SUPERNATURAL THEATER: EDDIE CONSTANTINE --- FBI Agent LEMMY CAUTION ! The first EUROSPY !

BLOG ENTRY # 19 ------ SUPERNATURAL THEATER highlights EDDIE CONSTANTINE.
The first Eurospy as FBI AGENT, LEMMY CAUTION.
9 years before Bond, James Bond became a world screen sensation, Eddie was on the job!!!
Constantine's characters kept a pistol in one hand, a double whiskey in another,
plus a gorgeous gal right beside him. --- 3 shots..... always around!

American Constantine became a star in Europe, with light hearted, comedic mystery and spy films. His most famous portrayal was Lemmy Caution, the wise cracking, two fisted, hard drinking FBI agent that loved beating up the bad guys, and always chasing beautiful ladies.

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Now readership from 106 countries around the world.

6 films of Constantine are featured here ----

POISON IVY, THE BIG BLUFF, THERE GOES BARDER,

AS IF IT WERE RAINING, YOUR TURN DARLING, and LICENCE TO KILL.

Eddie went to France, and was discovered by Edith Piaf. After singing in shows and Paris cabaret, he recorded numerous hit records. In 1953, the role of Lemmy Caution came into his life with the film Poison Ivy, directed by Bernard Borderie.
Constantine became a star of many French Grade B feature films. They were shot on comparatively low budgets, with dialogue that was definitely tongue and cheek.

Eddie’s films became a staple in theaters in France, and all over Europe.

Edith Piaf with Eddie Constantine.

In 1965, director Jean Luc Goddard projected him into worldwide attention with a new wave styled Lemmy Caution film, called Alphaville, with quite a different slant than his other films. Goddard was famous for his La Nouvelle Vague, or New Wave films (Breathless, Contempt).
Alphaville was a creative blend of futuristic science fiction, detective film noir, and satire.

Most of Eddie’s films held to the same formula that began with Poison Ivy. He was one smooth guy, the master of the fast quip, not afraid to let his fists go flying, always flirting with beautiful women, trapping the baddies, and belting down a few whiskies in between each.

Gee, would Eddie have survived in this politically correct age?
I don't know. But if you are shy and want to come out of your shell, just watch one of his films.
Displaying no fear, always staying in control, and showing confidence in overdrive -- that's
the Eddie we loved. His characters never gave up.
I felt more empowered just watching him, and had a few laughs too.

The characters could be named Lemmy, Nick Carter, Johnny Jordan, or Eddie Ross, but it didn’t matter. You were watching and enjoying the ever lovable
Eddie Constantine in all of them.

Constantine’s film career spanned four decades, and he still has fans around the world today.
Many actors cannot claim that as a legacy.
Funny though, that Constantine considered himself a singer first ......
and an actor just for the paycheck ..... a distant second.
****
Eddie passed away in 1993, at age 75, and was still actively working in films.

The tough, wise cracking Lemmy Caution was based from
tough, wise cracking books by Peter Cheyney

I became an enduring fan way back in 1966 when a large group of films were finally released on US television by a small company named Westhampton Films. For thirteen years he was basically unknown in the US, but very well known in Europe.
Eddie’s film library finally became a favorite all over the US, from being shown on the late, late, late shows in New York, then shown through the country. It seemed like one would be on TV every night, actually early morning, between the wee hours of 1 and 4 am.

As you have probably read in my other blog entries, I have been a 16mm film collector
since 1968, having over 4200 films through those many years. That means, I loved having film projectors, screens, film cans & reels, and smelling film cement. Nothing is better than the
projected image up on a screen.
Now, since the Eddie films were printed for TV on Black and White film stock, they were quickly dumped by the 1970’s for newer films in color, for the ever popular full color TV’s.

Back then, who wanted to watch old Black & White compared to all new Color?
The networks were full speed ahead with color programming. Network logos would bounce out at you. Even the opening shots of a series would brag that it's IN COLOR.

