I start my article with this question? Who was the real Eva Bartok?
Knowing that Eva Bartok wasn't the actress's birth name, proved as very interesting, as her pre-acting years.
My research on Eva's name at birth, her place of birth, and date of birth, gets confusing. It illustrates how people don't really do their research and copy someone else as accurate, not to say my research turned out to be any better.
I start with her obituary in the United Kingdom's, "The Independent", by Tom Vallance, dated August 3, 1998:
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-eva-bartok-1169493.html
Vallance tells his readers that Eva was:
born Eva Martha Szőke in Keoskemet, Hungary, in 1926,
"Wikipedia", referencing the above Tom Vallance obituary, changes her name, the year of her birth, and the spelling of the city she was born in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Bartok, stating she was:
born Éva Márta Szőke Ivanovics in Kecskemet, Hungary, on June 18, 1927
Then there's her obituary in the "New York Times", which changes Eva's name, once again, and combines portions of both of the above sites for the date of her birth:
https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/05/arts/eva-bartok-72-actress-in-films-of-50-s-and-60-s.html, as their reader is told that she was:
born Eva Ivanova Szoeke in Kecs kemet, Hungary, on June 18, 1926.
While, the website,"Find A Grave Memorial", changes the city of her birth telling their reader that:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61545541/eva-bartok
Eva Ivanova Szőke, in Budapest, Hungary, on June 18, 1929.
A little confusing, no doubt there, but those same four websites, and some other ones, do agree on THREE-POINTS in the early life of actress Eva Bartok.
The FIRST was that Eva's father was Jewish, and her mother was Catholic, but what their names were are not mentioned in any of them.
The genealogy website, "Geni", https://www.geni.com/people/Eva-Bartok/6000000017268444911, does ad that her unnamed Jewish father was a journalist, but indicates she was born Éva Márta Szőke, June 18, 1927, in the exact same "typo", city as the "New York Times", Kecs kemet, Hungary.
The SECOND agreed point was that six-years-old Eva, appeared on stage in school productions, but what school, in what city, remains unmentioned.
From that point until March 19, 1944, when Nazi Germany occupied Hungary, the sites give no specific information about Eva's life.
We know as fact, that during this period, Eva's father was staying in Budapest, and Eva and her mother went to live with relatives in the southern part of the city of Kecskemet, 53-miles away. Probably contributing to the confusion of the city of her birth.
The THIRD agreed point, comes from first quoting the "Turner Classic Movies" website, at
https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/10936%7C49801/Eva-Bartok/#overview
at the age of 15 Bartok was forced to marry a Nazi officer in order to avoid deportation to a concentration camp. The marriage was a brief and unhappy one.
Tom Vallance in his article, linked above, wrote:
she married her first husband, Giza Kovas, a Nazi, while only 15 years old and after imprisonment in a concentration camp. The marriage was later annulled on the grounds of coercion of a minor.
Question, for "TCM" and Tom Vallance, how could this marriage take place before deportation to a concentration camp, and also, after imprisonment in one?
While, "Wikipedia" states this information:
To avoid persecution as the daughter of a Jewish father, the teenage Bartok was forced aged 15 to gain protection by marrying Géza Kovács, a Hungarian officer who had Nazi connections.
Which now states that her forced upon husband was not a Nazi Officer, but a Hungarian Officer, with Nazi connections.
Nothing is precise, some statements are contradictory, and only brief sentences are used by all five sites I researched the above on.
HOWEVER DO THEY HAVE THEIR FACTS CORRECT, OR WHOSE LYING? My reader gets to decide for themselves.
In Eva Bartok's own words from a weekly series, in the Australian, "Sunday Brisbane Mail", dated for November 8, 1953, found on the Australian National Digital Newspaper website, is the following quote:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100178487?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FS%2Ftitle%2F375%2F1953%2F11%2F08%2Fpage%2F10332353%2Farticle%2F100178487
HANDSOME Géza Kovács, whom I agreed to marry to get away from Budapest before the Russians came, bought me a plain gold ring and invited me to celebrate our engagement at his flat.
In the following edition of the "Brisbane Sunday Mail", dated November 15, 1953, we find Eva Bartok saying:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100177617?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FS%2Ftitle%2F375%2F1953%2F11%2F15%2Fpage%2F10332385%2Farticle%2F100177617
I MARRIED Géza Kovács, a wealthy, young Army officer and we fled from Budapest to the mountains ---- but the bombs fell and the Americans came. I hoped they would find him a job ---
IF we agree Eva Bartok was 15-years-old when she married Géza Kovács. Then we have a slight problem about her birth date. According to the following, from the November 1, 1953, issue of the "Brisbane Sunday Mail", written by Eva Bartok:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100182549?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FS%2Ftitle%2F375%2F1953%2F11%2F01%2Fpage%2F10332319%2Farticle%2F100182549
It was October, 1943, The Russians were getting nearer every hour. The Nazi-sponsored radio told us all about the atrocities their soldiers were said to be committing.
They said woman stood no chance. They told us thousands were being shipped to camps in Siberia.
I was 15 and looked two years older.
Simple math tells us, that if Eva was 15-years-old in October 1943, subtracting that amount puts her birth year as 1928. A year every article I looked at missed, but within the ranges given. However, the "TCM" website has this unsupported entry under the heading "Life Events":
1941 - Married at age 15 (date approximate)
It should be noted the
Geza Kovacs disappeared after the Soviet's came to power and started war crime trials on Nazi sympathizers. As a result, the forced marriage of
Eva and
Geza was annulled with the help of
her fiancé, Hugarian Army Officer,
Erno Nagy, as having been forced upon a minor.
However, according to Eva, in the November 29, 1953, issue of the "Brisbane Sunday Mail", she would tell Erno she could not marry him. That issue has a current picture of Eva, her mother, without being named, and Hungarian - British movie producer Alex Paal, more shortly.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/100178762Another incomplete and often copied statement about Eva's father, is found below, in "Wikipedia", and reads on other sites with slight variations:
Following the outbreak of the war, her father stayed in Budapest. Bartok and her mother moved to live in Kecskemét, to the south of the city, where her mother had relatives. Her father would visit them on Sundays, but later disappeared without a trace during the Nazi period.
