Soledad Miranda

On this page you will find tributes to Soledad from various people who knew her or worked with her, and also from her fans. It's interesting to learn the films in which her fans first saw her. Tribute artwork can be found on the Fan Art page. Numerous bloggers and websites have honored Soledad; you can find them on the links page. If you would like to submit a Soledad tribute (written, fan art, or other), just contact me.


Jess Franco

Jess Franco
(the legendary cult director who discovered Soledad's true talent)

"Recordando te Soledad"

"Recordando te Soledad" ("Remembering You Soledad") is a song that Jess Franco recorded with his band as a tribute to Soledad. The song is available on the CD The Manacoa Experience. In the liner notes, Franco's associate Kevin Collins says: "Franco has created a tonal description of the slim dark-haired beauty from Seville whose delicate porcelain doll features continue to haunt his body of work... taking the listener on an enchanting musical voyage through her short life. Her tender years are rendered with the tropical rhythms of the Meditarranean and bridged to her fragile fatal memory through jazz, congas, and finally the flamencos and the simple voices of the Gypsies. We will always remember Soledad."

Franco said it best in his beautiful comments on the song: "If you are familiar with my films, you know Soledad Miranda, shining and tragic star of some of my most popular films... She indeed left a tremendous impression on me, and, over the years, almost became a mythical figure with a cult following. She died in a car accident only few days before she was about to sign a contract with a producer which would have turned her into a major star in Europe. Soledad Miranda was very spontaneous. A half gypsy half Andalucian girl. She had no culture. No intellect but a primitive instinct. A very clear and clever mind. She was just letting herself float through life. She was very sentimental and very carnal at the same time. I tried to show all those elements though the music she loved. The ballads, the real Brasilian music and also her flamenco music. It was tremendously difficult to translate her spirit into the tune. But I think I eventually succeeded. I hope that when you will hear this music, you will understand her personality a little bit better."

To hear "Recordando te Soledad", click here.


Ingrid Pitt

Ingrid Pitt
(the scream-queen-to-be who acted alongside Soledad in Sound of Horror)

"I don't really know what to say about Soledad. It was a long time ago. From what I remember she was a fun person although at times she could be a little temperamental - but then who isn't. We did share an interest in Flamenco and went to see it together on a couple of occasions. On set she was very professional and the camera liked her. I think if she had been spared longer she would have gone on to make many more films. She was learning to speak English at the same time as I was struggling to perfect my Spanish. Which made it a bit awkward as she wanted to practice her English and I had made it a rule to speak nothing but Spanish. I didn't really know about her. I think we got along very well, but I didn't get to know her very well. I think she was very nice but we didn't have a friendship apart from the film. I never saw her again."


Jack Taylor

Jack Taylor
(the international star who acted alongside Soledad in Count Dracula, playing her love interest)

"What I remember most about Soledad was her reserve... her quietness on and off the set; during, before, and after a day's work. She was neither melancholic nor distant... on the contrary, very warm and kind... very sweet, someone very 'comfortable' to be with. Although I did meet her husband, I know nothing of her private life... we worked together only once, even though I'm credited with having participated in two other films with her... perhaps these are things re-edited... there is so much footage out there in the hands of people only interested in making a quick turnover that anything is possible.

"We did Dracula together at the studios in Barcelona, directed by Jess Franco. Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Maria Rohm, Fred Williams, Klaus Kinski, Soledad, and I made up the cast; however, Kinski's scenes were shot in Rome. Simultaneously a 'making of' was done of the film, directed by Pere Portabella and premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, entitled Vampyr Cuadecuc. It was shot in black and white, capturing the spirit of the Stoker novel. I prefer it to the Franco version. In it there is a scene where I'm helping Soledad into a coffin for the coming shot... a very tender moment... we might even call it prophetic since she was killed only a short time later... in an auto accident on a dangerous curve of the highway bordering the sea at Estoril, Portugal. A strange thing happened while I was shooting Polanski's The Ninth Gate there... I was in my car on the way to work and concentrating on my lines for the day's scenes when suddenly I felt an electric shock; as I looked up I realised just where I was... the exact spot where Soledad died... I could reach out and touch her.

"Soledad was not really 'famous' in Spain... not in the sense of screaming fans asking for autographs or ladies at the supermarket standing in awe as she passed... she is better known now. At that time the type of cinema we were doing was not in vogue here (Spain)... it was something provocative (Dracula was an exception... it played to the general public). It was a time of censorship, which was why we did most of the Franco films out of the country.

"What Soledad could or might have done as an actress will always be a mystery... at the time of her death we all thought that destiny had been extremely cruel to her... but as the years pass, perhaps it was a blessing reserved for a chosen few. She will always be there in shadows, beautiful, enigmatic, untouchable... preserved from the clutches of time which can be much more cruel.

"When I first saw her in Fuego [Pyro] I thought, there is someone magical... after all is there any magic greater than cinema? Only the camera catches qualities that the human eye doesn't see... it transforms those before it into another reality... another dimension... so close but at the same time so far away... Soledad will always be beautiful, mysterious... so close to us yet so enigmatically unreachable. Bless you Soledad... I was fortunate to have known you."

and

"What do I remember about Soledad Miranda? First place, she was... let's call her a divine creature. She was marvelous. She has a magic quality about her. I only worked with her once, it was in 'Dracula'. And she was killed shortly after that, she died in an auto accident, I guess everyone knows that. It's really too bad because there was something... there was star quality that I could see. And I wished I could've worked with her more. But unfortunately that's destiny. Working with Soledad was effortless, it was very simple, very professional. There was a good rapport there. You can always see that."


