After making brief apperances in such films as "Casino Royale", Caroline landed her first big role in "Dracula AD 1972". The film takes place in "hip" London. Viewed today, the only thing that stays really hip are Lee, Cushing and Munro! (Although I must admit that I do also like the performance of Michael Coles as the Inspector) The film is a hoot and, taken with a grain of salt, fun to watch. Poor Caroline turns out to be Dracula's first victim in the film. The real missed opportunity for this flick is Caroline's early exit. She would have been a terrific vampire! Caroline talked a little about the experience of making the film on the Hammer documentary "Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror". "That was the first time in my short career (at that time) that I realized I wanted to act. That was really it. Because I believed in what I was doing." On working with Christoper Lee: "You don't have to act much because he's very frighting when he has all his gear on, his white face, the contact lenses. He's very tall! I'm not small and he's VERY tall! At that moment, I WAS bitten by Dracula and I believed it!"
"Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" was also made in 1972 but the film was not released until 1974. Poor distribution hurt the films grosses but I think the film really stands up well today. It also provided Caroline with one of her best roles, that of the gypsy Carla. It's one of her favorites. Caroline talks about the film on the "Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror" documentary: "Possibly, (Kronos) was too romantic. Maybe it was either ahead of it's time or the other way. Maybe it was lost in time. I'm not too sure. The timing was wrong anyway." Ironicly, time has been kind to this film. Check out the DVD for the commentary track with Caroline and Director Brian Clemens.
Other non Hammer films that Caroline has appeared in. The fan favorite "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad" and as the ill fated Helicoptor Pilot Naomi in the James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me".
A publiciy shot for a proposed "Vampirella" Hammer film that never got off the ground.
As Naomi in "The Spy Who Loved Me"
Christopher Lee surrounded by female cast of "Dracula AD 1972"
As the Gypsy Carla in "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter".
8 comments:
Hey, you finally got around to it! Good job, I love Captain Kronos, and Munro really adds to the picture.
Hey, thanks Mark! FYI, I added a few more photos.
Captain Kronos is a great flick! I think casting Munro really works to the pictures advantage. The part of Carla could have really been a thankless role. But Munro makes you care about her character. That really comes into play in the films finale. And I always feel bad when I watch her final moments in "The Spy Who Loved Me". Damn that Roger Moore!
So Mark, who would you like to see next in the Hammer Glamour series? I leave it in your hands!
You can never go wrong with more photos of Caroline Munro; she has always been my favorite Hammer starlet.
If I were to choose the next woman for the series, I would choose Madeline Smith. Her speaking roles may not be that significant, but her mere presence in any film makes it more watchable.
Keep up the great work!
"If I were to choose the next woman for the series, I would choose Madeline Smith."
Thy will be done!
Scott you are the man!! I loved her when I was growing up!! Where is she now?? You know they don't make-em like that anymore. Now as soon as they start to make it, they turn around and drop 40 or 50 lbs., skin and bones!! I'm sorry I don't like looking at Olive Oyl...
I say; Hollywood bring back some curves!!!
If you look at Transamerica 2006, "I did not see it" this proves just what I'm talking about, it took a woman "Felicity Huffman" to play a man, who wanted to be a woman "HUH". Why not just use the little creepy guy from Will & Grace to pull this off. I think it comes down to Felicity Huffman having a body like a 12 year old boy!!
It could just be me!! I would take an Actress from the past over what we have now..
Munro is a gorgeous woman with classic Hollywood curves that I'd darn-well have that extra croissant to achieve! Great choice.
Today's "thin is in" era has evolved into something scary. The most confusing thing about it is feedback from moviegoers like you -- that it's NOT sexy. Healthy cleavage and a firm curve of thigh will beat the fragile boniness passing these days for "sexy", anytime.
Now if only the film industry would get the idea....
Mina you got it right!! Even the men from the past looked like men, like real men. Now they all look like they fell off the set of an MTV show.. Look at John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant "just to name a few"; real men with real style, not forced or out of place.
I do wish that the thin thing would end, I love curves, to me that's what make's a woman. The ladies of old Hollywood "to me" are out of this world and can not be touched. Now if a woman has any bit of a curve, she's fat!! Or she looks like a tramp!! WHAT??!! No, she looks like a real woman!!
That's just me!!! I could be wrong... Nope, not about this..
Thanks Walt -- agreed, even on men (heheh, ok well perhaps especially on men) I prefer a natural, heathy build to the constructed, manufactured look of a gym-and-protein-shake-crafted physique.
I defintely don't believe it's just you at all -- there's the source of my bafflement right there. We're hearing it from too many guys.
I personally think it's a conspiracy between the film industry and the beauty industry:P
So join the fight folks! I'm off to have an extra croissant, and if you're a guy, feed a woman something fattening today!:P
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