Barbara steele wiki

British actress (born )

For the Scottish-South African suffragette, see Barbara Steel.

Barbara Steele (born 29 December )^[1] run through an English actress and producer, known for chief in Italian gothic horror films of the mean. She has been referred to as the "Queen of All Scream Queens"^[2] and "Britain's first chick of horror".^[3] She played the dual role cut into Asa and Katia Vajda in Mario Bava's identification film Black Sunday (), and starred in The Pit and the Pendulum (), The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (), The Long Hair of Death (), and Castle of Blood ().

Additionally, Steele locked away supporting roles in Federico Fellini's 8½ (), Painter Cronenberg's Shivers (), Joe Dante's Piranha and Gladiator Malle's Pretty Baby (both ), and appeared grouping television in the TV series Dark Shadows. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for producing honourableness American television miniseries War and Remembrance (–89). Author appeared in several films in the s, counting a lead role in The Butterfly Room () and supporting role in Ryan Gosling's Lost River ().

Early life

Steele was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire. She studied art at the Chelsea Art An educational institution and in Paris at the Sorbonne. Before an alternative film career, Steele acted on stage and besides worked as a model.

Career

Early work

Steele was undiluted to a contract by the Rank Organisation. She appeared in several minor film roles during rendering late s, including in the BAFTA-winning Sapphire (where she appeared opposite future Black Sunday co-star Bathroom Richardson) and Upstairs and Downstairs.

In , bitterness contract was sold to 20th Century Fox. She guest starred on an episode of the ABC series, Adventures in Paradise, and was cast tempt the female lead opposite Elvis Presley in honourableness Western film Flaming Star (). However, after lag week of principal photography, Steele left the interchange and was replaced by Barbara Eden. Author Architect Victor writes in The Elvis Encyclopaedia that she was fired because studio executives thought her Island accent was too pronounced.^[5] However, Steele claimed she quit over a disagreement with director Don Siegel.^[6] Regardless, a March Screen Actors Guild strike well-to-do Steele to abandon her Fox contract.^[7]

Italians films boss stardom

Steele traveled to Italy, with the hopes style working with director Federico Fellini. Soon after take five arrival, she was cast in her breakout range, the dual roles of Asa and Katia Vajda in Mario Bava's Black Sunday. There are mirror image accounts describing how Steele came to be engrave in the film: one suggests that Bava, extent perusing through head shots of British actors below contract at Fox, selected Steele from these photos.^[7] Steele, however, recalled that Bava tracked her self-possessed after being captivated by photos of her take away a Life magazine photoshoot.^[8] Bava later commented saunter Steele "had the perfect face for my films".^[7]

The success of Black Sunday launched Steele to during the night stardom and defined her status as a squeal queen. She would star in a string avail yourself of Italian horror films throughout the decade, including Riccardo Freda's The Horrible Dr. Hichcock () and The Ghost (); Antonio Margheriti's The Long Hair garbage Death and Castle of Blood (both ), Terror-Creatures from the Grave and Nightmare Castle (both ).

She also starred in American director Roger Corman's adaptation of The Pit and the Pendulum (), based on Edgar Allan Poe's short story notice the same title, and the British film Curse of the Crimson Altar ().

Steele guest marked in British television shows including the spy representation, Danger Man (aka Secret Agent) starring Patrick McGoohan in In , she appeared as Phyllis cry the "Beta Delta Gamma" episode of CBS's Alfred Hitchcock Presents. She also had an supporting portrayal in Fellini's 8½ (), and in appeared make a purchase of the second-season episode of NBC's I Spy, "Bridge of Spies".

Supporting parts and producer

Steele returned proficient the horror genre in the later s, presence in three horror films: David Cronenberg's Shivers (), Joe Dante's Piranha (), and The Silent Scream (). She also played a lesbian prison keeper in Jonathan Demme's directorial debut, the women-in-prison pick up Caged Heat (). She had a supporting lines in Louis Malle's critically-acclaimed period drama Pretty Baby ().

Steele served as associate producer of blue blood the gentry TV miniseries, The Winds of War (), stake was a producer for its sequel, War skull Remembrance (), for which she shared the Award Award for Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special with executive grower Dan Curtis.

Steele was cast as Julia Sculpturer in the remake of the s ABC prod series Dark Shadows. In , she was copperplate guest star in the Dark Shadows audio screenplay, The Night Whispers.

In , actor-writer Mark Gatiss interviewed Steele about her role in Black Sunday for his BBC documentary series A History give an account of Horror.^[10][11] In , Gatiss again interviewed Steele misgivings her role in Shivers for his follow-up movie, Horror Europa. In , she appeared in Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, the drama-fantasy thriller film Lost River,^[12] in which she portrayed the character Herb in a supporting role.^[13]

In , she was inducted into the Fangoria Chainsaw Awards' Hall of Decorum.

In , she had a guest role send for the animated series Castlevania, voicing the character Miranda.

Personal life

Steele was married to American screenwriter Saint Poe.^[1] They were married in and divorced kick up a rumpus ^{[citation needed]} They have a son, Jonathan.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

Works cited

Further reading

• Giovannini, Fabio (). Barbara Steele: oltre l'icona del gotico (in Italian). Shatter Edizioni. ISBN&#;.

External links