Paul Müller

Paul Müller
(the Swiss actor who performed alongside Soledad in a number of Jess Franco movies)

Robert Monell was lucky enough to get a very rare interview with Paul Müller and was kind enough to share Müller's statements about Soledad with her fans. Robert said, "He was kind of reluctant to talk about her. Still seemed shaken by her death." From UNDER THE SIGN OF THE VAMPIRE: INTERVIEW WITH PAUL MULLER by Robert Monell © ROBERT MONELL, 2007: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PM: "I remember Soledad Miranda from DRACULA, THE VAMPIRE."
RM: I wanted to ask you about her.
PM: "She died in a car accident. She could have been a great actress, a big star, if she had lived."
RM: Mr. Müller, which films do you remember the most about... her?
PM: "EUGENIE, made in 1970 with Miranda, then UNDER THE SIGN OF THE VAMPYRE [Vampyros Lesbos] and DR JEKYLL AND MRS HYDE [She Killed in Ecstasy], also with her. She was called Susan Korda in those films. Then, later I made AKASAVA with her in Germany. Part of DR JEKYLL was also shot in Germany with Horst Tappert. Earlier I made SEX CHARADE with her and Jack Taylor."
RM: How did you commnunicate with Soledada Miranda? Did she speak English or Italian?
PM: "No, she spoke just Spanish. But I talked to her in Italian, which she seemed to understand. There wasn't any trouble between us. She just spoke her lines of dialogue in English. She was good, as I said, and would have become a better actress had she lived."
RM: On the EUGENIE set, did she speak her lines phonetically?
PM: "Yes, she just repeated the way they sounded in English if that's what you are asking."
RM: She's very good in that. What did you think of her performance?
PM: "She was very good, she was a very good actress in that, not timid."
RM: Can you discuss her as a person? How was she offset?
PM: "A nice person, a very good working partner. Very friendly."


Maria Rohm

Maria Rohm
(the starlet who acted alongside Soledad in Count Dracula)

"During the film she was extremely sweet, also very professional, but quiet. I felt her to be quiet. She did not say very much. She never said very much. That's just maybe the time. But she was a very nice person. I was so shocked when I heard about her car accident. It was terrible."


Fred Williams

Fred Williams
(the handsome actor who performed in several Jess Franco films with Soledad)

"Soledad Miranda was great. A very attractive, black-haired, very serious girl. She was almost never in the mood to laugh. But she was good and a very professional colleague. Jess was very fond of her. She was engaged to a race car driver, and he drove with her in the car into the back of a truck, in front of a tunnel, she was dead immediately. We had a good camaraderie, but there was no sexual attraction whatsoever, strangely enough. She was reserved. Maybe because she was engaged to that guy. She was never even flirting. But I didn’t care about that, in fact I preferred it that way."


Jack Betts

Jack Betts
(aka Hunt Powers, he played Soledad's leading man in Sugar Colt)

"I appreciate you contacting me regarding Soledad Miranda. It brought back many memories about Sugar Colt. Sugar Colt was the first film I was contracted to do in Rome, and when I arrived at the studio at Cinecittà I met all of the cast. But the one who stood out most memorably was when I met Soledad Miranda my leading lady. She had a light in her eyes that assured me that I was going to have a terrific time working on this film.

"When I came to Rome I knew very little Italian practically none. Spanish was one of my majors in high school. So Soledad and I had great fun talking Spanish together while everybody was talking Italian. Soledad was so easy to work with, so willing to rehearse our scenes and try new and different ways to make our work better. She was adored by everybody on the set and one could tell that the cast and crew enjoyed working with her. My fondest memory of the entire experience of shooting Sugar Colt is that we were all a family, and Soledad was an indispensable part of that family. We laughed a lot, we played a lot, and with her wonderful support and talent we made a wonderful movie together.

"I was very sorry to hear about Soledad's passing so many years ago. But I am pleased to know that she is being remembered through your efforts."


Victor Gomes

Victor Gomes
(the rock star who played Soledad's leading man in Los gatos negros/A canção da Saudade)

By mail, I interviewed the Los Gatos Negros (Os Gatos Pretos) star singer about working with Soledad. What he revealed to me was amazing, especially considering Soledad met her future husband on the same film! Imagine if Gomes had spoken up about his crush, how different Soledad's future might have been...He reiterated his love for Soledad when I met him in person in Portugal during the filming of the Soledad documentary.

VG: I'm pleased and honourable, and it was only a pleasure to answer your questions.
AB: When you worked with Soledad, did you get to know her very well? What were your impressions of her?
VG: She was a wonderful girl. I fell in love with her. She did not know, it was a secret.
AB: What was Soledad like in real life? What was her personality like?
VG: I don't know much about it, but while working next to me, she was fantastic.
AB: Was there anything special about Soledad that set her apart from other actresses you have worked with?
VG: Yes, she was brilliant, full of life. She was great.
AB: Did you ever socialize with her off-set, or do you know what she enjoyed doing for fun?
VG: No, I did not socialize with her and not know much about her off-set. I stayed away.
AB: Do you have any photographs or souvenirs of Soledad from the filming of the movie?
VG: Yes I have the film with me, and I will have her for life on my mind.


Arturo Fernández

Arturo Fernández
(the star who was Soledad's love interest in Currito de la Cruz and Sound of Horror)

Arturo Fernández was interviewed for the Soledad documentary. Here are some of his comments about Soledad, translated from Spanish.

"Well, to talk about this actress is to return as, doubtfully, to the past with nostalgia and sorrow, because she was an actress who unfortunately died being terribly young. I think at 27. At that time I remember her perfectly, she was a very spontaneous actress, very authentic. Beautiful. And above all very distinguished. She was a girl with a lot of class. I did with her Currito de la Cruz beautifully interpreted. There I think it was the accolade she had, that this girl had... Because it was a sublime interpretation. And it seems to me that she came from the song. She was a girl who sang wonderfully well. And with... her arrival it gave her another very modern air. Soledad was a girl of... current... And she was a very spontaneous, very authentic actress. Dramatic... as a singer, vocalized wonderfully well and especially said with great credibility, say, the dialogues. It was a real pleasure to have her as part of it, wasn't it? Paco Rabal, I remember, was in love with her. And almost everyone, right? For her sympathy and above all her great beauty. And her spontaneity. I remember and proof of that, how many years this girl has died and I still remember her, see if it was important... She was a truly endearing girl and when you called me to talk about her. I remembered her as something very special, something beautiful that went away, right?... A companion whom I admired her great beauty and especially let's say the extension that this successful girl could have if she had not had the misfortune of that accident... Soledad Miranda was... she was a truly sensational actress... She was a perfect actress."


