Caroline Munro


Caroline Jane Munro is an English actress, model and singer known for her many appearances in horror, science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s. She gained prominence within Hammer and horror circles, starring in Dracula AD 1972 and Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter, garnering a cult following for her films. She also acted in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and The [Spy Who Loved Me |The Spy Who Loved Me]. In 2019, she was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.

Early life, family and education

Born in Windsor, Berkshire, Munro was the youngest child of a lawyer and a housewife. As a young child, Munro and her family moved to Richmond-upon-Thames, and she attended a convent school in Rottingdean.

Career

Munro's career began in 1966 when her mother and a photographer friend entered some headshots of her in The Evening Newss "Face of the Year" contest:
This led to modelling work for Vogue magazine at age 17. She moved to London to pursue modelling work and became a cover girl for fashion and television advertisements while there. She landed bit parts in films such as Casino Royale and Where's Jack?. One of her photo advertisements led to a screen test and a one-year contract with Paramount where she was cast as Richard Widmark's daughter in the comedy western A Talent for Loving. Photographs of Munro were used to portray Victoria Regina Phibes, the wife of the title character in The Abominable Dr Phibes, and its sequel, Dr Phibes Rises Again.

Hammer Horror films

The chairman of Hammer Films, Sir James Carreras, spotted Munro on a Lamb's Navy Rum poster/billboard. He asked his casting director, James Liggat, to find and screen test her. She was promptly signed to a one-year contract. Her first film for Hammer proved to be a turning point in her career. It was during the making of Dracula AD 1972 that she decided from this film onward she was a fully-fledged actress. Munro acted in Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter. Directed by Brian Clemens, she played the barefoot gypsy girl Carla. In Paramount Pictures' DVD commentary, Clemens explains that he envisioned the role as a fiery Raquel Welch-type redhead.
Munro has the distinction of being the only actor ever signed to a long-term contract by Hammer Films. She turned down the lead female roles in Hammer's Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, the unmade Vampirella,'' Force 10 from Navarone and The World Is Full of Married Men'' as they all required nudity.

''The Golden Voyage of Sinbad''

helped her to be cast in the role of Margiana, the slave girl in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.
Munro is an Advisor to the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, having previously served on the Board of Trustees.
Other appearances during this time included I Don't [Want to Be Born] with Joan Collins, and At the Earth's Core with Peter Cushing and Doug McClure. She appeared also as Tammy, a nursing employee of a sinister health farm, in "The Angels of Death", an episode of the TV series The [New Avengers |The New Avengers] that featured also rising stars Pamela Stephenson and Lindsay Duncan.

Late 1970s and 1980s

In 1977, Munro turned down the opportunity to play supervillainess Ursa in Superman in favour of Bond girl Naomi, a minion of the primary villain in The Spy Who Loved Me.
Munro continued to work in numerous British and European horror and science fiction films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as Starcrash with David Hasselhoff, Christopher Plummer and Marjoe Gortner.
Between 1975 and 1977, at least four singles were released with her husband Judd Hamilton, including "You Got It" which had a run of popularity on the radio. They were the first act to have a UK release on the new Aquarius label. Some singles were billed as made by Judd and Miss Munro.
Munro's career continued to thrive well in the 1980s, and she appeared in many slasher and Eurotrash productions. Her first film shot on American soil was the William Lustig production Maniac. This was soon followed by the "multi-award winning, shot during the Cannes Film Festival" shocker The Last Horror Film , in which she was reunited with her Maniac co-star Joe Spinell. She had a cameo role in the film Don't Open Till Christmas, Slaughter High, Paul Naschy's Howl of the Devil, and Jess Franco's Faceless, followed in rapid succession. She reteamed with Starcrash director Luigi Cozzi for Demons 6: De Profundis.
Between 1984 and 1987, Munro was a hostess on the Yorkshire Television game show 3-2-1. Munro was a popular pin-up girl during this time, although she refused to pose nude. In the early 1980s, she appeared in music videos for Adam Ant's "Goody Two Shoes" and Meat Loaf's "If You [Really Want To]".

Since 1990

Munro's film roles were confined to performing cameos as herself in Night Owl, as Mrs. Pignon in To Die For, as the counselor in her friend Jeffrey Arsenault's film Domestic Strangers, and as Carla the Gypsy in Flesh for the Beast.
In 2018, Munro re-teamed with her Dracula A.D. 1972 co-star Christopher Neame to appear in the horror film House of the Gorgon.
In September 2021, Munro started presenting a Talking Pictures TV series, The Cellar Club. In the series, Munro introduces celebrated and obscure horror films and gives a personal, insider perspective. She has described appearing opposite Christopher Lee "in full Count attire" as a "lightbulb moment" cementing her relationship as an actor with the genre. In 2023, Munro appeared in Leigh Tarrant's British horror film The Presence of Snowgood.

Music

An early effort of Munro's was a single release by Columbia, "Tar and Cement", backed with "The Sporting Life". The musicians who played on the recording included Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker. She also recorded several singles including:
  • "You Got It", backed with "Where Does Love Begin"
  • "Rhythm of the Rain", backed with "Sound of the Rain"
  • "Love Songs", backed with "Sound of the Sun"
In 1984, Munro collaborated with Gary Numan for the single "Pump Me Up", which was released on Numan's Numa record label.

Filmography

Film

Television

Short film

Discography

ActTitleCatYearLocNotes #
Caroline Munro"Tar and Cement" / "This Sporting Life"Columbia DB 81891967UK
Hamilton & Munro"Come Softly To Me" / "Sad Old Song"King Kong Records 520011979France
Judd And Miss Munro"You Got It" / "Where Does Love Begin"Aquarius AQ 31976UK
Judd And Miss Munro"Rhythm of the Rain" / "Sound of the Sun"RCA Victor RCA 27531976UK
Judd Hamilton And Caroline Munro"Love Songs" / "Sound of the Sun"RCA Victor PB 50211977UK
Caroline Munro"Pump Me Up" / "The Picture"Numa NU 51984UK
Caroline Munro"Pump Me Up" / "The Picture", Pump Me Up Numa NUM 51984UK12"
Caroline Munro"Pump Me Up" / "Pump Me Up" Zig Zag Records – ZIG20006
Numa – ZIG20006		1985Italy12", 33RPM