bmoviequeens

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Mamie Van Doren

Today I discovered that the still sassy and sexy Mamie Van Doren has a Twitter account! That news isn’t the entire blog post, not to worry, though, that revelation is quite a lot! At 90 years old she is still making sure her name is out there. I absolutely love that! How did I discover this? I was googling her, to read up so I could write a blog post about her. We recently watched High School Confidential and the moment I saw she was in the movie, my love of her was sparked again.

If you haven’t seen High School Confidential, I highly… recommend it. The movies is a PSA against smoking pot and taking other drugs in that typical 1950s paranoia, however, the movie itself is really well done AND IT ALSO HAS MAMIE VAN DOREN! (I will include the movie below)

Mamie Van Doren was born February 6, 1931 (in the US) and was originally named Joan Lucille Olander. She covered the entertainment spectrum and was an actress, model, singer, show girl, theatre actress and all around sex symbol. Mamie was not only known for playing edgy women in the movies, she was even more well known for her relationships with some very well known celebrities including being engaged to heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, and dating Howard Hughes (who claimed to have discovered Mamie when she was crowned Miss Palm Springs). Hughes launched her career by placing her in several RKO films.

Name Trivia: On January 20, 1953, Van Doren signed a contract with Universal Studios. They had big plans for her, hoping she would bring the same kind of success that 20th Century Fox had with Marilyn Monroe. Van Doren, whose signing day coincided with the inauguration of President Eisenhower, was given the first name Mamie for Ike’s wife, Mamie Eisenhower. Other Van Dorens, who were unrelated to Mamie, were a prominent and noted family of American intellectuals; these Van Dorens included two Pulitzer Prize-winning brothers, Carl (biographer) and Mark (poet), and Mark’s wife Dorothy, an academic and historian. {source Wikipedia}

Of course we are here for her movies!

Untamed Youth (1957)

Gun, Girls & Gangsters (1959)

High School Confidential (1958)

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Peggie Castle

Once up on a time, in a place called Hollywood Land a beautiful blonde was discovered while sipping a malt in a drug store. Is this fantasy? Or. Is this reality. The story of how Lana Turner was discovered has always been a driving factor for why so many actresses migrated to Hollywood. They pinned their hopes on being discovered in an every day setting. Many said that the Lana Turner story was only made up for publicity, yet, there are many actresses who have a very similar story. One of those actresses is Peggy Castle.

Peggy was discovered by a talent scout while eating in a restaurant in Beverly Hills and soon after signed a seven year deal with Universal-International. In the 30s/50s many starlets would be signed to long contracts and only be used as bit players (if they were even that lucky). Being signed to a studio didn’t guarantee work. In Peggy’s case, she was off to the races almost immediately making her debut in a When a Girl’s Beautiful. (1947) This movie was followed up by Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949), Payment on Demand (1951), The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951) Invasion U.S.A. (1952), Wagons West (1952), 99 River Street (1953), Beginning of the End (1957) and Arrivederci Roma (1957),  and Hell’s Crossroads (1957).

Eventually, she moved onto television, starring mostly in westerns.

Sadly, Peggy died at the young age of 45 from cirrhosis due to alcoholism.

One of my favourites of all of her movies is Beginning of the End (1957). I have posted it below along with as many of her other movies that I was able to find. Enjoy!

Invasion USA (1952)

Finger Man (1955)

Hell’s Crossroads (1957)

Back From the Dead (1957)

Beginning of the End (1957)

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Peggy Webber

One of my all time favourite b-movies/horror movies is The Screaming Skull. I’ve mentioned this several dozen times and if you know me, you’ve likely watched it with me. I love everything about it from the sets, to the jump scares, to the cinematography, but me most favourite part, is Peggy Webber.

Peggy Webber is an incredibly versatile actress and performer who I was first introduced to via old time radio broadcasts. (I’ve done a post about them here) If you are a fan of old time radio programs you may have heard her on a variety of shows including, The Dreft Star Playhouse, Dragnet (approximately 100 episodes), Pete Kelly’s Blues, The Damon Runyon Theatre, and The Man Called X and Sears Radio Theatre. Oh, but her talent doesn’t end there, Peggy wrote and directed hundreds stage plays, radio and television programs.

Peggy Webber worked continually in television and voice acting and retired in 2005. I wonder what she thinks of the popularity of her 1958 horror movie these days or the fact that she was literally one of the very first scream queens. Have you heard her scream? It’s spectacular!

