1. Fay Wray- Fay Wray is without doubt one of the most iconic of all scream queens. Everyone has seen King Kong and everyone remembers that the late Fay Wray was the well-curved blonde-haired object of the great ape's affection. King Kong wasn't her only venture into the world of horror/science fiction. She can also be found in The Vampire Bat, Mystery of the Wax Museum, The Most Dangerous Game, Dr. X, and Black Moon. All great classic thrillers.
2. Janet Leigh- Most famous as Norman Bate's shower victim in Alfred Hitchcock's proto-slasher masterpiece Psycho, Janet Leigh is forever etched into the brains of film fans everywhere. In addition to Psycho, she appears in the hilariously over-the-top Night of the Lepus and John Carpenter's The Fog, alongside daughter Jamie Lee Curtis.
3. Gloria Stuart- The oldest actress ever nominated for an academy award for her portrayal as the elder Rose in the smash hit Titanic, Gloria Stuart's early career saw her appearing in 2 of the greatest horror films of all time. She acted opposite Ernest Thesiger, Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton, and Melvyn Douglas in The Old Dark House. A year later, in 1933, she played the love interest of Claude Rains in The Invisible Man. The same year she featured in The Kiss Before the Mirror. All 3 films were with Frankenstein director James Whale.
4. Theda Bara- The godmother of goth, Theda Bara was a silent film vixen famous for nakedly trysting with a skeleton in the pre-code A Fool There Was.
5. Julie Adams- The lovely Julie Adams is best remembered as the human love interest of the Gill Man in The Creature from the Black Lagoon. She was also well revered at the time for her very desirable legs. Rumor has it, Universal Studios had a special insurance policy on each of them. Outside of the black lagoon, Julie appeared on the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV series and in the films Black Roses, The Killer Inside Me (1976), and The Psychic Killer.
6. Evelyn Ankers- Evelyn reportedly was not too enthusiastic about her profession but she was so damn good at it! She appeared alongside Lon Chaney Jr. in 4 classic Universal horror films: The Wolf Man, The Frozen Ghost, The Ghost of Frankenstein, and Son of Dracula. She can also be found in The Invisible Man's Revenge, Jungle Woman, The Mad Ghoul, and Captive Wild Woman. Finally, she did 3 Sherlock Holmes films; The Voice of Terror, Pearl of Death, and the TV short The Adventure of the Speckled Band.
7. Marisa Mel- Marisa posed for the Italian Playboy and featured in many sexy film roles. Of most interest to genre fans: Danger Diabolik, The Mad Dog Killer, Perversion Story, Ring of Darkness, Obscene Desire, A Diary of A Murderess, and Seven Blood Stained Orchids.
8. Edwige Fenech- Edwige is a French Italian actress famous for her appearances in Italian "Giallo" films. The Case of the Bloody Iris, Strip Nude for Your Killer, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, Island of Terror, Blade of the Ripper, and All the Colors of the Dark all show Edwige in fine form.
9. Jamie Lee Curtis- Jamie is the daughter of famous scream queen Janet Leigh and a horror icon all her own. Famous for playing Laurie Strode in the original Halloween, Halloween 2, Halloween H20, and Halloween Resurrection, Jamie has done her share of slice and dice horror outside of the Michael Myers cannon. She can also be seen in The Fog, Terror Train, Prom Night, and Road Games.
10. Barbara Steele- A dark haired English beauty, Barbara Steele made a name for herself in Mario Bava's Italian horror masterpiece Black Sunday. She also lent her talents to The Silent Scream, Piranha, Pit and the Pendulum, Shivers, Curse of the Crimson Altar, An Angel for Satan, She Beast, Nightmare Castle, Castle of Blood, The Long Hair of Death, Terror-Creatures from Beyond the Grave, The Ghost, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, and the 90s revival of the classic gothic soap opera Dark Shadows.
11. Amy Steel- Amy is one of the most familiar faces of the 80s slasher movie. She is the first gal to survive an encounter with Jason Voorhees in the classic Friday the 13th Part II. She also stars in the original April Fools Day.
12. Zita Johann- Zita was the dark haired reincarnation of Boris Karloff's long lost love in The Mummy. Historians say she loved the script because she too believed in reincarnation and had more than a passing interest in the occult and metaphysics. She acted in few films but she's worth mentioning for The Mummy alone. More than 50 years later she returned to horror with Raiders of the Living Dead.
13. Britt Ekland- The beautiful ample-busomed Britt Ekland is a Swedish actress most famous for the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun. Look for her in The Wicker Man, Satan's Mistress, The Monster Club, and Asylum to get your horror fix.
14. Ingrid Pitt- Ingrid is a favorite of Hammer Horror fans. She can be found in Countess Dracula, The Vampire Lovers, The Wicker Man, Sound of Horror, and The House that Dripped Blood.
15. Jill Schoelen- One of the last great scream queens of the 80s slasher cycle, Jill did her share of classic films. Check out The Stepfather, The Phantom of the Opera (1989), Popcorn, and Cutting Class.
16. Caroline Munro- Caroline is another one of those bond girls that also spent some time filming fright flicks. Check her out in Maniac, The Last Horror Film, Slaughter High, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, and Dracula A.D. 1972.
17. Marilyn Burns- One of the original American slasher queens, Marilyn is most famous for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. She can also be found in Eaten Alive, Helter Skelter, Future-Kill, and the upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3-D.
18. Danielle Harris- Danielle's career in horror began back in 1988 with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. She also appeared in the sequel, Halloween 5: Revenge of Michael Myers. Years later, and all grown up, she starred in Rob Zombie's Halloween, Rob Zombie's Halloween II, Hatchet II, Godkiller, Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet, Urban Legend, and Left for Dead.
19. Linnea Quigley- Best remember as the topless grave dancing punk rocker in Return of the Living Dead, Linnea has had a long career in horror and exploitation. She's also in Creepozoids, Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, Night of the Demons, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Silent Night, Deadly Night, and Don't Go Near the Park.
20. Dee Wallace- A horror and Science Fiction staple; this lovely lady can be seen in Cujo, The Howling, Critters, The Hills Have Eyes, The Stepford Wives, Popcorn, and Alligator II: The Mutation.
21. Adrienne Barbeau- Adrienne has more than one connection to horror. She starred in Swamp Thing, Creepshow, Escape from New York, and The Fog. Not to mention she was married to and had a son with famous horror maestro John Carpenter. It's not horror but she also voiced Selina Kyle/Catwoman in the 1990s Batman the Animated Series.
22. Emily Perkins/Katerine Isabelle- The stars of the bloody teen werewolf classic from the land up north, Ginger Snaps, Emily and Katherine are fan favorites. Both returned for Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, and Gingersnaps: The Beginning. Both are also in Christopher Nolan's Insomnia. Emily hasn't had a really juicy role in quite a while but Katherine can be seen in Freddy Vs. Jason and American Mary.
23. Cassandra Peterson- Elvira. Nuff' said!
24. Vampira- The original wasp-waisted, chesty, black dressed female horror host. She's also famous for the Ed Wood schlock masterpiece Plan 9 from Outer Space.
25. Ashley Laurence- The adorable Kirsty Cotton in Clive Barker's masterpiece of S&M horror, Hellraiser. She also starred in Hellbound:Hellraiser 2, Hellraiser:Hellseeker, Warlock III:The End of Innocence, and Lurking Fear.
No comments:
Post a Comment