So almost all of Eddie’s films disappeared from the tube, and then film prints came up for sale for 16mm film collectors like myself.
I bought 21 of Eddie's titles, mostly from a long since out of business,
Movie Film Clearing House from Fort Worth, Texas in 1973 & 1974.

These Eddie titles were a lost cinema treasure for years.

TV's 16mm prints were either sold winding up in collector’s hands, or destroyed for scrap.
Film stock was reclaimed for the minerals in it.
Tons of films were also dumped as garbage countless times, because storage bills
remained unpaid. Many small distributors would go out of business,
and the film prints would go bye bye. Very sad.

One interesting tidbit of film trivia --- about 70% of all films ever made have been destroyed.

Gone! Never to be shown again.

Most destroyed by film companies that made or distributed them!!!

In 1989, and 1996, two US video companies used my film prints to transfer from, making VHS then DVD’s. Just recently, most of Eddie’s films were pristinely transferred on

DVD in France, from the original negatives.

I'm very happy that I had a part of preserving Eddie's movies here in the US.

May Eddie Constantine --- live on and on.

Six of my favorite Constantine titles I will discuss here.

POISON IVY, THE BIG BLUFF, THERE GOES BARDER, AS IF IT WERE RAINING,

YOUR TURN DARLING, and LICENCE TO KILL.

I wrote about Eddie’s ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS (Cartes Sur Table) by prolific director Jesus Franco, in my Blog Entry #12, in the Archive.

POISON IVY
FBI CRIMINAL DIVISION
GUN MOLL
MURDER IN CASABLANCA

Starring EDDIE CONSTANTINE as Lemmy Caution (The first portrayal)

Dominique Wilms, Dario Moreno, and Howard Vernon.

Directed by Bernard Borderie
Based on a story by Peter Cheyney

France-Italy ----

1953

In 1953, Bernard Borderie directed Constantine as a character from a Peter Cheyney story.

Cheyney was a popular British pulp mystery writer from the 1930's and 1940's.

A sexy nightclub singer known as Poison Ivy, named Carlotta, and her lover, crooked gang leader Rudy Saltierra put together a robbery of two million $$$ in mysterious

Casablanca, Morocco.

(They are played by sexy Dominique Wilms, and Howard Vernon (later known in

Jesus Franco's Awful Dr. Orloff).

The FBI sends their top agent, Lemmy Caution to fight the bad guys. Who else?

He goes to the night club, and conveniently overhears the murder of Carlotta's brother after an blackmailing argument in Saltierra's office.

Constantine sticks his nose in, and verbally provokes Saltierra.

If this sounds like a crime noir film with Bogey from the forties, you're right.

They take that, and add Constantine's personality to it.

Eddie's formula worked for a long time.

Add to that scenes with throwing Eddie to the sharks at sea, a wild bar room fight, an oceanside shoot out, and Poison Ivy herself having to choose the good or bad guy ---- it made a

great start for Eddie Constantine.

An old drunk newspaper buddy to Lemmy, could blow his new cover in Casablanca.
My name is not Lemmy Caution. It's Perry Charles Rice.
Ohhhhh, Perrry Charles Riiice, spoken in a drunken slur.

Feed 'em to the sharks!

Ok Poison Ivy ---- Chose a side ---- Good or Bad? ---- Good wins. Go Eddie!

Flying fists, whiskey shots, and sexy ladies = Eddie's film formula.
Bernard Borderie, pictured below certainly knew how important that was.
He wrote and directed 6 of Eddie's best, including the first, Poison Ivy.

Smokin' pretty shots of Dominique Wilms below.

Dominique in two cosmetic ads for Cremes Salon from 1953 & 1954.

Next film, Dominique Wilms returns.

