Michaelina Martel - Whatever Happened to Lady Dracula ?
I recently bought a lot of old Science Fiction & Monster movie magazines on eBay. Before Al Gore invented the internet, We had Starlog, Famous Monsters Of Filmland, Cinefantastique And Fangoria, well, we still have Fango but not too many are happy with the current iteration of the mag... I still read an occasional issue myself. these were how we got our news on new Movies, Books, TV Shows and... whatever else was of interest to us geeks. It is amazing going through these old relics. The things you read. I was thumbing through an issue of Starlog, Number 18, to be exact, when I came across this article on Michaelina Martel, "Lady Dracula". It was just a simple one column sidebar article on page 11. The above picture was with the article. I upscaled the scan from the 2 inch version that was in the magazine for the purposes of this Hub.
The Article is entitled "Lady Dracula, A reputation's at Stake". She was presented as "Sultry blond actress" on a mission to clear the name of Vlad The Impaler, the real Count Dracula whom she says was really a hero of Transylvania, He brought a new Deal to Transylvania. He fed the poor. Built Monasteries and churches. Helped defeat the Turks. All before he died at the age of 34. doing more than any other leader.. according to her.
Why was she so vested in the guy's life?
She supposedly has a birthmark in the shape of two teeth on her neck, Would have been nice if they showed it in the article. nor can I see in it in the pic above. Can You? She believed this mark proved she was an ancestor of Vlad and was very proud of the heritage.
At the time of the interview (the issue is dated December 1978), she was planning on writing a novel on Dracula as well as playing The Count's Mistress in what was to be the first real Portrayal on film of the Heroic Dracula. Her description sounded a little like Bram Stoker's Dracula, The 1992 Francis Ford Coppola film but I do not think she was involved in it in any way.
Google is coming up short of info about her and I can not find any books she may or may not have wrote. IMDB only has one film listing for her. Stiletto from 1969. it is based on the Harold Robbins novel and directed by Bernard L Kwalski, who, according to his filmography might have been the perfect director for her Dracula film! Wonder if she discussed it with him?
It appears she passed away July 2011. I am very curious to know if anything ever came of her projects. If anyone has something to add, Please do so in the comments below! My inquiring mind wants to know and maybe one of you out there are interested, too!