The Screaming Skull is moody, creepy an a lot of fun to watch. Peggy Webber’s Jenni Witlock would be the inspiration for the half out their mind, tormented character you would see in future horror movies. She is incredibly brilliant and is the reason I keep going back and watching it over and over again. Of course, let’s not forget her fantastic wardrobe. I insist that you go and watch this movie right now! Don’t give me excuses! Just do it! I’ve also written a blog post about The Screaming Skull, which you should also go read!

Peggy has been a very private person for most of her life, so there isn’t much written about her personal life.

Peggy was also in another memorable movie called The Space Children. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend it.

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Zsa Zsa Gabor is The Queen of Outer Space!

Socialite, beauty queen and one of a trio of Hungarian born actress sisters, Zsa Zsa Garbor was known for so much more than her beauty, glamour and many marriages. AND when I say so much more — I mean b-movies. I could write a long post about her very colourful past, but instead, I’m going to talk about a b-movie she made, because it is spectacular, she is spectacular! The whole thing just brings me so much joy! That movie is the Queen of Outerspace!

The Queen of Outer Space is a 1958 Allied Artist picture that runs 80 minutes and is shot in Cinemascope, was produced by Ben Schwalb and directed by Edward Bernds. The movie is about a revolt against a cruel Venusian queen, and was originally titled Queen of the Universe.

The sets, the costumes and the soundtrack is out of the world! As a matter of fact, you will recognize sets, models and costumes from other outer space themed movies such as Forbidden Planet (1956) and World Without End (1956). It wasn’t unusual for low budget movies to borrow or reuse sets, costumes and other materials from previous productions. Even the rocket ship was from another movie, a comic by Huntz Hall in the 1954 Bowery Boys comedy Paris Playboys. All of this only adds to the beauty of this movie.

Now let’s get back to Zsa Zsa. She is sheer perfection in this movie and as the true hero. I’ve seen this movie twice and continue to drool over her glorious costumes, which she knows how to showcase. Every time she comes on screen, her presence overshadows everything else going on. Zsa Zsa definitely steals the entire show. This is a must watch movie for all b-movie fans.

A copy of the full movie can be found over on Daily Motion. Here is a link or click on the video below.

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Dolores Fuller

Dolores Fuller is a name known to many fans of b-movies and especially to those who have seen Ed Wood movies. Dolores was the gorgeous blonde bombshell from movies such as Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster and Jail Bait, known as the girl in angora sweater and Ed Wood’s off and on again girlfriend. The thing is, I would absolutely hate if it that is all she was remembered for, because this girl was known for way more than that. She was both a talented actress and songwriter. She was an inspiration to actresses trying to get a start in the 1950s. She was driven and determined and wanted to be known for more than just the films she did with Ed Wood.

At age 10 Dolores was bit with the acting bug and appeared in Frank Capra’s, It Happened One Night. It would be a few more years before she started acting full-time. In addition to small parts in movies, Dolores also appeared on television in Queen for a Day and The Dinah Shore Show and once she worked with Ed Wood, her name would finally be recognized. However, Dolores has so much more to offer, including a talent for songwriting.

“Fuller’s ability as a songwriter manifested itself through the intervention of her friend, producer Hal Wallis; Fuller had wanted to get an acting role in the Elvis Presley movie Blue Hawaii, which Wallis was producing, but instead he put her in touch with Hill & Range, the publisher that provided Presley with songs. Fuller went into a collaborative partnership with composer Ben Weisman and co-wrote one song, “Rock-A-Hula Baby“, for the film. It was a beginning that eventually led to Elvis Presley recording a dozen of her songs, including “I Got Lucky” and “Spinout”. Fuller’s music was recorded by Nat ‘King’ Cole, Peggy Lee, and other leading talents of the time.” {source Wikipedia}

Below is a list of songs that Dolores wrote: {source Wikipedia}

Never underestimate the girl in the angora sweater. There is more there. So much more!

I think you should now go and enjoy a few of Dolores Fuller’s movies. I’ve posted them below.

Glen or Glenda (1953)

Mesa of Lost Women (1953)

Bride of the Monster (1955)

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Beverly Garland

When you hear the name Beverly Garland, what movies or television shows come to mind? My Three Sons is usually the first thing that pops up. Am I wrong? The thing is, this incredibly talented actress is know for more than that. So much more. Anyone who is a fan of 1950s sci-fi b-movies will be nodding their head in agreement right now.

My introduction to Beverly Garland was not My Three Sons. As I’ve mentioned in many posts, I grew up watching horror and sci-fi movies with my Dad. Many of them on late night television, especially 1950s b-movies. Midnight seemed to be the prime time for them. The perfect way to end your broadcast before the station went off the air for the evening. Yes, I was watching late movies with my dad or at least part of them. I usually fell asleep.