Yes, Eva's father disappeared and was never seen again by either herself, or her mother. However, there is more to that story than "later disappeared without a trace", as her obituaries and other sites would write.
I turn to Eva's words in the November 1, 1953, issue of the "Brisbane Sunday Times", for clarification.
I SPENT a while with father, then went back to Kecskemet and mother.
It was the only thing to do. Father, who was a well-known anti-Nazi, was in danger of being called up for forced labour at any minute. Mother sent me to a convent and I "lived in".
When I saw my father again he was a heartbreaking sight. His suit was torn, his head was bent.
Eva mentions a "Quiet Talk" between and her parents that same night and relates that:
They talked about the old days as the evening passed. Next morning he took the train back to Budapest. We never saw him again.
A long time afterwards we heard he had been sent with 200 other "politicals" to the Russian front, where he was made to walk ahead of the troops into the minefield.
The Second World War ended and Szõke Éva passed a test for the legitimate stage as an actress. She first appeared on the Hungarian stage with a role in English novelist, screenplay writer, and playwright, J. B. Priestley's "A Conway család(Time and the Conways)". The productions ran for three-months at the Budapest theatre, the "Belvárosi Szinház".
The month and day of release is unknown, but in 1947, Szoke Eva, starred in her first motion picture, "Mezei próféta (Prophet of the Field)". Her problem, the movie was backed by the "National Peasant Party", and the Communist censors banned the motion picture from being shown for "Political Reasons". Eva needed to get her mother and herself out of Communist Hungary.
According to her story in the November 29, 1953, issue of Australia's, Brisbane Sunday Times", she wrote to Hungarian- British film producer, Alex Paal, someone her father had known, for help to get out of Hungary and to Hollywood.
He said he couldn't get me to Hollywood because the immigrant list for Hungary was long and the quota small.
After she sent a second letter to Paal:
He wrote back and said there was no way of changing the immigration laws. You had to wait until your number came up.
Then, I didn't know what "PS" meant. But there was a "PS" on the bottom of his letter. In his handwriting - not typed like the rest of the letter - it said:
"You have only one change of getting to Hollywood. If I ever come to Budapest I will marry you".
NO VISA
I thought he was joking, but in case he wasn't I sent him a cable bearing two words - "all right".
Three weeks after I got his letter I went to the solicitor's office to collect the documents which said I was divorced from Geza.
In 1948, after some more legal difficulties, Eva Szoke became Mrs. Alex Paal. With her mother, they left for London, England, having gotten around the immigration laws. There, her husband introduced her to Hungarian- British film producer, Alex Korda. Who arranged for and paid to have Eva learn English. Among Korda's motion pictures are 1936's, "Things to Come", with a screenplay written by H.G. Wells, and the classic, 1940, "The Thief of Bagdad". My article is "ALEXANDER, ZOLTON, VICENT: THE KORDA BROTHERS. FROM HUNGARY WITH LOVE" to be read at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/04/alexander-zoltan-vincent-korda-brothers.html
At this time, she legally changed her name to Eva Bartok, and for her first British motion picture, and second on-screen appearance. Eva had the uncredited role of "Girl", in 1950's, "Madeleine", starring Ann Todd, and directed by David Lean.
Alex Paal had served their agreed upon arrangement, to get Eva and her mother out from behind the "Iron Curtain", and the two divorced in 1950.
Eva's third film was "A Tale of Five Cities" aka: "A Tale of Five Women". The screenplay was described as a mystery - romance - drama. This was a multi-country made story, about a British man living in the United States, who fought with the "RAF" and has lost his memory. The only clues to who he may be, are five checks in his wallet, signed by five different women, from five different cities, "London", "Rome", "Paris", "Berlin", and "Vienna".
Eva Bartok portrayed "Kathaline Telek" of Vienna.
I'm not going into detail about this motion picture, but two names for the "Rome" sequence were future Italian stars that would be known worldwide. Portraying "Maria Severini" was Gina Lollobrigida, and portraying, with 24th-billing, "Aldo Mazzetti", was Marcello Mastroianni.
From Eva's brief obituary dated August 5, 1998, in the "Los Angeles Times", written by Myrna Oliver, is this small line that will become obvious as I continue to write this article:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-aug-05-mn-10404-story.html
Bartok, almost as famous for her romantic liaisons as her acting,
In 1951, Eva married English theatrical publicity agent, William "Bill" Wordsworth, the great-great grandson of the English poet of that name. It was through that marriage that she became a British citizen. They separated in 1952, because, according to Wordsworth, Eva "deserted him" to make a movie in Italy. Their actual divorce didn't become finalized until March 7, 1955. Later that year, Wordsworth married Gina Rothchild.
Also in 1952, Eva Bartok, while attending a dinner party in London, met David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, OBE, DSC, and started an affair with the married Mountbatten. It would also end, coincidentally, in 1955.
Above, Eva Bartok and David Mountbatten.
Speaking of the movie Eva "deserted" her husband to run off to Italy to make. This is from an article I wrote about Burt Lancaster, linked below:
THE CRIMSON PIRATE premiered in New York City on August 27, 1952
This was a major United States - United Kingdom co-production that was filmed in Italy. The picture was directed by Robert Siodmak, who was his brother, screenplay writer Curt Siodmak, filmed 1943's, "Son of Dracula", in which Curt came up with the idea of reversing the spelling of the "Count's" name to "Alucard". Among other screenplays, Curt also wrote the screenplay for 1941's, "The Wolfman". While Robert, became one of the most prominent Film-Noir directors of the 1940's. My article is "CURT and ROBERT SIODMAK: Horror and Film Noir" found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/11/curt-and-robert-siodmak-horror-and-film.html
The screenplay was written by Roland Kibbee, the Marx Brother's, 1946, "A Night in Casablanca", and Burt Lancaster's, 1951, "Ten Tall Men".
Burt Lancaster portrayed "Captain Vallo - The Crimson Pirate". The following is from my article, "Burt Lancaster: Circus Acrobat Turned Actor", at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/04/burt-lancaster-circus-acrobat-turned.html
At the time of my writing this article, the fifth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film is being prepared with the return of "Captain Jack Sparrow". Both, actor Johnny Depp, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, have stated, along with many film historians, that "The Crimson Pirate's", "Captain Vallo", is the prototype for the character of "Jack Sparrow" and "Vallo" has been referred too as "Sparrow's Grandfather" .
