Dyanne Thorne

Thorne's early work included the 1964 sexploitation film Sin in the Suburbs, credited as Lahna Monroe, and later sex comedies like Love Me Like I Do (1970) and Wam-Bam, Thank You, Spaceman (1973). Her breakthrough came with Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS (1974), a surprise hit that spawned sequels and imitators, helping create the Nazi exploitation subgenre. The four Ilsa films saw her as a cruel dominatrix in various settings, from a WWII prison camp to a Russian gulag and a women's prison in Latin America. The first film was banned in Germany for its portrayal of Nazi cruelty as sexual acts. In her later career, she appeared in mainstream roles, including Real Men (1987) as James Belushi's transgender father and in the opera segment of Aria (1987).

Thorne and her husband Howard Maurer were ordained ministers who ran an alternative wedding business in Las Vegas, conducting scenic outdoor ceremonies. She had started but never completed a degree in anthropology; instead, she earned a Ph.D. in comparative religion. Thorne died in Las Vegas on January 28, 2020, from pancreatic cancer at age 83. Her influence on exploitation cinema remains, with her Ilsa character often cited as a cultural touchstone.

Short and direct: She was bisexual and performed solo and girl-girl scenes in her films. Her body measurements were 37-22-35, and she weighed 125 lbs. Thorne's career spanned 60 years, and her unique blend of screen presence and real-life pursuits set her apart.