“And here I am knocking myself out to make a living as a horror hostess, when I’m actually descended from, like, a major metaphysical celebrity! All I have to do is just find the right spell, and I can make the money I need for Vegas! I mean really make the money” – Cassandra Peterson, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
I have mentioned this story in a couple other posts, but it is appropriate to share it again here. One rainy October night in college, I was looking for something new (to me) and spooky to watch. I came across Elvira: Mistress of the Dark on a streaming platform. I recognized the title character and realized I, somehow, had never watched anything of hers before. I remedied that right away. Since that night, Elvira/Cassandra Peterson has been one of my idols. She represents individuality, independence, and hard work in addition to great style and taste in movies. She shows that you can be confident, smart, funny, assertive, glamorous, and many other parts of the human experience all at once without compromising. This campy and delightfully spooky film was one of Elvira’s earliest marks on popular culture, the start of an iconic career.
The movie begins with Elvira hosting a B-horror movie with her signature set pieces and style at a California television station. Tired of being demeaned and harassed at the station, she quits to pursue her own Las Vegas show. That night, her agent informs her that the venue will not support her show unless she helps finance it with at least $50,000. After a moment of panic, she receives a telegram. It states that her great aunt (who Elvira never met) has passed, and she left an inheritance to Elvira. She must attend the reading of the will in person, so she takes a road trip from California to Massachusetts.
When Elvira arrives in Fallwell, the townspeople are shocked and intrigued by her appearance. To her dismay, Elvira’s trip to claim her inheritance does not yield the results she hoped for. Now saddled with a dilapidated house she has no choice but to sell, she has to work harder than ever to get the town on her side. While her confidence and dark flair continue to irritate Fallwell’s more conservative residents, a dark secret connected to her great aunt brews beneath the surface. Soon enough, Elvira is caught within it.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark marked the beginning of Elvira’s mark on cinema. According to her autobiography (Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark), Cassandra Peterson almost turned down the chance to be a horror movie hostess. Newly married and having constantly lived a very full and tumultuous life already (I highly recommend reading her memoirs), she felt that taking a step back from the entertainment industry was the right choice. Luckily, the friend who informed her of the hosting audition convinced her to take one more shot. The character of Elvira that Cassandra Peterson created shook popular culture and remains an icon today. Furthermore, her first feature film has remained a cult classic for 35 years.
To learn more about Elvira and her impact on popular culture, check out this post.
Until next time,
Jordan
By Night 