Nick Cravat portrayed "Ojo". His story is part of the above article, because he ran away from school with his friend Burt Lancaster to join the circus together and become an acrobatic team.
Eva Bartok portrayed "Consuelo". Several sites, with no indication given of the source, state without directly speaking to anyone connected to the motion picture. That Eva received a telegram in Rome from Robert Siodmak asking her to come to London for a screen test. She refused, but was surprised when she received another telegram offering her the part.
However, as before, there is a different story, and I will let Eva speak to getting this role. From the "Brisbane Sunday Mail", for November 29, 1953, referring to the movie, "A Tale of Five Cities":
Robert Siodmak and Burt Lancaster saw it when they were looking for an actress to play opposite Burt in "The Crimson Pirate", a tale about pirates and high adventure.
They were in London and Robert Siodmak came to Rome to see me. We sat in the hall of the Hotel Excelsior, and he asked me to go back and take a test.
I Refuse . . . .
I said: "No, sir, thank you very much. Here in this country I can really work. But in London all I have been offered till now is film tests!
Three paragraph's down, she writes:
Two days later Burt Lancaster arrived in Rome to inform me, to my great surprise, that the part was mine.
Torin Thatcher portrayed "Humble Bellows". Among his films are producer George Pal's, 1953, "Houdini", the first CinemaScope motion picture, the biblical epic, 1954's, "The Robe", director Robert Wise's, 1956, "Helen of Troy", and stop-motion-animator Ray Harryhausen's, 1958, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad". My article is "TORIN THATCHER: The Career of a Great British Character Actor" to be explored at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/07/torin-thatcher-career-of-great-british.html
Leslie Bradley portrayed "Baron Jose Gruda". Between 1934 and 1970, the actor appeared in 90-roles divided between motion pictures and television. He is remembered for this cult pirate adventure, and two appearances in films directed by Roger Corman. He was "Dr. Karl Weigand", in 1957's, "Attack of the Crab Monsters", and "The Symbol Maker", in 1958's, "Teenage Cave Man".
Yes, that's Christopher Lee with Bradley, as "Joseph - Military Attache". Lee's first on-screen appearance was in a 1946 episode of the British television series, "Kaleidoscope" and this role was five-years away from 1957's, "The Curse of Frankenstein". My article is "CHRISTOPHER LEE: Foreign Language Motion Pictures 1959 to 1970" at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2016/08/christopher-lee-foreign-language-motion.html
A Little Acrobatic Swashbuckling:
The following link takes my reader to the opening - credits - sequence for "The Crimson Pirate", and sets up the tone of what follows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLV0Ye2hIjk
"The Crimson Pirate" opens with "Captain Vallo" and his crew capturing a King's frigate, with the villain of the film, "Baron Jose Gruda", on it. "Vallo" then decides to impersonate "Baron Gruda" and sell the ships weapon's to "El Libre", a rebel on the island of Cobra. He also plans to trick "El Libre", and capture him, to be sold back to the real "Gruda". Some of the crew, including "Humble Bellows", complain that plan is not real pirate work, but loyally they will follow "Vallo".
Above, portraying
"Baron Gruda's" traveling companion,
"La Señorita" is
Dagmar Winter, she would change her first name to
Dana.
The pirate ship sails to the Island of Cobra and finds the rebels led by "El Libre". "Vallo" and "Ojo", who is a deaf mute, Nick Cravat is not, had first to dodge the Spanish military on the island. This involves some of Lancaster and Cravat's acrobatics. With perfectly placed horizontal bars and trampolines, as the two did their own stunts.
Their escapades help "Vallo" and "Ojo" find the rebels, but are captured by them. They're bringing too much unwanted attention.
"Vallo", immediately makes an enemy of "Pablo Murphy", portrayed by Noel Purcell, who wants them killed. However, with the help of "Professor Prudence", a student of Leonardo DaVinci, portrayed by James Hayter, a plan to go to the Island of San Pero, and rescue "EL Libre" is made with "Vallo" continuing to pose as "Baron Gruda".
"Vallo - Baron Gruda" orders the prisoners released into his custody, and they're taken from the cells. On board his ship, "Vallo" reveals his deal to sell "Consuelo", her father, and the professor to the real "Baron Gruda". "Consuelo" is surprised over what the man she has fallen in love plans to do, but"Vallo", next tells three that they are free to go. This is overheard by "Humble Bellows", who now confirms that "Captain Vallo" is breaking the rules of piracy.
Not trusting "Vallo", "Baron Gruda" has a trap planned. As the three head through the town,"Consuelo" is captured, her father killed, but the professor gets away. While, the pirate crew mutiny against "Vallo" for breaking the pirate code and vote "Bellows" their new captain. However, they are also captured by "Baron Gruda", "Joseph", and Spanish soldiers and put in the pirate ships hold.
Now we come to the exciting climax. "Baron Gruda" tells "Consuelo", that he will murder every person on the Island of Cobra unless she marries the island's "Governor", portrayed by Eliot Mareham. The "Professor" has a plan of his own, and reveals it to "Vallo". With "Ojo", the three arm the islanders with the weapon designs of Leonardo Da Vinci.
The wedding starts to take place, but the "Governor" and the "Baron", must first go through an entirely made up ritual featuring the unwed island women. Two of these local women just happen to look like "Vallo" and "Ojo".
The plan of rescue and attack is set, but "Pablo Murphy" shows up and attempts to kill the "Baron Gruda". Suddenly, people reveal DaVinci designed Gatling guns, flame throwers, a submarine, and a hot air ballon. Which is taken by "Vallo" and "Ojo" to get out to the pirate ship and rescue his crew.
Above, "The Professor" is on the far right dressed as a peasant woman.
"Vallo" releases the pirate crew and they retake their ship. Next, they swim underwater to the frigate, that "Gruda" has taken "Consuelo". "Humble Bellows" wants to die as a pirate and uses "Vallo's" ship as a decoy and it is destroyed with him on it.