José Sacristán

José Sacristán
(the star who was Soledad's love interest in Soltera y madre en la vida)

José Sacristán was interviewed for the Soledad documentary. Here are some of his comments about Soledad, translated from Spanish.

"It's a whole journey, huh? Fifty years, yes. Well, the truth is that a lot of time has passed and it was only one occasion that I had to work with Soledad, right? I knew about her career because in my first film she had, in La familia y uno más she had a role. But yes, remember that she was a creature that, apart from her beauty, had a particular attraction or interest for the camera... She was a personality, regardless of her gifts as an actress. What I remember from that shoot, which was a happy shoot... in memory what I keep is a very pleasant memory to have been during a few weeks the boyfriend of such a lovely creature, as nice and as good people as Soledad, yes... When I had the news of her death, like almost everyone, right? We were sorry... But yes, remember that yes personality and... interest, right? That... that Soledad's presence was awakening in the camera... There are people who have it and people who don’t have it, right? She was not the only one but of the people appointed or chosen, so to speak... to work in front of the cameras, right? There was a special attraction, I insist, beyond beauty, right? There are things that, interiorities that are transmitted through the eyes, through the gesture and that Soledad had it, yes, without any doubt... I had the opportunity to work very little with her but I keep a very nice memory, right? And it is very good to have this memory."


Robert Jeantal

Robert Jeantal
(the French superstar singer)

Robert Jeantal wrote a song about Soledad after a chance meeting with her in 1965. The encounter was brief, but he could not forget about her and soon penned a song called "Soledad, Soledad." He performed the song for Soledad in person and later on Spanish television. It was released on an EP with the declaration: "The song 'Soledad, Soledad' is dedicated to the beautiful star Soledad Miranda.” Click here to hear the song.


Amy Brown

Amy Brown
(yours truly)

"One word can describe my discovery of Soledad Miranda: serendipity. An eBay junkie, I was doing a search years ago and came across a bootleg Jean Rollin movie that sounded interesting. I'd never heard of Rollin before, but since then I have become a big fan. The point is, on that tape happened to be a few movie trailers. One was for Vampyros Lesbos. I was completely new to the Eurohorror genre, but the movie looked interesting so I got a copy. And that's how I discovered Soledad Miranda (as well as Jess Franco). And... now I'm a Soledad junkie! I've searched far and wide for movies, posters, lobby cards, photos, magazines... anything related to Soledad.

"And then came this website. I couldn't believe that there was no site devoted to Soledad. There were little web pages here and there about her, but nothing comprehensive. Being of the mindset of 'if I see a need, I'll fill it,' I decided to create a Soledad website myself in the fall of 2001. For one, I think Soledad's legacy should be preserved somehow (and not just on film). Also, I do enjoy website design. But of course, the main reason was Soledad herself, who I think was one of the most beautiful women ever alive. Soledad (or at least her memory) deserves to have the world know about her, and furthermore, I believe the world deserves to know about Soledad!

"I've spent countless hours working on this website... with many more to come. Gathering information, tracking down people who knew her, hunting for her rare movies, magazines, and photos, and making screencaps for the fans (most of whom probably only know Soledad from her horror movies, though I've since discovered that she was also wonderful in her many comedies, dramas, and period films). It's hard work, but it is very rewarding. I've even been fortunate enough to be asked to write magazine articles about Soledad, as well as DVD liner notes. This whole experience has made me learn a lot, especially about foreign cinema (I've even decided to learn Spanish to be able to better appreciate... or at least understand!... her movies). Yet it does beg the question, 'why am I obsessed with an actress who died before I was even born?'

"No other actress has so captured my fancy. Is it her fragile beauty? The story of her short life? Her mysteriousness onscreen? Her great (though sometimes odd) talent? Or the vexing fact that no matter how many movies of hers I watch, no matter how much research I do, she will always remain unknowable? She is a muse, a conundrum, an icon. I feel like I have some connection to her which has yet to unveil itself to me. When she has a closeup, I'm blown over by her beauty. When she laughs, I laugh; when she cries, I cry. Whatever it is about her that sucked me in, it has done the same to many other people. There's just something about her... something undefinable, yet undeniable. She is in a league of her own... no, a galaxy of her own! What secrets she holds behind her dark eyes, in her coy smile, in her every performance. What rapture she commands. What tragedy. What beauty. There's never been anyone quite like Soledad Miranda.

"Nor will there ever be."


Idoru  Idoru  Idoru

Idoru

This 2009 Brazilian short film is an unusual tribute to Soledad Miranda. It is about a 1970s trash movie queen named Soledad Miranda, who wakes up from the dead, to find herself not in heaven but trapped in a film - the vision of a devoted fan. As her interaction with the "Auteur" reveals the extent of his obsession, she takes drastic steps to escape his reality. The title comes from the word in English idol, but pronounced in Japanese, the word becomes idoru. In addition to "starring" Soledad Miranda, the film is dedicated in loving memory to her. Director João de Mendonça stated: "IDORU is my third short and the one I am most proud of. It took me three years to make. It only materialized when Mr. Zhou Bing, the executive producer granted me the funding and also when Jess Franco, the prolific director gave it his blessing. He gave an enormous boost by agreeing to take part in the film. My biggest challenge afterwards, was to find the actress to portray Soledad Miranda for whom the film pays tribute. I looked in England, France, Spain and finally found her in the States. Four days before the shoot in New York and to my relief, I found the perfect talent in Carmen Cabrera. Not only she was Spanish but she also resembled astonishingly to Soledad. It was an amazing and intense experience that I will never forget." Star Carmen Cabrera wrote to me: "I absolutely adore Soledad's work. I didn't have much time to research about her before the film, because everything happened so quick. Auditions and all. I wasn't familiar with her work before. Thankfully, the director gave me a compiled video he made for me to prepare. He's such a fan of Soledad Miranda! I saw all the images I could find on internet, and read about her online I actually know your website!! After the shooting, I kept watching her work. She was truly a hidden gem. You don't find many actors with that easy and hypnotic presence." Click here to watch the film online and here to find it on IMDB.


