We’re saddened to hear that Barbara Shelley has passed away at the age of 88.
Shelley was known as “The First Leading Lady of British Horror,” and for good reason. After dipping her toes into the world of horror with 1957’s Cat Girl, the actress went on to star in the likes of Blood of the Vampire (1958) and Village of the Damned (1960). But she was perhaps best known for her work with Hammer Film Productions, including roles in numerous Hammer Horror classics like The Gorgon (1964), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), The Mad Monk (1966), and Quatermass and the Pit (1967).
Shelley once noted that “Hammer was like a family.” In a recent statement to the press, her agent, Thomas Bowington, described her as “the technicolour queen of Hammer.” Her legacy will live on.
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
