Women Of Horror/Sci-Fi and Fantasy(Revisited)

[Memphremagog]

Ladies of the horror and fantasy genres have long been a main staple of what makes the films tick. In the beginning, they were, more often than not, used as window dressing for the latest villain or monster to be rescued, etc..however, over the years their roles have changed; yes, we still get the "girl in distress". but today we also get the lady predators, villains, femme fatales and even the odd female monster on occasion. This thread is to look at the contributions made by actresses from the various eras to the worlds of horror & fantasy...

The first real Scream Queen of note was:

FAY WRAY(9/15/1907-8/8/2004)



Blessed with some stunning good looks, Ms.Wray starred in dozens of films during her career, however, it's the horror films that she is most remembered for today. She appeared several times opposite the Maddest Doctor of them all, Lionel Atwill, before becoming King Kong's girl.  She faced some unusual menaces in these films and her beauty(as well as screams) usually stood out. Appearing in films from the silent era til the 1950's, she eventually retired from films in 1958, however, continued to appear on television into the 1960's.

Her films:

Doctor X(1932)






Doctor X

The Most Dangerous Game(1932)







The Vampire Bat(1933)







Mystery Of the Wax Museum(1933)







King Kong(1933)









Black Moon(1934)







The Clairvoyant(1935)







More to come..

[horrorhunter]

Here are a few more shots of Fay...







No wonder Kong got so excited. 

[Memphremagog]

Here are a few more shots of Fay...







No wonder Kong got so excited. 

There's no doubt about it.....Fay was gorgeous!!

[Memphremagog]

Evelyn Ankers(8/17/1918-8/29/1985)



Even now, she is perhaps the horror films' ultimate scream queen, having been in the classic 1940's era of Universal opposite almost all of their most notable ghouls and beasts. Blessed with good looks and talent, Evelyn became a regular fixture with Universal studios' contract players during the World War II era and appeared in their films from 1941 through 1945 alongside screen monsters such as the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, Count Dracula, the Invisible Man, the Mad Ghoul, the Ape Woman and the Creeper as well as icons such as Sherlock Holmes and Abbott & Costello. She was the heroine cast opposite such luminaries as Claude Rains, Lon Chaney, Jr., Maria Ouspenskaya, Bela Lugosi, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Richard Carlson, George Zucco, Anne Gwynne, Basil Rathbone and John Carradine.  Married to Richard Denning, known for his sci-fi films of the 1950's, Evelyn slowed down a bit after WW II but still continued to appear in different genres of films during the late '40's and through the '50's, finally ending her career with numerous television appearances during that time.

The films:

Hold That Ghost!(1941)







The Wolf Man(1941)









The Ghost Of Frankenstein(1942)









Sherlock Holmes and the Voice Of Terror(1942)









Captive Wild Woman(1943)











Son Of Dracula(1943)









The Mad Ghoul(1943)









Weird Woman(1944)









Jungle Woman(1944)





The Invisible Man's Revenge(1944)







The Pearl Of Death(1944)









The Frozen Ghost(1945)

[Memphremagog]

Allison Hayes(3/6/1930-2/27/1977)



American actress most prolific during the 1950's and starred in many B films of that era before moving onto television and becoming a semi-regular in General Hospital when it premiered in the early '60's. Allison's bad girl looks got her the femme fatale and villainess parts in many a production, but it's for her portrayal of Nancy Archer in the cult classic, Attack Of the Fifty Foot Woman(1958), that she is most remembered today.
However, besides Fifty Foot Woman, she had starred in several genre films with such notables such as John Carradine and Tor Johnson prior to that., at one time being part of Roger Corman's stock players in his '50's films.

The Films:

The Undead(1956)









Zombies Of Mora Tau(1957)











The Unearthly(1957)









The Disembodied(1957)









Attack Of the Fifty Foot Woman(1958)









The Hypnotic Eye(1960)











The Crawling Hand(1962)

[Memphremagog]

Barbara Steele(12/29/1937-present)



British-born Barbara is certainly one of the most beautiful women to have ever graced many a horror film for certain. With a career going back to the 1950's, Barbara is still making appearances in films even now, however, it is her classics that we will concentrate on here. Working for directors such as Mario Bava, Roger Corman, Michael Reeves and Dan Curtis, she's given some pretty impressive performances.  With the exception of Evelyn Ankers, she is probably the most well-known woman in horror. Later in her career, she showed up in a few television performances such as NIGHT GALLERY(Sins Of the Fathers) and the '90's revival of DARK SHADOWS(as Dr.Julia Hoffman).

Her films:

Black Sunday(aka The Mask Of Satan)(1960)











The Pit and the Pendulum(1961)










The Horrible Dr.Hitchcock(1962)









The Ghost(1963)









Castle Of Blood(1964)








The Long Hair Of Death(1964)









Terror-Creatures From the Grave(1965)











Nightmare Castle(1965)









The She Beast(1966)








An Angel For Satan(1966)









Curse Of the Crimson Altar(1968)










Piranha(1978)

[Memphremagog]

Anne Gwynne(12/10/1918-3/31/2003)



When it came to the women-in-peril from monsters during the WW II era, Anne was second only to Evelyn Ankers(who was a close personal friend), being a contract player at Universal. She starred opposite some of the biggest names in horror during that period: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr., Basil Rathbone, Lionel Atwill and John Carradine in just a few short years, amassing an impressive legacy of films from Universal's classic horror catalogue. Later on in life, she iwas known for being the grandmother of actor, Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek films.

