Scream, Pretty Peggy: The Art

I was hoping to have time for a proper review of Scream, Pretty Peggy, which originally aired on November 24th, 1973 as an ABC Movie of the Week. I recently re-watched it and loved it just as much as when I first saw it as a kid. I wrote a woefully negative review of it for another site and have come to regret every word (I was going through that weird sarcastic phase that strikes many who think they have to make fun of what they love... but I grew up and grew out of that crap!). I still want to give this film its proper due, and will, but for now let's celebrate Halloween with a classic of the genre.

Jeffrey Elliot's (Ted Bessell) gruesome and haunting sculptures were created by Don Chandler, and set the tone for this small but undeniably eerie telefilm. But it's not just his look inside a madman's mind that makes Peggy such a visual treat. Most of the whackadoodle artwork that fills Jeffery's house is crazy in the most wonderful of ways. I tried to get the best stills for your Halloween pleasure! Enjoy and have a great day filled with candy and small screen scares!

Happy Birthday, Bad Ronald!

Bad Ronald turns 40 years old today! Can you believe it? (Don’t worry Ron, you still look like a teenager!) All these decades later, and he continues to resonate with horror fans and TV movie buffs. His story put a spin on the old haunted house tale; the memories inside the house might be haunted but that ghost is alive! The gritty oh-so-70s voyeuristic vibe is hard to deny, and despite its adherence to the strict standards and practices of television, Bad Ronald is a completely harrowing trip down the rabbit hole (if that hole was located at the center of your house). 

There are soooo many reasons why I love Bad Ronald and it's not just me... Kindertrauma partnered up with Made for TV Mayhem for a celebration! So please stop on by and check them out. For now, here are a few reasons that I am crazy nutso cuckoo for Mr. Wilby:

Scott Jacoby is a a god. True Story: Coming from an interesting line of actor siblings (his brothers Billy and Bobby are just as cool), Scott led the way by making a name for himself in such hot cult items as Ronald, The Little Girl who Lives Down the Lane and Rivals (aka Deadly Rivals). He won an Emmy for his heartbreaking portrayal of a young teenager who discovers his father is gay in That Certain Summer, and it was those kinds of award winning performances that drew us to him. Willowy, and beautiful for sure, but Scott is also immensely talented (please come back to us!).

(Note: Kim Hunter is pretty cool too!) 











But I'm getting off topic... The beginning of Bad Ronald is painfully realistic: Despite how much I want to rail on Carole Matthews myself, she is truly an innocent victim. She's a brat too, but what can you do? Then again, Ronald doesn't start out as a cold-blooded killer either (if you ignore the novel which is much darker). He’s a sad sack, and unfortunately, utterly relatable.

Although some of the kids at my school were kind enough to not call me names directly to my face, much like Ronald, I felt weird. I was also an outsider who set their unreachable heights on the cool, cute and popular kid. Seeing the hip teens taunt Ronald and then witnessing the poor sod slowly going mad is like watching my teenage nightmares unfold before my very eyes. Isolation and geekdom walk hand in hand all too often, and even if we are the cool kid, these moments are not reserved for the local nerd (or so I've been told).

Ronald is a rat in a cage: Throughout his forced sequestration, Ronald begins to take on more and more animalistic characteristics. It starts with the mousy apple nibble right after Carole’s death, and follows through to Ronald literally living in a cage, curious but unable to seek companionship. He becomes a social experiment for the audience. This is a murderous teenager’s version of The Yellow Wallpaper.

Atranta Rules: I've promised myself that if I ever came into some serious cash, I was going to have someone come to my mansion and replicate the paintings from Ronald’s cage… er… room. Novelist Jack Vance (aka John Holbrook Vance) was primarily a science fiction writer and he injects a little bit of that far off fantasy land through Ronald’s art, which is translated perfectly on screen.

