Barbara Steele (1937-)

biography

Born in England on December 29, 1937 (some sources cite her date of birth as December 1938 and her place of birth as Ireland), Barbara Steele's striking, exotic visage helped make her an international horror film star in the 1960s. As a child Steele was interested in a career as an artist, but as she matured she decided to give acting a try. Landing a small part in the British comedy Bachelor of Hearts (1958; with Hardy Kruger and Sylvia Syms). A few other roles followed, yet Steele found fame in the Italian-made horror classic Black Sunday (1960; with John Richardson), directed by Mario Bava. Black Sunday helped somewhat to typecast her as a horror actress. More horror films followed, including Pit and the Pendulum (1961; with Vincent Price and Luana Anders), The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1964; with Robert Flemyng), and The Crimson Cult (1970; with Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee). Aside from horror films, Steele has appeared in such diverse films as Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 (1963; with Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale), The Maniacs (1964; with Margaret Lee), Caged Heat (1974; with Juanita Brown), and Pretty Baby (1978; with Keith Carradine and Brooke Shields).

In 1969, Steele married successful screenwriter James Poe, who wrote the screenplays of such films as Summer and Smoke (1961; with Laurence Harvey and Pamela Tiffin), Lilies of the Field (1963; with Sidney Poitier), and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969; with Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin). Following her marriage, Steele bowed out of acting for several years. During her hiatus, she gave birth to her son, Jonathan, in 1971.

the films of barbara steele

Black Sunday (1960)

Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

The Ghost (1963)

Castle of Blood (1964)

The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1964)

The Maniacs (1964)

Nightmare Castle (1965)

I Spy (1965-1968 NBC TV Series)

The She-Beast (1966)

The Crimson Cult (1968)

Pretty Baby (1978)

Silent Scream (1980)

barbara steele today

Returning to the screen in the mid 1970s, Steele appeared in several horror films, including Shivers (1975; with Paul Hampton) and Silent Scream (1980; with Cameron Mitchell and Yvonne De Carlo). Following the release of the latter film, she once again left her acting career behind in favor of producing television shows and miniseries. Today, Barbara Steele occasionally tackles a film role and was an associate producer of Bravo's hit series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

