photo by Manuel Bartual
Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1949) is an American actress best known for her on-screen horror host persona “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark“. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation. Her wickedly vampish appearance was offset by her comical character, quick-witted personality, and Valley girl-type speech.
Born in Manhattan, Kansas, Peterson grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and graduated from General William J. Palmer High School in 1969. Days after graduating, she drove to Las Vegas, Nevada where she became a showgirl at The Dunes. The Guinness Book of World Records cited her as the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas history. She had a small role as a showgirl in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, briefly dated Elvis Presley, played a topless dancer in Working Girls (1973), and posed (again as a stripper) for the cover of Tom Waits’ 1976 album, Small Change.
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I love all of Cassandra’s campy movies & shows. I have been a long time follower of her movies. She has that unique voice, friendly personality, and she still looks good, in fact better as the years go by. Thanks for linking more of her work.
I love Cassandra’s campy style too. But would you please correct her title on this page? It is “Elvira, MISTRESS of the Dark”. Perhaps she is now training an understudy who has the title “Princess”!
Hmmm…. musta spaced when I typed that.
She is the funnyest host, we love watching here show on rainy nights….
i don’t know but i still give a big sigh when i see her
Elvira was the best horror movie host ever…sorry, copycats.