What is known about The Mini-Killers/Diadem?

[Alan]

They were clearly borderline exploitation, but thankfully not worse than that! To think that Diana won't talk about these - imagine the stony silence if they were of a more questionable nature?

[ischtar]

There are many information on this french site.

http://theavengers.free.fr/guide_episod ... ccueil.htm

[Jasper Groat]

I've posted some images at Dead Duck. http://deadduck.theavengers.tv/dergoldeneschlussel.htm Now need to dig out that soundtrack single info.

[Borgus Weems]

The whole Mini-Killers!

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmYI4MmHtVo

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw-TNuOqjds

[mousemeat]

I do have them on VHS, but I was watching a few on YT and there was a comment from one disappointed viewer that these weren't Diana Rigg's secret porn films.

the holy grail of Diana's cinema career ?(LOL)

[JohnSteedFr]

The Optimum sets permitted me to understand more of the story (DAS DIADEM). The colour extract reveals more details notably when Diana comes out of a dark room and when she realizes she let the necklace in the pool with the dolphins.
Also, the other clip in colour from DAS DIADEM (Diana visiting a house, late at night) features more shots (with more portraits) than the B&W copy.

[gaucho vengador]

The Optimum sets permitted me to understand more of the story (DAS DIADEM). The colour extract reveals more details notably when Diana comes out of a dark room and when she realizes she let the necklace in the pool with the dolphins.
Also, the other clip in colour from DAS DIADEM (Diana visiting a house, late at night) features more shots (with more portraits) than the B&W copy.

Yes, I saw Das Diadem on youtube in B&W copy and I didn´t understand some parts of the film. Is it an uncomplete version? Some scenes were not clear to me. Is the colour version in YOutube?

[JohnSteedFr]

I'm afraid the color clip isn't on Youtube.
But you get more of the story when watching the color version (it makes more sense). Some details cannot be perceived with the B&W copy (too dark).

[denis rigg]

Great news!!! Found the answer when Das Diadem & Der Goldene Schlüssel were shot and moreover...

Anyone who thought that these films were made later than 1966 were.... Right.

Well, really, it’s hard to imagine that they were shot in 1966 in West Germany, at the least due to facts that the first Avengers episode (with Emma Peel) was transmitted in West Germany on October 18, 1966 and the German television channel ZDF showed only 5 episodes in 1966. It turns out that the Germans were so impressed by Emma Peel that literally only after one or two-three episodes on the German screens did they offer Diana to star in Germany with their money?


Article from magazine Bravo (№44, 28 October 1968), where says the following:

http://deadline.theavengers.tv/schirm.htm

Wem das nicht genügt, der kann sich jetzt seinen eigenen Emma-Film "für den Hausgebrauch" kaufen: einen Acht-Millimeter-Schmalfilm, der in Duisburg und Mülheim/Ruhr mit Diana gedreht wurde. Er dauert fünf Minuten und heißt "Der rote Schlüssel". Zehn solcher Kurzfilme für jedermann mit Diana sind geplant.

translation in english:
If that is not enough, you can now buy individual Emma-film "for home use": 8mm movie that was filmed in Duisburg and Mülheim an der Ruhr with Diana. It lasts five minutes and is called "The Red Key" (my comment: actually, The Golden Key). Ten such short films for everyone with Diana are planned.

Original of this article from Bravo here: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/5Mk4/UgryE1M31


Note from the newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt (28 August 1968) informs about:

translation in english:
The new series will be shot on film.
Hamburg, august 28

Diana Rigg, "impact force" Emma Peel from "The Avengers", wants to penetrate the new film series into the living quarters of German citizens. Her clever manager Jerome Banks decided not to pinch his Star on television and gave permission to copy the ten-episode series to Super-8 film so that any movie projector owner could watch it at home.

Filming of the series will begin in early September in Mülheim an der Ruhr. Emma, ​​who prefers theater rather than television or cinema, persuaded the manager that she would play her part by imitating facial expressions. The first films will appear on September 28th by "Photokina Köln". All episodes are individual films and can be shot in color.

Original of this article from Hamburger Abendblatt here: https://cloud.mail.ru/public/4GaY/2fixB6mEB


and finally, note from back cover of magazine Bravo (№3, 13 January 1969) here, translated in english:



What she has learned as Emma Peel, Diana Rigg proves in her new film: the handling of heavy weapons and heavy boys. The film was filmed at Schloss Hugenpoet in Kettwig/Ruhr. If you like Diana Rigg for your home theater, you can buy the movie in the photo shop soon.


Result:

1. Summer news of 1968 said that a 10-episode film series with Diana was planned for release at 8mm, starting since late September.

2. Filming the episode "Der Goldene Schlüssel" took place in September or first half of Autumn (and maybe bit later) at the least in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Duisburg, and Schloss Hugenpoet in Kettwig.

3. Diana personally wanted to play her part by only imitating facial expressions.

4. This was planned for release on "Photokina Köln" initially.

5. Der Goldene Schlüssel was on sale already by Autumn 1968 (maybe already since late September).

6. Das Diadem was on sale no earlier than 1969 (mostly likely since Winter 1969).



Schloss Hugenpoet

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Hugenpoet

[mariocki]

Great work, Denis! Thanks for posting