Reign of the Scream Queens: P.J. Soles

Scream Queen Icon

She’s been in tons of films over the years as both a star and as a major supporting cast member. She primarily appeared in comedies and horror films. She also had a long career as a guest star on multiple television shows. She’s P.J. Soles and, my goodness, she’s one of my favorite actresses and biggest film crushes of all time.

Although she’s best known for appearing in horror films like Halloween (1978), Carrie (1976), and The Devil’s Rejects (2005), Soles also cemented her place in film history by starring in comedies like Private Benjamin (1980), Stripes (1981), and Rock N’ Roll High School (1979). She also appeared in a personal comedy favorite of mine, Soggy Bottom, U.S.A. (1981). She also appeared as a guest star on popular shows in the 1980’s such as Airwolf, Knight Rider, Cheers, Simon and Simon, and Hardcastle and McCormick.

Ms. Soles featured in a flurry of films and television movies and series throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. She continued working in the 1990’s and 2000’s, making appearances in films like the dark comedy Jawbreaker (1999) and The Devil’s Rejects. Some of her most recent roles include a cameo in 2018’s Halloween, and appearances in Candy Corn (2019), Killer Therapy (2019), and Hanukkah (2019).She has a total of sixty-eight acting credits to her name.

Ms. Soles is on my short list of actors that I really want to meet but haven’t had the opportunity to see yet. If you haven’t seen any of her work, I highly recommend checking out any of her appearances from films in the 70’s and 80’s, especially Carrie, Halloween, and Stripes. I also recommend taking a deep dive on her IMDb page, where you can learn about her injury on the set of Carrie and tons of other cool trivia that I don’t have room to post here.

P.J. Soles is one of my favorite actresses of all time. She can play the good girl, the bad girl, the ditz, the rebel, or just about any role that you give her. She’s amazingly beautiful to boot, so she definitely deserves the title of Scream Queen Icon!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Elsa Lanchester

Scream Queen Icon

Elsa Lanchester was born on October 28, 1902. Of all of the Scream Queens on this list, Mrs. Lanchester probably has the most iconic role with the least amount of screen time. That role, obviously, is the titular character of the Universal Monsters film, 1935’s The Bride of Frankenstein. She actually portrayed two characters in the film, the iconic Bride and Mary Shelley, the writer of the original Frankenstein book that is considered by many to be the first science fiction novel. Despite having ninety-nine film credits, Lanchester is best known for her brief appearance as the Bride.

Lanchester performed in cabaret and theater for years prior to beginning her film career. In fact, she got her start not long after World War I. Her first credited role was as Beatrice de Carolle in the 1925 short, The Scarlet Woman: An Ecclesiastical Melodrama. She continued working in short films until 1931 when she appeared in The Love Habit. From there she worked in a number of comedies, romance films, romantic comedies, and dramas, primarily in the United Kingdom.

By 1935, Lanchester and her husband, Charles Laughton, were working in Hollywood. It was then that she was cast as Mary Shelley/The Bride. She continued to work steadily until 1980, when she received her final film credit in Die Laughing, a comedy-drama starring Robby Benson. In the 1960’s, Lanchester appeared in numerous Disney productions including Mary Poppins (1964), That Darn Cat! (1965), and Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968).

Outside of Bride Of Frankenstein, Lanchester’s horror roles included films like The Spiral Staircase (1945), Arnold (1973), and Terror In The Wax Museum (1973). Of all of the horror films that she made outside of Bride, 1971’s Willard is probably the best known of the bunch.

Thanks for visiting my page and joining me on a look back at the career of an actress who worked for over fifty years but is only remembered for one role. Check out Bride if you haven’t seen it and definitely take a look at Willard. It’s very different.

See you again soon!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Heather Langenkamp

Scream Queen Impact

Born in 1964, Heather Langenkamp wasted little time making an impact in horror. She had only two acting credits prior to starring as Nancy Thompson in A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984). She appeared in cut scenes for the amazing 1983 film, The Outsiders, and in a 1984 television film called Passions. Her next role was that of Nancy. The film was made for just over one million dollars and ended up raking in nearly sixty million dollars at the box office. It also spawned a franchise that continues to this day and Nancy Thompson’s epic battle against the franchise’s villain, Freddy Krueger, made it all happen.