Zeroville

Zeroville

Famed author Steve Erickson wrote a novel called Zeroville in 2007 about film's upheaval in the 1970s. The popular book appeared on many best-of-year lists and has been translated into many languages. The description says "a 24-year-old architecture student inspired by the few films he has seen, rides the bus into Hollywood... He gets his first job in the industry as a set builder during which time he meets an aging film editor whom he befriends, and begins a dreamlike journey into the world of films that eventually ends in tragedy and almost horrific discovery." In the novel, there is a character named Soledad Paladin, a struggling, backwards actress rumored to be the offspring of Buñuel, who has a neglected, dreaming daughter. The character has some parallels to the life of Soledad Miranda. Coincidence? No! In an interview, Erickson stated: "She's very loosely based on a true European actress of that period named Soledad Miranda, who has a cult following that considers her to have been one of the world's most beautiful women... She was from Seville and I took that part of Miranda's life and created the rest, turing her into an über-Siren of the era, the kind of fantasy figure who exists for anyone who loves movies."

Zeroville

Interestingly, Zeroville was adapted into a "comedy-drama" movie with the description "A young seminarian who worships film arrives in Hollywood in 1969, during a transitional time in the industry." It was directed by James Franco and the cast includes Hollywood stars James Franco, Megan Fox, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, and Seth Rogen. Filming occurred in 2014 and the movie's release date was postponed many times, but it was finally released in 2019. Megan Fox plays Soledad. Articles describe the character as a "sexy femme fatale" and "a haunted dame." The novel is readily found on many shopping sites in various languages. Click here to find the film on IMDB and here to watch a trailer.


American Boyfriends

American Boyfriends

The band American Boyfriends wrote a really cool song inspired by Soledad called "Soledad Miranda." You can hear it here. Richard York of American Boyfriends had this to say: "I wrote the song 'Soledad Miranda' about the late actress. Actually, it was more inspired by her as opposed to it being about her. I was into Jess Franco films, particularly Lina Romay's films. And somehow didn't discover Soledad until after Romay, which is chronologically incorrect, as you know. Anyway, she's like any celebrity taken away too soon: there's all sorts of mystery surrounding her, which is quite romantic. Plus she's very magnetic and striking. I was into these films on a deep, personal and sensual level. So I came up with lyrics and music that fit both the subject and my imagination, and broadened it and turned it into a nice little Spanish-flavored pop song. I would be proud to have it as part of your site (which I have visited before, by the way). I just hope you find it worthy."


Papillon

Papillon

The band Papillon has an album called "Soledad" and the first two songs are called "Soledad" and "Miranda". Coincidence? Mikael Jehanno from Papillon said, "No coincidence, we are very into Jess Franco's movies in general, and Soledad Miranda in particular. The album 'Soledad' was created as a soundtrack for an imaginary movie (I'm writing the screenplay for this movie right now, and it does have something to do with female vampires). Soledad Miranda has always been a source of inspiration for us. The track 'Miranda' is especially related to her, as it describes the passage between light and darkness, a journey to the other side, the completion of one's destiny. We thought we would set 'Soledad' and 'Miranda' one after the other, so the album could be some kind of a tribute to the fabulous actress she was. We are an actual band, based between Los Angeles, Portland, and France. We projected extracts of Soledad's work over our live shows before, and it was wonderful." He added, "One thing that really struck me was how you mentioned you always wonder how you could be so obsessed with an actress who died before you were even born. I've been thinking about the same thing myself."


Maison Blanche

Maison Blanche

The band Maison Blanche of Sweden has two Soledad-related songs. One, "Under the influence of Soledad Miranda & Jess Franco", was released on a 7" vinyl with "Pistol People; Society" and also made it onto a compilation CD called Ultimate Workout Volume 2: Indie Rock. Maison Blanche has another song called "She Killed in Ecstasy". Ramo "Kapten" Spatalovic, vocals & guitars for Maison Blanche, had the following to say. "There was a time, some years ago, when I dedicated my life to Jess Franco movies & soundtracks. Of course Soledad Miranda became one of my favourite actress. We felt that we had to have a song title that honoured our early inspiration of the band. Therefore 'Under the influenco of Soledad Miranda & Jess Franco.' And as you mentioned, 'She Killed in Ecstasy' is yet another song influenced by the two. About being included on the web page, It Would be an honour!" You can hear "Under the influence of Soledad Miranda & Jess Franco" here and you can hear "She Killed in Ecstasy" on Maison Blanche's MySpace page.


Carlos Abuin

Carlos de Abuin

Spanish singer-songwriter Carlos de Abuin dedicated one of his songs to Soledad Miranda as a heartfelt tribute. Called "Zíngara" (gypsy), it's from his album Otro Mundo. Abuin wrote to me about his song: "The first time I saw Soledad ws in the film Ursus. I was a teenager. Then I watched her films (directed by Jesús Franco) shown on television at night. One day I was playing guitar at home and started playing with a scale until a melody that I loved grew. I thought this song needed a story or a special character. Any singer or actress who was on the borders of success. Then, I remembered the story of Soledad Miranda and my admiration for her magnetism and charisma... and suddenly everything fit! I am very proud of this song. I think it's one of the nicest I've done and certainly wrote it fondly. With this song I have known Soledad's nephew, who lives in Seville and is a great cartoonist." Click here to see the video of the song. The original lyrics are on that page; I translated them into English here:
Aspired to Queen of Pop / Gypsy girl, little sun / Golden Nymph / Blue Witch / Black eyes / Are they not the color of love? / Beautiful devil, ye-ye girl / Sweet slave coming from the South / Fragile girl / Voice of salt / Black eyes / Blood is what we often mourn / What do you dream Soledad Miranda? / With stars that have no light? / What do you dream Soledad Miranda? / With roads that have no end? / Ah, life is worth very little / Ah, it's a blank screen / A scene without shadows / Where just the function / No remission / Where your soul / It said goodbye
Note: the nephew he referred to above is Vicente Casín, whose artistic tributes to his aunt can be seen in the fan art section.


