March's Space Babe is Sybil Danning as the Valkyrie warrior St. Exmin in the Roger Corman-produced space opera epic, Battle Beyond the Stars.
One of several intergalactic mercenaries recruited by farmboy Shad
(Richard Thomas) to protect his homeworld from the malevolent Sador
(John Saxon), the uninhibited amazon adventuress St. Exmin was
aggressive, lusty and courageous.
The statuesque Sybil Danning was born in Austria, and, after a number of small roles in European films, became a familiar face and body in the exploitation films of the Eighties, featuring prominently in such fantasy and genre epics as Luigi Cozzi's (Starcrash) Hercules, The Seven Magnificent Gladiators, Holwing II, The Phantom Empire and Amazon Women On the Moon. She also appeared on the original V.
I was a production assistant on a terrible direct-to-DVD film called "The Phantom Empire"--no relation to the Gene Autry serial--in which Danning spent a couple of days running around Bronson Canyon in pleather and studs playing an alien warrior queen.
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of driving her home in my clunker after her final day on the set. I recall telling her how I preferred St. Exmin to the "bad girls" she often played, but I was left with the impression that she felt just the opposite.
Anyway, she was very sweet and even gave me a kiss on the cheek when I dropped her off at home. It was one of my favorite moments from the year I spent in Hollywood.
She was in StarCrash?
ReplyDeleteSt. Exmin was my favorite role of hers. Many of her other roles (Hercules) really showed the bad side of her acting. But Amazon Women on the Moon really exploited her bad acting in a funny way.
No, she wasn't in Starcrash - I apologize if that was wasn't clear. She appeared in Luigi Cozzi's Hercules - and he also directed Starcrash.
ReplyDeleteDavid - I actually rather enjoy Phantom Empire. It's typical Fred Ray trash, but it's entertaining - if only for the cast (Danning, Jeffrey Combs, Robert Quarry, Michelle Bauer, et al).
ReplyDeleteAs a B-movie nut, it also tickles me that the whole thing was shot in Bronson Canyon and at Vasquez Rocks, that Bob Short's Robby the Robot cameos, and the Logan's Run hovercar features prominently in the action.
Oh - and great story, David!
ReplyDeleteChristopher, thank you for giving me this fabulous title for March. I truely appreciate it because BBTS has always been one of my favorite roles and movie. Would like you to know in a day or two, the #1 Movie mag in the UK, EMPIRE (with Captain America on the cover) is coming out with an interview I did on BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS. Also FANGORIA #302 is out next week with me featured on the cover and interview inside. Christopher, like you, I too love Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai! Thanks again, Sybil
ReplyDeleteCan't wait until BBTS is released on Blu-Ray and hopefully more of Sybil's films will follow. I gotta get around to picking up season 3 of Fred Olen Ray's The Lair. Sybil is feature in half of the season.
ReplyDeleteDid I say "bad acting?" That was a typo -- really. I meant to say that she was awesome in everything she starred in.
ReplyDeleteCome back, Sybil! ;)
While Sybil did appear in some bad films, she always seemed to put 100% into the roles, whether it was St Exmin, the evil warden in Reform School Girls or the self-parodying Amazon Queen in Amazon Women on the Moon.
ReplyDeleteNow I've got to find The Lair...