Langenkamp returned to the franchise twice. The first time was in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), where Nancy returned as a therapist that helps teens at a psychiatric hospital. The second time that Langenkamp returned to Elm Street was for the 1994 film, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, in which she plays a version of herself along with Wes Craven, Robert Englund, and John Saxon, as well as other producers, cast, and crew from prior Elm Street films. In that film, Craven is working on a new Elm Street film and Freddy manifests into reality, going on the hunt for Heather’s son in the film, Dylan (Miko Hughes).

Outside of A Nightmare On Elm Street, Mrs. Langenkamp had roles in numerous other horror films and horror franchises including Hellraiser: Judgment (2018), Shocker (1989), The Butterfly Room (2012), and Home (2016). Langenkamp has also appeared in films outside of horror including roles in films like Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and 1995’s The Demolitionist.

Mrs. Langenkamp also found quite a bit of success on the small screen. She starred in the popular sitcom Just The Ten Of Us (1988-1990) for its entire run and had guest starring roles on Growing Pains, The New Adventures of Beans Baxter, JAG, and other television programs. She also starred as Nancy Kerrigan in the television film Tony And Nancy: The Inside Story (1994).

Langenkamp is currently starring in the 2022 Netflix series, The Midnight Club. She is also the co-owner of AFX Studio, with her husband. The company has worked on numerous films including The Cabin In The Woods (2011). She also appeared in and executive produced the 2010 documentary, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.

I definitely recommend checking out all of Langenkamp’s appearances in the Nightmare franchise. I also recommend her sitcom, Just The Ten Of Us. I haven’t personally seen The Midnight Club yet but it definitely looks like something that I would watch, so I’ll give it a look and recommend that you check it out as well!

Thanks for checking out my latest post. See you tomorrow!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Danielle Harris

Scream Queen Icon

Born in 1977, Danielle Harris is something special in the horror world. Not only has she appeared in multiple horror franchises, she’s also appeared as two different characters within the same franchise, been both a killer and the final girl, and was both replaced and the replacement in different franchises. She also had a relatively late start on her Scream Queen journey but has managed to become an icon of horror.

Mrs. Harris started as a child actor in commercials and on the soap opera One Life To Live. In 1988 she took on the role of Jamie Lloyd in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and reprised the role in 1989’s Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers. Despite initially accepting the same role in 1995’s Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, she backed out of the role and was replaced by J.C. Brandy.

After appearing in Halloween 4 and 5, Harris continued acting in both film and on television. She essentially grew up on television and in films. One of her most recognized roles outside of horror was as Molly Tilden on Roseanne. She was a recurring character on the series that made seven appearances. She also starred or guest starred in television shows like ER, Boy Meets World, The Wild Thornberrys, and Growing Pains. Some of the films that she had roles in included Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, Free Willy, and Poor White Trash.

After almost nine years, Harris returned to the horror genre with 1998’s Urban Legend. This also marked her second horror franchise. She would continue working in both television and film and in multiple genres, but her horror cred continued to rise as she took on roles in films such as Left For Dead (2007) and The Black Waters Of Echo Pond (2009). She also continued to work in horror franchises adding films such as See No Evil 2 (2014) and the animated Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn (2015).

After being replaced in the original Halloween film series, Harris herself replaced Tamara Feldman as Marybeth in Hatchet II (2010), Hatchet III (2013), and Victor Crowley (2017). Harris also returned to the Halloween franchise in Rob Zombie’s remake of the series in 2007 and its sequel in 2009. In this timeline, Harris portrayed Annie Brackett, best friend of Laurie Strode (portrayed by Scout Taylor-Compton). Harris and Taylor-Compton would go on to host the popular podcast, Talk Scary To Me.

Harris continues working in horror and other genres and is considered by many to be one of the top scream queens of all time. I highly recommend checking out all of her performances in the Halloween and Hatchet franchises. I’m particularly fond of her work as Annie Brackett. Her podcast with Scout Taylor-Compton is also very enjoyable, but it doesn’t necessarily stay horror-centric. The duo often spend a lot of time talking about sex on the podcast and shy away from absolutely zero topics, no matter how taboo. Don’t let your kids listen to this one!!!