As "The Crimson Pirate" and his crew make it to "Baron's Gruda's" ship, and "Gruda" dies at the hands of "Captain Vallo".
I just checked off one of the three-film-genres, Pirates, of those I mentioned in this articles title. I still have two films in science fiction and one from Mario Bava to mention out of Eva Bartok's 41-feature films.
As to her remaining 37- motion pictures, I am only going to speak to a few of those appearances, as they were mostly made in West Germany and Eva was not always in a leading role. However, one of these other feature films I will mention, co-starred the friend of the man Eva Bartok claimed was the real-father of her daughter, but that is for later.,
SPACEWAYS premiered in Los Angeles on June 24, 1953
The production company was "Hammer Films", and this was a product of a deal between British
"Hammer" and American "Lippert Pictures". "Hammer" was financially in trouble at the start of the 1950's, and American producer, Robert L. Lippert made a deal to co-fund, or totally fund, the studios motion pictures, but they had to star an American actor under contract to Lippert. Probably the most recognized was Brian Donlevy, portraying "Bernard Quatermass", in two science fiction features. For this motion picture, both rocket ship take offs are from Lippert's own 1950, "Rocketship X-M".
"Spaceways" started as a radio drama written by Charles Eric Maine. Who wrote both the novel and screenplay for the overlooked British science fiction movie, 1955's, "Timeslip aka: The Atomic Man", starring American's Gene Nelson and Faith Domergue.
This screenplay was "freely adapted" from the radio drama by Paul Tabori. The co-writer of another overlooked British science fiction, 1953's, "The Four Sided Triangle".
While the actual screenplay was written by Richard H. Landau. For Lippert, he wrote, 1951's, "The Lost Continent. In 1955, Landau turned the BBC mini-series, the "Quatermass Experiment", into the screenplay for "The Quartermass X-periment", aka in the United States, "The Creeping Unknown". In 1957, he wrote both the interesting "Mummy" story, "The Pharaoh's Curse", and for Boris Karloff,"Voodoo Island". Speaking of Karloff, in 1958, Richard H. Landau wrote "Frankenstein 1970", with the twist at the end.
The motion picture was directed by Terence Fisher. Who in four-years started directing horror classics for, "The House of Hammer", with 1957's, "The Curse of Frankenstein". The motion picture that united Peter Cushing with Christopher Lee. I take a small look at the work of Terence Fisher, along with the character of "Bernard Quatermass", the excellent character actor, Michael Ripper, and "Hammer's" make-up artist, Philip Leakey, in my article, "HAMMER FILMS: A Look at 'The House of Hammer' By An American Fan" at:
Howard Duff portrayed "Dr. Stephen Mitchell". Duff is the American actor that came from the agreement with Robert L. Lippert. His first on-screen appearance was in 1947's, "Brute Force", with the first on-screen appearance of actor Burt Lancaster. The two reunited for 1948's, "All My Sons", starring Lancaster and Edward G. Robinson. While Lancaster's star rose in Hollywood, Duff became a solid "B" leading man, mostly in 1950's westerns.
Eva Bartok portrayed "Dr. Lisa Frank", in her sixth-motion picture.
Alan Wheatley portrayed "Dr. Smith". From 1955 through 1960, he was the "Sheriff of Nottingham" on Richard Green's television series, "The Adventures of Robin Hood". Wheatley was also in "Hammer's", 1961's, "The Shadow of the Cat", starring Barbara Shelley.
Cecile Chevreau portrayed "Vanessa Mitchell". She has a total of nineteen on-screen appearances and only one other motion picture was not a British television production.
Andrew Osborn portrayed "Dr. Philip Crenshaw". Like Chevreau, Osborn was primarily a British television actor with only eleven of his fifty-six roles on the motion picture screen.
A "B minus" Murder Mystery Tied to Outer Space Exploration:
The story sounds more like a routine low-budget 1940's murder mystery, but is set at a top secret base under government control connected to creating the first satellite, aka: space station.
"Dr. Stephen Mitchell" is the chief engineer of the project and the film basically opens at a cocktail party with "Mitchell" announcing that the project has been approved by the defense council. The announcement further upsets "Stephen's" wife "Vanessa", who feels locked in on the high security base, and wants her husband to take her back to the fast life on London.
Long before the party is over, "Vanessa" manages to sneak away with "Dr. Philip Crenshaw", whom she has been having an affair. Not finding his wife, "Stephen" leaves with project mathematician "Lisa Frank". Who is in love with him, but he doesn't realize this and only gave the other a ride to her home on the base. However, before "Stephen Mitchell" actually returns home, he learns of "Vanessa" being observed passionately kissing "Crenshaw". At home the two have an argument over "Dr. Crenshaw".
The rocket is launched, but doe not reach its maximum altitude. It is now discovered that both "Stephen Mitchell's" wife "Vanessa" and "Dr. Philip Crenshaw" are missing. The project head, "Dr. Smith", starts to investigate.
"Dr. Smith" approaches "Dr. Mitchell" with his conclusion, that "Dr. Stephen Mitchell" murdered his wife and her lover, "Dr. Crenshaw". That he hid their bodies on the rocket ship causing the fuel tanks to not handle the added weight. Which resulted in the space craft not making its maximum altitude.
"Smith" also informs "Mitchell", that "Crenshaw" was a spy with a degree from an East German University. "Dr. Mitchell" states he will go on the second rocket ship, reach the first, and prove his innocence by bringing the two bodies back to the base for medical examination.
Meanwhile, "Dr. Smith" learns that there was a new team member that arrived at the base, just before "Vanessa" and "Philip" disappeared. Also, a police security officer was found murdered at the same time this new person arrived, but there appears no connection.
This leads "Smith" and the police to the discovery that both "Mitchell's" wife and lover have been staying at a seaside cottage. "Philip Crenshaw" had planned to go to East Germany with the information he has acquired about the space project. "Smith" and the police raid the cottage and in a scuffle between "Dr. Crenshaw" and "Smith". "Dr. Crenshaw" accidentally shoots and kills "Vanessa". This, of course, proves that "Stephen" wasn't a murderer, but Dr. Smith" is too late getting the news to "Mitchell", as the second rocket ship is launched.
