Carmen Silvera, born in 1922 in Canada, became a distinctive presence in British cinema after moving to Coventry. Known for her comic timing, she appears in With These Hands (1972), where her performance adds a layer of wit to the film's exploration of human connection. Silvera also stars in On the Game (1974), a gritty portrayal of the complexities of life in the sex industry, and Keep It Up Downstairs (1976), where her comedic chops shine in a raucous ensemble. Her contributions to these films underscore her significance in the realm of cult and exploitation cinema.
With These Hands
Julie Mason (Georgina Ward) abuses her position as the owner of a private health clinic by selling sexual favours to her male clients, whom she then blackmails for large amounts of money. At the same time, she resists the sexual advances of Elsa Farson (Carmen Silvera), a lonely, older woman. When businessman Lee Maitland (Alexander Davion) engages her services, Julie, who wants to make a new life for herself, is taken by her new client and quickly becomes his fiancée. Meanwhile, barred from visiting Julie, Farson is driven to suicide. Julie is drawn into Maitland's plan to make them both rich, unaware that he is actually Farson's son and intends to avenge his mother. The film ends with Maitland, having faked his death in a road accident that Julie helped to create, disappearing with tens of thousands of pounds that Julie had extracted from her clients. Julie is left to choose between admitting blackmail or remaining silent and being charged with Maitland's murder.
