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Helga Liné | |
|---|---|
 Helga Liné in June 1965 | |
| Born | Helga Lina Stern (1932-07-14)14 July 1932 (age 92) |
| Citizenship | Spain |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, circus acrobat |
Helga Lina Stern (born 14 July 1932), known asHelga Liné (pronounced[liˈne]), is a German-born Spanishfilm actress, model, and formervedette. She was a star of thehorror genre during the 1960's and '70s, and gained the reputation of ascream queen.
Liné was bornHelga Lina Stern on 14 July 1932 inBerlin, into acircus family. When she was still very young, her family emigrated toPortugal to escape theNazi regime. She began her performing arts career at the age of 8 in her family's circus acts, as anacrobat andcontortionist.
After winning a beauty contest, Liné made her film debut at the age of 13 in the Spanish-Portuguese co-productionLa mantilla de Beatriz (1946). As a young adult she worked professionally as a model, showgirl, andvedette, working variously in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil.
In the 1950s she made further film appearances, but her career took off after she moved toMadrid in 1960. From this point, the red-headed actress made many appearances in the 1960s, particularly in horror and action films. She also starred in the spaghetti westernsIn a Colt's Shadow (1965) andHave a Good Funeral, My Friend... Sartana Will Pay (1970). Although she appeared ingiallo films such asSo Sweet... So Perverse (1969),My Dear Killer (1972),Alta tensión (1972) andRed Rings of Fear (1978), she is best known for her horror film work. She appeared oppositeBarbara Steele inNightmare Castle (1965), and then starred as the spy Natasha in the Gothic featureHorror Express (1972), in the title role inThe Loreley's Grasp, akaWhen the Screaming Stops (1973), as a vampire countess in the erotic filmThe Vampires Night Orgy (1973), and as the leader of a Satanic cult inBlack Candles (1982). She also starred opposite Spanish horror actorPaul Naschy inHorror Rises from the Tomb andThe Mummy's Revenge in 1973, and appeared in the 1974Peter Fonda filmOpen Season.
Later she would go on to work underPedro Almodóvar in films such asLabyrinth of Passion in 1982 andLaw of Desire in 1986. She also took part in the popular Spanish TV seriesVerano azul in the early eighties, as a secondary character.
