Since its inception in 1962, the James Bond franchise has been one of the biggest cinematic exports Britain has to offer; a status it enjoys to this day, thanks in no small part to the $1.1 billion global box office gross of 'Skyfall.' Back in the 1960s, however, there was another British export that performed handsomely overseas without fail: the Hammer Horror movies. Breaking through a few years before Bond, with the first ever colour horror films 'The Curse of Frankenstein' (1957) and 'Dracula' (1958), the small British production house based in Bray Studios, Berkshire were for a time every bit as marketable a brand as that of 007. Indeed, one of Hammer's most regularly used locations - Black Park, in Buckinghamshire - is in the shadow of Pinewood Studios, where the 007 sound stage now stands.
It isn't too surprising, then, that the players in Bond and Hammer sometimes overlapped, particularly given two key recurring elements to both franchises: sinister villains, and beautiful young women. Here are some of the most notable figures to bask in both the golden glow of Bond, and the Gothic gloom of Hammer…
Ursula Andress
The original Bond girl of 'Dr. No' is to this day still held in high regard as one of the most beautiful screen actresses of all time. As such, she was a natural fit to play Ayesha, the mystical enchantress whose physical beauty masks tyrannical evil in Hammer's adaptation of H. Rider Haggard's 'She.'
Martine Beswick
A prolific actress both in Bond and Hammer, Beswick is best remembered as one of the gypsy fighters in 'From Russia with Love;' she appeared alongside Sean Connery again in 'Thunderball.' For Hammer, she would again utilise her scrapping skills for a punch-up with Raquel Welch in cavewoman classic 'One Million Years BC,' before taking a similar role in 'Slave Girls' (AKA 'Prehistoric Women'). She would also appear in 'Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde' as Jekyll's female alter ego; as silly as it sounds, it's actually one of the best films Hammer made in the 1970s.
Madeline Smith
Following a bit part in 'Taste the Blood of Dracula,' Smith took a leading role in one of Hammer's most notorious productions, the lesbian vampire horror 'The Vampire Lovers.' How could Bond say no to a woman with those credentials? Smith would appear alongside Roger Moore in his very first scene as 007 in 'Live and Let Die.'
Caroline Munro
A popular star on the convention circuit nowadays, Munro has a wide range of cult properties to her name. For our purposes, she made a mark in Hammer's 'Dracula AD 1972' and 'Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter,' before joining Roger Moore during his finest hour as 007 in 'The Spy Who Loved Me.'
Valerie Leon
The star of 'Blood from the Mummy's Tomb' has the rare distinction of appearing against two 007s: Roger Moore, again in 'The Spy Who Loved Me;' and Sean Connery, in the unofficial 1983 Bond movie 'Never Say Never Again.'
Christopher Lee
Just to prove it's not all about the Bond girls: the Hammer stalwart Lee proved one of the most memorable villains in the otherwise disappointingly cartoonish 'The Man with the Golden Gun.' Lee is in fact a step-cousin of Ian Fleming, who had suggested him for the title role of 'Dr. No' back when Bond began.
A number of Hammer Horror actresses also appeared in the sizeable female ensemble of 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service,' including Joanna Lumley ('The Satanic Rites of Dracula'), Julie Ege ('Creatures that Time Forgot' and 'Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires'), and Jenny Hanley ('Scars of Dracula').
One final note: the lady on the other side of the casino table in Bond's iconic introductory scene in 'Dr No?' Eunice Gayson, star of Hammer's 'The Revenge of Frankenstein.'