THE BIG BLUFF

Starring EDDIE CONSTANTINE as Eddie Morgan

Dominique Wilms (Poison Ivy), Mireille Granelli, Bernard Dheran, and Moustache

Directed by Patrice Dally

France----

1957

Eddie Constantine plays Eddie Morgan, a lifelong gambler that follows in the betting footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

In the opening, we see Eddie winning or losing big in various gambling dens around the world. Finally in Paris, he proves that the roulette wheel is fixed, fists start flying, and
Eddie winds up on the street with a severe headache.

Lovely betting lady, Dominique (played by former Poison Ivy girl---Dominique Wilms) takes him to her upscale hotel suite for a drink and some TLC.

He admits he’s now broke, but that won’t stop him getting on top again. Quickly too.

Eddie says he’ll move in the suite next door in the morning.

The wild, devil may care gambler creates his own publicity that the millionaire American fortune creator Eddie Morgan has arrived in Paris. He’s spreading his wealth for new investors in France.

Yeah, it’s way far fetched, but hey---it’s the 1950’s.

Just go along with the Constantine formula for fun.

He gets some of his bar room friends to act as his assistant, his valet, and 2 cute secretaries, then moves in quickly next door to Dominique in the hotel.

Eddie gets a ton of perks from the hotel, on the promise of an inbound bank transfer from one of his corporations. Credit card swipe machines were not invented yet.

We find out that Dominique is in cahoots with the biggest swindler around, Colonna. He’s out to cheat a young pretty Francoise (Mireille Granelli) out of her inherited property.

It’s a major oil reserve worth millions and millions.

Eddie gambles, beats the baddies, lovingly cons everybody, and gets both girls by

The End.

Lots of kisses with Dominique. But a fist fight starts with Henry Cogan (a Constantine movie regular), and a bunch of other bouncers. Eddie hits the curb.

Oh well...... you can't win them all.

Eddie's not worried. When captured by the bad guys, he strums & sings,

then bluffs his way out.

Mireille Granelli on two magazine covers below.

THERE GOES BARDER

Starring EDDIE CONSTANTINE

May Britt, Monique Van Vooren, Jean Danet, Jean Carmet, Pierre Brice
Lyla Rocco, Evelyne Rey, Irene Galter

Directed by John Berry

France----

1955

Eddie Constantine plays Johnny Jordan in this light hearted crime noir film.

He’s a maritime drifter, that saves a wealthy owner of cargo ships named Moreno from a gunmen’s holdup dockside one late evening.

After a few of Johnny’s punches, the robber runs away.

Moreno then owes Jordan a big favor, so Johnny says he would like a job.

Johnny visits Moreno at his apartment in the morning. He is a huge, obese man that constantly eats, but he has a very sexy secretary (Lyla Rocco) that Jordan flirts with.
Moreno hires him as a security agent to find out how thefts are happening on a ship that has frequent voyages to Puerto Negro. He's also suspicious of his shipping agent there named Sammy Kern that supervises shipments.

Clues, cash, a revolver, and one shirt in a suitcase. Johnny's ready to go!

Moreno also figured out that the holdup was a fake that Johnny set up just to meet him.

He still wants Jordan for the job.

Jordan

is no stranger to the seaport of Puerto Negro.

He goes to stay at an old friend Alvarez’s bar & hotel. Alvarez and his girlfriend (Irene Galter) know some adventure is about to begin, since Johnny’s been gone for 2 years.

Johnny’s reminded of his old flame Gina from Alvarez’s girl. She rubs it in, that Jordan lost Gina, and went broke the last time he was there. He promised it all, even a new Cadillac, but failed at everything and left in disgrace.

Jordan

meets up with the little weasel named Kern.

Kern is involved with a tough guy bar owner Diego, who loves throwing knives.

And just guess who Diego’s wife is?

You guessed it. The lovely Gina (played by May Britt).

You just know Johnny still loves her.

Johnny knocks his way around and finds out the loot from the ship robberies are weapons.
Big time gun running. Johnny gets beat up but good.

