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Mystery Photos #7: International Unknowns

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It is week number seven for the Library of Congress’s collection of “mystery stills.”  This week we focus on six stills that seem to belong to productions made outside of–but probably shown in–the US

As always, please feel free to post thoughts or guesses in the “Comments” section below.  As images are positively ID’ed, we’ll update this blog accordingly.  Clicking on the image below will increase its size.  THANKS!

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1.  While we know this is an American-International Picture film, we don’t know the production or any of the actors.  The code in the corner of the still is “6554” suggesting that this film was produced, or at least distributed, in 1965.

SOLVED!:  “Escape from Saigon” (1963).  Thanks to “Kitty” on IMDB who figured this one out!

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2.  This still is from another AIP production.  It has a production still code of:  “6546.”

SOLVED!:  “Incident in Saigon”–Thank you, Jeanette!!!

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3. The back of this photo has a stamp on it that reads:  “11 Aug 1956 / J. Arthur Rank Organisation.”  But who is she?

UPDATE:  We believe the above leaping lady is Maureen Swanson.

d694.  Based on the code attached to this photo, we have determined that this still is probably from a film produced in Brazil and made between 1958 and 1964.   But what film is it and who is the dancer pictured?

SOLVED:  “O Cantor e a Bailerina” (1960)

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5.  In the upper right-hand corner of this still is the name “Olga Masa.”  But beyond that, we don’t know if this is an advertisement, a shot of a dance troupe or from a film.

SOLVED!:  The couple in the center are Juan Carlos Copez and Maria Nieves, their dance company, from Argentina, flank them.  Thank you, Miguel C.

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6. This duo may be a dance team or two actors in their on-screen roles.  They might also be American.  Once again, we aren’t sure but are open to suggestions.

UPDATE:  We believe this be Lita Baron and Billy Daniel!–Thanks, Kristine!

Thanks for looking!

To see our previous mystery blogs, clink on the links below.

Photo Blog #1:  Who’s That Lady?

Photo Blog #2:  Who’s that Gent?

Photo Blog #3:  Name That Movie!

Photo Blog #4:  Musical Mysteries

Photo Blog #5:  Unknown Horrors

Photo Blog #6:  Small Screen Oddities

 

Comments (15)

  1. #4. Leslie Caron ? Although, I don’t see any indication of a Brazilian movie for her.

  2. I found Olga Masa on Facebook, and my rudimentary Spanish says she was a professional photographer, born in Russia in 1919 and immigrated to Argentina at the age of 8.

    She appeared to specialize in publicity photos for show biz people, so I don’t think she’s one of the women in your photo. However, one of the women in the Facebook front page photo – the one in profile – looks a bit like the dancer in the middle of your photo. The other woman – facing the camera – looks a lot like one of the other dancers. A couple of the men in the Facebook photo look like a couple of the male dancers.

    Some of the photos in her Facebook photo file have that same identifying signature in the corner.

  3. Based on some googling it would appear that the first pic is from french film “Le gentleman de Cocody”, dubbed and distributed by AIP around 1965. Which would make the actors in question Philippe Clay, Jean Marais and Liselotte Pulver

  4. Is number 3 Kay Kendall

  5. Number 3 looks like it might be Belinda Lee, who was a Rank starlet at that time. Definitely not Jean Simmons (a major star who had been in America for six years by then) or Kay Kendall, also by then a big star, besides which there is no resemblance to either.

  6. Number 1: That is definitely not Jean Marais. He was much older than that in 1965. I don’t think it is from Le gentleman de Cocody. The stills from that film that come up in a Google search look like a completely different film.

  7. No. 1: No, I believe that is Jean Marais. He would only have been 51 in 1965 (52 that November) and the man in the photo looks like him and that age. Man from Comody is the only AIP picture from the 1964-65-66 period (its US release was in early 1966 though the film was released abroad in 1965) that fits this still (the movie was set in the Ivory Coast so the jungle setting is correct). So it looks like #1 is in fact from Le gentleman de Comody/Man from Comody.

  8. Image 2 seems to be a re-release dated still from the 1963 French movie, “Incident in Saigon” aka “Transit à Saïgon” The image here was used for one of the posters. Probably Rosine Hong.

  9. I think picture 3 is Maureen Swanson, she had a ballet background and would have been working on “up in the world” for Rank’s production company.

  10. #5. I second what Jim Bell said on Olga Masa, but as I was poking around found an autographed photo of Bettina Ducald, who I think resembles the center woman, but I don’t swear on the accuracy of my eyes. She is an Argentina-Paraguay Singer. The photo is by Olga Masa.

  11. The woman in photo no. 6 resembles actress Lita Baron.

  12. #6 I concur that the woman is Lita Baron

  13. #5 Olga Masa was an Argentina-based photographer. It certainly looks like her work, although I can’t find an example of her taking a group photo like this.

    Here’s a link to one of her photos on sale online. The woman and her arm pose resembles those in your photo:

    https://www.delcampe.net/en_GB/collectables/photography/photographs-signed-photographs/bettina-ducald-argentina-paraguay-singer-autograph-autografi-dedicacee-signed-photo-24x18cm-1968-by-olga-masa-317909178.html

  14. I love this old photos. They are like time traveling machine. Awesome

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