A LITTLE MORE MEGAERA

The GORGON "feature" that was in CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN #6 was a part of an interview with Christopher Lee. There are several stills and a listing of the main characters in the cast, but I'll be darned if I can find any mention of it in the article!

The Gorgon herself was played by Prudence Hyman (a British name is I ever heard one!). She was born in 1914 and was a famous ballerina before donning the wig of snakes for her role in THE GORGON. She died in 1995.

Below is another "Reference Only" head shot of Miss Hyman used by regular Hammer make-up artist, Roy Ashton during his creation of the character. I include the caption that accompanies the photo describing its provenance.

Picture number:2000-5000_0048
Credit:Ashton & Leakey Collection at NMPFT/Science & Society Picture Library

Caption:

A reference photograph of Prudence Hyman (died 1995) as Megaera the Gorgon, taken by an unknown photographer in 1964. Roy Ashton (1909-1995) used the image for developing the special effects make-up of Megaera in 'The Gorgon' (1964). This photograph is from the Ashton & Leakey Collection. Roy Ashton and Phil Leakey (1908-1992) worked for Hammer Films during the 1950s and 1960s. They were pioneers of special effects make-up - using cosmetics and prosthetics to transform an actor's appearance. Hammer Film Productions was founded in 1947. Initially, it made low-budget movies based on popular television and radio series, such as Quatermass. In 1957, it released the first colour gothic horror film, 'The Curse Of Frankenstein', which was an enormous succes. During the 1950s and 1960s it went on to produce a series of popular gothic horror films for which it has become renowned.

In Collection of: National Museum of Photography Film & Television.

And, now . . . for those of you who want to view the movie in its entirety, here is presented the full-length version of Hammer's THE GORGON (1964).

This link is especially for you, "Wobble The Witch Cat"!