STRAIGHT PEOPLE WE LOVE: Elvira
The Queen of Halloween on Vincent Price's sexuality and which 'Mommie Dearest' costume was her all-time fave
By DANIEL KUSNER
By DANIEL KUSNER
Halloween is especially liberating. Everyone masquerades as their alter-ego. Freely... and without shame.
But for Elvira, “Mistress of the Dark,” (a.k.a. Cassandra Peterson), October gets so hectic, it’s scary.
There are Elvira-themed haunted houses, spooky film festivals and fright wigs. Throw in Elvira guitars, pinball machines and even slot machines.
But for Elvira, “Mistress of the Dark,” (a.k.a. Cassandra Peterson), October gets so hectic, it’s scary.
There are Elvira-themed haunted houses, spooky film festivals and fright wigs. Throw in Elvira guitars, pinball machines and even slot machines.
ELVIRA WORKS IT: From six strings to pinballs.
“Halloween is about nine-tenths of my income," Elvira says from her Los Angeles kitchen. “Since I was a child, it was my very favorite holiday. My mother ran a costume shop. And I got to have the most fabulous costumes of anyone. I always won contests. Hell, I’d even go to school dressed up when it wasn’t Halloween.”
But on the actual holiday, the immortal Queen of Halloween must don her royal uniform.
"Oh, I'd hate to say that I don't look forward to it anymore. But the bummer is, I always have to wear the same costume. I don't get to attend Halloween parties as a guest. And I don't go trick-or-treating with my daughter," the vampy mom pouts. "In my 20s, I'd spend six months preparing my costume. Then I'd go out to all the bars. But now it's like I'm stuck in the same ol' drag."
Though October is all-consuming, the job has its perks — like the many times Anthony Perkins and Vincent Price have requested Elvira to cohost Hallow's Eve gigs.
Both Perkins and Price were married fathers. And both have been posthumously outed for at least being bisexual.
But on the actual holiday, the immortal Queen of Halloween must don her royal uniform.
"Oh, I'd hate to say that I don't look forward to it anymore. But the bummer is, I always have to wear the same costume. I don't get to attend Halloween parties as a guest. And I don't go trick-or-treating with my daughter," the vampy mom pouts. "In my 20s, I'd spend six months preparing my costume. Then I'd go out to all the bars. But now it's like I'm stuck in the same ol' drag."
Though October is all-consuming, the job has its perks — like the many times Anthony Perkins and Vincent Price have requested Elvira to cohost Hallow's Eve gigs.
Both Perkins and Price were married fathers. And both have been posthumously outed for at least being bisexual.
VAMP & VINCE: In 1986, Elvira and Vincent Price appeared together on "The Tonight Show."
"Vincent certainly had the sensibilities of a gay man. He was a genius art collector. And as far as everyone knew when they were alive, Vincent and Tony were always with women. But what does that mean?" Elvira shrugs. "I don't think being gay is exclusive to being with a man. I think some gay men want wives and families as much as anybody else. It takes all kinds."
Part of the Halloween Queen's royal duties is giving out all kinds of costume awards.
"One of my all-time favorites was these two gay guys in drag, à la 'Mommie Dearest' beating 'The Exorcist' girl with wire hangers while she was spitting up green soup and her head was flying around," Elvira remembers.
Part of the Halloween Queen's royal duties is giving out all kinds of costume awards.
"One of my all-time favorites was these two gay guys in drag, à la 'Mommie Dearest' beating 'The Exorcist' girl with wire hangers while she was spitting up green soup and her head was flying around," Elvira remembers.
HALLOWEEN'S SUCH A DRAG: 1982 Halloween costume contest in Los Angeles.
Pictured: Future PETA honcho Dan Matthews (as Joan Crawford) and The Residents.
Elvira's developed a theory about costume choosing.
"To me, it's a Rorschach personality test. They're burning to dress as something. And that says a lot about the individual. It's the part of them that's inside -- something that wants to come out. But can only do so on Halloween," Elvira explains. "When I meet a person, I always check out the costume. I try to glimpse 'the inside' of that person."
She warns people — especially men — if they plan on dressing as Elvira, "prepare to suffer."
"It's the worlds most painful costume. Six-inch stiletto heels. The waistline gets severely cinched. The pushup bra's metal pokes holes into your chest. The makeup and wig are amazingly hot, itchy and tight."
Something else is also rather tight — Elvira's Halloween schedule for next year.
She recently wrapped the feature film "Elvira's Haunted Hills," a gothic horror comedy that parodies the iconic Vincent Price/Edgar Allen Poe films ("The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Pit and the Pendulum").
"To me, it's a Rorschach personality test. They're burning to dress as something. And that says a lot about the individual. It's the part of them that's inside -- something that wants to come out. But can only do so on Halloween," Elvira explains. "When I meet a person, I always check out the costume. I try to glimpse 'the inside' of that person."
She warns people — especially men — if they plan on dressing as Elvira, "prepare to suffer."
"It's the worlds most painful costume. Six-inch stiletto heels. The waistline gets severely cinched. The pushup bra's metal pokes holes into your chest. The makeup and wig are amazingly hot, itchy and tight."
Something else is also rather tight — Elvira's Halloween schedule for next year.
She recently wrapped the feature film "Elvira's Haunted Hills," a gothic horror comedy that parodies the iconic Vincent Price/Edgar Allen Poe films ("The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Pit and the Pendulum").
Set in 1851 and filmed on location inside a Romanian castle, the film's spooktacular release is set for Halloween 2002.
Her signature trademark — Elvira's sassy one-liners — are on par with Mae West's greatest punchlines.
Elvira shared one from the upcoming "Haunted Hills."
"The movie takes place in this fake land called Carpathia. One of the characters is talking about the castle. In a secretive voice, he whispers, 'The village people say this castle is cursed.' And Elvira says, 'Oh, who listens to the Village People anymore?'"
Her signature trademark — Elvira's sassy one-liners — are on par with Mae West's greatest punchlines.
Elvira shared one from the upcoming "Haunted Hills."
"The movie takes place in this fake land called Carpathia. One of the characters is talking about the castle. In a secretive voice, he whispers, 'The village people say this castle is cursed.' And Elvira says, 'Oh, who listens to the Village People anymore?'"
Daniel Kusner's Straight People We Love column runs the first Friday of every month.