On the second rocket ship, "Stephen" expected to find "Toby Andrews", portrayed by Michael Edwin, but "Lisa" convinced "Toby" to switch places with her for this trip. When their space helmets come off, she has, of course, surprised "Stephen".
The two are informed of what happened to "Dr. Mitchell's" wife and the reveal that they're not on the first spacecraft. With this information, "Stephen" decides to just turn the ship around and return to Earth.
Now we get to an ending reminiscent of
1950's "Rocketship X-M" with one change.
For their return to Earth the second stage of the spacecraft needs to be jettisoned, but it explodes causing the main spacecraft to go out of control and plunging back to Earth. Will Howard Duff and Eva Bartok end up like Lloyd Bridges and Osa Massen in the 1950 motion picture?
The answer is no, the change has "Dr. Stephen Mitchell" release the fail-safe device and with "Dr. Lisa Frank" the two regain control of the spaceship and will return safely to the Earth.
I move ahead five motion pictures to 1954, and an interesting story of two feature films with the same story, from the same director, but seemingly two entirely different motion pictures. One was in the German language with a cast that starred Eva Bartok and Curd (Curt) Jurgens, the other in English, and starred Anne Baxter and Steve Cochran.
I start by introducing the director, Kurt Neumann. He was born in Nuremberg, Germany, and came to the United States, in 1930, to direct German language versions of English language screenplays. At the time, there was no such thing as dubbing a movie into a foreign language and the English language screenplay was rewritten and filmed in the required foreign language with actors who spoke it fluently. The final product also reflected the culture of the target country in the actors dress and the way their character's are presented verses the English language feature film.
A classic example is Tod Browning filming the 1931, "Dracula", starring Bela Lugosi, during the daytime. Then, at night, on the same sets, director George Melford, would film the same screenplay in Spanish, but starring Carlos Villarias. My reader only familiar with the Browning version, should see the Spanish version that many film historians consider the much better, and sexier presentation.
This technique is used by Kurt Newman for the two motion pictures I will be speaking about next.
Neumann is best remembered for three science fiction motion pictures, 1950's, "Rocketship X-M", 1957's, "KRONOS", and 1958's, original, "The Fly". He died on August 21, 1958, after just completing the filming of "The Fly", he was 50-years-old.
RUMMELPLATZ DER LIEBE aka: CIRCUS OF LOVE premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on June 19, 1954
CARNIVAL STORY released on April 16, 1954, but was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival on June 29, 1954
The story was by:
"RUMMELPLATZ DER LIEBE" - Marcy (Marcel) Klauber and Charles Williams.
"CARNIVAL STORY" - Marcy (Marcel) Klauber and Charles Williams, and the uncredited "Black Listed", Dalton Trumbo, and the uncredited Michael Wilson.
The screenplays for both motion pictures were by Kurt Neumann and Hans Jacoby.
The Cast:
Eva Barok portrayed "Lili".
Ann Baxter portrayed "Willi".
Curd (Curt) Jurgen's portrayed "Toni".
Steve Cochran portrayed "Joe Hammond".
Above, Jurgens and Bartok, below, Cochran and Baxter
Bernard Wicki portrayed "Franz".
Lyle Bettger portrayed "Frank Colloni".
Above, Bartok and Wicki, below Bettger and Baxter.
In both motion pictures, Ady Berber portrays the strong man, "Groppo the Wild Man".
The Same Basic Screenplay:
With slight changes for the country the film is aimed for, the screenplay is the exact same, but in either German or English.
Note: in the English language version, "Carnival Story". The circus arrives in Munich, Germany, as
"Grayson's Amerikanische Wunderschau ("American Show Of Wonders"), to enable Kurt Neumann to film both stories with the one screenplay.
Local down on her luck, "Lilli/Willi", picks the pocket of "Toni/Joe", who works for the owner of the circus/carnival. He offers her a job and "Lilii/Willi" accepts. "Toni/Joe" makes advances on "Lilli/Willi" and she trays to resist, but gives in.
"Franz/Frank" asks "Lili/Willi", if she wants to join his act? Which includes diving into a flaming pool of water and she accepts. After their first show together, "Franz/Frank" asks "Lili/Willi" to marry him, but she declines. However, they do start an affair, much to the dislike of "Toni/Joe". Who has been hitting her when she steps out of line.
Next, "Franz/Frank" beats up "Toni/Joe", after he finds him with "Lili/Willi".
At his next performance, "Franz/Frank" plunges to his death when a rung on his high-dive-ladder breaks.
"Lili/Willi" inherits $5,000 and "Toni/Joe" spends the night with her, but in the morning both her money and the man she spent the night with are gone. "Lili/Willi" finds him and gets a confession that "Toni/Joe" cut the rung on "Franz/Frank" ladder to kill him over her. At which point, "Lili/Willi" asserts her independence from "Toni/Joe", who grabs her and starts to strangle the one person that can implicate him in "Franz/Frank's" murder. Her screams are heard by "Groppo", and he comes to the rescue, but "Toni/Joe" gets away and goes up the ferris wheel. "Groppo" climbs it and throws the other off it to the ground.
The police have arrived, arrest "Groppo", and take him away, but he is thanked by "Lilli/Willi" for freeing her.
Eva Bartok followed "RUMMELPLATZ DER LIEBE", by starring in a West German, 1954, remake of a 1931 operetta, "Viktoria und ihr Husar ".
Between the release dates of April 8, 1955, in West Germany, of the German language version, and September 1955, in the United States, of the English language version, of the comedy, "Special Delivery", starring Joseph Cotton and Eva Bartok, an event took place.
On August 13, 1955, Eva Bartok married Curd (Curt) Jurgens.
THE GAMMA PEOPLE released in the United Kingdom on January 30, 1956
This British science fiction - horror motion picture was released in Los Angeles on a double bill with the Edmond O'Brien and Jan Sterling, 1956, version of George Orwell's, "1984", in December 1956.
Back in June 1951, Austria-Hungry born producer Irving Allen, both Alan Ladd's, 1954 "Hell Below Zero" and "The Black Knight", and the Jose Ferrer and Trever Howard, 1955, "The Cockleshell Heroes", had announced he was going to make "The Gamma People", starring Brian Donlevy and Virginia Grey.
