Oh, those eyes....
With the release of her first horror film,
Black Sunday, Barbara Steele was destined to become a queen of horror. Sure, she could be the screaming damsel in distress, as in
The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock, but when she got to play the villain, few were as good, as terrifying, as Steele.
Her role in Roger Corman's
Pit and the Pendulum, as a cheating wife attempting to drive her husband (Vincent Price) insane so she can be with another man, is only overshadowed by Price. Her gloating as she reduces Price into a quivering mass is only match by the fear in her eyes as she realizes what she has unleashed (aided by Price's wonderful transformation). She's not on the screen long, but she makes the most of it. And that final shot still sends chills down my spine when I think of it. Oh yes, those eyes....
Yes, my plan to drive him mad has succeeded.
What could go wrong now?
Steele other film appearances include
The Long Hair of Death,
Nightmare Castle,
The She Beast,
Curse of the Crimson Alter (with Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff),
Shivers,
Piranha (1978) and the 1991 revival of
Dark Shadows. Recent films include
The Butterfly Room,
Lost River and the animated short,
The Mill at Calder's End.
Barbara Steele is scheduled to attend
The Living Dead Horror Convention this November 13 through 15 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR. Tickets for the event are available at
the official website, and early bird prices have been extended to August 31. Check out the other guest and keep the Halloween Spirit alive well into November at
The Living Dead Horror Convention!
Oh yeah, those killer eyes!
