Suzan Farmer

Born in Maidstone, England, Suzan Farmer endured a trying childhood, with parents who were neglectful alcoholics, and managed to escape for a time into the world of film and television. Her film debut came in "The Supreme Secret" (1958), and in 1963 she appeared in "The Crimson Blade" (1963), her first film for British producer Hammer Films. She became known as one of the original 'scream queens' with roles in horror films from Hammer and others. One of her most noted performances was in "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" (1966), when she shoots out the ice on a lake, causing Christopher Lee's title character to fall in the freezing water to end the film. She starred with Lee in two other Hammer films, "The Devil-Ship Pirates" (1964) and "Rasputin: The Mad Monk" (1966). Farmer also appeared in supporting roles on a number of TV series, most notable a month long arc on the long-running soap opera "Coronation Street" (ITV, 1960-) in 1978. Farmer stopped appearing on screen in 1980 and reportedly battled alcoholism and depression. She passed away at the age of 75 in 2017.