Hilary Heath

British 60s leading lady and latterly producer, born Hilary Dwyer in Liverpool, the daughter of an orthopaedic surgeon. She studied ballet and piano as a child and in her teens embarked on an acting career on the repertory stage. On screen from 1965, she became best known for three horror films made for American International Pictures, all starring Vincent Price: Witchfinder General (1968) (as Price's mistress), The Oblong Box (1969) (as his fiancée) and Cry of the Banshee (1970) (as his daughter). In the course of their work together, Price and Dwyer formed a close personal friendship. Arguably the best of the trio was Witchfinder General, an early example of grindhouse. Though controversial at the time because of its excessive onscreen elements of torture and sadism, it pulled $ 1.5 million at the box office and over the years became a cult classic. Peter Hutchings, in his book Hammer and Beyond, described Dwyer's performance as "articulate and sensitive". Dwyer also appeared opposi