The film would be based upon a story by Louis Pollack, and the screenplay was scheduled to be written by Oliver Crawford. Pollack's story was a docudrama about Nazi Germany's experiments with cell mutation. The initial film would be shot in Austria, but it fell through because of lack of financial support.
Additionally, Louis Pollack had become "Black Listed", as a result of a ruling by the "House Committee on Un-American Activities". The problem was that the committee had confused this Louis Pollack with a Los Angeles clothier of the same name, who was a Communist, but their decision cost the writer five-years of his life, before the error was corrected.
Pollack's story was revised with science fiction elements by the uncredited Robert Aldrich. According to Edwin Schallert, "Los Angeles Times", December 1, 1951, and Hedda Hopper, "Chicago Daily Tribune", August 15, 1952. Future "James Bond" producer, Albert R. Broccoli, with Irving Allen, were set to film the, now, Pollack - Aldrich story, starring Dick Powell. Robert Aldrich was set to direct, but the production fell through for a second time.
Now, five-years later:
The 1951 screenplay was rewritten by two new writers. They were, John Gossage, one of his only two screenplays, and John Gilling. Who was also to direct the motion picture.
Among Gilling's later work for "The House of Hammer", as strictly a writer, was 1964's, "The Gorgon". His work as strictly a director for the studio, included 1961's, "The Shadow of the Cat", 1966's, "Plague of the Zombies", and 1966's, "The Reptile". However, as both a writer and director he would make 1962's, "The Pirates of Blood River", and 1967's, "The Mummy's Shroud".
Paul Douglas portrayed American international newsreel reporter, "Mike Wilson". Douglas would next be seen, co-starring in the "Academy Award Winning" comedy, 1956's, "The Solid Gold Cadillac".
Eva Bartók portrayed "Paula Wendt". She had just starred in the 1955, Austrian historical drama, "Dunja", based upon Russian poet, novelist, and playwright, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin's, 1831, short story, "The Station Manager".
Leslie Phillips portrayed "Howard Meade". Character actor Phillips's voice, not his face, is familiar to anyone who had seen the first two "Harry Potter" films, as the voice of the "Sorting Hat". The actor had just been seen in the British comedy, 1955's "Value of Money", and followed this picture with five appearances on British television.
Above, Paul Douglas and on his immediate right is Leslie Phillips.
Walter Rilla portrayed
"Dr. Boronski". The German character actor had just been in the American "B" crime drama,
1955's "Track the Man Down". That picture had starred
Kent Taylor and 22-years old, non-hit singer, yet,
Petula Clark.
Rilla followed this picture with an episode of the British television series
"The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel".
The Basic Final Confusing 1956 Screenplay:
When I was nine-years-old in 1956, I saw this motion picture and had nightmares. Looking at "The Gamma People", today. I wonder what happened to Louis Pollack's original idea? Perhaps, too many hands were in the pot. Instead of a straight allegory of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, with a message, as planned for in 1951.
In 1956, we have the typical mad German scientist, his assistant, and mind control, but with weird instances of comedy that might have meant something to writer - director John Gilling, at the time.
Journalist "Mike Wilson" and photographer "Howard Meade" are on a train for Salzburg, Austria, to cover a musical festival. When their train car accidentally uncouples, and rolls down an abandoned branch line. They now find themselves in the tiny "Iron Curtain" country of "Gudavia".
"Gudavia" is a country whose borders, suddenly just closed to the rest of Europe, five years previously. The two journalists are arrested by "Koerner", portrayed by Philip Leaver, the head of the military style police force, but upon hearing of "Wilson" and "Meade". "Dr. Boronski", the dictator - ruler of the country orders the two released, believing they are not spies as "Koerner" claims.
What the man called "Dr. Boronski", really wants kept from "Wilson" and "Meade", is that he's actually a known Western biologist that just disappeared. Whose theories about genetics and creating a true master race brought him unwanted attention.
"Boronski" fears keeping the two in jail would add to their curiosity. He orders "Koerner" to have them taken to the local hotel and treated with respect, but kept cut-off from the townspeople and out of country news. "Koerner" places the two under the watchful eyes of the hotel owner, "Lochner", played by Austrian actor, Martin Miller.
One of the hotel's staff, "Anna", played by Jocelyn Lane billed as Jackie Lane, passes "Mike" a note that says the children are in danger. Next, "Mike", "Howard" and "Anna" hear a woman screaming in the street, but while the two men are concerned "Anna" seems to ignore her screams.
Later that night, "Howard", against "Lochner's" warning, goes out into the night and is surrounded by what could only be described as a "Nazi goon squad", but they act and look like mindless emotionless zombies. The zombies react in unison, against unwanted people, or troublesome citizens including killing them. "Howard" is lucky that night, and gets back into the hotel, which the good squad ignores.
"Mike" and "Howard" question "Anna" about the encounter, and she lets slip that the man who gave her the note is now dead. She once again slips up by referring to "Lochner" as "
"Macklin". A name "Mike Wilson" seems to remember, and will eventually figure out why. As well as "Macklin's" connection to the man. "Dr. Boronski" really is.
What is happening in "Gudavia" is "Boronski" and "Macklin" are using gamma rays to genetically change the cell structure of the country's children, creating either geniuses, or imbeciles at their will. World conquest is the familiar ultimate plan of the two with their new "Master Race".
Their experimentation on the children, more specially the boys, has created a
"pack mentality" in them. For
Pollack's original
1951 audience, and even to an adult
1956 audience
, the boys are the obvious reminder of the
"Hitler Youth".
"Mike Wilson" goes to the art teacher, and "Koerner's" assistant, "Paula Wendt", to get her help in putting a stop to the experimentation and answers to his questions about "Dr. Boronski".
However, she refuses, fearing for her brother "Hugo Wendt", portrayed by Michael Caridia, one of "Koerner/Macklin's" genetically created geniuses and the leader of the boys. "Mike" does find out that "Paula's" and "Hugo's" father was a scientist working with "Boronski", who died mysteriously.
With "Paula Wendt's" brother, we seem to have more touches of what the original Louis Pollack story line might have been. As the story gives the 1956 viewer a created, "Hitler-like- character", in "Hugo Wendt". That is interesting, but seems out of place in this revised, revised screenplay.
