Leading Ladies Barbara Steele
Black Sunday/ Katia Vajda
Pit And The Pendulum/ Elizabeth Barnard Medina
Castle Of Blood/ Elisabeth Blackwood
Nightmare Castle/ Muriel Arrowsmith/ Jenny Arrowsmith
Per Quinlan's Film Stars:
Hauntingly beautiful, black haired British actress with startlingly large brown eyes and unsettling presence. She went to Italy in 1960 (after a variety of small roles in Britain and Hollywood) where her strong, chilling performances in tales of fright earned her the title of "queen of horror films."
Barbara Steele was born at Birkenhead, Cheshire, England in 1937.
Ms. Steele is best known for starring in Italian gothic horror films of the 1960's. Her breakthrough role was in Black Sunday (1960) a film by Mario Bava.
She starred in basically in a string of horror films during the 1960's
The film roles of Barbara Steele were:
Houseboat (1958) as A Minor Role
Bachelor Of Hearts (1958) as Fiona
Sapphire (1959) as A Student
Upstairs And Downstairs (1959) as Mary
Your Money Or Your Wife (1960) as Juliet Frost
Black Sunday (1960) as Katia Vajda/ Princess Asa Vajda
Pit And The Pendulum (1961) as Elisabeth Barnard Medina
The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock (1962) as Cynthia Hitchcock
8 1/2 (1963) as Gloria Morin
The Hours Of Love (1963) as Leila
The Ghost (1963) as Margaret Hitchcock
A Sentimental Attempt (1963) as Silvia
Castle Of Blood (1964) as Elizabeth Blackwood
I maniaci (1964) as Barbara/Brugnoli's Wife
Undercover Rogue (1964) as Guilia
Les baisers (1964) as Thelma
Tre per una rapina (1964) as Barbara Sims/ Anna
The Monocle (1964) as Valarie
Amore facile (1964) as Countess Bardi-Stucchi
The Long Hair Of Death (1964) as Helen Karnstein/ Mary Karnstein
Terror Creatures From The Grave (1965) as Cleo Hauff
Nightmare Castle (1965) as Muriel Arrowsmith/ Jenny Arrowsmith
Young Torless (1966) as Bozena
For Love And Gold (1966) as Teodora
She Beast (1966) as Veronica
An Angel For Satan (1966) as Harriet/ Belinda
Curse Of The Crimson Altar (1968) as Lavinia
Honeymoon With A Stranger (1969-TV) as Carla
Caged Heat (1974) as Supt. McQueen
Shivers (1975) as Betts
Pretty Baby (1978) as Josephine
Piranha (1978) as Dr. Mengers
The Key Is In The Door (1978) as Cathy
The Silent Scream (1979) as Victoria Engels
The Winds Of War (1983-TV Miniseries) as Mrs. Stoller
War And Remembrance ( 1988-TV Miniseries) as Elsa MacMahon
Tief Oben (1994) as Mrs. Wagner
The Prophet (1999) as Agent Oakley
The Butterfly Room (2008) as Ann
Lost River (2012) as Grandma
Ms. Steele appeared on British television. On American television she appeared in such programs as Dial 999, Adventures In Paradise, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Secret Agent , I Spy, Night Gallery and Dark Shadows.
She was married to James Poe from 1969 until 1978 when the couple divorced. They had one child.
I enjoyed Ms. Steele in the films Nightmare Castle, Piranha, Black Sunday, Castle Of Blood, The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock and the two TV Miniseries The Winds Of War and War And Remembrance.
Louie The Movie Buff