Veronica Carlson, best known for her role in the Hammer horror film, has died at the age of 77. Her first major speaking role was in the 1968 film Dracula Rises from the Grave opposite Christopher Lee as Count Dracula.
After auditioning for the film, she went to dinner with producer Ida Young and director Freddie Francis, but she was nervous about getting the part. Carlson left the food abruptly and wandered the streets aimlessly. She was so worried about the role that when she got home, she couldn’t even tell her mom where she had been. Fortunately, her mother was able to tell Carlson that a producer had called and she had the part. Carlson ended up seeing her Hammer brothers as extended family.
She then starred in the 1969 film Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed alongside fellow Hammer heavyweight Peter Cushing. Frankenstein enters. “[Hammer Film Productions founder] Jimmy Carreras came on set one day and was obviously upset because his boss and distributor told him there wasn’t enough sex in the film; there had to be a rape scene.”
She also appeared in the 1970 dark comedy The Horror of Frankenstein, though that jaw-dropping offer wasn’t well received.
Carlson’s mother, Edith (née Allatt), was born Veronica Mary Glazier in Yorkshire and encouraged her artistic talents. Her father, William Glazier, was an affectionate but strict RAF member. Carlson was interested in drawing from an early age. Her love of art continued throughout her life, although at one point she also wanted to be an archaeologist. When she told her 11-year-old classmates, they all laughed.
She left high school early to study art. The teenage Carlson also skipped school to watch Hammer movies. Her modeling career began when two men in the Daily Mirror posed for her, which also led to the role. Her judo skills landed her a small role in Morecambe and Wise’s The Magnificent Two. Hammer’s Carreras invited her to audition after seeing a photo of her in a white bikini in the newspaper — and the rest is history.
After her marriage to businessman Sydney Love in 1974, her career ended — and Carlson devoted herself entirely to family life. They lived in Coventry for a while, but eventually moved to South Carolina.
