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Weekly Special: “Germans in Bond Films” #05 – Karin Dor

“Helga Brandt”
portrayed by
 Karin Dor was born in Wiesbaden on February 22nd 1938 as Kätherose Derr. Many sources will give her birthyear as 1936 only due to the fact, that she made herself two years older to be legally allowed to marry in 1954.

 In 1953, Arthur Maria Rabenalt is filming scenes for his upcoming film “Der letzte Walzer” (“The Last Waltz”), when the extra Rose Dor catches his eye. He knows, that his friend Harald Reinl, who was filming in the same city at the same time, was looking for young actresses and recommends Reinl his dicovery. Reinl is delighted: In “Der schweigende Engel” (1953) und “Rosen-Resli” Rose Dor plays two small parts. Even before the second film was finished, the 46 year old lawyer and director married the18 year old girl. 

The marriage helps the young actress to advance quickly in her business, not only with Reinl she had huge chances: Rudolf Jugert casted her as a student in “Ihre große Prüfung” (1954), Hans Grimm in “Kleiner Mann – ganz groß” (1956), Wolfgang Glück in “Worüber man nicht spricht” (1958). But it´s still her husband Reinl who gives her the biggest chances: She is the soft Naive in “Solange du lebst” (1955) and perfects this typecast in the Edgar-Wallace- and Karl-May-Films of Reinl: Scotland Yard rushes to her aid in “Die Bande des Schreckens” (1960), for the sake of the peace she gives the loved Apache chief a miss in “Winnetou II” (1964) and marries the white son of a lieutnant in the film (Mario Girotti, who would later call himself Terence Hill). 

 In 1963, Dor escapes her usual typecast image when she plays a pathological murderer in Reinls “Zimmer 13” – a prestage for the demonic role of Brunhilde, who she portrays at the height of her career in “Nibelungen” (1966). The year before she could even be seen alongside Christopher Lee and Joachim Fuchsberger in the horror flick “Ich, Dr. Fu Man Chu”.
In 1967, Karin Dor surprises on an international scale, when she is supposed to kill James Bond (Sean Connery) with her erotic charme under the direction of Lewis Gibert in “You Only Live Twice”. Since Ursula Andress in “Dr. No” was from Switzerland, Karin Dor actually was the first german Bond girl – and the only one!



The meeting between Bond producer Albert R. Broccolli and Karin Dor was everything else but planned. Originally, Karin Dor had planned to go on holiday when she learned, that her agent had booked a flight to London for her. At the airport the agent bought high-heels for Dor since the producers were looking for a blonde with a height of 1,75m. When Cubby Broccolli asked Dor which Bond-Film she had previously seen, she replied with: “Not a single one of them.” She also didn´t know Sean Connery, but her agent had always raved about him being such a gorgeous man.


According to her own words, she thought of Connery to be totally boring during the rehearsals but once the first clapperboard had clapped, everything had been there: the incredible charme, the coolness and the famous sparkle in his eyes. “He was phenomenal, but during rehearsals the lazy fellow didn´t strain himself too hard.” , Dor reports with a smile.

The film death of Karin Dor in “You Only Live Twice” is not a nice one – eaten by Piranhas. Although a double had been brought in to do the scene, Karin Dor decided to play the scene herself and was dragged underwater by divers. She later said, that she was used to doing things like that by herself since they had previously done all their own stunts in the Edgar-Wallace- and Karl-May-Films.



When asked by a popular german newspaper, how her experience with her Bond was, she replied: “The best Bond ever. Sean Connery had an incredible charisma. He was just so manly.“
 She has a different opinion on the Bonds of recent years though: “Pierce Brosnan – too spick and span. Daniel Craig – don´t like him, absolutely not my type. You know what? Jan Josef Liefers would be a good german Bond. He has charisma as a Sir, but can also be tough. With Liefers I would love to be Bond-Girl once more.“ The Jubilee Bond “SKYFALL” was also not an option for Dor. When asked if she would consider watching it, she answered: „No. Actually I don´t really enjoy spy films. I´m more of the Thriller-Type.“

Following the Bond success, Karin Dor was seen two years later as a hot-blooded cuban in Alfred Hitchcocks “Topas”. Hitchcock had seen 90 actresses before Karin Dor, so she didn´t anticipate to get the part and packed nothing on the flight. When she got the part, she said to Hitchcock: “But Mr. Hitchcock. I didn´t pack anything!” He replied: “Well, then go shopping and bring me the bill.”  
 Both, Dor and Hitchcock, had a very good and special relationship on the set of “Topas” – Karin Dor even had to dictate german cooking recipes to Hitchcocks assistant Peggy. “Of all the directors I have worked with Hitchcock was my favourite. I adored and loved him as a director. At the end of every filming day on Topas he would come to my trailer with his secretary and they would bring me German recipes because he knew that I liked to cook. We had a marvelous, immediate, simpatico relationship. It was one of my best experiences in movie making.”
But times weren´t always good for Karin Dor. One year, she had done five films – at one time even two films at the same time which meant to come home at 5 in the morning from one film set and being collected by the chauffeur two hours later for the other. Around the time “Topas” was being made, her marriage with Reinl was being divorced. There had been a time where Dor was, in her own words, miserable. She was addicted to sleeping pills and had to go to rehab which wasn´t an easy thing to do she reported. Her career began to slow down – not so much because of the addiction, but because of the fact, that her private life needed more attention since she had already lost her youth to the world of limelight. Steps that some people do in years, she did in fast motion. It was a good life, but Dor never had the time to be young and unburedened because she had always worked hard. A time-out was needed.


Now, in the age of 75, Karin Dor still loves to be on a theatre stage – less, but with the same level of passion and devotion as in her film years. She was married to George Robotham, a U.S. stunt-director, from 1988 until his death in 2007. The couple lived in Los Angeles and Munich.
VIDEOS
 Karin Dor signing autographs (2013)

The funky adventures of Karin Dor
(Youtube Mix of her films)

This special will return with…GOTTFRIED JOHN

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