The very first movie I remember seeing Beverly Garland in was It Conquered The World. This is a 1956 black and white Roger Corman movie and possibly one of my favourite 1950s sci-fi movies. The movie also starred  Peter Graves and Lee Van Cleef. I’ve seen this movie several times and never tire of it.

As with many directors Roger Corman loved using actors in a number of his movies and Beverly was no exception, the following year (1957) she appeared in Not of This Earth. This movie is another sci-fi featuring an alien. If you are looking for the perfect Beverly Garland double bill, I strongly suggest watching Not of This Earth and It Conquered the World.

In 1959 Beverly starred in The Alligator People with Lon Chaney Jr.. This is a science-fiction horror film directed by Roy Del Ruth. It’s one of my favourite bad costume movies.

Eventually, Beverly Garland would become known for her television work, starring in many film noiresque and action themed shows. A few to check out if you can find them are The Asphalt Jungle, Danger Man, Dr. Kildare, The Fugitive and Gunsmoke.

Over the years, Beverly Garland would have guest appearances in many televisions shows, but would have a reoccurring role in both My Three Sons and Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Having a long and illustrious career, there are many different genres to chose from, but I highly recommend you check out her 1950s sci-fi movies first.

I’ve posted either the full movies or trailers below.

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Julie Adams

The first time I noticed Julie Adams, was when I saw a movie still from The Creature From The Black Lagoon, in a copy of my cousin’s Famous Monsters magazine. I was ten. The photo was the one where the monster is carrying her (see below). To me, she looked like a goddess in her white bathing suit, she was perfection. After seeing the photo, I bugged my dad endlessly to let me watch the movie. Eventually, he relented.

I know some of you are saying, ‘What father lets their child watch a horror movie!’ Well, mine did and often. There are way scarier movies than this, that I had viewed as a ten year old. None of them scared me, they still don’t. I guess I built up an immunity. Heck, there are way scarier things in the world and even as a kid, horror movies were an escape for me.

Over the years, I have watched this movie dozens and dozens of times. Along with Jaws, they tend to be the movies that kick off summer for me. But wait… this isn’t the only Julie Adams movie I’ve watched and it certainly, isn’t the only movie she ever made, not to mention the many television appearances. But first… let’s talk a little bit about who Julie Adams was.

Julie Adams was born as Betty May Adams on October 17, 1926 in Waterloo, Iowa, the daughter of Arkansas-born parents Esther Gertrude (Beckett) and Ralph Adams, who was a cotton buyer. Her family moved a great deal; the longest she lived in one town was eight years in Blytheville, Arkansas. In 1946, at the age of 19, she was crowned “Miss Little Rock” and then moved to Hollywood, California to pursue her acting career. Adams worked as a part-time secretary and began her film career in B moviewesterns. {source Wikipedia}

In the beginning of her career, Julie tended to be type cast typecast as a western heroine. Personally, I don’t consider this a bad thing, since I love westerns, not to mention, during the 1950s she co-starred opposite some of Hollywood’s top leading men, including my movie crush James Stewart (Bend of the River – 1952), Rock Hudson (The Lawless Breed (1953) and One Desire (1955)),  Tyrone Power (The Mississippi Gambler – 1953), Glenn Ford (The Man from the Alamo – 1953), and many more!

HORIZONS WEST, Julie Adams, 1952

Some of Julie’s notable television roles were The Incredible Hulk, Cannon, Quincy, M.E., Rockford and Wife and co-starring with James Stewart in The Jimmy Stewart Show. Julie also had a recurring role of real estate agent Eve Simpson for ten episodes of CBS’s Murder, She Wrote.

Oh and we can’t forget that she starred along side Elvis Presley in Tickle Me! in 1965.

Julie never stopped acting. As she grew older, her roles where not as often and much more selective, but she was still working up to her early nineties. She has also continued to be a goddess in my eyes!

Trivia:
*Crowned Little Miss Rock at the age of 19.
*Her name changed from Betty May (real name), to Julia, then to Julie.
*In Italy, all her films were dubbed by either Dhia Cristiani, Renata Marini or Lydia Simoneschi.
*Had to perform most of her own stunts in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).
*Life long friends with Jimmy Stewart

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Gothic Scream Queen Barbara Steele

Tis the time of year, when things are gloomier, night falls faster and the night air carries an eeriness. On our evening walk, guided by the brightness of the full moon, we can hear the howls of werewolf in the distance, and when we pass the seemingly abandoned manor, we see the curtains flutter, leaving use to wonder if it is a ghost or the wind finding its way through a broken pane. Do we run or stand and observe the night as it creeps in around us? In a situation like this, it’s best to take guidance from the dark Goddess herself, Barbara Steele. What would she do in a situation like this? Barbara would grab the biggest candelabra she could find and would wrap her delicate fingers around it, holding onto her skirt, walking forward, fearless, letting curiosity win her over as we’ve known her to do in every single gothic horror she has starred in!

