paul Müller about the film: "Paul Müller informed me that the January 1970 shoot was in chaos over the lack of funds and the fact that the director was also filming at least one other project simultaneously, not to mention that there was no completed script, only last minute pages handed to the cast after Franco had scribbled them on set." Müller was a highly disciplined actor and Franco's working style made him unhappy.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Eugénie de Sade and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store. According to the IMDB, this movie screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001.
Soledad fans should see it because: This was Soledad’s first starring role in a Franco movie and one of her finest performances ever - both mystifying and complex as she and her stepfather commit their crimes. Is she an innocent girl or a sadistic killer? As it so happens, she is both. All Soledad fans, as well as Franco fans and Marquis de Sade fans, should see this movie.

*Vampyros Lesbos (1970) (as Susann Korda)...Countess Nadine Carody
...aka Lesbian Vampires; Sexualité spéciale; The Sign of the Vampire; Las vampiras
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Ewa Strömberg; Soledad Miranda; Andrés Monales; Dennis Price; Paul Müller
Country - Language: West Germany/Spain - German

After this series of Liechtenstein-funded films, Franco wrote and directed three films for West Germany's CCC Filmkunst/Telecine with a cast headlined by "Susann Korda": Vampyros Lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy, and The Devil Came From Akasava. These films also share many cast members with each other, including Franco himself. The first, Vampyros Lesbos, was filmed in Turkey and is apparently a free interpretation of Bram Stoker's story Dracula's Guest, though it also has many parallels with the original Dracula novel. Soledad plays the vampire countess; she has a crazed former victim Agra (compare to Renfield of the original). Despite its dark themes, the film is full of playful, decorative inversion; the castle, for example, is a sun-drenched beach house; kites flap about the skies instead of bats; fishnet is everywhere instead of spiderwebs. The film is full of imagery and symbolism. Franco concocted the title because it sounded good and invoked the idea of vampires and lesbians without being so blatant. He also liked the way it looked. Tim Lucas (of Video Watchdog) calls this film "a maelstrom of sexual longing." Soledad is fantastic: very low-key, yet totally captivating all the same. Franco's direction involves crazy zoom shots and a funky pop-art style. Some of the movie's most dazzling footage, which is censored from the Spanish version, is the two extended fetish-filled stripteases performed at a nightclub where Soledad methodically removes her lingerie and puts it onto a mannequin (who actually is a woman who then comes to life). There are several versions of this film: the uncut German version subtitled Die Erbin des Dracula (The Heiress of Dracula); an unavailable, yet presumably equally-bold French version known as Sexualité spéciale; and a heavily-edited and squeaky-clean Spanish version called Las vampiras (The Vampire Women), whose dialogue was heavily reworked to reflect the social values of the local regime. (For instance, when the psychiatrist tells Linda in the original version that she needs to find a better lover, in the Spanish version he says she needs to devote herself to her husband!) Gone are the sexy stripteases, but it does include dance footage not found in the German version, showing Soledad twirling a chain, smiling, and chewing gum. The Spanish version, which also has a somewhat different score, credits Soledad Miranda as its star, and it was not issued theatrically until two years after her death. According to IMDB, the film premiered in West Germany in July 1971. Despite its European success, Vampyros Lesbos never received distribution in the United States. The psychedelic music used throughout the movie was written by Manfred Hübler and Siegfried Schwab. They also composed the music for the other two films in this trilogy; the soundtracks for all three were released in 1999 as Vampyros Lesbos: Sexadelic Dance Party and became a smash hit at dance clubs around the world, bringing attention to the film. One of the tracks was even used in Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from Vampyros Lesbos and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store. The German version of the film is the one used for most DVD releases. The Spanish DVD has now reinstated the racy footage originally censored in that country.
Soledad fans should see it because: This is THE Soledad Miranda movie. This is the film she’s most famous for today and which cemented her status as a cult star. It’s her living legacy. Not only that, but it's a great story, one of Jess Franco's true masterpieces, and has the grooviest soundtrack in the world... not to mention Soledad's stripteases and Franco's appearance in a twisted subplot.

*She Killed in Ecstasy (1970) (as Susann Korda)...Mrs. Johnson
...aka Mrs. Hyde; Sie tötete in Ekstase; Crimes dans l'extase
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda; Fred Williams; Howard Vernon; Paul Müller; Ewa Strömberg; Horst Tappert
Country - Language: West Germany/Spain - German

In this film, Soledad plays the vengeful widow of a doctor who kills himself due to the cruelty of his colleagues. This movie borrows from Franco's own The Diabolical Dr. Z (aka Miss Muerte) and was reportedly released in December 1971. Soledad gives one of her most intense performances in this movie, especially in the scene where she is torturing Jess Franco's character, her coal-black eyes expressing at once a frozen void of grief and an incendiary anger. The film is artistically superior to the others of the trilogy, with a powerful script, sophisticated and creative shots, and gorgeous locations. Franco said of Soledad, "I think she's very good also in a film that nobody knows but the Germans. The Germans made the release of the DVD and everything, called She Killed in Ecstasy. In this film she's fantastic, she's strong and wonderful. And she was really, she was having two different person because she hadn't gotten any important knowledge about anything but she felt this part... She was kind-of transformed during the period of shooting. But because she loved the part, she was very easy to enter in the situations." At the end of the film Soledad puts her dead husband in a car and drives off a cliff - an eerie premonition of Soledad's own death in a car crash not long after.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from She Killed in Ecstasy and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: This dark, sadistic film features one of Soledad’s finest performances ever, showing some powerful dramatic acting. She is the undisputed leading lady in this movie, and appears in many disguises. There's also a sizable performance by Jess Franco himself.