barbara steele films available from movies unlimited

Dark Shadows: The Revival [DVD](1991) DVD
Return to Collinwood in this revived (no pun intended) TV Gothic horror series starring Ben Cross as vampire Barnabas Collins, back from a 200-year catnap to reclaim his heritage and cast his spell over the mansion's residents. The great cast also includes Joanna Going as Victoria Winters, Jean Simmons as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Roy Thinnes as Roger Collins, and Barbara Steele as Dr. Hoffman. All 12 episodes are featured in a three-disc set. 9 3/4 hrs. total. Soundtrack: English.
Bava: The Mario Bava Collection, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
This five-disc tribute to the Italian horror icon opens with Bava's landmark chiller, "Black Sunday" (1960). Executed for witchcraft, Barbara Steele returns from the grave 300 years later to possess the body of her look-alike descendant. With Ivo Garrani, John Richardson. AKA: "The Mask of Satan." Next, Boris Karloff hosts the terror trilogy "Black Sabbath" (1963), in which a corpse seeks its ring from the woman who stole it, a telephone becomes a link between the living and the dead, and a vampire (Karloff) must prey on his loved ones. AKA: "The Three Faces of Fear." In Rome, American tourist Leticia Roman becomes "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" (1963) when no one believes she saw the latest murder by the Alphabet Killer. John Saxon co-stars. AKA: "The Evil Eye." And Viking warrior Cameron Mitchell has his own reasons for defending a widowed peasant and her son from attackers out to kill them in the actioner "Knives of the Avenger" (1965), with Fausto Tozzi and Elissa Pichelli. AKA: "The Viking Massacre." Also includes "Kill, Baby, Kill." NOTE: Set features subtitled, Italian-language versions of "Black Sabbath" and "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" and the English-dubbed version of "Black Sunday." 7 1/4 hrs. total.
Black Sunday [DVD](1960) DVD
This vampire fantasy from Mario Bava (his solo directorial debut) made a horror goddess out of Barbara Steele. Condemned in the 1600s as a witch and gruesomely executed, Steele returns from the grave to massacre her family's survivors, including her look-alike descendant. With John Richardson, Ivo Garrani. AKA: "The Demon's Mask." 87 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; photo gallery; biographies; TV spot; theatrical trailers.
The Terror Of Dr. Hichcock [DVD](1962) DVD
Bizarre Gothic horror about a necrophiliac doctor who accidentally kills his wife during a "funeral game," then remarries to bring her back from the grave with his new wife's blood. Robert Flemyng and Barbara Steele star in this Italian-made shocker, recut and released in the U.S. as "The Horrible Dr. Hichcock." AKA: "The Secret of Dr. Hichcock." 84 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.
The Ghost [DVD](1963) DVD
A woman murders her husband with dreams of owning his fortune in jewels, but when his spectre returns from the grave it's clear he's out for revenge...or is he? Bizarre chiller with British scream queen Barbara Steele, Peter Baldwin. 96 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English (dubbed) mono. Plays All Regions.
8 1/2 (Special Edition) [DVD](1963) DVD
Federico Fellini's masterpiece centers on Marcello Mastroianni, a filmmaker overwhelmed by personal and career problems, who checks into a health spa in hopes of reinvigorating himself. But memories of his recent past and his childhood, troublesome producers and agents, and his lust for women keep getting in the way of his rehabilitation. Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Barbara Steele and Sandra Milo also star. 135 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: Italian Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; "Fellini: A Director's Notebook"; documentary; interviews; photo gallery. Two-disc set.
8 1/2 (Special Edition) [Blu-ray](1963)
Federico Fellini's masterpiece centers on Marcello Mastroianni, a filmmaker overwhelmed by personal and career problems, who checks into a health spa in hopes of reinvigorating himself. But memories of his recent past and his childhood, troublesome producers and agents, and his lust for women keep getting in the way of his rehabilitation. Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Barbara Steele, and Sandra Milo also star. 138 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: Italian Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; bonus film "Fellini: A Director's Notebook"; documentary; interviews; photo gallery; theatrical trailer. In Italian with English subtitles.
The Monocle [DVD](1964) DVD
What is "the Monocle"? It's the codename of a heroic French secret agent sent to Hong Kong where he must race against time to find the criminal who is determined to destroy an American aircraft carrier. Nail-biting yet comedic spy thriller stars Marcel Dalio, Paul Meurisse, Barbara Steele. Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.
Castle Of Blood (Castle Of Terror) [DVD](1964) DVD
Classic creeper from Antonio Margheriti ("Yor: The Hunter from the Future") detailing the horrific adventures of a British journalist who bets a visiting Edgar Allan Poe that he can stay in a haunted mansion overnight. Little does the journalist realize the terrors he's about to encounter. Barbara Steele, Georges Riviere star. AKA: "La Danza Macabra," "Long Night of Terror," "Tombs of Horror," "Tombs of Terror." 89 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (in restored French language footage); theatrical trailer; photo gallery.
The Long Hair Of Death [DVD](1964) DVD
Atmospheric shocker from director Anthony M. Dawson stars Barbara Steele as the daughter of a woman burned at the stake for witchcraft during the 16th century who returns from the dead seeking revenge. Moody scares and eroticism are featured; with Giorgio Ardisson, Halina Zalewska. 90 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English (dubbed). Dubbed in English.
Nightmare Castle (Widescreen Version) [DVD](1965) DVD
Atmospheric European horror outing about a doctor who tortures and kills his unfaithful wife and her lover as part of his experiments in regenerating human blood, then marries her half-sister. Barbara Steele stars in a dual role; with Paul Miller (Muller). AKA: "The Faceless Monster," "Lovers Beyond the Tomb," "Orgasmo." 104 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English (dubbed) Dolby Digital mono. Dubbed in English.
The She-Beast (Widescreen Version) [DVD](1966) DVD
The gorgeous Barbara Steele is the beast, a British tourist in Transylvania possessed by a witch. Ian Ogilvy and Mel Welles co-star in this spookfest, which also contains a bizarre anti-Communist sub-plot. 79 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary; photo gallery.
Terror Creatures From The Grave [DVD](1966) DVD
Dying by his wife's hand, a master occultist summons up forces of revenge from beyond eternity. Victims of the Black Death leave their ages-old resting place to stalk murdering widow Barbara Steele and inflict her with bubonic plague. 85 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English mono. Plays All Regions.
An Angel For Satan (Un Angelo Per Satana) [DVD](1966) DVD
Scream queen Barbara Steele stars in this moody Italian shocker in which she plays a woman possessed by the spirit of a 200-year-old statue found on the bottom of the lake. Accordingly, the townspeople begin to suspect her of practicing witchcraft. Anthony Steffen, Claudio Gora co-star. Soundtrack: Italian; Subtitles: none. In Italian; no subtitles.
Young Torless [DVD](1966) DVD
The debut feature of director Volker Schlondorff ("The Tin Drum") is a dramatic parable of Nazi German society set in a boys' school. A shy student wants to report a group of bullies who harass a classmate, but keeps silent under threats from the attackers. Mathieu Carriere, Marian Seidowsky and famed horror queen Barbara Steele star. 87 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: German Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; interview; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
Pretty Baby [DVD](1978) DVD
Louis Malle's stunning and controversial look at 1910's New Orleans' famed Storyville red light district, as seen through the eyes of photographer Keith Carradine, and at Carradine's obsession with 12-year-old Brooke Shields, the daughter of prostitute Susan Sarandon. With Frances Faye, Antonio Fargas, Barbara Steele. 109 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English.
Silent Scream [DVD](1980) DVD
Terror so sudden there is no time to scream! When a young co-ed is unable to find housing on campus, she moves in to a local mansion that has been transformed into a boarding house for college students run by a woman and her son. But when people begin getting murdered at the residence, two detectives try to solve the mystery of the deaths before the body count rises. Rebecca Balding, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Steele, and Yvonne De Carlo star. 87 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; audio commentary; featurettes; interview; theatrical trailer; TV spot.

