Five Babes Who Coulda Been Stars!

Timing and looks are almost as important as talent when it comes to becoming a star of the silver screen. Editing room floors have been littered for years with actors that may have had the talent--and definitely had the looks--to earn star status. But alas, their timing was wrong for one reason or another. Today, we pay tribute to five beautiful actresses who never achieved headline status. Some of them had solid careers; others made just a handful of films. And, yes, we will devote a similar post to five handsome hunks later this week.

Helen Gilbert. Except for an early lead role opposite Robert Young and Charles Coburn in the horse film Florian, this blonde beauty spent her career in "B" films. She logged appearances in the Andy Hardy, Dr. Kildare, and Falcon series. Her most memorable role was as the femme fatale in The Falcon Takes Over, a solid revamped version of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe mystery Farewell, My Lovely. She acted sporadically in the 1940s before moving to television in the 1950s. She was married six times! Johnny Stompanato was one of her husbands--if only for six months. A bodyguard for gangster Mickey Cohen, Stompanato later dated Lana Turner, whose daughter Cheryl Crane stabbed and killed him after she claimed Stompanato had attacked her mother.

Susan Hart. American International Pictures was grooming this stunning brunette for bigger roles--until she retired from acting a few years after marrying the company's co-founder. Susan Hart appeared in several Beach Party movies as one of "the gang" and played the title character in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini. None of these films did much for her career. She fared better as Tab Hunter's love interest in Ride the Wild Surf, a Beach Party-like flick released by Columbia Pictures. She also showed her comedy chops as a robot created by mad scientist Vincent Price in the wacky Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. In 1964, she married producer James H. Nicholson; she was 24, he was 49. When he died in 1972, she helped complete his films Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and The Legend of Hell House. Susan Hart spent her later years helping to raise funds for the UCLA Medical Center. She owns the rights to several of her husband's films, which have never been released on video--much to the dismay of many "B" movie fans.

Diane McBain. Signed by Warner Bros. while still a teen, Diane McBain appeared to be on the fast track to stardom in 1960-61. First, she got a plum supporting role in the big-budget Richard Burton-Robert Ryan film Ice Palace. She followed that with a juicy part as a "bad girl" in Parrish and as the "poor white trash" heroine of Claudelle Inglish (both 1961). Concurrently, Warners cast her as a blonde-haired socialite opposite Troy Donahue (his Parrish co-star) in the lighthearted detective TV series Surfside 6. Although the TV series provided steady work, it may also have overexposed her. The once-promising actress soon became typecast as the flighty socialite or bad girl. She worked steadily as a television guest star for the next few decades and in occasional movies--but never appeared in another "A" picture.

Ilaria Occhini. Unless you've seen 1962's Damon and Pythias, you've probably never heard of Ms. Occhini. She was one of several Italian beauties to appear opposite English-language co-stars in the 1950s and 1960s. Yet, while some of these actresses became international stars--such as Claudia Cardinale and Sylva Koscina--Ilaria Occhini did not. That's not to say she didn't have a successful film and television career in her own country, racking up 52 acting credits through 2012. Undoubtedly, the dubbing in Damon and Pythias made it hard for U.S. audiences to judge her thespian skills, but the camera certainly seemed to love her.

Joanna Frank. Her career started with a splash with memorable appearances as Vartuhi  in Elia Kazan's America, America (1963) and as the "bee woman" in the classic Outer Limits episode "Zzzzz." However, after a guest spot on The Fugitive, Joanna Frank limited her screen appearances and eventually left Hollywood in the late 1960s. She appeared in occasional guest roles over the next two decades. Then, she returned to Tinseltown in 1986 to play a recurring role as Sheila Brackman on the hit TV series L.A. Law. Of course, L.A. Law was a family affair: her younger brother Steven Bochco co-created the show while she played the wife of Douglas Brackman--who was portrayed by real-life husband Alan Rachins. Still, many TV fans will always remember her as the dark-haired beauty from The Outer Limits. In a documentary on that show, Frank says the producers wanted the bee-turned-woman to be a strawberry blonde--but Frank insisted on the stylish dark-hair look.

Jacques Tourneur's Final Film: War-Gods of the Deep

Star Susan Hart later married AIP
founder James H. Nicholson.

When a solicitor's body washes up on the Cornish coast, mining engineer Ben Harris (Tab Hunter) goes to the local hotel to see the dead man's employer, fellow American Jill Tregillis (Susan Hart). Jill only knows that Mr. Penrose, the solicitor, went missing. When Ben enters the dead man's room--darkened due to a power outage--he discovers a human-like creature that seemingly disappears. A short time later, Jill is kidnapped and Ben and hotel guest Harold (David Tomlinson) discover a secret passage that leads from the hotel to (pause for effect) an underwater city.

It's a fabulous start to what promises to be a rollicking turn-of-the-century adventure in the vein of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Unfortunately, War-Gods of the Deep (also known as the more obvious City in the Sea) fails to deliver on its promise. One can't fault a game cast and a fine director working on his final film at age 61.

After directing such classics as Out of the Past, Cat People, and Berlin Express, Jacques Tourneur turned to television for employment in the late 1950s and 1960s. He directed episodes of The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Bonanza, Twilight Zone, and other series. He still helmed occasional films, including the 1958 gem Curse of the Demon, but he was more likely to be offered pictures such as the Italian import Giant of Marathon (1959).  Then, in the mid-1960s, American International Pictures (AIP) signed him to do the funny horror spoof The Comedy of Terrors and War-Gods of the Deep.

