The voluptuous Swedish bombshell Anita Ekberg is the draw in this late 50's psychological film noir. She went from winning Miss Sweden 1950 to playing Virginia aka the nightclub dancer Yolanda, who has an incredibly sexy and suggestive modern dance number in a club run by the tough and hardened Gypsy (played by the real Gypsy Rose Lee).
I will say her dance number (which appears in it's entirety twice) is worth seeing, and so is Gypsy Rose Lee's performance of "Put the Blame on Mame".
Now for the story...Virginia is attacked in the shower by a man wielding a knife, who is shot and killed in front of her. In the moment, her screams left such a huge impression on her step brother (or half brother) that he had to sculpt her in the moment. Thus the birth of the screaming Mimi statue. Meanwhile, Virginia seeks psychological help at a hospital where her treating physician falls in love with her. Fast forward to Virginia working as a dancer named Yolanda with her doctor, under a different name, playing her overprotective manager. It is then that a women ends up stabbed to death with a steaming Mimi statue left broken with her body. The handsome columnist Bill Sweeny becomes enchanted with Yolanda and is left to figure it all out.
The lure is the ladies, although the California coastline is also lovely. I think film noir fans will enjoy this slightly more modern noir. I loved Yolanda's massive dog Devil...in fact he man be my favorite character in the film!
I will say her dance number (which appears in it's entirety twice) is worth seeing, and so is Gypsy Rose Lee's performance of "Put the Blame on Mame".
Now for the story...Virginia is attacked in the shower by a man wielding a knife, who is shot and killed in front of her. In the moment, her screams left such a huge impression on her step brother (or half brother) that he had to sculpt her in the moment. Thus the birth of the screaming Mimi statue. Meanwhile, Virginia seeks psychological help at a hospital where her treating physician falls in love with her. Fast forward to Virginia working as a dancer named Yolanda with her doctor, under a different name, playing her overprotective manager. It is then that a women ends up stabbed to death with a steaming Mimi statue left broken with her body. The handsome columnist Bill Sweeny becomes enchanted with Yolanda and is left to figure it all out.
The lure is the ladies, although the California coastline is also lovely. I think film noir fans will enjoy this slightly more modern noir. I loved Yolanda's massive dog Devil...in fact he man be my favorite character in the film!