SWEET CAROLINE

An lot of horror movie Scream Queens have graced the screen over the years, but Caroline Jane Munro is a standout. The dark-haired beauty was born in 1949 in England and today is 73 years young.

Miss Munro has enjoyed a long career as a cover girl for fashion magazines and books, a pin-up model and of course, a Hammer Glamour girl.

This issue of Jim Steranko's MEDIASCENE newspaper (#37. May-June 1979) features an article on Munro, as well as some nice Bill Ward work and coverage of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.

CAROLINE MUNRO AS VAMPIRELLA

I don't believe anyone would disagree that horror hottie Caroline Munro would have made a perfect Vampirella. Unfortunately she dropped out after reading the script back when the Vampi movie was in development (see story below) by Hammer Films. And in all fairness, Barbara Leigh was a magnificent choice. Talisa Soto? Hot, but not hot enough for Vampi.

Well, we don't have to wonder anymore how it would have turned out with Miss Munro playing the titular (half a pun intended) character. . . at least how she would have looked, anyway.


Vampirella Caroline Munro 1/6 Scale 50th Anniversary Exclusive Figure LIMITED EDITION

Vampirella celebrates her 50th anniversary in 2019 as a pop culture icon. What started as a comic magazine in 1969, quickly became a phenomenon for the readers of the time who gravitated toward a much darker and sexier character who stood out among the other popular "super" characters of the time.

Vampirella's legacy has been marked through the years by contributions from the top writers and artists. In 1976, 7 years after Vampirella's first appearance, Hammer films opted the rights to produce the Vampirella Film and their first choice to star in the lead role was the beautiful Caroline Munro who already had made a name for herself with The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, and Dracula A.D. but due to differences, Caroline had to turn down the role and unfortunately the film was never made. Caroline Munro, We are proud to pay homage to this conceptual figure of "what might have been", paying homage to both the beautiful Caroline Munro and Vampirella with this 1/6th scale exclusive action figure.

Includes:

• Vampirella figure
• Alternate head
• 3 Pairs of hands
• One-piece bikini-style costume
• Pair of high boots
• Arm band (for right upper arm)
• Pair of bangles
• Thigh band (for right thigh)
• Dagger
• Reduced scale bat model
• Reduced scale skull model
• Cape
• Base

Release Date: February, 2020
Retail Price: $299.99

Offered by MONSTERS IN MOTION.

The Final Nail in the Coffin: Hammer Films’ Vampirella
By Christopher Jimenez | January 15, 2014 | Comingsoon.net


In the late 1980s, I discovered one of the more enduring horror characters of all time:  A beautiful, raven haired, vampire from outer space, a woman named Vampirella.  

Vampirella was created by Forrest J. Ackerman in 1969 for James Warren’s publishing company which was already responsible for horror magazines Eerie and Creepy.  The company had hit some hard times and was trying to come up with something that would recapture the imagination of the audience.  Forest worked his magic, and the rest is history, Vampirella saved the day.  Mr. Warren saw the potential for big screen adventures ala Jean-Claude Forest’s Barbarella which became a big budget film from De Laurentiis pictures starring Jane Fonda.  Well, there was once a big screen Vampirella film in production, but there is little information on it, even in the digital age.  The script is extremely hard to come by, but does exist; it remains one of the most beloved and oft talked about films never made.  What follows is the story of Vampirella and Hammer Films.

In the mid 1970s Hammer was in trouble.  After dominating the horror film industry for 15 years, Hammer began to run out of steam.  Rival studios copied Hammer’s style and started hiring their familiar stable of actors.  Hollywood also started making big budget horror like Rosemary’s Baby.  Hammer had lost its niche.  Michael Carreras, head of Hammer Films, was desperate.  He was putting a lot of money into Nessie, a large-scale take on the Loch Ness monster, and had decided to double down.  He ran an ad in Warren magazines asking readers what Hammer should do next and the readers answered: Vampirella.  He struck a deal with James Warren and they were off and running.  Jimmy Sangster wrote the outline, which was embellished by John Starr, Lew Davidson and Christopher Wicking.

A "What If?" image of Miss Munro as Vampi by Jimenez.

Caroline Munro, former bond girl and possibly Hammer’s only beauty ever to have a contract, was offered the part.  She was flown to Italy for a photo shoot, more of a test shoot than anything, and Michael began pre-production.  However, when the script was given to her, she declined the part due to the nudity in the film.  They turned to the beautiful Valerie Leon, who would have been perfect, but she opted out as well for the very same reason.  I think either would have been perfect.