Kern gets murdered, and Johnny’s questioned and blamed by the police..

Alvarez and Jordan escape the police by using a stolen ambulance. Alvarez using the stiff dead body of Kern as a decoy, and Johnny hiding in the back screaming as a woman in labor ----
makes this one unique and funny chase scene.

Now how about that Gina and Johnny----Do they get back together? Or does that rat Diego win the loot and the girl?

The exiting finale has a shoot out, and a fight going up to the top of a tall lighthouse.

Sexy Monique Van Vooren goes after Eddie.

Below --- Old car lovers can really get into these movies.

An early role for Pierre Brice. He became famous for his role of Winnetou, the Apache chief, in

the Old Surehand series of German westerns.

Bad guys Diego and Moreno think they can outsmart Johnny. No way!

The exciting gun chase, and fist fight high a top a lighthouse.

Broke again, but now loving the girl, Johnny says he'll sing again to make a buck.

Alvarez realizes he was once known as Barder. There Goes Barder again!

Always a happy ending in Eddie's pictures.

May Britt (Maybritt Wilkens) starred in the remake of Marlene Dietrich's Blue Angel in 1959.

Also known for her marriage to mega entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. in 1960.

The beautiful
May Britt Wilkens.

AS IF IT WERE RAINING

Starring EDDIE CONSTANTINE as Eddie Ross

Elisa Montes, Jose Nieto, Henry Cogan, and Sylvia Solar

Directed by Jose Luis Monter
Produced by Jacques Roitfeld

Spain-France-----1960

In a Madrid high rise, a pretty young lady is shot and killed by an unseen man for knowing too much. We see he has a large ornate ring, and hear his deep, mysterious voice.

Near the woman's body on a table we see a different pretty woman's picture.

We meet our hero, Eddie Ross (Constantine) a former executive, now an unknown writer, that's now broke. While he walks down the street, he witnesses a rough looking man (Henri Cogan) attempting to rob a pretty girl. Eddie jumps in of course, a fist fight ensues, which is a trademark in Constantine films. The man pulls a knife, but still gets knocked out by Eddie.
The girl’s now gone. Only a small briefcase of hers is left, with her name and address. She's Esperanza de la Vega (played by Elisa Montes). Eddie drops the knife by the assailant.
After he leaves, the murderer with the fancy ring, removes the knife from the scene.
Eddie takes the briefcase to Esperanza's apartment, and the police answer her door. Esperanza was in the photograph and is the room mate of the murdered girl.

The unknown blackmailer, only known by the name Martinez is the murderer.
He controlled Esperanza's friend, and her too with blackmail.

Now he hires the down on his luck Eddie to be a well paid assistant, but never meeting him. Contact only by phone calls to do certain services for him.

Eddie gets a wad of cash, a new suit, and buys whiskey and groceries. He has to use an apartment arranged by Martinez. Eddie even buys a chimpanzee as a companion. Yes, a chimp.

Martinez uses Eddie to blackmail various men, to set up the makings of a daring
robbery of the Madrid mint. Bank notes that are going to be destroyed will be stolen.
Switched before burning.
The assailant goes back to Eddie to tell him that for a certain price he will hand over to Eddie a photograph to identify Martinez.
He is quickly knifed by the bad guy, using the knife with Eddie's fingerprints on it.
When Eddie goes to deliver the money agreed upon, he finds the dead thug, and wipes off his fingerprints. Ah ha, you can't fool Eddie.

Henry Cogan (Cuegan) pictured above. He co-starred as a tough guy in many of Constantine's films. Lovely Sylvia Solar helps in the blackmail scheme.
Sexy pictures always seem to work in blackmail.

Below ----- Eddie says "Honey, I'm going to do something that no man has every done to you!"

He leaves and shuts the door, to follow a bad guy that was shadowing him.

A large cloth bag with pounds and pounds of old bills that were slated to be burned up finally get stolen.