Thanks for checking out my latest post. Sorry that it’s so late in the evening but I’ve been pretty busy. See you again tomorrow!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Zita Johann

Scream Queen Icon

Despite having only eight screen credits to her name, Zita Johann used her Broadway background, captivating beauty, and piercing eyes to steal the spotlight from Boris Karloff in the 1932 Universal Monsters classic, The Mummy. Her career began in small plays, eventually performing on Broadway in 1924. There are twelve credited Broadway performances by Johann between 1924 and 1942.

She arrived on the big screen in 1931’s The Struggle. She was considered by many Hollywood directors to be “difficult” because she was a performer first and pretty face second. Some believe that this is due to her Broadway background. She may or may not have seen herself as a superior actor when compared to film actors depending on who you ask. In fact, she and The Mummy director, Karl Freund, locked horns on set numerous times. Freund would go out of his way to make her angry and/or uncomfortable. He went as far as telling her that he wanted her to perform “nude from the waist up” in the film’s climax. Calling his bluff, Johann agreed to do the scene topless if Freund could get the censors to allow it. Freund ultimately gave in, allowing Johann to perform the scene in a small top.

Johann despised Hollywood, seeing it as “no more than a personality and sex factory…..not interested in acting.” – NY Post1993. She knew her worth as an actress and stood up to the demands of directors, producers, and others that tried to control her and her performances. She ultimately left Hollywood in 1934 and only returned for a small role in 1986’s forgettable Raiders of the Living Dead.

Johann was a trailblazer for women in film. She stood up to the status quo and didn’t hesitate to protect herself. She’s definitely a Scream Queen for appearing in The Mummy, but she’s a legend for being true to her self.

Thanks for reading today’s post. Ms. Johann was an amazing actress. She died in 1993. She was eighty-nine years old. Despite her short film career, she will live on forever for her work in The Mummy.

Reign of the Scream Queens: Barbara Steele

Scream Queen Icon

There was absolutely no way that I could make this year’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror Reign of the Scream Queens list and not include Britain’s First Lady of Horror, Barbara Steele. Her first credited role was on a television show called Dial 999. After a few other small roles in films she was cast as Princess Asa Vajda and Katia Vajda in 1960’s Black Sunday. From there, Steele took on horror role after horror role with occasional comedy and drama roles thrown in for good measure.

Steele featured primarily in Italian films during the 60’s. Some of her most notable appearances were in films like The Pit And The Pendulum (1961) starring opposite Vincent Price, Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968) with Boris Karloff, and the necrophilia horror film The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962). She became tired of being typecast in horror films by the early 1970’s but returned to the genre three times during that decade with Shivers (1975), the cult classic Piranha (1978), and Silent Scream (1979). Once the 1980’s came along, she began taking fewer roles, appearing in miniseries such as War and Remembrance (1988). She had only three credited roles in the 1990’s but eventually returned to acting in the 2000’s, racking up nine acting credits including a voice performance in 2020’s Castlevania and portraying Grandma in 2014’s Lost River.

Steele was born in 1937…..at least that is what most believe, as she has never given a true birth date to anyone. The one thing that is definitely true is that she is a Scream Queen Icon. She has been referred to as the Queen of the Scream Queens over the years and she definitely has the roles to prove it.

I recommend The Pit And The Pendulum, The Silent Scream, and Curse of the Crimson Altar if you haven’t seen any of Ms. Steele’s performances. While she appeared in a ton of horror films, most of them were of less than impressive production. She had a very unique look about her that was too dark and wicked for Hollywood but almost too pretty to be the bad girl in the Italian horror films. To me, she’s just perfect.

Thanks for reading today’s post. I’ll see you again tomorrow!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Scream Queen Now

While many of the Scream Queens on my list started their careers in the 1970’s or earlier, a few younger ladies also made my list. One of those ladies is the surprisingly versatile Mary Elizabeth Winstead. While she doesn’t necessarily pop up on a lot of Scream Queen lists, Mrs. Winstead has appeared in more horror films and franchises than many of the most beloved Scream Queens of all time. She’s also extremely comfortable in multiple genres. From horror and action to comedy and drama, Winstead is quite possibly the best actor on this list overall and she’s only been acting since 1997!

