|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Local Legends
presents |
|
|
|
|
Elvira: Local Host Goes National! |
|
|
|
|
It's almost pointless to write anything about Elvira,
so much has been written on her already. She truly has become the most
successful of all the horror hosts and hostesses. Starting life out as a
combination of Vampira and Seymour on KHJ hired her just as bad movie watching was reaching a
kind of apex among TV viewers in Elvira started having a large local following right
from the start. Movie Macabre Lovers watched each
week as she lampooned not only movies but herself as well. |
|
|
|
|
As a local hostess, (and KHJ employee) the costume
wasn't always quite as well crafted as it would become right before she was
syndicated. (I remember going to see her at the USC show (see pic below) and feeling sorry for her because the costume
she was wearing was really shaggy.) but generally
her look has always stayed the same (give or take a wig change and better
made costumes). She made local appearances and in general caused quite a stir
in the LA area. There hadn't been a popular Horror Host for quite some
time adding more fuel to the Elvira fire. Her 3-d movie segment was so highly
rated and the sales of the 3-d glasses were so hot that Cassandra herself
stated that she wished she had been able to make money on that venture. Not
owning the rights to Elvira at the time, she lost out on some big financial
rewards. She set her sights on capturing the rest of the nation
after winning a legal battle with KHJ concerning copyright control over
character ownership. Later in the 1980's she was sued by Vampira
(Maila Nurmi) for copying
her 1954 TV show. Elvira's show from set to concept, very closely resembled Vampira's show although the writing content was indeed
different. An out of court settlement was to be reached but Maila never followed up on it. On Elvira's first season
she had one of 1970's LA Horror Host Here's our Mistress of the Macabre, before she became the one-woman industrial force. |
|
|
|
|
The Mistress starts out. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personal appearances! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elvira causes a near riot at 7/ll stores in LA with her 3d! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elvira's success seemed assured. Cassandra comes out from behind the pre-jiffy pop Elvira hair. Still the best of all her wigs! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paper Moon card line from 1982 |
A black Christmas? Later card with new costume (much better!) and jiffy wig (not so hot). |
|
|
|
Rare Winkie type card. Note: second picture you could see when you tilt the card is right behind main image. |
|
|
|
|
Rare magazine called THE RAG. Throw away mouthpiece magazine for the then hip radio station KROQ. Elvira/Cassandra plays DJ for awhile. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cassandra Left; Elvira with DJ Freddie Snakeskin on the right. |
|
|
|
|
By this time Cassandra tried to get away from the Elvira persona and expose her audience to the real Cassandra Peterson. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elvira left; Right: Cassandra and Rodney ROQ out. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This
hasn't been seen since the very early 80's; Elvira introduces |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
return |
|