Does Eddie and Esperanza fall for each other? Of course.

Does Eddie get framed in murder and blackmailed? We'll see.
Can the bad guys out fist fight our Eddie Ross? Put your bet on Eddie to win.

Can Martinez be stopped? Of course. Eddie's the good guy.

Does that silly Chimp figure in here to save the day?

Yes, there's so much much strange plot to go around in this Constantine mystery.
It is ---- AS IF IT WERE RAINING.

Various movie posters below.

Lovely Elisa Montes.

Three shots of of Sylvia Solar. Performed in many Eurospy films in the 1960's. (Silvia Solar)

YOUR TURN DARLING
FEDERAL AGENT LEMMY CAUTION

Starring EDDIE CONSTANTINE as Lemmy Caution

Gaia Germani, Philippe Lemaire, Christianne Minazzoli, and Elga Andersen

Directed by Bernard Borderie

France-Italy----- 1963

LEMMY CAUTION'S BACK. ----- LOCK UP YOUR LIQUOR CABINET!

Late at night in a laboratory, a pretty undercover FBI lady agent makes a frantic call to her boss Colonel Willis. She says it concerns Wittaker.

Then gunshots, and then a fallen agent.

Colonel Willis now needs Lemmy Caution on the job!

They find him at 4am. drinking the Stork Nightclub dry.

Meeting Willis at a ransacked apartment of American scientist Elmer Whittaker, Lemmy starts snooping around finding a bottle of whiskey hidden in the clothes bureau.

Willis says Whittaker was kidnapped, and that he was working on a formula for a revolutionary new lightweight solid fuel. Caution knows what it is----Ice.
You put it in whiskey and it floats to the top, he says.

Willis now angry at the imbibing Lemmy, shows him one clue, a picture of Whittaker’s fiancé, a very pretty model from Paris, Geraldine Montevecchio (played by lovely Gaia Germani).

Caution listening to a reel to reel tape recording of the dead agent’s call, tells Willis he has the case all figured out. ---- Now Lemmy’s off to Paris!

We learn about a kidnapping gang wanting ransom for Whittaker’s life, lead by Franzetti (Philippe Lemaire) and his not so smart underlings. Eddie gets the upper hand, as usual.

Lemmy meets three sexy ladies, all involved with the kidnapping -------

Pretty Geraldine, the fiancé. --- Another motive? She’s give Caution a tough time.

Sexy blonde Valerie Pontiac that Lemmy knew before prison and facial surgery as Carletta Strassa (actress Christiane Minazzoli).

And the third hottie, Franzetti’s girlfriend Montana (Elga Andersen)

Poor Carletta. She found out the cheating going on behind her back.

She wanted to tell Lemmy all about the whole bad guy scheme.

They got even putting got a slug in her back. Eddie alreaady figured it out!

The cautionary plot has a few twists, each coupled with Lemmy downing a drink.

Add to that some comic Constantine fist fights, Lemmy hogtied in a big basket, and a finale fight in a farm dairy with lots of spilled milk. The girls look real good fighting in that. Ooooh la la.

Will the genius Whittaker be saved?

Which lovely lady will Caution win at the end?

Will Lemmy run out of liquor?

Geraldine (Gaia Germani) turns out to be a sexy Interpol agent. Lemmy is one happy agent too.

Model shots of lovely Christiane Minazzoli.
Christiane also co-starred with Eddie in Ladies First.

Four shots of the fabulous Gaia Germani.

Beautiful Elga Andersen had her share of Pin-Ups too. Legssssss!

Elga Andersen's most famous role---Costarring with Steve McQueen in Le Mans in 1971.

She and husband Peter Gimbel produced a TV show of the vault opening of the famous
sunken ship, the SS. Andrea Doria.

LICENCE TO KILL

ADVENTURES OF NICK CARTER
NICK CARTER BEATS EVERYTHING!

