The 60s…that was Twiggy.
She was such a huge fashion icon that she changed peoples perception of sex appeal.
But there are few surprises where men are concerned.
They either go for cleavage, legs or bottoms !
Youve worked with the very rough Bond Connery and the very smooth Bond, Moore.
Is Daniel Craigs return to the Connery pop in something that appeals to you ?
But Craig is a Bond for the 2010s.
A kind of Terminator, steely and ruthless.
I thought Pierce Brosnan was a good mixture of Roger Moore and Sean Connery.
Do you prefer the slightly more intellectual key in?
A rugged man is great but there has got to be some sensitivity as well.
Craigs portrayal was just too double -Y chromosome for me!
I was wondering if your very strong Hai-karate image kept admirers respectful ?
In the 70s I did create this rather aloof image.
Its crazy when I think about it now, because it was not the real me.
I do think people were often in awe of me.
So yes they retained respectful distance.
What amazes me even now is when men come up and say oh you helped me through puberty.
Yet it is all so long ago.
You often ended up playing powerful women.
Even inBlood From The Mummys Tomb, one of the two roles that you play was a queen.
Did you ever want to play a wallflower?
No, it is much more fun to play strong characters.
But then considering my height and the cleavage no, I would not want to play a wallflower.
I prefer something meaty to get my teeth into.
Very much so, and also because of the world-wide web.
That is totally extraordinary.
I get fan mail most days and from all over the world.
Amazing and quite gratifying.
Yes I was too tall for modelling but I found a niche in show business.
And that is exactly what I did !
And then, of course, Seth.
At the time I never knew that he had been quite ill right from the start.
They wouldnt insure him because he had a weak heart.
I just thought he might be great drinker.
When he died a week before completion of the movie, I was totally devastated.
He just collapsed one night after a dinner party with his wife.
The people had gone and apparently he just looked up and said Im going.
I didnt know any of that at the time.
I readThe Jewel of the Seven Starsby Bram Stoker, on whichBlood From The Mummys Tombis based.
This was a novel written in 1903 which a young American Producer Howard Brandy found.
You would have approached the role differently maybe ?
Do you think Seths death on the film production changed the final product from what he envisaged?
The extraordinary thing is that its now become such a cult.
I think there is a lot of nostalgia for the Hammer Horror Films.
Similar films are so horribly graphic today.
They keep trying to resurrect Hammer and talk about making more films.
They are sold in newsagents and people swap them.
You carriedBlood from the Mummys Tombvery effectively.
Were you disappointed it didnt lead on to other leading roles ?
Yes, in retrospect, of course.
I was very disappointed at the time.
But it is the luck of the draw.
But I just have to be grateful for what I have had.
If you could do it all again would you be a little bit tougher?
I would be harder, tougher.
I would put myself about more.
I should have mixed with more people which would have led to more opportunities.
Many stars come to sticky ends, so I think maybe its just as well.
At least I am still here, for which Im grateful.
That was an odd film.
and it has been described, I think, as soft core porn.
I dont think you could call it porn really could you ?
When did you last see it ?
About a month ago.I bought the DVD
You actually paid money and bought the DVD?
What did it cost you ?
About a tenner, off Play.com
How extraordinary!
Its in the Jezebel series; they do these kind of 1960s, semi nudey glamour films.
Yes, …we were the Amazon race of women, or something.
My main memory of that is being freezing cold.
I was going to ask about the forest scene at the end.
It looks ever so cold ?
I dont even remember which scene it was.
I just remember I froze when we did that.
Im sorry I havent seen it.
Was I running through a forest ?
Yes, theres a big forest show-down at the end between the villains and the Amazonians.
And then at one point are we women surrounded by men ?
I have a sort of vague memory about that actually but brilliant, brilliant!
Was that just good acting, or was it as much fun as it looked?
Oh no, it was great!
Thats what the director wanted.
Fun and black suspenders.
I enjoyed working on it but I dont think it did too well at the box office.
Nice people on it, though.
Oh God, I wasthrilledto get intoFunny Girl.
I mean even then, [Streisand] was a superstar.
Presumably it was your first big role…?
I had done one show before that.
They employed me as a singer.
We were six girls in the chorus, and I think they really took me because I looked pretty.
After six weeks touring, it closed, and I was on the dole.
How was it working with Morecambe and Wise?
Eric Morecambe was lovely.
Ernie was nice too.
It was great working with them what can I say?
My name is up there with Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise, Elton John and others what a poster!
It was a great show.
Hey, that poster might be worth something.
Have you ever been disappointed in meeting your heroes in the course of your work ?
What do you get asked most about at conventions ?
is it the Hai-karate or the Bond ?
And the fact that I worked with Roger and Sean.
Some people always say Who did you prefer?
What was your favourite out of your sixCarry Onfilms ?
I took part in six of the films and two Christmas shows on television.
The Carry On phenomena really is extraordinary.
People still want more and more.
Theyve been shown and re-shown, and cut together…you know, all the clips and everything.
They were great fun, and lovely times to look back on.
Valerie Leon, thank you very much!