A glimpse of the creature!

Tourneur makes War-Gods look much more expensive than its budget. He also infuses the opening scenes with a mysterious atmosphere, with the whistling seashore winds and overhead shots of the steep cliffs. He employs careful lighting that provides a perfect glimpse of the creature that kidnaps Jill (reflecting mentor Val Lewton's contention that showing less is always scarier). The underwater city's sets, bathed in orange, blue, and red, are fairly impressive, too. It helped no doubt that Daniel Haller was one of the film's producers. Haller spent much of his career as an art director, working with Roger Corman on films such as The Pit and the Pendulum. Haller built his reputation on creating expensive-looking sets on a dime.

Vincent Price as the ruler of the
city under the sea.

With a better script, Tourneur might have made a "B" movie classic--but it's the script that dooms War-Gods of the Deep. The original screenwriter was Charles Bennett, who worked on several Hitchcock films (The 39 Steps, Sabotage, Foreign Correspondent) as well as Curse of the Demon. However, Bennett wasn't used to working under AIP's short production schedules, in which a script had to be written from start to finish in under three weeks. Additionally, the only source material was Edgar Allan Poe's poem The City in the Sea, which doesn't have a plot (of course). In Tom Weaver's book Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes, screenwriter Louis M. Heyward recalls:

War-Gods was being shot in England and they ran into problems with the then-producer....I called, and he said, "Dear lad, the script's impossible." I said, "Most of our scripts are impossible!" (And the ones that weren't impossible were improbable!) He said, "I can't possibly shoot."

The beautiful Cornish coast.

AIP executive Sam Arkoff asked Heyward to rewrite the screenplay and, according to actress Susan Hart, the script was tweaked as Tourneur shot the film. Heyward's contributions, including a humorous character played by Tomlinson (who totes around a pet chicken!), don't salvage the film. There are far too many scenes where the characters just stand around and talk once they reach the underwater city. There are hints that the city's denizens are immortal, but that angle is never fully explored. Finally, the climax--which takes place largely underwater--looks like slow motion and is practically incomprehensible because (except for the close-ups) you can't tell who is who. (In general, I am not a fan of protracted underwater scenes; I have similar issues with Thunderball.)

As for the cast, Vincent Price makes a believable villain, Tab Hunter is an acceptable hero, and Susan Hart looks stunning in what is actually a small role. Hunter and Hart also appeared together (as a couple no less) in the much more enjoyable Ride the Wild Surf.

War-Gods of the Deep is not a dreadful film. It's a frustrating film--with a great opening that leads nowhere.

Chicks Dig Guys Who "Ride the Wild Surf"

This surprisingly entertaining teen pic sounds like a rip-off of American-International’s Beach Party films. Yet, while it was made in the midst of those movies, Ride the Wild Surf chose to catch an altogether different wave. Stars Fabian and Shelley Fabares don’t sing a single song—in fact, there are no musical numbers (though Susan Hart provides a provocative hula dance and Jan & Dean croon the closing song). In lieu of grainy stock shots of surfing, we’re treated to am amazing display by real-life champs like Mickey Dora gliding across huge waves. And most surprisingly, the young cast even manages a couple of effective dramatic scenes.

Fabian and Shelley Fabares.

The premise, borrowed freely from Three Coins in the Fountain, has three young men arriving in Hawaii in search of the “big wave” at Waimea Bay. What they find initially are three pretty girls and plenty of teen angst. Jody (Fabian) wants to be “surf bum” until college girl Brie (Shelley) convinces him there’s more to life. Chase (Peter Brown) is a stick-in-the-mud who clashes with the free-spirited Augie Poole (Barbara Eden as a redhead). Steamer (Tab Hunter) falls in love with island girl Lily (Susan Hart), but must convince her surf-hating mother that his intentions are honorable. And to top it all off, there are a couple of unlikable rival surfers (James Mitchum, who resembles his dad Robert, and Roger Davis) and a climatic surf championship.

Peter Brown and Barbara Eden.

None of the cast will be mistaken for great thespians, but they’re likable and energetic. They also hold a certain nostalgic appeal for me. Peter Brown, Barbara Eden, and Roger Davis all went on to star in TV series I watched (Laredo, I Dream of Jeannie, and Alias Smith and Jones, respectively…with Roger also in Dark Shadows). The lovely Susan Hart appeared in a handful of Beach Party movies, married AIP co-founder James Nicholson, and retired from acting. Fabian, after pleasant turns in films like Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, starred in some awful films and faded quickly. I was never a big Shelley Fabares fan, but she certainly established a lengthy career on television and had a #1 pop hit with "Johnny Angel."

Susan Hart.

Much of Ride the Wild Surf appears to have been shot in Hawaii. The tropical locales are scenic and the color photography exceptional for this kind of movie. The surfing scenes are incredible, although the big championship goes for about ten minutes too long. After about the seventh wipe-out, they all look the same!

James Mitchum (Robert's son).

I caught Ride the Wild Surf on late night TV in the early 1990s. I didn’t see it again until it was unexpectedly released on DVD about a decade later. To my delight, I found it as charming as the first time. It made me want to go out and taking surfing lessons. But, by the next day, I felt more practical and quenched my thirst for ocean waves by taking my wife to the Red Lobster for some tasty seafood.