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(aka "Elsa Fraulein S.S." or "Fraulein Kitty" or "Fraulein Devil" or "Captive Women 4")
directed by Patrice Rhomm (as Mike Staar)
France 1977
The year is 1943 and the Third Reich fears defeat through traitors within. A lowly major anticipates promotion to SS Colonel when his suggestion of sending a train full of beautiful women to the front lines to improve morale among the men, but his superiors instead promote prostitute Elsa Ackermann and put her in charge of the train, planning to bug the "sleeping cars" to root out betrayal and have the major executed (and posthumously decorated) in order to maintain secrecy. They might have more to worry about from Elsa's lover Major Frantz Holbach (Olivier Mathot, THE DEVIL'S KISS) who, as an aristocrat, regards Hitler and other members of the Reich as "bandits and thieves" destroying his country, and also resents "sluttish pimp" Elsa's promotion over him to a brothel madam with rank. Elsa recruits girls who have family members of crimes of against the Reich - among them plucky Liselotte (Patrizia Gori, CRY OF A PROSTITUE), chanteuse Gundrun (Pamela Stanford, LORNA THE EXORCIST), ZOMBIE LAKE's Lynn Monteil, and LIPS OF BLOOD's Claudine Beccarie - giving them the opportunity to seek pardons through their service. Although Ilsa has any officer heard speaking against the Reich while in flagrante delicto is taken off the train and executed, Franz (who sounds like he is dubbed by someone doing a James Mason impression) seems to be her weak spot, and he is allowed to wander the train ranting and raving against Hitler until he meets and falls for Liselotte. The Resistance is aware of the operation and have installed a spy on the train, and Liselotte is the prime suspect for the jealous Elsa. Although its original English title ELSA FRAULEIN SS was intended to cash-in on the American ILSA series (the film was distributed in Canada by ILSA producers Cinépix who later became Lionsgate), the French title FRAULEIN KITTY aped Tinto Brass' SALON KITTY from the previous year, drawing from the same historical source events on the cheap. Although not particularly graphic, it is one of the more entertaining of Eurocine's Nazisploitation films, and it certainly gives studio stalwart Mathot more to do than some of his other credits with them. Longo and Gori are essentially playing similar characters as in the following year's HELGA, SHE WOLF OF STILBERG although ELSA was shot back-to-back with SPECIAL TRAIN FOR HITLER/HELLTRAIN to take advantage of the same train settings. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: 26 September 1977 (France)
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DVD Review: Maison Rouge/Screenbound - Region 2 - PAL
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!
DVD Box Cover |
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Distribution |
Maison Rouge/Screenbound Region 2 - PAL |
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Runtime | 1:19:54 (4% PAL speedup) | |
Video |
1.63:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate |
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Audio | English Dolby Digital 2.0; French Dolby Digital 2.0 mono | |
Subtitles | English, none | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Maison Rouge/Screenbound Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
Comments |
Unreleased on home video in the UK before this edition, ELSA FRAULEIN SS was previously released in the states by Media Blasters in a non-anamorphic letterboxed edition and by Full Moon as FRAULEIN DEVIL in a tape-sourced repackaging of their 1985 Wizard Video release. Screenbound's single-layer DVD presents a new anamorphic widescreen transfer in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio and a choice of English and French mono audio tracks with an optional subtitle track that seems to be a dubtitles synchronzied to the French one with a few transcription errors ("biggest risk" becomes "be dismissed" and "Pullman car" becomes "pulling car"). There are no extras apart from trailers for other Screenbound Eurocine releases. |
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DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: |
Distribution |
Maison Rouge/Screenbound Region 2 - PAL |