For many horror fans growing up in the 70′s and 80′s, there was only one true Fantasy Female – Caroline Munro! This lovely lady haunted the dreams of many a young horror fan with her stunning good looks, curvy figure and sexy smile. We have delved into the archives at the request of our classic horror supporters to bring you this fascinating interview with the lady herself as conducted by Starburst magazine writer Rob Pierce! This interview was originally published on the Cyberschizoid website in July 2010.

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get started in the business? Your first break was as a model?

CAROLINE MUNRO: Yes. I started out way, way back in ‘66. I had no intentions of acting or modelling. I thought maybe I’d do something with art. I thought that if I had any talent – that’s where it’d be. So, I enrolled in the Brighton College of Art, which is an excellent college, but I didn’t last the course because I was, still am, dyslexic.

Anyway, there was a brilliant young photographer Ray Green who wanted to shoot some photos of me for an exam. From there, he got my mum’s permission to submit the photos to a competition run by David Bailey, which we won. I was “Face of the Year”.

After that, I went to modelling school, which was more of a finishing school, really. They taught me things like how to get out of a sports car gracefully. (Laughs) This was the sixties and we all wore mini skirts. I went on from there to appear in American Vogue and joined the Lucy Clayton Modelling Agency.

By nature, I’m pretty shy, so it’s a strange thing to have chosen.

Sometimes, the agency sent girls out as extras for films, and one of the first things I did was “Casino Royale” (1967) with Val Guest directing.

Q: This was the version with Peter Sellers and Woody Allen?

CM: Yes. It was an amazing experience working with such talented people. I never went to drama school, so I winged and prayed it by watching the best and learning from them.

Q: Let’s talk about some of your other films, because you’ve worked with the best in the business, Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing…the list is incredible.

CM: Okay, where shall we start?

Q: How about, I guess your horror debut “the Abominable Dr Phibes” (1971)

CM: Ah yes, I think I had actually signed with Hammer Films at that time, but this wasn’t a Hammer production. Vincent Price was wonderful. I wish I’d had some dialogue with him, but as I was playing his dead wife, all I got to do was lie in a coffin with him. But I learnt a lot from standing behind the camera and watching him.

The look of the film was very stylised and the art direction by Bernard Reeves was amazing. It was brilliant to work on. But as my character was dead, you know it’s hard to be told you can’t move in a film. It makes you want to move even more ! Vincent Price was of course also a brilliant chef and he’s bring all sorts of food in for us every morning. He’d make all these fantastic concoctions in the evenings.

Q: And you followed “Phibes” with “Dracula AD 1972″?

CM: Yes, my first Hammer film. By then, I’d appeared in the Lamb’s Navy Rum adverts and posters which were all over the place. One of the posters had been seen by James Carreras who ran Hammer Films, so I was offered to sign a year’s contract with them.

Hammer were going through some hard times then, and “Dracula AD 1972″ was an attempt to update the series by bringing it to the then modern day to make it appealing to the audience. I had the opportunity to work closely with Christopher Lee, but not so much Peter Cushing who was also in the cast.

Q: Was Christopher Lee dissatisfied with his role as Dracula at that point? I’ve read an account of his where he states he was anxious to get out of the role?

CM: If Lee was dissatisfied, he never once showed it on set. He may have had some differences with the producers and directors, but he never brought it to the set. He gave a fantastic performance, really inspirational. In fact, the scene we did together was a turning point for me. That’s when I decided I wanted to act. Part of the credit for that also goes to director Alan Gibson, who did a great, great job.

Q: Then it was from Dracula straight back to the clutches of Dr Phibes?

CM: Was that the one I did next?

Q: Yes, “Dr Phibes Rises Again”(1972)

CM: Yes, that’s right. The one with with Robert Quarry. That’s the one where I ended up going down the river in the coffin (laughs). You know, I was uncredited in those two “Phibes” films because I was under contract to Hammer. My agent persuaded me to take the part because it was an important one, I’d get some exposure and of course it was an opportunity to work with Vincent Price.

Q: 1973 was a great year for you, you worked on Ray Harryhausen’s “Golden Voyage of Sinbad” and Hammer’s “Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter”.

CM: Oh wow – “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad” was amazing. I got to go away toSpainfor several weeks and it was lovely. We had a great time. I worked with Ray Harryhauen, who became a very dear friend of mine. And the cast, we had Tom Baker as our baddie, Akura. John Phillip Law was our Sinbad, great actors, both. And of course Martin Shaw was with us. I knew he had something about him even then, there was something special. Of course he’s gone on to huge things since then.

Brian Clemens was instrumental in me getting the role as Margiana in “Sinbad” and he rallied for me to do it. The “Sinbad” producers Charles Schneer, Ray Harryhausen and I supposeColumbiawanted Raquel Welch to do it. Brian Clemens persuaded them to go and see “Kronos” which I’d just finished and they gave me the part.

Q: Which brings us neatly on to “Kronos”. That was a very different spin on the vampire theme, where the vampires drain youth rather than blood.

