247 Rasputin : The Mad Monk ( 1966 )

Hammer's  account  of  the  enigmatic  Russian  monk has  little  regard  for  historical  accuracy, partly  because  Rasputin's  main  assassin  Prince  Yusupov  was  still  alive  and  a  serial  litigant. Christopher  Lee, who  in  real  life  met  both  Yusupov  and  Rasputin's  daughter,  plays  the  title  role  with  great. relish. It  was  filmed  back  to  back  with  Dracula : Prince  of  Darkness  and  so  Lee  is  not  the  only  actor  to  appear  in  both  films.

Barbara  Shelley  ( as  Sonia )

Sex : Sonia  becomes  Rasputin's  mistress

Death : Sonia  is  hypnotised  into  slashing  her  wrists  by  Rasputin

Barbara  shows  more  flesh  than  hitherto  in  this  one.

Suzan  Farmer  ( as  Vanessa )

Sex : No

Death : Survives

Suzan  is  just  window  dressing  in  this  one  with  very  few  lines.

Fiona  Hartford  ( as Tania )

Sex : Rasputin  tries  to  seduce  and  then  rape  Tania  but  both  times  he's  interrupted

Death : Survives

Fiona  was  born  in  Delhi  and  this  was  the  first  of  only  two  films  she  made  although  she  had  a  dozen  TV  credits  in  the  sixties. She is  now  73.


Maggie  Wright  ( as  Second  Tart )

Sex : She  is  a  prostitute

Death : Survives

Though  a  bit  part  actress  at  this  point  Maggie  went  on  to  a  more  substantial  career  in  film  and  TV  up  to  the  early  eighties.  In  1968  she  became  the  first  actress  to  appear  naked  in  a  legitimate  theatre  production. In  the  nineties  she  and  her  husband  ran  a  bar  in  THailand  and  adopted  a  local  girl. She  now  lives  in  Australia. She  is  73.