12 September, 2006

ALBERTO DALBES: Franco's Dr. Seward

Alberto Dalbes is the madman behind Le Rayon Infernal in DANGER! DEATH RAY, one of the numerous Eurospy adventures he appeared in during the 1960s. Between 1970 and 1973 this busy Argentinian actor worked on at least 12 Jess Franco projects before disappearing into minor roles in Spanish features. He died in 1983 at the age of 61 from a heart attack.
 
 Dalbes really made the rounds after numerous film roles in Argentina from the mid 1940s to the mid 1960s. Relocating to Spain he found steady work in Spanish coproductions. Franco cast him as Dr. Seward in DRACULA PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN and CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. He was also "Renfield" in THE DEMONS. Jess Franco got a lot mileage out of character's names from Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" which he fimed, ineptly, in 1969. Dalbes is a reasonably believable hero in these monsterfests and is effective in his villainous roles in such titles as TENDER AND PERVERSE EMANUELLE, LA NOCHE DE LOS ASESINOS (both 1973 thrillers directed again by Franco), THE HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE, where he played the Dr. Frankenstein role, sending hunchback Paul Naschy in search of body parts, and the ambiguous convict in CUTTHROATS NINE (1972).
 
According to the IMBD, Dalbes appeared in 69 feature films.

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