I’m sorry… did I hear someone in the back ask who Barbara Steele was? How DARE you! Barbara Steele is the ultimate gothic horror scream queen. She is the dark Goddess!

Barbara Steele is a British actress, best known for the Italian Gothic horror movies she starred in, mostly in the 1960s. Many will know her for her breakthrough role in Black Sunday (1960) while others will know her from her later role as Dr. Julia Hoffman / Countess Natalie Du Pres in Dark Shadows (1991).

***During the 1960s, Steele starred in a string of Italian horror films, including Black Sunday (1960), The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962), The Ghost (1963), The Long Hair of Death (1964), Castle of Blood (1964), Terror-Creatures from the Grave and Nightmare Castle (both 1965). She also starred in Roger Corman‘s 1961 adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe‘s short story The Pit and the Pendulum and the British film Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968).

Steele returned to the horror genre in the later 1970s, appearing in three horror films: David Cronenberg‘s Shivers (a.k.a. They Came From Within) (1975), Piranha (1978), and Silent Scream (1979). *** {source Wikipedia}

My all time favourite Barbara Steele movies are Castle of Blood, Nightmare Castle and Black Sunday. I’ve seen all three on both DVD and on the big screen. Viewing them on the big screen is of course the best way to view them, and I’m grateful that The Bloor Cinema showed them (they are no longer around) Recently, we showed The She Beast at Killer B Cinema. Right before Covid struck. It was a definite crowd pleaser. A little She Beast trivia, because Barbara Steele was only available for one day, she was kept on the set during 18 hours of shooting. It was a gruelling day, but the producer felt it was necessary. Apparently, she was beyond angry with him.

One thing that has always bothered me about movies starring Barbara Steele is they dubbed her voice and British accent in many of them. This was done for American audiences and unfortunately, in many cases, the only copies available. (they did the same to Caroline Munro)

I’ve been a fan of gothic horror for a very long time and I owe that to Barbara Steele. I was introduced to her when I was a teenager and I have adored her ever since. I get cravings to watch her movies when the gloom of November creeps in. There is a spookiness about the wind blowing through the barren trees, that goes hand-in-hand with the ultimate scream queen.

What is your favourite Barbara Steele movie?

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Queen of Schlock! The B Movies Queens: Caroline Munro

Everyone’s favourite b-movie bombshell is one of my all-time favourite b-movie actresses. I’ve loved her since seeing her guest role in the Christmas Horror movie classic Don’t Open Until Christmas and fell even more in love when I saw her in movies such as Starcrash and the Hammer sensation Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. If I ever see her name billed for a movie, I’m watching it! Oh yes, I am!

Who, oh who am I talking about? The illustrious b-movie queen herself, Caroline Munro! I like so many others swoon when we see her grace the screen. Recently, we rewatched her in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and will soon be rewatching her in another Hammer classic Dracula A.D. 1972. Yes, her role is small in this one, and there are bigger stars such as Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, however, I come for the vampires, but always stay for the Caroline Munro!

And let’s not forget the fact that she was a Bond Girl! She played Naomi, Stromberg’s personal pilot, and a would-be assassin in the movie. Her voice was once again dubbed (as in many of the movies she was in), which I never understood. I get it, this happens a lot. They did it to Barbara Steele as well. Both have lovely voices and British accents. Why you would dub over that is beyond me!

Some Caroline Munro Trivia:

*Caroline is a trustee of the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.
*In 1977, Munro turned down the opportunity to play villainess Ursa in Superman in favour of Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me.
*Caroline, that’s Ms. Munro to you, continued to work in numerous British and European horror and science fiction films through the 1970s and 1980s.
*Munro’s career commenced in 1966 when her mother and a photographer friend entered some headshots of her in The Evening News‘s “Face of the Year” contest.

Yes, this was mostly me fangirling, but… if you haven’t heard of Caroline Munro. You. Are. Welcome!

For those of you who also love her as much as I do, what is your favourite Caroline Munro movie?

Each month I run a b-movie night called Killer B Cinema. Join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a monthly evening of b-moves from the 1950s to 1990s! There will also be trivia with prizes & much more! Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook!