Scilla Gabel was a stand-in/body double for Sophia Loren for several of the latter's films. Sophia's star, in the US and around the world, really rose with the release of BOY ON A DOLPHIN. Everyone talked about the underwater swimming scenes in which Loren would appear climbing on a boat all wet. Well those underwater scenes, except for those of Sophia filmed in a studio, were done with Scilla Gabel (see below) so part of Loren's glory should have went to Scilla. Tired of being just a body double Scilla started getting roles and eventually appeared in many PEPLUM films and became a PEPLUM star in her own right.
Great post - we like Scilla a lot. She was a tough Euro-bebe and would have been a great Bond bad girl - she did though tussle with Connery in that sweaty 1959 Tarzan film TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE (?) - where she meets a very nasty end, just off camera !
ReplyDeleteShe was in several peplums like WHITE WARRIOR with Steve Reeves, and does not last too long (another sticky end!) in SODOM AND GOMORRAH, and she pops up in MODESTY BLAISE.
''Boy On A Dolphin'' is one of my favorite underwater movies..
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