The Queen of Halloween Tells All on the 40th Anniversary of Her Iconic Character
Autobiographies and memoirs are tricky beasts. They’re very often written to prop up the subject or written after the subject departs this mortal plane ahead of schedule. Very rarely are they simply open, entertaining and exciting stories about the missed chances, close calls, and eventual self-awareness. Cassandra Peterson’s “Yours Cruelly, Elvira” fits all of those descriptions.
Many readers will know Elvira as the busty, sarcastic, horror hostess who bookended B-movies or bounced and joked while selling Coors Light and entertaining during stints on MTV. Elvira is a fascinating study (more on that in a minute), but Peterson is the truly fascinating character in this book. Cassandra (middle initial pronounced like Han from Han Solo and not Sand like in your bathing suit) is the daughter of midwestern immigrants. Her relationship with her parents was complicated, and a nearly fatal incident early in her life influenced her through every phase of life.
I don’t want to give away too much of the material, because Elvira fans really should read this book…even better, treat yourself to the audio version read by the Mistress of the Dark herself. She has plenty to write about when it comes to abuse in all forms, verbal, emotional, sometimes physical. Like many of us, Peterson found a friend and comfort in oddball television programming. She found herself standing on the corner where comedy and horror meet, and she never felt more at home.
Elvira was the result of Peterson taking a bold chance. Before that, her career was hit or miss (mostly miss) due to bad luck, sexism, and sometimes just unfortunate timing. Even Elvira herself didn’t come free of charge, as the original concept of the character brought lawsuits and slander. Through all of it, Peterson was able to envision the success that was anything but inevitable. She persevered and her dedication is easily recognized in Elvira’s self-confidence and independence.
Peterson covers plenty of events over the years. Readers may have witnessed some of them but will learn a lot from was never previously revealed. Throughout the entire book, Peterson’s razor-sharp wit and flair for the dramatic are evident. Whether it’s a horrible audition experience, being in the spotlight at a drag show, or taking the forefront of a “fur is murder” protest, Peterson and Elvira are always interesting and engaging.
In a recent interview, Peterson spoke about how fortunate she was to maintain the rights to Elvira (like fellow Groundlings alum Paul Rubens’ keeping the rights to Pee Wee Herman.) If that wasn’t the case, Elvira might be lost in a warehouse instead of being discovered and cherished by audiences over 40 years later. I say we’re all wildly fortunate that Elvira, the Valley Girl, the Queen of Halloween, The Mistress of the Dark, the Icon, is alive and well and still kicking in 6-inch stilettos.
Grab the book and follow all things Elvira at www.elvira.com.