Where in the Horror are they Now? Caroline Munro!

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

CAROLINE MUNRO

THEN: When you talk “scream queens” you’ll find some very familiar names brought up. You have Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell, Heather Langenkamp and so many more. Yet there are others with careers that have spanned several decades. One of the most stunning actresses to ever grace the world of horror may have been one of the most versatile. Not only did this weeks subject fight off Dracula, she also went into space, dealt with a Maniac and she was even a Bond girl. Caroline Munro was a ravishing beauty. And thanks to her early years as a model in the Sixties, she was discovered and quickly became a legend when it came to scares and sci-fi. Let’s take a look at the impressive career of the lovely Ms. Munro.

For Caroline, genre was part of her resume very early on. After starring in a few comedies and an uncredited role in the 1967 James Bond spoof CASINO ROYALE, she finally found a bit of terror. In 1971, the actress appeared as the deceased Victoria Regina Phibes in the Vincent Price shocker THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES. And a year later, she returned for the sequel DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN. The young starlet seemed to connect to the spooky material, so it was a no brainer that she’d once again take on a scare or two. Appearing opposite the legendary Vincent Price was a solid start for the actress, and it quickly brought her into the world of Hammer Horror.

We don’t talk Hammer Horror enough here. And for Caroline, it was a huge step. In fact, according to her Wikipedia page, she was the only actor to ever sign a long-term contract for Hammer Films. It all started with DRACULA AD 1972, and then she moved into another gothic tale of terror called CAPTAIN KRONOS – VAMPIRE HUNTER in 1974. However, she turned down leading roles in several features including DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE and FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL because nudity was required. Either way, this history with Hammer Horror certainly seemed to help cement her as a popular face in Seventies cinema.

Next up for Caroline was THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD in 1973. Then there was the horror feature called SHARON’S BABY with Joan Collins and Donald Pleasence in 1974. She found herself AT THE EARTH’S CORE in 1976 with Doug McClure and Peter Cushing. And in 1977, Caroline turned down the role of Ursa in SUPERMAN. Instead, she tangled with Roger Moore’s Bond, James Bond, in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Frankly, I kind of love the old Moore Bond flicks, and this was certainly a solid entry. That same year she appeared in episodes of the series Space: 1999 and The New Avengers. With all the science fiction, it is no surprise she took on the female lead in STARCRASH opposite Christopher Plummer and David Hasselhoff… Yes, THE David Hasselhoff.

The early Eighties brought Ms. Munro into slasher flicks in a big way. In 1980, she was the object of Joe Spinell’s psychotic obsession in MANIAC. She is kind of awesome here, and frankly this brutal nightmare has a couple of unforgettable moments of bloody horror. It freaked me the f*ck out when I first saw it. In 1982, Caroline once again appeared opposite Mr. Spinell in the cult classic THE LAST HORROR FILM. This sadistic little nightmare brought slasher spooks to its Cannes Film Festival setting, and it was amazingly perverse and sadistic. And that wasn’t the end of her career running from a knife wielding maniac. Who can forget about the amazingly awful SLAUGHTER HIGH? With actors who are way too old for their roles and a messed up opening, this is one of the best/worst slashers ever made. I myself love this gruesome little feature.

As the Eighties came to an end, it was harder to find Caroline on the silver screen. There was EL AULLIDO DEL DIABLO in 1987 about an actor with a thing for prostitutes. In 1989 she was featured in the sequel DEMONS 6: DE PROFUNDIS. And the Nineties brought fans a guest role on the series Sweating Bullets (1992), and the feature HEAVEN’S A DRAG (1994) about the ghost of a drag queen. This film was also known as TO DIE FOR – and not the Nicole Kidman one. As a new decade arrived, you could find Munro in a series of low budget flicks including FLESH FOR THE BEAST (2003), DOMESTIC STRANGERS (2005), THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT (2006) and the short Turpin in 2009.

NOW: If you were ever a fan of Caroline, you’ll be happy to know that that she never fully left horror. The actress has been a bit busy over the past couple of years. In 2013 she appeared in the short The Landlady, and then, in 2015 she showed up for VAMPYRES as well as CRYING WOLF 3D.  In 2017, fans can catch her as Mystic Mary in the horror comedy CUTE LITTLE BUGGERS, and  the comedic short Frankula. And when it comes to straight up horror, according to IMDb, you can find Caroline – along with Linnea Quigley – in something called 315 WICKED WAY. Judging from the rest of the cast, writer/director Sam Siragusa may be going for a bit of a sleazy fun route perhaps. And frankly, I’d be curious to see what he has in store.

Caroline Munro is a classic scream queen, one who has had an impressive career in the world of genre. If you’d like to keep connected with this lovely English lady, you can follow her fan account on Facebook, or you can go to her official website at carolinemunro.org. For any horror fan, this legendary actress should have a special place in your heart. In fact, I may have to have my own Munro/Joe Spinell double feature this week. Yeah, that sounds like good twisted fun! Horror legend, Bond Girl, and what an incredible beauty… Caroline Munro is the stuff horror legends are made of.