Pollack's original concept predates Ira Levin's, 1976, novel, "The Boys from Brazil". Which is about the cloning of "Adolph Hitler", and the 1978 motion picture version, starring Gregory Peck and Sir Laurence Olivier. However, it has been diluted by the three writers involved after he was blacklisted.
Of course, "Mike" and "Paula" are falling in love during the short span of this screenplay and she will help him to save her brother.
The ending is right out of "Universal Pictures", 1931, "Frankenstein", as the villagers finally revolt and attack the castle that "Dr. Boronski" has his laboratory.
One of two, 1956, West German motion pictures that followed, "Ohne rich wird es Nacht (Without you it would be night)", co-starred her husband Curd (Curt) Jurgens, and was released in West Germany on August 17, 1956.
The following motion picture was filmed in Rome, Italy, and Culver City, California, between August 1956 and October 1956, while the two were separated.
Back on July 24, 1946, band and lounge singer, Dino Paul Crocetti, known as Dean Martin, first teamed up with comedian, Joseph Levitch, known as Jerry Lewis. On July 24, 1956, exactly to the day, ten-years later, the two broke-up. This was "Dino's" first motion picture after that break-up.
TEN THOUSAND BEDROOMS released April 3, 1957
This was a financial failure for
"MGM", the box office was short
$94,000 to even make the official released budget. For
Dean Martin, portraying a millionaire hotel mogul who comes to Rome to purchase another one. The timing of this movie was way off, because prior to this release were two other movies in
1956, "Pardners", and
"Hollywood or Bust", with
Jerry Lewis.
The Trite Screenplay:
Dean Martin's "Ray Hunter" is picked up at the airport by "Maria Martelli", portrayed by Eva Bartok. Who works for the owner of the Rome hotel he plans to purchase, "Countess Alazani", portrayed by Evelyn Varden. "Maria" mocks "Ray" for buying so many hotels, but instead of rebuking her. "Ray" thanks "Maria" for her frankness. That thank you, results in "Maria" saying she will translate for "Ray" for that day, but has to stop at home to change. This causes "Ray" to meet "Maria's" family and her youngest sister, of three, "Nina", portrayed boy Anna Maria Alberghetti. Who instantly falls in love with him and wants to get married.
Catch number one, to marry "Nina", per "Papa Martelli", portrayed by Walter Slezak. "Ray" must get her three older unmarried sisters married.
Catch number two, "Mike", "Ray's" private pilot, portrayed by Dewey Martin, starts to fall for "Nina", While, older sister "Maria", thinks she's in love with "Anton", a poor Polish count who wants to be a sculptor, portrayed by Paul Henried.
Above, Eva Bartok, and lovesick, Anna Marie Alberghetti. Below, Dean Martin and Eva Bartok.
In the end, everything gets straightened out and there are four weddings.
Above front row, Eva Bartok and Dean Martin, next row, Anna Marie Albergetti and Dewey Martin, next, Lisa Montell and Stephen Dunne, and last row, Lisa Gaye and John Archer.
My real purpose of even mentioning "Ten Thousand Bedrooms", is that Dean Martin, hosted a party at his home, that Eva Bartok attended, during the picture's production. I could not confirm a date, but also in attendance was Martin's "Rat Pack" buddy, and leader, Frank Sinatra. At that time, Eva was separated from her husband, awaiting the final divorce degree.
On, November 6, 1956, Eva and Curd Jurgen's divorce became final.
On October 7, 1957, Eva Bartok gave birth to a daughter, "Deana", whose birth certificate states Curd Jurgens as her father.
However, according to Eva Bartok, she had a three-month affair with Frank Sinatra while in the United States. Those dates I also could not determine, or how long she was actually in the United States. We do know that Eva Bartok did appear in the April 12, 1957 episode of televisions "The Joseph Cotton Show: On Trial", "The Case of the Abandoned Horse", portraying "Delores Whitecloud". So, she was probably in the United States at least until April 1957.
This was all happening while, Frank Sinatra was separated from his wife, Ava Gardner. Which actually started in 1954, but for one thing, or another, the final divorce didn't happen until 1957.
According to Eva Bartok, her daughter's real father was Frank Sinatra, and she raised her daughter,
Deana, telling her that as fact.
Below, Eva with Deana.
On April 4, 2021, Deana SINATRA told the Australian "Daily Mail" the following story:
OPERATION AMSTERDAM premiered in London on January 12, 1959
Tom McIlroy wrote the following for the
April 20, 2023 edition of the
"Australian Financial Review". His heading was,
"The spy hiding in plain sight in my family tree":Being punched in the face without warning is the ultimate test of a spy. The involuntary response, usually shouted in one’s native tongue, can give the game away. Only the best trained operative can keep their cover, deploying a choice expletive in the language of their assumed identity.
So writes David Esdaile Walker, the Fleet Street journalist recruited as an intelligence operative for M15 before World War II who, it turns out, is a relative of mine. He learnt the test during training for the famed Special Operations Executive group, as Adolf Hitlerr was on the march across Europe.
This is the true story of getting industrial diamonds out of the Netherlands as the German army moved in, based upon the book by David E. Walker.
This "Rank Organization's" British feature film was directed by the co-screenplay writer, Michael McCarthy. He passed away four-months after the release of this motion picture at the age of 42.
The other screenplay writer was John Eldridge. During the Second World War, he was a documentary film maker for the "Ministry of Information".
Peter Finch portrayed "Jan Smit". Finch followed this feature film with 1959's, "The Nun's Story", co-starring with Audrey Hepburn, and Dame Edith Evans.
Eva Bartok portrayed "Anna". The actress had just appeared on three television shows, two in the United States, and one in the United Kingdom. Along with the West German movie, 1959's, "Der Arzt Von Stalingrad", about a doctor working in Russian POW camps to help German soldiers.
Above, Peter Finch and Eva Bartok.
Tony Britton portrayed "Major Dillion". He had just co-starred with Sir Michael Redgrave in the medical drama, 1958's, "Behind the Mask".
