Valerie Gaunt, a talented English actress, had a remarkably brief yet impactful acting career in the 1950s. Her most notable role was that of an unnamed Vampire Woman in a Hammer Film Productions horror film, marking the studio's first vampire character with visible fangs.
Little is known about Gaunt's background, but she was trained as an actress at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating in 1951. She primarily worked in repertory theatre before landing a guest-star role in the popular police procedural television series "Dixon of Dock Green" in 1956.
Her film career was launched when director Terence Fisher noticed her on television and offered her a role in his upcoming horror film. Gaunt made her film debut in "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957),a color horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions, which was a loose adaptation of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus".
In the film, Gaunt portrayed Justine, a maid who secretly served as the mistress of Baron Victor Frankenstein, played by Peter Cushing. Her character's dramatic turn unfolded when she attempted to blackmail Victor into marrying her, only to be orchestratedly murdered by him. The film was a box office hit, earning approximately eight million dollars worldwide.
Gaunt's success in "The Curse of Frankenstein" led to her being cast as the Vampire Woman in "Dracula" (1958),a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel. Her character was loosely based on the three Brides of Dracula from the original novel, making her the first female vampire depicted by Hammer Film. The film was also a box office hit.
However, Gaunt surprisingly decided to end her film career just as it was taking off. In 1958, she married stock broker Gerald Alfred Reddington and permanently retired from acting at the age of 26. She lived the rest of her life away from the spotlight, passing away in 2016 at the age of 84 on the Isle of Wight.
Despite her brief career, Gaunt remains a familiar figure among fans of classic British horror films, with both of her film appearances continuing to enjoy enduring popularity, ensuring a measure of fame for the talented actress.