I’m always fascinated by the creation of Princess Vancetta. When we first see her, she is fully formed, but without a face. Ronald completes the drawing before Vancetta lookalike Babs moves in, but you can see how much care he went into creating his “perfect” woman. And he goes back to her, adding touches of flair when he longs to escape.

What's most interesting though is that while he envisions himself as Prince Norbert, the prince looks nothing like him. Ronald is completely disassociated from himself. I think here we might feel that Ronald is no sociopath, his problem is that he feels too much! Who can’t relate to that?!?

Of course, Babs would never have dated the creepy Ronald Wilby, but there is an instant connection – she is the first one to feel his presence in the house. They are instantly aligned in a way that only complete madness can bond together. The most disturbing romance ever? Perhaps. OK, and a little one sided...

Who doesn’t adore watching the comeuppance of a nosy neighbor: There’s something to be said for having the ability to scare someone to death! Take that, Mrs. Schumacher! I love that Ronald's only response to her death is, “They’ll blame this on me too.” I guess Ronald is starting to broach that sociopath thing!

And, of course, the Money Shot:

Bad Ronald was one of the first movies I reviewed when I started Made for TV Mayhem. You can read that post here, and you can read my review of the excellent novel this TVM was adapted from here.

Bad Ronald also got a high ranking on my top 10 list of the TVM's creepiest characters!

Happy Birthday, Bad Ronald! I know the Woods and the Matthews don't look too kindly on good ol' Ronald, but we love him, don't we?

Bad Ronald Art!

Small Screen Scream Queens of the 1970: A Countdown (Part 2)

Welcome to part two of my love letter to the actresses who made small screen terrors so incredible. Click here for part one of the countdown.

Let's continue, shall we?

20. Diane Baker (1938 - ) - Diane’s unassuming beauty and outward confidence made her a favorite among fans of TV movies. And she left us a lot of films for us to drool over. This brunette starlet always added a little extra class to whatever production she was appearing in. And she was more than just easy on the eyes - It was during the 70s that she was also allowed to spread her wings a little in the world of filmmaking and she produced a couple of noteworthy films, including an ABC Weekend Special titled Portrait of Grandpa Doc! Wow, remember those? Diane is still working today and was most recently seen as Dr. House’s mom on, you guessed it, House!

Scream-O-Meter: 6 

See Diane Scream in:
Do You Take This Stranger (1971) 
A Little Game (1971) 
Killer by Night (1972) 
The Police Story (1973) 
The Last Survivors (1975)  

19. Belinda Montgomery (1950 - ) – Pretty Belinda Montgomery might be the most underrated actress on this list. Not a household name – not even close, Belinda was subtlety fabulous in most of her performances. She shined when she played mousey lost girls, but she could also kick ass as good as anyone else – when she had to. Case in point, Belinda took on Shelly Winters in the TVM classic The Devil’s Daughter. She might not have come out the winner, but she kept swinging until she was down for the count. That’s why we love her.

Scream-O-Meter: 6 

See Belinda Scream in:
Ritual of Evil (1970)
The Devil’s Daughter (1973)
Crime Club (1973)
Murder in Music City (1979)

18. Anne Francis (1930 - 2011) – Beautiful Anne got her start in film in 1947 as the un-credited “bobby soxer” in This Time For Keeps but it wouldn’t take long for this voluptuous blonde to make name for herself. She burned up the small screen in 1965 when she was cast as Honey West in the short lived series. She bounced back and forth between television and theatricals and appeared in several fine small screen films through the 70s, including the excellent mob film Mongo’s Back in Town and Cry Panic with William Forsythe. It looks like television agreed with her and she mostly worked in that medium until her last appearance on Without a Trace in 2004.