Los Caramelos

Los Caramelos

Spanish band Los Caramelos wrote an instrumental track called "Soledad Miranda", from a self-titled 7" record released in 2014. You can listen to it here. Click here to see the actual record, which includes several pictures of Soledad on the label.


Devil's Witches

Devil's Witches

The band Devil's Witches has a Soledad-inspired song named "Pornodelic Opium Dreams" on their album "Velvet Magic" and also uses various Soledad photos in their promotional images. Soledad movie clips also feature heavily in their lyric video for the song "Voodoo Woman." The band wrote to me that Soledad "has been a massive inspiration... 'Pornodelic Opium Dreams' is a direct tribute to her." Click here to download and hear "Pornodelic Opium Dreams." Click here to watch the "Voodoo Woman" lyric video.


The Spirit of Vampyros Lesbos

The Spirit of Vampyros Lesbos

Though not technically a tribute, this compilation album is dedicated to the memory of Soledad Miranda. It was released by the same German company that put out the Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack in the 1990s (which successfully introduced the movie, as well as the music, to a whole new generation of fans). On the album, various techno artists remix the funky Hübler and Schwab classics from the Jess Franco/Soledad Miranda trilogy of Vampyros Lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy, and The Devil Came from Akasava. The remix artists include Minus 8, Dr. Rockit, Alec Empire, and Cristian Vogel, whose "People's Playground" mix is subtitled "Soledad Dub."


Dedicated to Soledad Miranda

Culver and Seppuku

Two of the UK's most notorious underground acts, Culver and Seppuku, partnered for the CD called "Dedicated to Soledad Miranda." The record company says it's "released in tribute to the most beautiful woman to have ever graced the world with her presence, Soledad!" Culver contributes a track of long, heavy, dense drone, while Seppuku has two live tracks: one is an ultra-heavy doom track and the second is harsh power electronics. You can hear clips here.


Erik Ursich

Erik Ursich

Experimental electronica artist Erik Ursich of Italy dedicated the video for his song "Ophelia" to Soledad Miranda. The video features photos and film clips of Soledad. You can view it here.


Sfinters

Los Sfinters

The instrumental "surfshit" band Los Sfinters of Spain includes a musician who goes by the name Soledad Miranda. He plays "shitguitar" and is a fan of yé-yé girls, B movies, and Soledad Miranda.


Stanley Schtinter

Stanley Schtinter

London (UK) based artist Stanley Schtinter curated an event dedicated to Soledad Miranda (and the work of Jesus Franco) in December 2010, marking 40 years since her untimely passing, celebrating what she was and ruminating over what she would've become. Several films starring Soledad were screened at San Francisco's oldest and revered independent cinema, the Roxie Theater. Music relevant to Soledad was played intermittently, with mixtapes handmade and compiled by Schtinter given away. "Soledad Miranda is my favourite actress and probably the only woman I'll ever really love" - Stanley Schtinter


Amethyst

Amethyst

The 2016 short film Amethyst was made in memory of Soledad. You can read more about the movie on IMDB. Tagline: "A girl consumes a vial of LSD and succumbs to a bizarre fantasy world, with strange beings and a magical obelisk." There's a vampire woman midway through the film that is surely the homage to Soledad: dark, mysterious, and immortal.


Soledad the Dog

Fan Written Tributes

Ben (of BthroughZ.com): "Sorry, Ingrid Pitt fans - she's far and away the sexiest lesbian vampire we have seen on film yet. She is Soledad Miranda, and it's criminal that the whole world does not know her name. It may be in part because she died young, a casualty of a car accident within a year of what would to turn out to be her most famous movie, that Soledad never reached the superstar status she deserved."

The Jasmine Fetish Band (USA): "We would love to be friends to honor a woman who was the example of total beauty of every kind ~ physical, artistic, spiritual, intellectual ~ Soledad! ... Thank you for this loving tribute to Soledad Miranda, the beautiful woman who had so many talents! The religious song clip from Currito de la Cruz is like a gift to the world! Yes, Soledad IS eternal. Perhaps somewhere in the shadows, she is still dancing & softly singing her own song."

Elise (Australia): "I was so incredibly pleased that I'm not the only one who is mildly obsessed with Soledad Miranda. She is the most beautiful creature God (or maybe the Devil) ever created. She is sublime... so beautiful and mysterious. Her death was such a waste." Elise also named her dog after Soledad.

Filmbar70: "Iconic, enigmatic and transcendent. Sophisticated and sensual. Ethereal and earthy. In her short career, Soledad Miranda conveyed much, with the simplest possible means. Her presence on camera invoked a mystery, a true star quality that confounded and ensnared the audience with the essence of enrapture. The muse of Jess Franco, her presence uplifted this most depraved of directors... Her untimely death threw a shroud or halo over the years where she was lost, but forever enshrined her in the reels of tragic celluloid. Solitude forever." (Filmbar70 is a popular YouTube channel; you can see their video tribute to Soledad here.)

