Hell of a Gal explores the many genre credits of the eclectic, eternally glamorous Helga Liné.
Every time I try to float into a room, I wind up tripping over my shoelaces! But, as the sensually foreboding Miss Eleonore (the companion and resourceful assistant of a regal heir) in 1963’s The Blancheville Monster (AKA Horror), the stunning Helga Liné seemingly glides into spaces with creepy panache.
Thus, despite the presence of an ominous nobleman (or two) and the escape of a crazed and disfigured father figure, Line is, ultimately, the most frightening thing on display, here.
Forever wielding needles, knives and glasses filled with potions, Liné invests her creation with such cool mystery that it appears even her cheek bones could kill you, if your trespasses were serious enough. 
Of course, director Alberto De Martino and cinematographer Alejandro Ulloa fill this tale (of a young college woman battling the dangers of a family curse) with shady texture and magnificently ominous shots of mausoleums and drafty castles. (You can even see the actors’ breath in certain shots, determining that this must have been a very frightful shoot for reasons other than haunting predictions.)
But, the arresting Liné, ultimately, cancels out even the ancient architecture. She combines the wide eyed, horrific glamour of Vampira with the elegance of a European duchess to create an indelible role in this minor Italian horror masterpiece.
Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!
Big Gay Horror Fan 