A FRENCHMAN IN ITALY: JACQUES HERLIN INTERVIEW

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

European Film Review: What did you make of Brass?

Jacques: He was an extraordinary character, very sympathetic. Intelligent, cultured and totally obsessed with sex! We were friends and would dine out together. I remember him saying: "When I send a screenplay to a producer I always include many pictures of naked girls. It means they're sure to read at least 2 or 3 pages. The producers receive so many screenplays they don't pay any attention, but this way..!" No, really, he was very clever. Like most of the Italian directors he was left wing; in his western he put a hammer and sickle behind a wagon of pioneers. Just a little joke for movie fans. I find that kind of stuff very amusing.

European Film Review: You only did one film with him?

Jacques: Yes... I was supposed to do a second one, but I refused. I don't remember what it was.

European Film Review: Any idea what's happened to Philippe Leroy?

Jacques: Well, I recently had some news about him from a friend, Françoise Prévost. She will maybe soon do something with him... He still lives in Italy, but often comes to France.

European Film Review: You made a lot of films in Germany. Did you also live there?

Jacques: No, I traveled there and back. I had 'easy' roles, playing funny or crazy characters. I was living with a German girl at the time, and she helped me out by doing simultaneous translation (I've never learned German). I never had any problems, the Germans were very correct: they sent the screenplay, I had two weeks of shooting, took my money and went home.

European Film Review: You were in Mario Bava's The Whip and The Body. you were a pope with an enormous beard?

Jacques: I don't remember, I'm afraid. I once received a letter from a guy who's preparing a book about B Movies and actors like Pierre Brice. I answered, sent a photo and he talked about Bava. I know the name, but can't remember working with him. I've done so many films.

Mr. Muscles from new York on the poster for IRONMASTER

European Film Review: Any that do particularly stick in the memory?

Jacques: When I came back to France , in 1982, my agent from Rome called me: "Jacques, do you want to make a film? I must warn you, it's a piece of shit, but very well paid". How could I refuse? So I found myself with this Mr. Muscles from New York - a big, but quite nice, jerk - who was smearing himself with oil before each take. It was a prehistoric kind of film, you see. And they wanted me to wear a loincloth. "Please don't make me wear that", I said, "I'm so meager!" So they put me in some kind of skimpy animal skin. Then, when they were shooting a scene, it suddenly struck me what I looked like: big Mr. Muscles, there, and me in front of him with my skinny arms. I couldn't stop laughing.

European Film Review: That film... It was Umberto Lenzi's Ironmaster

Jacques: Umberto Lenzi ! Absolutely ! It was the last big shit I did in Italy.

European Film Review: Nowadays, we realize how the B-movies of the sixties were inventive, dynamic...

Jacques: You're absolutely right. All the directors loved their job and knew exactly what they were doing. Even on a small film there was. a love, really. A lot of westerns, for instance, were shot in a small studio outside of Rome. One director had a tiny budget and had to shoot a fight scene involving the whole 'town': he had to re-use horses and extras, dressing them in different hats and beards. These two guys played 15 different charcters. It was very funny.

nother story that makes me laugh was during a shoot in Spain, there was a big American western being filmed at the same time we were shooting a little Italian one. The director simply 'moved' his camera and 'stole' a scene from them - a big scene with about 500 extras. When it was finished, he simply turned the camera back onto his Italian actors. It was genius!

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

If you would like to comment on this article, please go to the 'Jacques Herlin' thread in our forums.