A FRENCHMAN IN ITALY: JACQUES HERLIN INTERVIEW

This interview was conducted by Pascal Françaix and translated from French by Frédérick Durand

Jacques Herlin belongs to that community of European performers who, from Howard Vernon to Paul Muller, from Philippe Leroy to Klaus Kinski, have never hesitated to cross international borders in order to play a role. Even though his name may not be as familiar as those of the aforementioned globe-trotting performers, his filmography is just as rich. He was directed by art-house favourites (Fellini, Visconti, Beineix), cult heroes (Bava, Ferroni, Umberto Lenzi) and people whose careers have subsequently aroused the interest of. absolutely no-one (Giorgio Marischka, Franz Gottlieb). He performed in westerns (Yankee (66)), peplums (Goliath and the Sins of Babylon (Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo, 63)), horror films (The Whip and the Body (La frusta e il corpo, 63) and spy films (Marcello Ciorciolini's Tom Dollar (67)), not to mention other, lesser genres.

Jacques Herlin (far right) with Patrick O'Neill and Godfrey Ho in MATCHLESS

It is in the comedy genre that he has found the greatest success, though, most particularly with the 'Sexy Susan' series of Austrian films directed by Franz Antel and Walter Boos (Sexy Susan Sins Again (Frau Wirtin auch einen Grafen, 68), Sexy Susan Knows How (Frau Wirtin blast auch gern trompete, 70). Even today, he retains a lasting popularity in German speaking countries where these productions are regularly shown on TV.

Born in Toulon, France, Jacques began his career in theatre, working under the patronage of the notorious comedian Pierre Fresnay. He soon started appearing in French films, most of which are forgotten today (although it did give him the opportunity to appear with the likes of Simone Signoret in Le jour et l'heure (63)). At the beginning of the sixties he traveled to Italy to take part in the play Tueurs sans gages, and soon attracted the attention of Cinecitta producers. He was to become an inhabitant of Rome for twenty years, finding constant work in the booming film industry and becoming a central member of the circle of French actors who had settled there. He eventually returned to Paris at the beginning of the 1980's, where he continued his cinematic career (even appearing in National Lampoon's European Vacation (85)).

Today, Jacques Herlin appears regularly on TV and stage. He had considerable success, playing an old Nazi, nostalgic for the war, in a video that was played at various festivals (Anne ma soeur Anne, a song written by Louis Chédid). I had the chance to meet this warm and enthusiastic actor in his Parisian apartment, near the Montparnasse Tower...

Page 1: Jacques Herlin, an introduction
Page 2: On acting in France and Italy
Page 3: On Tinto Brass, Ironmaster & shooting spaghetti westerns
Page 4: On Frankenstein's Aunt, Ferdy Mayne and Eddie Constantine

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