She’s also appeared in a number of films and series on the small screen. In fact, her first foray into horror was the 2001 series Wolf Lake which starred Lou Diamond Phillips. Although it was short-lived, the series kicked off Winstead’s journey into horror royalty. The campy Monster Island (2004), a made-for-TV movie, was next. That was followed by a ton of roles in stand-alone horror films and established franchises including The Ring Two (2005), Final Destination 3 (2006), Black Christmas (2006), The Thing (2011), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), The Returned (2015), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), and the upcoming Ursa Major.

Like a chameleon, Winstead shifts from role to role and genre to genre in a seemingly flawless way. Whether it’s a slasher flick like Black Christmas or a science fiction thriller like The Thing, Mrs. Winstead is comfortable no matter what horror is thrown her way. She’s one of those rare actors who doesn’t limit herself to certain roles, as Winstead has proven her acting skills over and over in films as varied as The Spectaculary Now (2013) to Factory Girl (2006). Winstead is simply an amazing actress.

Winstead deserves to be called a Scream Queen. While she hasn’t been acting as long as many of the other ladies on this list, the films and shows that she has appeared on are almost all surprisingly well done. I personally recommend 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Thing, and Final Destination 3. If you want to check her work out in other films, give Sky High (2005) and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) a look.

Thanks for checking out my latest Scream Queen post. Let me know some of your favorite Winstead films in the comments section. See you tomorrow!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Fay Wray

Scream Queen Legend

Although she predates the term, Fay Wray is considered to be one of the earliest scream queens. Born in Cardston, Alberta, Canada in 1907, Ms. Wray found her way to Hollywood in 1919 via Salt Lake City, Utah. She made her screen debut in the film short Gasoline Love in 1923. Most of her early work was uncredited and as a background player in films and shorts like The Saddle Tramp (1926) and Unfriendly Enemies (1926). She eventually found regular work in western films. In 1928, Wray won a starring role in a silent film called The Wedding March. By the 1930’s, Ms. Wray began making a number of horror films including The Vampire Bat (1933), Doctor X (1932), The Most Dangerous Game (1932), and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). While these films solidified Wray as an excellent horror actress, it would be another film that would vault her to horror icon status.

Released on March 2, 1933, King Kong was released starring Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot. The film was a massive success and would go on to blaze a trail for other movie monsters like Godzilla. Its influence can still be felt today in films like Cloverfield and Pacific Rim. Multiple sequels, ripoffs, and remakes have been made based upon King Kong and there seems to be no slowing down as films, television shows, and printed media continues to be released featuring the monster. King Kong has made numerous “best of” lists over the years and is considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. The American Film Institute has consistently listed the film amongst the best of all time. It has also been preserved in the National Film Registry. Fay Wray, who portrayed Ann Darrow in the film, definitely contributed to the success of the film thanks to her amazing performance.

Wray continued acting after King Kong and was featured in a number of successful films and television series. She began taking on fewer roles and retired in 1942. After the death of her second husband, Robert Riskin, in 1955, Wray returned to acting. She never did achieve the success that she had with King Kong again, but she remained an icon among fellow actors and fans alike. As the years wore on, she began taking on fewer and fewer roles. She had 124 acting credits over her career, the last one being for Gideon’s Trumpet, a 1980 TV movie. She also turned down the opportunity to have a cameo in Peter Jackson’s 2004 King Kong remake.

Wray passed away in 2005 aged ninety-six of natural causes. In her honor, the lights of the Empire State Builing in New York were dimmed. Screaming her way into our hearts, Wray will never be forgotten. Not only was she a breathtaking beauty, she was an amazing actress and one of the first scream queens.