Scream-O-Meter: 6

See Anne Scream in:
Haunts of the Very Rich (1972)
Wide World of Mystery: Night Life (1973)
Cry Panic (1974)
The Last Survivors (1975)

17. Andrea Marcovicci (1948 - ) – Multi-talented Marcovicci started her TV Movie life tackling the subject of assault in Cry Rape. She also starred in the pilot for Harry O as well as appearing in several other films and series. But it was her performance as Barbara in the over the top thriller A Vacation in Hell where she played a card carrying man-hater that sealed her fate as a Small Screen Scream Queen. Her chiseled beauty gave Barbara a vulnerability and sadness to the part. Now a singer, Andrea might have left the world of television but we have not forgotten her.

Scream-O-Meter: 6

See Andrea Scream in:
Cry Rape (1973) 
Smile Jenny, You’re Dead (1974) 
Thriller: The Devil’s Web (1975) 
A Vacation in Hell (1979)

16. Vera Miles (1929 - ) – Those cheekbones! One of most subtlety commanding actresses on the list, she’s a bit like her onscreen sister in Psycho, Janet Leigh. Vera was consistently good in any role she took – big or small. Speaking of small, she gave many memorable performances on television, including the bitch from hell in the Columbo episode Lovely but Lethal. Ah, that kind of sums it up, Lovely but Lethal!

Scream-O-Meter: 7 

See Vera Scream in:
A Howling in the Woods (1971) 
Baffled! (1973) 
Runaway! (1973) 
Live Again, Die Again (1974) 
The Underground Man (1974) 
The Strange and Deadly Occurrence (1974) 
Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976) 
Fire! (1977) 

15. Sheree North (1932 – 2005) - Unbelievably sexy and strong, Sheree is easily one of my favorite actresses on this list. She was originally intended to be a replacement (or at least some stiff competition) for Marilyn Monroe when she first broke into pictures. Her career never took her to that level of stardom, but she settled nicely into the role of character actress. And that’s what set her apart - her character. She came across as brazen and confident and most importantly, she was memorable. From Lou Grant’s night club singing girlfriend to Blanche’s troubled sibling on the Golden Girls, Sheree was always the one you gravitated towards. She appeared in several made for television movies, making the small screen just that much more glamorous.

Scream-O-Meter: 7

See Sheree Scream in:
Vanished (1971) 
Snatched (1973) 
Maneater (1973) 
Winter Kill (1974) 
Most Wanted (1976) 
The Night They Took Miss Beautiful (1977) 
Portrait of a Stripper (1979) 

14. Shelly Winters (1920 -2006) – What list is complete without mentioning the amazing Shelly Winters? By the 70s she had swallowed so much scenery you could see the woodchips hanging out of her mouth! She was great fun to watch and could make or a break a film with just her mere presence. An A list actress that brought so much energy to just about everything she did that is made it impossible not get giddy just watching her have fun. Case in point, check out Shelly as the revenge bent housemother in The Initiation of Sarah. Going from dowdy to insane monster, she was like a Porsche revving from zero to sixty. But aside from her boisterous performances, Shelly could also draw the audience in with an unspoken compassion, which she did in the underrated and obscure thriller Revenge. Yeah, she was going to hack Bradford Dillman into tiny bits, but he had it coming, I tell ya! The world will not ever know another creature as divine as Ms. Winters.

Scream-O-Meter: 7

See Shelly Scream in:
Revenge (1971) 
The Devil’s Daughter (1973) 
The Initiation of Sarah (1978) 

13. Patty Duke (1946 - ) – She may have come across all sweet and adorable as identical cousins on The Patty Duke Show, but this actress was up for far more serious fare. Just check her out as Neely O’Hara in Valley of the Dolls if you don’t believe me! Patty got to spread her wings a little bit more on the small screen. Her adorable girl-next-door looks often betrayed the storm that was brewing underneath. She got a chance to flex those dark powers in the muddled thriller She Waits, but with little effect. Luckily, it looked like she was just biding her time and finally got a bona fide chance to scare us with several television movies in the late 70s. She starred in the ponderous Look What Happened to Rosemary’s Baby as Rosemary. Not a bad part, only in this story, the son of Satan had gone on to become a, gulp, rock musician! I’m shaking now! Her film choices might not have been stellar, but Patty’s persistence at putting in a good performance enchanted horror fans forever!