Richmond Charisi (USA): "I've been trying to recover every film/picture of Soledad Miranda ever made. EVER!!!! No really, I'm totally smitten by her face, ever since I saw a picture of her in my friend's older sister's Vampyros Lesbos when I was twelve or so. When I actually tracked down the movie a few years later, it was all over. I am madly in love with this woman's face. I think it's absolutely perfect…When I see Soledad Miranda's face I am overwhelmed by her beauty. I dunno, there's something about her face. At least for me and very many people I know with whom I have watched her movies. I let my friend borrow Vampyros Lesbos once and he said that whenever Soledad Miranda came on, he couldn't take his eyes off of her... Thank you soooooooooo much for doing such a service to the memory of a very compelling, mysterious, beautiful woman and her few, but adoring fans... I've been in love with the visage of Soledad Miranda for years and well, it's a relief to know that I am not alone in that sentiment. I actually started a Soledad Miranda forum many years ago, in hopes of meeting some like-minded people with whom I could discuss the curious life and legacy of the most painfully beautiful woman who ever lived, but no one ever replied. I'd scour the web looking for just the slightest bit of information on her life, but to my distress I could only find a handful of articles strewn scarcely across various sites. I'm just really glad that someone put the effort into creating such a comprehensive bastion of information on Soledad Miranda... I hope every Soledad fan catches wind of it as it is sure to warm their hearts." Richmond also contributed some original fan art.

Anonymous: "Wasn't she something... I forget myself when I look at photographs of Soledad Miranda; there was not one finer. The secret of the Universe awaits those who have yet to see her - destroying and entrancing those of us who have seen, in equal measures. I am forever under her spell."

Acherontia Atropos (Greece): "We are great fans of the Beautiful Soledad Miranda, and decided it was the right time to Honour her by painting a portrait of her..." Click here to see their original painting of Soledad.

Johnny Ramos (USA): "The astonishing beauty of actress Soledad Miranda has profoundly influenced my art, my life, and in the way that I view the world. From the first time that I saw her in Jesús Franco's Vampyros Lesbos, I knew that I was witnessing extraordinary beauty on the screen. Her elegant movement, large brown eyes, long straight hair, and slender body were a revelation for anyone that appreciates the wonderful collision of total allure and cinema. I named one of my finest paintings after her, and her untimely passing is what I consider a supreme tragedy to modern popular culture. Soledad Miranda has been one of the greatest inspirations to ignite passion in my art, and in my own life." Johnny's five Soledad Miranda-inspired paintings can be found in the fan art gallery.

Memo (England): "I first got interested in her many years ago when I - totally by fluke - saw clips from Vampyros Lesbos, and was very interested in the film, especially being from Istanbul, and recognizing the ferries, the sunset, my hometown in the movie. After hunting down and watching the movie, I became quite a bit of a fan... I now live in London, and on my website abstractshit.com I have a little visual piece dedicated to and inspired by her. It is a lot more abstract... mainly lines moving wriggling around to 'The Message' off the soundtrack of Vampyros Lesbos. But the entire piece is totally inspired by her performance in Vampyros Lesbos, to the very song that I use for my piece. I put this thing together simply cos I love the song, and whenever I hear the song, I just see Soledad Miranda - probably one of the most mysteriously beautiful and attractive women I've seen - rolling around in ectsasy, and just doing her thing. And the images conjured up in my head, I just put to video." Click here to see Memo's video.

Jonathan Overholts: "My first exposure to Soledad was about six years ago when I bought a blurry, murky grey market tape of Vampyros Lesbos. Despite the less than desirable quality of the video, I was nonetheless entranced by the allure of our Ms. Miranda. What a captivating screen presence!"

Julio Najara: "I first encountered Soledad's beauty when I walked into my friend's store and came across a Vampyros Lesbos poster. I quickly bought it. I was captivated by her beautiful face (my fiancée looks a lot like her). I sought out the DVD of the film release by Synapse, followed by She Killed in Ecstasy and Pyro. That's about all I have featuring S.M. I like Vampyros Lesbos as a film and of course visually... the colors and Soledad are breathtaking. She Killed is a bad movie in terms of plot (my opinion) but it is one of my favorite movies because, once again, Ms. Miranda is/was stunning. What a major star she could have been! And I say this not only because of her looks but because the potential she had shines through in the few films of hers that I've had the privilege of seeing."

Coolguy (USA): "I first discovered Soledad Miranda twenty-five years ago. I saw Dracula and it absolutely terrified me. I was ten years old. I was very much into horror films at that time, growing up in Philadelphia watching 'Dr. Shock's Horror Theatre' every Saturday afternoon at my grandparents' house. That night I had a dream that I was playing with Soledad's character 'Lucy.' We were in my parents' front yard throwing a yellow rubber ball back and forth to each other. I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. After a while she threw the ball wildly over my head and I remember it rolling under a bush. I told her 'I'd get it' and went off to do just that. It had wedged itself underneath the bush, which I remember being very thick and tangled. I had to lie flat on my stomach and reach as far as my arm would let me to get my fingers on it to get it free to roll towards me. When I finally got the ball out I happily ran back to 'Lucy' to resume playing, but she was gone. I called to her, and searched for her, but I couldn't find her. She never came back, and I was deeply upset about it. I woke up then, and found a package of candy on my chest (my father used to do this with my brother and me every Sunday). Normally the candy would make me happy, but this time it didn't. It was a while before I reluctantly accepted the fact that I hadn't been playing with Soledad at all... that it was only a dream. At the time, it was the only dream that I'd had that I was upset to wake up from... because while it was happening I believed that it was real... Last year a friend told me about Vampyros Lesbos. When I saw Soledad Miranda I knew that it was Lucy from Dracula and I remembered a dream that I had forgotten for almost twenty-five years. Discovering Soledad again at thirty-five was wonderful, and I will always be connected in some small way to a woman that moved me long before I was old enough to understand why."

Robert Firsching (USA): "I'm happy that someone has finally given the beautiful Ms. Miranda a tribute website, and have long been a follower of her noteworthy, but tragically brief, career."

Joey: "I think she's awesome. I have Vampyros Lesbos on DVD and I listen to my CD soundtrack all the time."