Thanks for revisiting the wonderful career of Fay Wray with me. See you again tomorrow!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Shawnee Smith

Scream Queen Impact

Shawnee Smith finally “made it” as a star in the Saw franchise….at least according to Saw fans. The fact of the matter, though, is that Ms. Smith was not only already a popular actress, she was also a veteran of horror including appearances in two popular television series based upon Stephen King properties and the star of the 1988 remake of The Blob. Not only that, Smith managed to find the time to be a cast member on two successful sitcoms and had multiple guest appearances on shows like The X-Files, Silver Spoons, Cagney & Lacey, and Murder, She Wrote.

Ms. Smith’s career is now in the beginning of its fifth decade. Her credits begin as “Dancer” in 1982’s Annie and include seventy-one credits as an actress up to and including the series City on Fire where she’ll be playing a character named “Ramona.” Her most recognized role is Amanda Young from the Saw film franchise but she also appeared in the popular Ted Danson sitcom, Becker, as ditzy Linda and portrayed Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife, Jennifer, in the post-Two And A Half Men Sheen sitcom, Anger Management. She also appeared in numerous films, most notably Who’s Harry Crumb? alongside John Candy and two television mini-series based upon Stephen King’s books The Stand and The Shining. She only appeared in one episode of The Shining, but had a feature role in The Stand.

Despite such a long and continuous career on screens big and small, Smith seems to have managed to remain fairly unknown outside of certain circles. I first fell in love with her in The Blob and have sought her work out ever since that time. Seriously, why did it take people so long to realize just how versatile and amazing Ms. Smith is as an actress? On top of her amazing work as an actress, she’s also performed in the country rock duo Smith & Pyle, a band she formed with fellow actress Missi Pyle. She was also in the punk band Fydolla Ho and is currently working on a solo project.

As far as horror films go, you can’t beat Smith in The Blob and in the Saw franchise. I also highly recommend checking her out on Becker and Anger Management. She plays four completely different characters in these productions. Smith is an extremely underrated actor in my opinion and hopefully she’ll get a little more recognition in the near future.

I hope that you enjoyed this look at one of my favorite actresses who, for some odd reason, has never really been catapulted into stardom despite her amazing career. Thanks for reading my post!

Reign of the Scream Queens: Felissa Rose

Scream Queens Icon

For horror fans, few scenes were as impactful or unsettling as the final scene in Sleepaway Camp (1983). If you’ve never watched that film, I highly recommend it. Also, have no fear of spoilers for that film in this post. Just know that Felissa Rose could have walked away from her film career after starring in Sleepaway Camp and she would still be talked about for her portrayal of the iconic Angela Baker in that film.

Mrs. Rose, born in 1969, continued acting after appearing in Sleepaway Camp, with sporadic appearances in films and on television throughout the 80’s and 90’s. This was done on purpose, as she was attending the Lee Strasberg Theatre Film and Institute (NYU) in order to hone her craft. Rose was in good company at the institute as its list of alumni includes Linda Hamilton, Alec Baldwin, Uma Thurman, Sissy Spacek, Teri Garr, and many more recognized actors and actresses.

After working in stage plays for a bit, Rose ultimately returned to the genre that made her a star. Beginning in the early 2000’s, Mrs. Rose started gaining more and more roles in horror films. She has amassed over 160 acting credits, most of which she achieved after 2003. She continues to actively work, so the list will continue to grow.

In addition to acting, Rose has also produced a number of films and co-hosted the Casualty Friday podcast with fellow Scream Queen Tiffany Shepis and prolific slasher actor Kane Hodder. That trio also appeared in Victor Crowley together and Shepis and Rose have also appeared in other films together as well. Rose also attends multiple fan events throughout the year, happily taking photos and signing autographs for fans.

If I had to pick just one Felissa Rose film to watch, it would definitely be Sleepaway Camp. I also recommend Victor Crowley and Family Possessions. Rose also has a ton of other horror films out there including A Nun’s Curse, Dahmer Vs. Gacy, and Ugly Sweater Party. She’s an independent film darling and loves making horror films so fans have plenty of films to watch that feature Rose.

Felissa Rose is one of the reasons that I started watching horror films on a regular basis. I really enjoyed her performance in Sleepaway Camp and as a result, sought out not only more of her work, but other horror films of the 80’s and 90’s as well. I hope that you enjoyed this brief glimpse at her career. I’ll have another Scream Queen for you tomorrow!