WOMEN OF HORROR: BARBARA SHELLEY

SHE'S BEEN DUBBED "THE FIRST LEADING LADY OF BRITISH HORROR". 

 

Which makes it that much more incomprehensible to me that she's not as well known and celebrated as some of her contemporaries.  Barbara Shelley's horror credentials are impeccable.  She's been vampirized by Count Dracula, possessed by ancient grasshopper aliens, turned into a werecat, been ravished by Rasputin, given birth a demonic child, turned into a snake-haired gorgon and even met John Steed and Mrs. Peel!  The horror Cv of Barbara Shelley is impressive:

• CAT GIRL (1957)
• BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE (1958)
• VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960)
• THE GORGON (1964)
• DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS  (1966)
• RASPUTIN, THE MAD MONK (1966)
• THE AVENGERS "From Venus with Love"  (1967)
• QUATERMASS AND THE PIT  (1967)
• DOCTOR WHO "Planet of Fire"  (1984)
• THE DARK ANGEL (1989)
• A HISTORY OF HORROR WITH MARK GATISS (2010)

in her first starring role as CAT GIRL

 

with Sir Donald Wolfit in the Hammer knockoff BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE

with George Sanders & Martin Stephens in VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

with Peter Cushing in THE GORGON

"You don't need Charles" - Babs gets vampirized in DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS

ravished by Christopher Lee's RASPUTIN, THE MAD MONK

hanging out on Hobb's Lane with Andrew Kier in QUATERMASS AND THE PIT

having fun in an episode of DOCTOR WHO "PLANET OF FIRE"

ever regal in RASPUTIN, THE MAD MONK

 

 

 

TODAY'S "WOMEN OF HALLOWEEN" SONG ON MY AUDIO BLOG "BATHED IN THE LIGHT FROM ANDROMEDA" IS "I PUT A SPELL ON YOU" BY NINA SIMONE