CM: Yes, it WAS a different spin. I thought Brian was very clever with that, but I also thought that the audience didn’t get it. It was ahead of its time. But the whole period setting of it make it timeless. It doesn’t seem to age. Brian of course was a very talented TV writer (“The Avengers” “Danger Man” The Professionals”) and this was his directorial debut, which was incredible. I asked him some time ago why hadn’t he directed since. He told me “nobody ever asked me again”. It’s a terrible shame, because he knew exactly what he wanted. He chose his cast very well, it was all dialogue he had written. It all came together very, very well. I still see Brian, and he still writes every day.

It has cult status now, I believe. Actually there’s a cast reunion of “Kronos” on March 29th at the Lumiere Theatre  in London.

Q: 1977 brought you your highest profile role yet. You became a Bond girl, working alongside Roger Moore in “The Spy Who Loved Me”. What was that like?

CM: Roger is such a generous actor. Working with him was easy and relaxed, and of course we had the master – director Lewis Gilbert there as well. Claude Renoir was the director of photography so we were lit nicely. We were on location inSardiniaand it rained solidly for five days ! “Cubby” Broccolli was at the helm. There was like a pyramid with Cubby at the top and everybody else underneath. But he treated everybody from Roger and Lewis to the coffee boy equally.

Barbara (Broccolli) is doing incredibly well with the franchise now, especially with her bold choice in Daniel Craig.

Finally, the British film industry’s coming back. People are realising we have wonderful actors and technicians here. We have a wealth of extraordinary home grown talent.

Q: In researching for this interview, I watched a “Friday the 13th” type slasher film you made in 1986. “Slaughter High”.

CM: Oh. The ending of that wasn’t very conclusive was it? That was due to a lack of money.

Q: Although the film is set in America, while I was watching it, I couldn’t help but notice it was actually filmed in the UK.

CM: (laughs) What gave the game away?

Q: The first thing was the scene where you get into a silver BMW and drive off to the high school reunion. The car was parked on double yellow lines, and in fact all the road markings were British.

CM: (laughs) Don’t they have double yellows inAmerica? Well – you’re right. It was filmed in theUK. All of it. We were going to film in the U.S. but ultimately they couldn’t afford it. It was filmed just off Maryleborne High Road in an abandoned school that was pulled down soon after. We also shot at Wentworth, near the golf course. No glamorous locations on that one, I’m afraid. We shot the film in four and a half weeks which is what Hammer’s shooting schedule always was. It’s interesting filming on a smaller budget rather than a large one. On something like a Bond film, money’s no object they’ll keep on take after take until they get what they want. You don’t get that luxury on a smaller budget. Time is of the essence when the budget’s tight.

Q: You never succumbed to any nude scenes, despite working in the film industry in the seventies where it was the norm. was that a conscious decision to keep the mystique?

CM: Yes, I think “mystique” is the right word. I’ve never heard it described better (laughs) I’ll have to remember that. I kind of did succumb, some of the costumes I wore were pretty revealing but as far as nudity went, I didn’t want to do it. As I’ve mentioned I’m very shy. I think the closest I got to doing a nude scene was in “Kronos” but even then I was still covered up. I think it’s a different way today. Back in the seventies, every script that came through the letterbox – apart from Bond – had an obligatory nude scene. It became boring, because you’d have the producers, the directors, the writers all telling you it was an integral part of the story. But of course it never was.

Q: Hammer horror seems tame today despite being “X” rated in their time. They’re on DVD with a PG or 12 rating in some instances. Do you think horror’s gone too far with the likes of “Hostel” “Captivity” and “Saw”?

CM: I haven’t seen any of them (laughs) God, I’m getting old.

I’m not very good at watching horror movies. There was one on TV the other night. I forget which one it was, but I couldn’t watch it. Silly wuss. I love “Psycho” (1960) but I don’t like to be frightened. I prefer to be moved or amused.

Q: With that in mind, would you care to get involved with the industry again?

CM: Oh yes, I still feel totally connected to the industry and I want to work. Since my last film “The Absence of Light” (2006) I’ve had more, I suppose, life experiences. Some have been great, some not so good. But I’m ready to work again.

Q: Would you like to work with anybody in particular ?

CM: I’d love to work with Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino.

Q: What is your proudest professional achievement?

CM: Well my proudest achievements are my daughters. But you said professional didn’t you ? I think it was doing the Doctor Who
“Omega” CD with Peter Davidson. It was like doing a radio play. We did a cold reading which is very difficult for me, being dyslexic. I can memorise lines, but the worst part of my job for me has always been the cold readings, reading out loud. This was hard, but I did it and I was proud of that. Also, “Dracula AD 1972″ and “Kronos”. But there’s still work in the old girl yet (laughs). The passion hasn’t died, and I’m keen to work with young film makers. Give me the right vehicle and I’ll work.

Q: Do you still keep in touch with the other scream queens of the time, Ingrid Pitt, Madeline Smith, Martine Beswick?

CM: Oh yes, we meet up. I had tea recently with Ingrid, Maddie, Valerie (Leon) and Martine. They’re lovely women all of them, so special, talented and brilliant.

Q: The other actresses have changed a bit over the years, but you’re still recognisably Caroline Munro. What’s the secret?

CM : None of us have had any work done, no nips no tucks…but in my case – clever make up (laughs).