Without a Hammer name on board, a worldwide search started and finally settled on Barbara Leigh.  A tall beautiful actress, Barbara was already known from starring with Steve McQueen in Junior Bonner and dating Elvis Presley.  She was signed up for six pictures and was so excited for the role, that she even paid the "Western Costume" Couturier department for Hammer Films a reported $7,000 to make her costume and $2,000 for the boots.  In 1975 Michael Carreras took Barbara and Peter Cushing to the Famous Monsters Convention to promote their upcoming film.  Ads and posters were released, things were in full swing.

What happen next was a shock to all involved.  The film died, followed by Hammer Films and Barbara Leigh’s career.  There are numerous stories as to what went wrong, but it seems to come down to money.  Barbara wore the outfit to a meeting with American International Pictures and helped convince them to join in, until they stipulated that a big name American star had to be cast.  That deal fell apart.  In an interview with James Warren, he states that they had actress approval based on a screen test.  Hammer failed to pay for the screen test and also failed to pay Warren for the use of the character.  According to Michael Carreras, Warren would not give up merchandise rights and stormed off the lot at Bray.  Either way, Hammer could not raise the funds for a film and the deal crumbled.

Hammer films ceased film operations shortly after.  As for Barbara Leigh, her film career died as well and allegedly believes it a result of the films failure to materialize.  Warren Publishing hit hard times a few years later and lost the rights to all its characters including Vampirella, so ended the dream.  This was not only the end of a Vampirella film in the 1970’s, but the final nail in the coffin for Hammer Films.  They had spent so much of the company money on this gamble that they never recovered.  We were left with a Roger Cormen produced cheapie that was embarrassing for everyone involved.  Hopefully, someday, a production company will deliver on the promise that is Vampirella.  Hell, maybe even the new Hammer.  What do you think?


Should Hammer try it again? [Best leave sleeping vampires in their coffin. Ed.].

Hammer Star Caroline Munro To Perform Script Reading of VAMPIRELLA in London on 17th October 2019

Bat |September 13, 2019 | Horrorcultfilms.co.uk

One of the most famous films that horror studio Hammer never made is now to be performed live in a production featuring one of the studio’s most famous stars.

Vampirella was planned to be a big-budget Hammer horror in the 1970s with Peter Cushing signed on to star along with former Beatle Ringo Starr and Hollywood legend Orson Welles, with Barbara Leigh as the superhero vampire. Unfortunately, the studio’s financial woes meant that it was canned at the 11th hour.

Now Caroline Munro – Bond girl and star of Hammer’s Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter and Dracula AD 1972 – and her daughter Georgina Dugdale, alongside actor/director Jonathan Rigby, are to take part in a script reading of Vampirella at London’s Regent Street Cinema on October 17th 2019.

The project has been devised at  De Montfort University, Leicester by Dr Kieran Foster, whose PhD focused on Hammer’s unmade films. The studio sent him the script for Vampirella, which was based on a comic book character who first appeared in 1969, a time when Hammer was looking for a new angle and using a comic character to front a film was far less common

Kieran said: “Vampirella is a legendary ‘film that never was’ for a lot of Hammer fans and to be able to give a glimpse of what might have been, especially with actors like Caroline Munro taking part, is amazing.

“It’s exciting for us to be able to give it a premiere – it will be an immersive experience for the audience with animation, a live reading, and specially commissioned original music.”

Kieran has worked with DMU Animation graduate Karlton Dolo who has created an original animated prologue and commissioned composer Luke Jackson to write a score which has a distinctive 1970s vibe. Media Production student Adam Fox is creating credits and recording the performance.

Kieran explains: “Back in the 1970s it got so close to being made. In 1975 you had Peter Cushing being flown out to America to promote it, people were doing location scouting. Hammer knew they had to spend money to attract American investors but unfortunately they just could not get the money,”.

“It’s ironic really because just a couple of years later you have Superman which was a comic book adaptation. The chances are that if they had made it, it would have been crushed under its own weight, but as a live reading it will be amazing. It has a punchy plot that sprints through. I think it will be a lot of fun.”


Jonathan Rigby, an Associate Research Fellow at DMU’s Cinema and Television History Institute (CATHI) adapted the script, which features the heroine meeting Hell’s Angels, James Bond-esque spies and more.

BONUS! Vampirella Cosplay Gallery.