Richard Wyler, born Richard Stapley in 1928, is a British actor known for his contributions to cult cinema. He debuted in the 1950s and gained recognition for his roles in films like Jungle Man-Eaters (1954) and The Girl from Rio (1969). With a career that spanned various genres, Wyler's performances in Coplan FX-18 Casse Tout (1965) and Scorpio (1973) reflect the era's fascination with adventure and espionage. His work remains a significant part of the conversation around exploitation and genre films.
The Girl from Rio
Secret agent Jeff Sutton arrives in Rio with $10 million and finds himself embroiled in a war between Sir Masius, a British mobster, and the megalomaniacal Sumuru. From her secret city, "Femina", Sumuru assembles an army of women with which she will conquer the world. Masius, hoping to find Femina and steal Sumuru's riches, tries to use Sutton as his pawn. Ultimately, Sutton leads a squadron of helicopters on an attack on Femina. Knowing that she is beaten, she chooses to destroy Femina rather than let Masius have its wealth. Sutton barely makes it out of Femina before it self-destructs, presumably killing both Sumuru and Masius. Nevertheless, the film concludes with Sumuru aboard a ship leaving Rio, joined by a group of women who are apparently her followers. In the tradition of Barbarella and Danger: Diabolik comes this swinging 60's action orgy as bisexual super-villain Sumitra (the luscious Shirley Eaton of Goldfinger) launches a diabolical plan to enslave the males of the species with her army of lusty warrior women. Richard Wyler (The Bounty Killer) and Maria Rohm (Eugenie, Justine) co-star in this kinky cult favourite, packed with go-go boots, miniskirts and outrageous Jess Franco style.