*The Devil Came From Akasava (1970) (as Susann Korda)...Jane Morgan
...aka El diablo que vino de Akasawa; Der Teufel kam aus Akasawa; Una venere senza nome per l'ispettore Forrester
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda; Fred Williams; Horst Tappert; Ewa Strömberg
Country - Language: West Germany/Spain - German

This movie's plot was based on a story by Bryan Edgar Wallace, son of Edgar Wallace (of King Kong fame). The film borrows from a crime novel by Mickey Spillane, Kiss Me Deadly, which was made into a film in 1955. This movie is really cheesy and full of spy movie clichés. Soledad plays a Secret Service agent who goes undercover as a stripper. She pops in and out of the movie, and her main function seems to be as a love interest for the movie's hero. Her nightclub scenes are nowhere near as interesting as those in Vampyros Lesbos; here she just poses on a couch, in front of an audience, and barely moves. An end credit on the Spanish print of this movie says: "All of those involved in the making of this film dedicate a sentiment and kind thought to the memory of Soledad Miranda, who died tragically in an automobile accident at the end of the filming." Some people have wondered whether the erratic presence of Soledad's character in the movie is because she died during filming. Some sources say that filming ended before her death; others that she died during filming. However, based on the movie's dedication, it's most likely she died after she'd finished filming (or at least most of her part), and simply just didn't have as large a part as in the previous two films. This movie was filmed in Spain, Germany, and Portugal and released in March 1971 - before Vampyros Lesbos or She Killed in Ecstasy... though it was filmed last of the three. Here is an interesting tidbit: a poster for the movie looks like something straight out of Indiana Jones (even though the lead actor looks nothing like that in the movie). I don't know whether that poster was original to the film or a later print inspired by the Indiana Jones look.
Click here for a synopsis, pictures, and video from The Devil Came From Akasava and here to find it on IMDB. This movie is available on DVD and is for sale in the store.
Soledad fans should see it because: Her role is not as big as in the previous several films, but this is a must-see for Soledad fans, not only because it was her last film, but also because she has a great character... mysterious yet silly at times. It's a nice change to see her in a light-hearted role.

Juliette (1970)
... aka Juliette de Sade
Director: Jesús Franco
Stars: Soledad Miranda; Paul Müller; Alberto Dalbés
Country - Language: Spain - Spanish

Soledad's death left one film unfinished. She had been shooting Juliette with Jess Franco but, sadly, it was never completed; only about 40 minutes were shot. According to Franco historian and interviewer Alain Petit, filming for it began during the production of She Killed in Ecstasy: "Franco used some of the actors and technicians to start another film, hoping to finish it later with the agreement and money of his producer. It was a common thing for him in these glorious times and a few films did see the light of day this way. So Jess told me that he shot 40 minutes, edited it and then showed the result to Artur Brauner that gave his OK for filming the end (that was maybe one of the the reasons of the contract Soledad was supposed to sign when she died)." The movie also starred Paul Müller and was based on the writings of the Marquis de Sade. All we have from this movie are a few photos that show Soledad wearing a blonde wig and disrobing on the other side of a keyhole. Though often captioned as being from She Killed in Ecstasy, these photos are actually from Juliette.
Click here for a synopsis and pictures from Juliette and here to find it on IMDB. Jess Franco has been rumored to still have the unfinished footage to use for a Soledad tribute one day, but it could be lying in storage in a film laboratory, or it might even have been lost or destroyed. If you know more about this film, please let me know.

Other and Rumored Projects
According to IMDB, Soledad appeared in several TV shows in Spain in 1969: Estudio 1 (an episode called "Las ratas", February), La última moda (a TV movie, April), and El irreal Madrid (an hour-long musical comedy, April). I haven't found much information on these.
Many filmographies say that Soledad appeared uncredited in the 1968 western White Comanche (Comanche blanco), starring William Shatner. It was filmed in Spain and did feature many Spanish actors. IMDB says Diana Lorys also appeared uncredited. I have watched this film and cannot spot Soledad in it. The only person who could remotely resemble Soledad is a woman walking in a procession: see here and here. It was filmed during the period when Soledad was retired from cinema and even if she had been performing still, she had risen way beyond being an uncredited background extra! It was released in December 1968; it was only in December that Soledad announced her return to cinema, having been offered a role in 100 Rifles. Have you seen this movie? Do you think Soledad is in it? Let me know! Similarly, some filmographies say Soledad also appeared uncredited in the 1970 western Cannon for Cordoba, which is also unlikely as IMDB doesn't even list her in the cast.
Some filmographies indicate that Soledad had an uncredited role in Jess Franco's 1962 musical comedy Vampiresas 1930, although IMDB does not list her in the cast. However, according to Franco's associate Kevin Collins, she was not in that film; he says the confusion may have arisen because that film is often aligned with La reina del Tabarín in filmographies, so people assume since Soledad was in one, she was in both. However, that is not the case.
It has been said that after the completion of Juliette, Soledad was supposed to be in Jess Franco's movie X312 - Flight to Hell, but died before the movie was filmed. This was confirmed by her would-be costar in the film, Thomas Hunter; Gila von Weitershausen took over the part. It was filmed in Brazil, and Soledad was about to travel to Latin America for theatrical engagements when she died. She may very well have been headed on to South America to make this film after that. However, Jess Franco himself said: "We - Brauner and me - decided to make this film after Soledad's death." Unfortunately, Jess Franco's recollections are not always accurate!