Above left, Tony Britton and right, Peter Finch
Alexander Knox portrayed "Walter Keyser". In 1944, Knox portrayed "President Woodrow Wilson", in the biographical motion picture "Wilson", and in 1951, he co-starred with Louis Hayward in "Son of Dr. Jekyll". Alexander Knox followed this motion picture with 1959's, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare", starring Gary Copper and Charlton Heston.
Above left to right, Peter Finch, Alexander Knox, and Tony Britton.
The Basic Screenplay:
It is May 1940, the German army has begun its invasion of the Netherlands and the British government decides to send in a team to get industrial diamonds out of the country, before the Germans take them. They would travel onboard "HMS Walpole", actually seen below:
The team was made up of two Dutch diamond experts, "Jan Smit" and "Walter Keyser", with British Army Intelligence officer, "Major Dillion". They land in a dingy on the Dutch coast, just as the area is hit by a German air attack, but then, have to get around a suspicious Dutch police officer. The team's primarily problem is transportation into Amsterdam, but in typical motion picture fashion. Along comes a woman named "Anna" in her car, and attempting suicide. "Anna" blames herself for the death's of her fiancé's Jewish parent's. Also, in typical movie fashion, she turns out to be a member of the Dutch security forces and agrees to help the three.
In Amsterdam, the four meet with "Jan's" father, "Johan", portrayed by Malcolm Keen, at his diamond business house. While, "Johan" agrees to contact the other diamond dealers and have them bring their diamonds to his house. There is one problem, most of the diamonds are in a time-locked bank vault that won't open for another 24-hours, because the British overlooked the "Whit Monday" holiday, celebrated the day after "Pentecost". "Major Dillon" has contacts in the Dutch resistance and he recruits them to break into the bank vault.
Inside the bank, members of the resistance are breaking into the vault. As outside fifth-columnists from the Dutch army arrive and "Dillion", "Jan", "Anna", and "Walter" find themselves joining the resistance fighters repealing the attack.
The diamonds are placed in two briefcases and the group drives to the coast to meet the pick-up boat, but an air attack takes place. During which their boat master is killed and that escape plan is off. They take over a tug boat to get them out to the British destroyer and head for England without "Anna", who has decided to fight with the resistance.
I move forward past nine West German motion pictures and two low budget British-West German films to one by a master of Italian horror.
Sei donne per l'assassino (Six women for the murderer) aka: BLOOD and BLACK LACE premiered in Rome on April 10, 1964
The Italian-French-West German motion picture was directed by Mario Bava, my article is "Dario Argento and Mario Bava: Two Italian Masters" at:
The original story and the screenplay came from Marcello Fondato. In 1959, Fondato wrote "Tempi duri per I vampiri (Hard times for vampires)", a comedy dubbed into English as "Uncle Was a Vampire", a movie Christopher Lee would like to forget. In 1963, Marcello Fondato wrote the screenplay for Mario Bava's, 1963, "I tre volti della paura (The Three Faces of Fear)" aka: "Black Sabbath". starring Boris Karloff.
Additionally, Mario Bava, collaborated on the screenplay.
While, Saint Louis, Missouri's, Mary Arden, wrote the English language screenplay as Kelly Leon. Turning Italian sounding names into English sounding names for some of the characters. Arden was actually an American actress with a total career of fourteen Italian motion pictures. She portrayed "Peggy Payton" in this feature film.
Cameron Mitchell portrayed "Massimo Morlacchi (Max Morlan)". Among his movies over his film career, Cameron Mitchell was in director John Ford's, 1945, "They Were Expendable", the 1951 science fiction, "Flight to Mars", the 1952 version of French author Victor Hugo's, "Les Miserables", the Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, and Lauren Bacall's, 1953, "How to Marry a Millionaire", the classic western, "Garden of Evil", starring Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, and Richard Widmark, in 1956, it was the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "Carousel", and he starred in the biography of boxer, "Barney Ross", a World War 2 hero who became addicted to morphine, in 1957's, "Monkey on My Back". While in the 1960's, Mitchell moved to Italy and started making historical, westerns, and horror films.
Eva Bartok portrayed "Contessa Cristiana Cuomo (Countess Christina Como)". She had just appeared in the West German comedy, 1963's "Ferien wie noch nie". She followed this motion picture with a six-part British television series, 1964's, "The Midnight Men", co-starring with Andrew Keir.
Thomas Reiner portrayed "Ispettore Silvestri (Inspector Sylvester)". The German actor had 115 roles in West German films.
The Basic Slasher Story:
Beautiful fashion model,"Isabella", portrayed by Francesca Ungaro, is walking through the gardens of the Rome fashion house, "Christian Haute Couture". "Isabella" is violently killed by an attacker wearing a white featureless mask, a fedora, and a trench coat.
"Ispettore Silvestri" investigates the murder, he interviews the salons co-managers, "Massimo Morlacchi" and "Contessa Cristiana Cuomo", who recently became a widow.
"Silvestri" also questions antique dealer, "Franco Scala (Frank Scalo)", "Isabella's ex-boyfriend and a cocaine user, she had attempted to break him of his addiction before they broke-up.
It is now revealed that "Isabella" had a diary tracking all the staff of "Christian Haute Couture's" personal lives and vices. Possible motive for her murder, but by whom?
One of the other models, "Nicole", portrayed by Adrianna Gorini, "Franco's" current lover, finds the diary and promises to give it to the police. However, another model, "Peggy", steals the diary during a fashion show. That night, "Nicole" visits "Franco's" antique store to give him more cocaine, but instead has been followed by the murderer. Who murder's "Nicole" with a spiked glove.
I will not mention anything more about "Blood and Black Lace", the following link, as of this writing, takes my reader to the English dubbed motion picture.
At this time, Eva Bartok was introduced to an Indonesian religious sect, "Subud", and became a convert.
I could not find any specific information about Eva Bartok's last on-screen appearance. That came after a British television appearance that followed "Blood and Black Lace", and was the 1966, Israeli motion picture, "Sabina
Eva now went to Hawaii and taught "Subud" in a school she established in Honolulu.
In 1980, Eva Bartok married movie producer Dag Molin, and lived in Los Angeles until the two divorced in 1987. She returned to London, and on August 1, 1998, passed away from ovarian cancer.
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