Einer frisst den anderen
Original German film poster
Directed byRichard Cunha
Gustav Gavrin
Ray Nazarro
Albert Zugsmith
Written byMichael Elkins
Robert Hill
Based onWhen Strangers Meet
1956 novel
by Robert Bloomfield
Produced byCarl Szokoll
StarringJayne Mansfield
Cameron Mitchell
Dodie Heath
Ivor Salter
Isa Miranda
Elisabeth Flickenschildt
Werner Peters
Pinkas Braun
CinematographyRiccardo Pallottini
Edited byGene Ruggiero
Music byCarlo Savina
Production
companies
Ernst Neubach-Filmproduktion
Unione Cinematografica Internazionale
Michael Arthur Films
Distributed byAjay Film Co.
Release dates
26 June 1964 (Germany)
17 December 1964 (Italy)
13 June 1965 (UK)
13 July 1966 (US)
Running time
86 minutes
CountriesGermany
Italy
Liechtenstein
LanguagesGerman
English

Dog Eat Dog (released as Einer frisst den anderen in Germany) is a 1964 German crime drama film that starred Jayne Mansfield, Cameron Mitchell, Dodie Heath, Ivor Salter, Isa Miranda, Elisabeth Flickenschildt, Werner Peters, and Pinkas Braun.

Filming occurred in late 1963 in Yugoslavia.[1] Mansfield was pregnant with Mariska Hargitay during filming.

Plot

Three robbers, Lylle Corbett (Mitchell), Dolph Kostis (Salter), and Darlene (Mansfield), steal one-million dollars from a shipment on its way to the United States. But, instead of sharing the dough with Lylle, Dolph, decides to kill him, without Darlene (who likes them both), knowing it. When returning to Darlene (his wife), at the Hotel Americano's, Dolph, informs her that Lylle is out of the picture and that she should forget about him. Before Dolph had returned, Darlene, had been visited by the hotel's manager Livio Morelli (Braun), who was there to request her to turn down the volume on her radio. Livio sees a one-thousand dollar bill under the edge of the bed, and quickly knows that they are the robbers; that he had recently heard about on the radio; and that they call themselves "Mr. and Mrs. Smithopolis".

As a break away, to not getting caught, Dolph and Darlene, make a get-a-way on a rental boat. However, they unaware that the owner of the hotel's innocent-looking sister, Sandra (Heath), is in the back of the boat and has planted a bomb, to kill the pair, and take off with the million for she and her brother...Lylle, who is supposed to be dead, is also in the boat; who later holds them hostage.

Arriving on an "deserted" island, Lylle, ensures everyone that he is in charge. However, Lady Xenia (Flickenschildt) and her butler Jannis (Peters), are on the island, so Lady Xenia can die in peace. Also arriving on the island is hotel owner, Livio, who has left his "girlfriend", Madame Benoit (Miranda), at the hotel to take care of the police detective (Robert Gardett), who has been asking questions about the robbers. But what Dolph, Lylle, and Darlene, don't know is; everyone else there on the island knows they're the robbers of the one-million dollars, and that they want the money.

After a while on the island, people are starting to be killed, with the killer being unknown. Lylle, suspects the killer to be the holder of the one-million dollars or a person looking for it. After Dolph dies, with Livio and Jannis following after, Lylle goes insane searching for the million. In the end, Lylle, finds out that Sandra, the so innocent-looking girl is the killer and the holder of the dough. Before the films ending, Lylle and Sandra, fall over a cliff, as a result of fighting for the money, and die. Darlene, now the last woman standing, drowns herself in the water, while the police are arriving on the island.

Cast

Selected release dates

Alternative titles

  • La môme aux dollars – Belgium
  • An Act of Violence – International (pre-release title)
  • Dog Eat Dog! – United States
  • Dollars Girl – Belgium (dubbed version)
  • L'ora di uccidere – Italy
  • When Strangers Meet – United Kingdom
  • La morte vestita di dollari – Italy (reissue title)
  • Estranho Encontro – Portugal (dubbed version)
  • O thanatos itan ntymenos me dollaria – Greece

Publicity promotion

It has been said that Jayne Mansfield's name was mentioned first, on the posters, in order to get the film some good publicity. However, in the film's opening credits, Mansfield is billed last; as: "and Jayne Mansfield as Darlene"; she was also billed this way in most of the film's movie trailers. Even though Mansfield was capitalized as the movie's star, she was more of a supporting character.

Background

Jayne Mansfield called the film: "The best role of my career." American audiences wanted to know where this role was, for Einer frisst den anderen was not released to American theaters until two years after its official German release, in 1964. When released in the U.S.. it was released as Dog Eat Dog!, and flopped as it did everywhere else. Today the feature carries on a cult gathering, as a forever "gold-digging" classic.

References

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