Remembering Yvonne Monlaur (1939-2017)

Yvonne Monlaur, left, Steve Vertlieb, center, Veronica Carlson, right

By Steve Vertlieb: Yvonne Monlaur was the young, fabulously lovely, sweetly innocent French actress who co-starred with Peter Cushing in Hammer Films’ classic vampire thriller Brides Of Dracula (1960), directed by Terence Fisher, and appeared opposite Christopher Lee in Hammer’s Terror of the Tongs (1961).

She was a sweet, gentle lady who cherished her fans, and was ever grateful for the opportunities that she’d been given. Yvonne, and dear friend Veronica Carlson introduced me from the stage when I presented the posthumous “Laemmle” life achievement award to Bernard Herrmann (accepted by his daughter, Dorothy) at the wonderful Fanex monster film convention in Crystal City, Virginia in 2000.

She was always the most gracious, kind, and humble actress that you’d ever wish to meet. Yvonne passed away, sadly, this past week on Tuesday, April 18th, at age 77. Her gentle presence will be missed by all of us who frequented these events, but her radiant beauty and generosity of spirit will live on in her many screen appearances, as well as in the joyful memories of those of us fortunate enough to have met, and known her. May God rest her tender soul.

5 thoughts on “Remembering Yvonne Monlaur (1939-2017)

  1. I’ve only just found out about Yvonne’s passing. Very sad to hear the news. I’m a 51 year old English man that watched things like the brides of Dracula etc when I was just a 12 year old boy and 26 years younger than she was and fell in love with this absolutely beautiful , gentile woman who was a lady in every sense of the word. Well I guess she’s up there now along with the other great classics like Christopher lee , Peter Cushing and the man himself David peel whom together they made my favourite horror movie the brides of Dracula. Rest in peace Yvonne

  2. I first saw ‘The Brides of Dracula’ (in black and white) on TV in 1970 and was impressed by the film in general and by Yvonne Monlaur in particular whose natural beauty and subtle understated performance contributed greatly to the picture’s effectiveness.

    A couple of years later I saw ‘Brides….’ at the mighty Odeon Newcastle upon Tyne when it was screened as part of an ‘All Night Horror’ show of Universal films which also included Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’.

    How lucky I was to see the film on the huge cinema screen – and in colour; Miss Monlaur, of course, was even more striking and the dear lady has been etched in my memory ever since.

    I am so sorry to only now learn of her sad passing and I agree completely with Paul Baverstock about her being in her rightful place alongside classics such as Lee, Cushing, Peel etc.

  3. I only found out about a week or 2 ago about Yvonne Monlaur’s Death such a beautiful actress I always liked her in The Brides Of Dracula I was very saddened on hearing this sad news,I wonder where in France she is Buried.
    I watch The Brides Of Dracula quite a lot on my Blu Ray.

  4. How very sad it is that all the old greats have passed away. Monlaur, Cushing, Lee, peel the list goes on that made the old horrors true classics that will be remembered for many many years to come. The likes of These legends will never be seen again sadly. The rubbish that’s being made now days doesn’t come close to what these truly class acts had to do and on a fraction of the budget the modern day actors get today. Anyway it’s true what they say … you can’t buy class and all the cast in such epics as the brides of Dracula etc were outstanding and I love them all. Mrs monlaur a true lady in every sense

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