Scream-O-Meter: 7

See Patty Scream in:
She Waits (1972) 
Nightmare (1974) 
Curse of the Black Widow (1977) 
Killer on Board (1977) 
The Swarm (1978) 
Hanging by a Thread (1979) 

12. Karen Black (1939 - 2013) – Karen only made a couple of TV horror movies, but she broke the mold as Amelia, the bookish mommy’s girl who accidentally unleashes a deadly spirit lurking inside of a doll - a Zuni Fetish doll. Yeah, that’s right. You remember. You remember Trilogy of Terror well. One of the most famous segments in television history and one of my favorite childhood memories was seeing that little doll stab Karen’s toes! Karen might have gone on to play Mama Firefly in House of 1,000 Corpses but she had already sealed her Scream Queen status back in 1975!

Scream-O-Meter: 7

See Karen Scream in:
Trilogy of Terror (1975) 
The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver (1977) 

11. Eve Plumb (1958 - ) – Eve is best know as the whiny middle daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Brady on The Brady Bunch. However, as much as she longed to be “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha,” Eve got to take on some fairly interesting roles in her childhood and teens, which separated her from the rest of her TV clan. She started off awfully young in The House on Greenapple Road and then kept it up all the way to the infamous cult television movie Dawn: Portrait of a Runaway.

Scream-O-Meter: 7

See Eve Scream in:
House on Greenapple Road (1970) 
Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (1976) 
Force of Evil (1976) 
Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn (1977) 
Telethon (1977) 
Secrets of Three Hungry Wives (1978) 

Don't forget to stop by on July 18th for the the Top Ten Small Screen Scream Queens post! 

Small Screen Scream Queens of the 1970s: The Countdown (Part One)

Note: this article first appeared on Pretty Scary's website, which is sadly no more. Because of its length, I am splitting it up into three parts, and making it a countdown, although my rankings are somewhat arbitrary. There will also be a new follow up piece featuring a few more actresses I feel deserve a little bit of love. Enjoy! 

It would be difficult to pin a label on the women mentioned in this article. All are gorgeous, strong, and smart and each imbues something unique that made them so original in the first place. But one fact ties these vixens, girls-next-door, spinsters and housewives together - All are Small Screen Scream Queens. From 1970-1979 this fine assortment of talented ladies took over the boob-tube (pun intended!) and created memories long held dear by latch key kids everywhere.

Moreover, they became icons of an era sadly long since passed. The Made for TV movies of the 70s provided a unique contribution to the genre and have actually created a sub-genre all their own.

Just what makes a Small Screen Scream Queen, you ask? Since not much attention has been given to this sect of pop-culture, I though I’d explore the qualifications here.

First, she should be in more than one TV Thriller/Horror movie and should hold some sort of iconic stature within the genre. This of course is flexible since so many recollections of these long-forgotten (by some, at least) films are based mostly on childhood memories.

Second, the characters should be strong. They can also be kooky, flighty, funny, serious, sexy, irritating, etc, but they must overcome the odds (or at least try pretty damn hard) to complete the task at hand and rid the world of ‘The Evil.’

And finally, these women should be hot, hot, HAWT!

Although my foray into the world of 70s TVM horror is constantly expanding (the more you know the less you know, right?), I give to you a list of women who represent the finest the small screen had to offer. Perfect diction, impeccably dressed, an ability maintain an extravagant lifestyle with no means of income (i.e. what exactly was their job?) and strong as hell, these women ain’t gonna take it any more!

