Hammer Glamour!-Linda Hayden

As much as Hammer films are known for there gothic horror, they are also known for there glamourus leading ladies.


These ladies were "scream queens" way before Jamie Lee Curtis was menaced by Michael Myers in "Halloween".



I've chosen to start with Linday Hayden who appeared in "Taste the Blood of Dracula" and many other non-Hammer genre films of the seventies.



















Linda's performance in "Taste the Blood of Dracula" is right on the money. She plays the innocence of her character, Alice, just right. But boy when she falls under dracula's influence, watch out! She looks like she's enjoying being bad! She even stakes a poor guy (not a vampire btw) right in the heart!




I guess that's a part of why I like these Hammer Horror films so much. They look beneath the surface into the dark side of even the most innocent of us. As a matter of fact, Linda's character Alice does not embrace the good side until Dracula scorns her! You would think that after 600 years or so Drac would know better! Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!!


"I have no further use for you!" Oops!











A great interview with her appears in the current edition of LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS, a magazine that has been dedicated to all things Hammer for the past 34 years! Issue number 17 also has an in depth look at the Peter Cushing Pirate film "Night Creatures" AKA "Captain Clegg".

Linda Haydens selected film credits:
Baby Love (1968)
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Satan's Skin (1970)
Something to Hide (1972)
Vampira (1974)
The Boys From Brazil (1978)



The Little Shoppe Of Horrors Site:

http://www.littleshoppeofhorrors.com/

A few reviews for Taste The Blood of Dracula:

Positive ones:

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=48704

http://www.thecinemalaser.com/dvd_2004/ttbod-dvd.htm

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=13179

A negative one:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=10542&___rd=1

Also of note is James Bernard's score. It's one of his best. A review of the score can be found here:

http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&obj_id=21456&this_cat=Music+%26+Audio

Next Week: Reel Cinema continues our tribute to Hammer Glamour as we take a good look at the wonderful Caroline Munro! Be there or be square!!