News and Events
R.I.P. Ingrid Pitt, 1937 – 2010
Rue Morgue mourns the passing of Hammer horror legend Ingrid Pitt. The star of such beloved horror films as The Vampire Lovers, The House that Dripped Blood, Countess Dracula and The Wicker Man died in a south London hospital yesterday, just two days after her 73rd birthday. We’re very grateful that she was kind enough to grant us one of her final interviews in Rue Morgue‘s Black 100 issue. We’d hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
She will be missed…may she rest in peace.
November 21, 1937 - November 23, 2010
I am not sure who this women is or when that photo was taken but if that was taken 30 or 40 years ago well goodbye to my Faye Ray posters.
A very sad day for horror fans.
Far too young.
Too young? Frankly, I hope I make it to 73. It’s a good life span.
Also, fans will be happy to know she had just finished work on a final project not 7 months ago with Director Jud Newborn.
Jud released the following today on FaceBook:
Academy Award nominated animator Bill Plympton – & the help of a 10-year old nationally-recognized child prodigy.
This all relates to the sudden death in London 11/23/10 of enigmatic British horror film “queen” INGRID PITT – a multi-talented actress AND, strangely, also a child Holocaust survivor haunted by her trauma till her last breath. She was also our friend and a dear soul.
Despite her emotional pain, Ingrid stoically recorded the narration only 7 months before her death. This is her last project & legacy. It is a subject that could easily be sensationalized – but we approach it with great care & nuance. AS A HOLOCAUST SCHOLAR, I MYSELF DID NOT WANT TO TOUCH IT WITH A 10 FOOT POLE. However, we’ve finally reconciled the seemingly bizarre relationship between the horrors of her suffering in Nazi camps at ages 5 to 8, & the sometime violent & sexually-explicit (yet playful) horror films she made famous later as a star.
The video/animated short focuses on Ingrid’s miraculous escape from the Stutthoff concentration camp at age 8 with her mother – as well as the equally miraculous, life-affirming manner by which she learned of the Nazi defeat while hiding in the forest.
I’d be happy to tell media colleagues the full story – and I’d be grateful for the brief attention of all to this fascinating & important news story & compelling consciousness-raising human rights project for children & adults.
– Dr. Jud Newborn, Founding Historian, NY’s Holocaust Museum (1986-2000), author, SOPHIE SCHOLL & THE WHITE ROSE RESISTANCEF, companion to the Academy Award nominated German film of 2006 – and currently Special Projects Curator for the renowned Cinema Arts Centre on LI.
Dear Friends – and thanks SO much, Chris – for posting about our film project. Just a correction and some more fascinating info.
I’m not the director of this animated short biopic (Ingrid’s very last project – and last wish as part of her legacy). The director is probably well-known to you – Kevin Sean Michaels, who made “Vampira: The Movie” and continues to be a sought-after speaker and expert in the horror film genre.
My role is co-writer, co-producer and historical adviser http://www.judnewborn.com and http://www.cinemaartscentre.org (Kevin is also same except the last.) Other partners are 10-year old int’l recognized artist and now animator Perry Chen! Http://www.perryspreviews.com He’ll help us connect Ingrid Pitt’s childhood Holocaust experience to the need to protect children today worldwide from oppression and abuse. (Think about the REAL horrors children are enduring today in Congo.) And his mom, Zhu Shen, PhD, is co-producer and our media expert and business adviser.
We all are so saddened by Ingrid’s untimely death. We feel all the more honored and privileged to bring her dying wish to fruition. Kevin in particularly is heart-broken, so condolences to one of Ingrid Pitt’s best friends and admirers for years.
Jud Newborn PhD
Thanks Jud and Chris for that info on the project. I’ll definitely be making a point to see it.