Films:

Black Friday(1940)









The Black Cat(1941)









The Strange Case Of Dr.Rx(1942)









Weird Woman(1944)









Murder In the Blue Room(1944)







House Of Frankenstein(1944)











Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome(1947)









Teenage Monster(1957)

[Memphremagog]

Ingrid Pitt(11/21/1937-11/23/2010



Polish actress most well-known for her Hammer film appearances, but also appearing in other genres besides horror. Possibly the most well-known cult actress this side of Barbara Steele, not afraid of nude scenes and was always guaranteed to liven up a film.

Films:

Sound Of Horror(1966)





The Omegans(1968)





The Vampire Lovers(1970)







Countess Dracula(1970)







The House That Dripped Blood(1971)





The Wicker Man(1973)





Transmutations(aka Underworld)(1985)



The Asylum(2000)



Minotaur(2006)



Sea Of Dust(2008)

[Memphremagog]

Hazel Court(2/10/1926-4/15/2008)



British, buxom and beautiful, all three applied to Hazel Court. An actress with a long and varied career, she enlivened many a horror or sci-fi film with her prescence. She made memorable guest appearances on such horror themed television programs such as ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS(1958 and 1961), THRILLER(1961) , TWILIGHT ZONE(1964) and WILD, WILD WEST(1966)..some memorable films are part of her film catalogue and she starred opposite such horror notables as Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre in her time.

Films:

Ghost Ship(1952)







Devil Girl From Mars(1954)





The Curse Of Frankenstein(1957)







The Man Who Could Cheat Death(1959)







Doctor Blood's Coffin(1961)







The Premature Burial(1962)







The Raven(1963)







Masque Of the Red Death(1964)

[horrorhunter]

And leave us not forget Hazel's posing scene from The Man Who Could Cheat Death. 

[horrorhunter]

Here's a pic of the autographed photo charter subscribers to Femme Fatales received. The lady is '80s scream queen Brinke Stevens.



http://monstermagazineworld.blogspot.com/?zx=a1abd3340f3e07c4

[Memphremagog]

Barbara Shelley(2/13/1932-present)



Another British beauty who has an impressive resume of genre films to her credit. Once a model, Barbara's classically good looks translated well to the movies and also television, in which, she also appeared in several famous fantasy series such as HG WELLS' INVISIBLE MAN, THE AVENGERS, BLAKE'S 7 and DOCTOR WHO. At one point in the 1960's, she was known as Hammer Films number one horror actress..an accomplishment few ladies could boast of..she had quite a few impressive co-stars in her day as well: George Sanders, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing to name a few.

Films:

Cat Girl(1957)







Blood Of the Vampire(1958)







Village Of the Damned(1960)







Shadow Of the Cat(1961)





The Gorgon(1964)







Dracula, Prince Of Darkness(1966)







Rasputin the Mad Monk(1966)







QUATERMASS AND THE PIT(1967)

[Memphremagog]

Helga Line(7/14/1932-present)



One of the most beautiful women ever to grace a Eurohorror, Helga has probably appeared in more prolific Eurohorrors than any other actress with the exception of Barbara Steele. Hailing from Germany originally, she became popular as first a dancer, then actress in Spain, where she made her career appearing in films and television there. In her horror films, she has appeared opposite the likes of Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Steele and Paul Naschy, usually appearing as a gorgeous femme fatale. Her films are highly recommended and are always entertaining.

Films:

The Blancheville Monster(1963)







Nightmare Castle(1965)







Exorcism's Daughter(1971)





Horror Express(1972)







Horror Rises From the Tomb(1973)







Vengeance Of the Mummy(aka The Mummy's Revenge)(1973)









The Dracula Saga(1973)









Santo vs Doctor Death(1973)







The Loreley's Grasp(1974)









The Vampires' Night Orgy(1974)







Black Candles(1982)

[horrorhunter]

Helga Line(7/14/1932-present)



One of the most beautiful women ever to grace a Eurohorror, Helga has probably appeared in more prolific Eurohorrors than any other actress with the exception of Barbara Steele. Hailing from Germany originally, she became popular as first a dancer, then actress in Spain, where she made her career appearing in films and television there. In her horror films, she has appeared opposite the likes of Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Steele and Paul Naschy, usually appearing as a gorgeous femme fatale. Her films are highly recommended and are always entertaining.

Stellar post, sir! 

One of my favorite Helga appearances is as Mabille de Lancre, paramour to Alaric de Marnac (Naschy), from Horror Rises From The Tomb (1973). She sizzled in that one. 





Check out the uncut version on the BCI/Deimos DVD and you'll see what I mean. 

Gotta love Hot Helga! 

[Memphremagog]

Stellar post, sir! 

One of my favorite Helga appearances is as Mabille de Lancre, paramour to Alaric de Marnac (Naschy), from Horror Rises From The Tomb (1973). She sizzled in that one. 





Check out the uncut version on the BCI/Deimos DVD and you'll see what I mean. 

Thank you and I quite agree! She is breathtakingly beautiful clothed and otherwise..her prescence always enlivens any eurohorror. 

Gotta love Hot Helga!