barbara steele films available from amazon.com

barbara steele photos and posters available

filmography

Her Morbid Desires (2008) with William Smith, Tippi Hedren, Cassandra Peterson, Ray Harryhausen, Robert Loggia, and Kevin McCarthy
The Capitol Conspiracy (1999) with Don 'The Dragon' Wilson
Deep Above (1994)
Dark Shadows (1990) with Ben Cross, Roy Thinnes, and Jean Simmons
Silent Scream (1980) with Cameron Mitchell, Avery Schreiber, and Yvonne De Carlo
The Key Is in the Door (1978)
Piranha (1978) with Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Paul Bartel, and Richard Deacon
Pretty Baby (1978) with Brooke Shields, Keith Carradine, Susan Sarandon, Antonio Fargas, and Diana Scarwid
The Space-Watch Murders (1975) with Joan Caulfield, Russ Conway, Sam Groom, and Tisha Sterling
Shivers (1975) with Paul Hampton
Caged Heat (1974) with Juanita Brown, Roberta Collins, and Cheryl 'Rainbeaux' Smith
Honeymoon with a Stranger (1969) with Janet Leigh, Rossano Brazzi, Cesare Danova, and Eric Braeden
The Crimson Cult (1968) with Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, and Mark Eden
Fermate il mondo... voglio scendere (1968)
An Angel for Satan (1966)
For Love and Gold (1966) with Vittorio Gassman
The She-Beast (1966) with John Karlsen and Mel Welles
Young Torless (1966)
I Soldi (1965) with Sylva Koscina
Nightmare Castle (1965) with Paul Muller, Helga Line, and Rik Battaglia
Five Graves for a Medium (1965) with Walter Brandi
The Long Hair of Death (1964)
The Monocle (1964)
Tre per una rapina (1964)
White Voices (1965) with Anouk Aimee and Rosalba Neri
Castle of Blood (1964) with Georges Riviere
The Maniacs (1964) with Margaret Lee and Franco and Ciccio
The Hours of Love (1963) with Ugo Tognazzi
The Ghost (1963) with Peter Baldwin
Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 (1963) with Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, and Anouk Aimee
Revenge of the Mercenaries (1963)
The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962) with Robert Flemyng
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) with Vincent Price, John Kerr, and Luana Anders
Your Money or Your Wife (1960) with Peggy Cummins
Black Sunday (1960) with John Richardson; directed by Mario Bava
Upstairs and Downstairs (1959) with Michael Craig, Anne Heywood, Mylene Demongeot, and Claudia Cardinale
Sapphire (1959) with Nigel Patrick, Yvonne Mitchell, Michael Craig, and Harry Baird
Bachelor of Hearts (1958) with Hardy Kruger and Sylvia Syms

TELEVISION SERIES
Dark Shadows, 1991 TV series. Steele portrayed Dr. Julia Hoffman
War and Remembrance, 1988 TV miniseries. Steele portrayed Elsa MacMahon and also served as producer
The Winds of War, 1983 TV miniseries. Steele portrayed Mrs. Stoller

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Night Gallery, episode The Sins of the Fathers/You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore, originally aired February 23, 1972
I Spy, episode Bridge of Spies, originally aired November 9, 1966
Secret Agent, episode The Man on the Beach, originally aired December 16, 1965
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, episode Beta Delta Gamma, originally aired November 14, 1961
Adventures in Paradise, episode Daughter of Illusion, originally aired December 12, 1960

barbara steele links

Barbara Steele.net
This site chronicles the films of Barbara Steele.

barbara steele film now showing

Watch Barbara Steele's 1965 horror flick Nightmare Castle