Starring EDDIE CONSTANTINE as Nick Carter

Daphne Dayle, Barbara Somers, Valery Inkijinoff, Mitsouoko, Yvonne Monlaur,
Charles Belmont, Jean-Paul Moulinot, and Paul Frankeur

Directed by Henri Decoin

France-Italy----1964

1964 --- Recluse French scientist named Didier Formenter invents a small flying saucer device that can destroy any object flying in the sky.

Wouldn’t our Cold War enemies love to get their evil hands on that!

And rule the world! Oh, no!

Aging Formenter lives in a protected, secure fortress because he is afraid for his life.

A sinister criminal group backed by the Red Chinese are after the invention.

Years before, he was friends with Nick Carter, a now deceased world famous detective/adventurer. He taught Buffalo Bill how to shoot, and solved crimes for famous people around the world way back in the day/

Formenter (Jean-Paul Moulinot) writes to Nick Carter “Jr.” for help.

Our lovable Eddie Constantine plays Nick Jr., and he carries on in his dad’s famous footsteps
----well, sort of.
Nick's secretary Gladys (Barbara Somers) not only is crazy about Nick, but loves to talk to reporters boosting the Carter image.

Nick flies off to France, only to face a masked gunmen shooting his car off the road before he even gets to Formenter's home.

Luckily Nick is near to the local bar. Nick has time a couple. Bar owner and gang member Antonio befriends Nick, and takes him to the fortress.

Formenter shows Nick how his flying device works, and we meet his family.

Cute and feisty Catherine (played by Daphne Dayle) catches Nick’s eye and his heart.

And weird, adopted son Bruno, that catches Nick’s suspicion.

That night, Formenter is murdered, and the high jinks start.

Gladys, Nick's ever faithful secretary Gladys (Barbara Somers) is really jealous of the younger, pretty Catherine (Daphne Dayle). And Catherine didn't know that Gladys' heart races for Nick.

Maryse Guy Mitsouko as LiHang's evil assistant.
Remember her in the opening pre-credit sequence of 007's Thunderball?

Evil baddies Antonio and LiHang are sick of Nick Carter.

Paul Frankeur as Antonio, a crooked barman, gets the drop on Nick.

The Chinese gang lead by LiHang (actor Inkijinoff) and his lovely assistant played by Mitsouko jump into evil action. They want that flying saucer.

Antonio shows his traitor side, trying to bump off Nick. And is the step son Bruno a killer?

Nick and Catherine fall in love. We knew that was coming.

Catherine is literally hung over a vat of boiling oil by LiHang!
Oh no! Shades of old cliffhangers.

The Chinese gang traps Nick, and he falls under a speeding train !!!!

Wow, how does this movie get to happy good guy kiss ending ????

This is a mystery, mixed with spies, and the evil Yellow Peril plot thrown in too.

A real 1960’s Eurospy treat! One of my Constantine favorites.

Daphne Dayle and Maryse Guy Mitsuoko above.

In 1964, Dayle posed for the first Monokini (topless caused a big stir then) designed by

Rudi Gernreich. Shots were in Life Magazine at the time.

Mitsouoko pictured above with Sean Connery in the 007 Bond classic, Thunderball.

She also co-starred in the Richard Harrison Eurospy film --- Killers Are Challenged.

These are my favorite titles out of the large group of Constantine film prints I had.

Your Turn Darling was the first I acquired in 1972, and getting 20 others through the years.
I am very glad I had a part of getting them released on VHS and DVD in 1989 and 1996.

My old television prints were used to transfer from.

Got good news recently, a DVD release of all of Constantine titles are being sold in France from the pristine original French negatives.

Eddie certainly deserves that!

Nick Casser also wound up in print.

If you like movie posters, I have a slew of Eddie Constantine posters for you

in this segment of my blog. Many more below too.

Seems like a kazillion Nick Carter
spy paperback books were
sold in the sixties.

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