SHE MADE EVIL LOOK HOT !!! by Dave Goode

SHE MADE EVIL LOOK HOT !!!

by Dave Goode

I remember watching THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM ( 1961 ) At about twelve years of age and being totally captivated by Barbara Steele. She has less than 20 minutes of screen time. And her voice is dubbed by another actress. But she damn near steals the picture. Not an easy feat considering this Roger Corman production stars a way over the top Vincent Price. In her brief time on screen she is sensual , seductive and more than a little bit sadistic. In short she made evil look hot.

British actress Steele became a cult film star starring in Italian gothic horror flicks beginning with the landmark BLACK SUNDAY  (1960 ). She had a certain look that was hard to describe. So I'm not going to try. But there are film historians who have compared La Steele to both Sophia Loren and fellow B - Movie queen Martine Beswick. Darn good company.

In a lot of her roles she was a seductive temptress using her beauty to entice her victims. But she was also good playing the " damsel in distress ". Sometimes she played both roles in the same movie. Often found chained to walls in a nightmare castle 's dungeon.

The thing I never understood was why while making horror flicks in Europe no peplum movie producer thought to cast her as the female lead in a muscleman movie. There are some publicity pics of her with Kirk Morris preparing for his role of Maciste in THE WITCH 'S CURSE ( 1962 ). It 's just too bad she never got to play the evil queen in a Maciste movie herself. Perhaps in an outfit similar to the one she wore in THE CRIMSON CULT (1968 ).