Roxanne Munoz: "I'm a huge huge fan of this exquisite beauty. I'm always on your site finding more and more interesting facts about her. I love the site and think you are wonderful for paying such a great tribute! Thank you!"

Mark Engle (of Cultcuts): "Shame about her death via car accident. I heard she was up to be a Bond lady and other bigger roles just before her death. So young, so beautiful, so tragic."

Michael Colasante (USA): "I have only gotten into some older foreign films in the last couple years but I have fallen for Soledad and a handful of others. She is one of the greatest beauties I have seen and really commands the camera naturally. I am getting into many other directors besides Jess Franco as well. I really enjoyed your site and the info so thanks a bunch."

Bruno Messina (Brazil): "I'm another melancolic lover of Soledad Miranda. She is also for me the most beautiful and strange 'thing' I have ever seen. Her image had a so mysterious impact in my life, when I first saw it, that I had to stop, with whathever I was doing, to think a little more carefully about my life and what I'm trying to do in this world. It seems to me, sadly but sweetly, that I really loved this woman. And she died almost a decade before I live... Thanks a lot and congratulations for your beautiful research!!"

Darrell Bowles: "What is it about her that captivates so deeply. Until now I thought I was strange, that perhaps I was the only person known to me so drawn to this enigmatic icon. I truly believe after reading her bio, that she had cast a spell on us through her gypsy ties that leaves her image burning in our brain in a timeless way. I saw her in Count Dracula while only 7 years old. The long black hair, tight quivering lips and most of all, large dark eyes, as she was drawn into Christopher Lee's seduction, were among the first images of eroticism my memories can recall. Soledad became my archetype, the standard of beauty and sexuality by which I judged all women to be attractive. Now, married with children, Soledad Miranda still reigns in the candle-lit, satin covered bedroom of my mind as the most captivating and most beautiful woman ever to walk this earth. You know, it's peculiar that someone like you who from what I understand, did not co-exist with Soledad, would be so drawn to her. Are you a believer in reincarnation? I believe that if anyone could reincarnate themselves, it would be Soledad Miranda."

Jerry Nagel: "My first experience seeing Soledad Miranda was in The Sound of Horror. And, like everyone else, by the end of that experience, I was in love with her. A really charismatic, magnetic personality. She's clearly a woman whose hormones were working quite well: it's demonstrated not just in her looks, but in all her unconscious mannerisms. That's actually where she gets to us. Of course in real life she would probably laugh sweetly at all the adjectives we use to describe her, but that's all part of being a great talent. They just do what they do, and they can't quite understand how it is that it affects us so much. But they're just happy that it offers them an opportunity to make a living."

Bazaul: "I discovered your website after being captivated by Soledad's performance in Eugénie and She Killed in Ecstasy. I bought these films on DVD without knowing anything about them. I then went onto the net, and that's when I found your little web site. I have since watched a couple more of her films (Vampyros Lesbos and The Devil Came from Akasava), and her screen presence never ceases to amaze me. I am spellbound by this beautiful and tragic actress."

Sam Tweedle (Canada): "I'm glad to know that I am not alone in my fascination and adoration of this woman. I discovered her on the back of the DVD box for Vampyros Lesbos last summer at our local alternatvie/foreign/art video store. Just the picture of her on the box seduced me enough to rent it - and then rent it again and again and again. Soledad is much like a bad drug. After that film I couldn't get enough and have spent months trying to track down as many of her films on DVD that I can which has led to about seven titles in my collection now. Add the soundtracks and the photos of her hanging in my home she has become a bit of an obsession as of late. A special one. One day I was sitting at my table in an utter dismay trying to balance my checkbook when my multi disk CD player which was playing on random fell on the Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack. The music swept away my troubles and I got up from the table and danced with nobody to watch. It might sound strange but I felt that Soledad was somewhere watching me and letting me know things were alright. I don't believe in angels, or guardian angels at that, but if I had one I'd like to think it might be her. Thank you for spreading the beauty of Soledad Miranda over cyberspace and thank you for sharing the same love for the most beautiful woman ever filmed."

Sundar S (India): "I remember seeing the movie Sugar Colt as a boy of 10 or so - even then looking back, the 'heroine' of the movie had some 'effect' on me! I have seen your site dedicated to Soledad Miranda and read the tributes etc - some of the chaps appear to have been similiarly 'smitten' (!!!)... Indeed it IS amazing that this strange female has had such an 'effect' on me - even at that most unromantic age - and I am not the only one apparently! After reading her bio (from your site) I am reminded of Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard: 'FULL MANY A FLOWER IS BORN TO BLUSH UNSEEN - AND WASTE ITS SWEETNESS ON THE DESERT AIR'"

Frederico Duarte (Portugal): "I'm in love with Soledad since the day I first saw a picture of her and I'm even planning to write a fiction story based on her. I agree with you when you say that she was beatiful (hey, she was married to a Portuguese for some reason!)."

Steven (USA): "I want to thank you very much for the love and dedication I feel you have toward the unfathomable inner and outer beauty of the queen Soledad. I have the same admiration for her as do you, and as I have toward Peter Sellers. What a tragedy that the two could not have been cast in a film with each other huh? I think she would have came off a lot like Claudine Longet did opposite Sellers in The Party... too bad (understatement of the century) we'll never know."

Anonymous: "This chick has a really indescribable appeal. Of course, she is gorgeous, but she has a sort of carnal innocence to her (talk about an oxymoron). Sort of like a virgin who would eat you alive? I can't describe it any other way... Soledad Miranda is the most strangely beautiful actress I've seen in quite a while, albeit in a disturbingly waif-like, gothic manner."

Michael Christian: "Miss Soledad is truly a great and unique and fearless actress. I love her... I've been collecting Soledad Miranda's movies. Just awesome! The visual and colors of the screen is just fabulous! She had so much talent! It's sad."

John Bender (USA): "Who can decipher the magic that occurs when certain women are caught on film? I speak not of the wide-spread fame of a Marilyn Monroe or a Sophia Loren, but the much more unique and rarefied myth generated by only a few females in cult-venerated genre fare, and those few who catch the fascination of specific and obsessed directors. Women such as Karin Dor, Veronica Carlson, Ewa Aulin, Florinda Bolkan and Rosalba Neri - but without any doubt the two Queens of this firmament are Barbara Steele and Soledad Miranda! Why have these two become immortalized into a weird world of horror, fantasy and pyscho-sexual fever-dream? This can never be known, I suppose just as one can never go back from full consciousness to a dream and ask the participants therein to explain their world. But, as long as there will be people who will seek more than the "real world" can offer, and who will find more excitement in the darker corners of imagination, then Soledad and Barbara will never die, and these two raven-haired women will live forever!"

James Boyce (USA): "wow!!! someone remembers my andalusian beauty. truly the most enchanting actress ever. as a child i was mesmerized by those dark eyes which burn into my soul. i still read Lorca just because i figured she must have. if only she was still w/us. i miss you Soledad, love james"

Alvaro Bravo Marca (Spain):"Querida Soledad, aunque haya nacido varios años despues de tu muerte, de alguna manera me he enamorado de ti y siempre te tendré presente." ("Dear Soledad, although I was born several years after your death, somehow I've fallen in love with you and you are always with me.")

Social Media: I used to collect superlatives about Soledad written by users of sites like Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, and IMDB, however the list of Soledad admirers has grown so great that it is impossible to include all the love given to Soledad by fans online! The comments often focus on Soledad's beauty, unique screen presence, and the tragedy of her loss. Here are a few of my favorite comments: "A Retro Euro Cult Goddess of the Highest Order." "I've been in love with her for 20 years now. She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen... She total puts me in a trance every time I see her on film." "Soledad is one of the most beautiful women ever to grace a movie screen!" "She was a goddess." "It's a shame that some people think her career was only these B movies. She made other movies before that..." "It's a shame she was taken so early, but her memory lives on in her movies." "This woman is perfect!" "Soledad is truly one of the most beautiful women ever, with her sensuality and magnetism." "Soledad Miranda was and is really the most beautifully haunting presence I've ever seen on screen." "Soledad Miranda is the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on. She was female perfection." "Absolutely hauntingly beautiful." "It seems Franco wants you to see her as a very special creature, not meant for our world... She's a dark-eyed goddess to me, a portrait on celluloid." "Her screen presence was so powerful, mysterious and unlike any other Hollywood actress today." "Soledad Miranda is simply too beautiful to be true... It is tragic how this beautiful actress died so early. She would have certainly continued to be one of the most memorable (and most beautiful) faces in European cult-cinema." "What a savage beauty she was!!! This Spaniard was as gorgeous as any actress. Imagine if she were alive today? She would take Hollywood by storm!" "She has a natural, magnetic, erotic presence that is both remote and engaging. She personifies the genre like no other." "Soledad Miranda... had a kind of class and talent that none of Franco's later actresses could ever hope to emulate... Soledad Miranda had what the French called 'je ne sais quoi'. She was very beautiful, standing out even among the many beautiful actresses Franco worked with... She was always a sexy but ethereal actress whose erotic presence haunted even silly, nonsense movies." "On paper she wasn't given a great deal to do in her Franco collaborations but I have rarely seen an actress with as much screen presence; she's frankly mesmerising... She is a treasure to be appreciated and her appearance in the handful of cult films she made with Franco is a testament to a screen presence that is equally beautiful, erotic, mysterious, vulnerable and confident." "Soledad Miranda. Two words that should send any hot-blooded fan of classic exploitation cinema beating a tad faster... It's a genuine tragedy that Miranda died just as her biggest films were about to be released. She remains one of the silver screen's most beautiful stars." "Her face and presence are hypnotic... Miranda steals every scene she's in." "She always makes me stop in my tracks. I'm so taken back by her beauty." "Soledad was a real princess. R.I.P." "Soledad Miranda, star of the stars!" "A ray of sunshine in the world of cinema." "The most beautiful of the actresses of the world!!!!!" "Viva SOLEDAD!" "Eyes that filled the screen, what a wonderful woman. How much beauty in one person!" "Soledad Miranda is a woman whom I admire and who brings me beautiful memories of my childhood." "I have never seen anything as sexy as this... her body, her eyes, the way she moves. She defines sensuality, desire, eroticism, enchantment, seduction, temptation... She is and always will be the quintessential cult siren." "Most beautiful actress who ever lived." "Soledad Miranda is the most beautiful woman that ever lived. And I believe she would've been a big star if she hadn't died. Rest in peace Soledad the most beautiful woman of all time." "Best vampire of the Cinema?" "She was so very mysterious. Her face was amazing and her smile was so captivating. I look at photos of her and just smile, yet cry knowing how much was all left behind... Timeless... That simle. So full of life at every moment she was here." "Soledad was destined for a great cinematic career... I think she would have had opportunities to move towards a more sophisticated register, more nuanced and even more complex roles if, for example, she had the opportunity to work under the direction of Buñuel, Carlos Saura or more recently Pedro Almodovar. This is a great loss for contemporary Spanish cinema." "Soledad was really not of this world." "Jésus Franco got the best of her, that's clear. But she was always good." "She was the best actress of Spain in that moment. She was better than Marisol and Rocío Dúrcal. Soledad knows dancing, singing, performing the films..." "I'm from Seville and I didn't know about Soledad Miranda until the tribute made here. Now I'm a big fan of Soledad, a very special person." "Soledad lives... She lives in our hearts, in our memories, in our fantasies. She lives in Ecstasy. Our ecstasy. The ecstasy of seeing her in all her stunning beauty and youth while, in her legendary movies, she offers us all of her magnetic essence. Soledad: such a sweet and lovely name, so well suited to her face and her sad fate. Soledad: eternally alive."

© Amy Brown
with special thanks to
Ingrid Pitt, Jack Taylor, Jack Betts...
...and ALL THE FANS!