A total of 34 actresses made my list, 3 of which were honorable Mentions simply because they had not made enough genre TVMs to qualify, but I loved their work in what they did, and heck, this is my list. So, going backwards, to #1 (based on a Scream-O-Meter I devised, mostly for laughs), here we go:

Honorable Mentions

Valerie Harper (1940 - ) – Harper charmed the world as the optimistically single Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. That got her a show titled after her character but her genre TV Movie credits proved she was an actress capable of something other than comedy. Night Terror still remains one of the creepiest films ever to grace the small screen. Hapless (and fairly helpless) housewife Carol Turner crosses the desert plains en route to her hubby only to be stopped by a crazed gun dealer with a voice box (I ain’t making this up kids!). When she witnesses a murder, it begins a chase across the great divide. And we were glued to our seats!

See Valerie Scream in:

Night Terror (1977)

Olivia DeHavilland (1916 - ) – A living legend., Olivia’s grace and beauty insured her A list status when she wowed audiences in Gone with the Wind. Although she maintained an eventful career, she seemed to work only when it suited her, before retiring in 1988. The small screen embraced her during her twilight years and she appeared in such noteworthy works as Roots and North and South. But it was her performance as Laura in The Screaming Woman that gets her name on this list. An eerie and simple film, Olivia brought a sense of old school talent and like all great actresses practically carried the movie on her back. Her elegance helped push an undemanding film up from the depths of made for TV hell.

See Olivia Scream in:
The Screaming Woman (1972) 

Denise Nicholas (1944 - ) – Denise only made on TV thriller, but in it she gets to play a Final Girl who is a call girl! Hats off to Denise for always bringing depth to her parts!

See Denise Scream in:
Five Desperate Women (1971) 

The List

31. Sian Barbara Allen (1946) – Oddly pretty Sian is probably best known as Jenny Pendleton, John Boy’s first love on The Waltons. She spent the better part of the decade working on television, spinning her deceptively alluring charms, before she disappeared into relative obscurity. We miss you!

Scream-O-Meter: 5

See Sian Scream in:
The Scarecrow (1972) 
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) 
Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976) 

30. Pamela Franklin (1950 - ) – Petite and pretty Pamela dreamed of becoming a dancer but fell into acting. She was no stranger to horror either – her film debut came in 1961 in a version of Henry James classic novel Turn of the Screw called The Innocents. She worked on through the 70s before retiring in 1981. Happily married and enjoying life out of the spotlight, Pamela left just enough good horror on her resume to leave fans wanting more.

Scream-O-Meter: 5

See Pamela Scream in:
Satan’s School for Girls (1973) 
Thriller: Write Home Mom, I’m Dead (1975)
Thriller: Screamer (1974) 

29. Connie Selleca (1955 - ) – This gorgeous brunette is probably best known as playing Mr. Hanley’s prettiest pal on The Greatest American Hero in 1981, but by that time, Connie had already racked up an impressive list of credits. She didn’t get started until 1978, but made up for lost time with her debut as the beautiful and cursed water nymph in the mystical TVM The Bermuda Depths. Less a horror film than a dark fairy tale, Depths is one of the most haunting television movies of its time.

Scream-O-Meter: 5 

See Connie Scream in:
The Bermuda Depths (1978)
She’s Dressed to Kill (1979)

28. Barbara Stanwyck (1907 – 1990) – Barbara effortlessly moved her Oscar nominated career into television, even starring in her own anthology show (The Barbara Stanwyck Show, 1960). In the 70s, she only starred in two made for television thrillers, but like many of the golden greats listed above, she brought richness to roles that might otherwise be considered secondary in a lesser actor’s hands. After these movies she took her popular character Conny Colby Patterson to from Dynasty to The Colbys.

Scream-O-Meter: 5

See Barbara Scream in:
The House that Would Not Die (1970)
Taste of Evil (1971)

27. Barbara Rush (1927 - ) – This A List actress starred along side such tasty leading men as Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and Richard Burton in the 50s, but settled for the small screen in the 70s. She still got to support the talents of scrumptious men like Paul Burke, Bradford Dillman, and George Hamilton and her charm brought that sense of strength films with titles like Death Car on the Freeway so richly needed.

Scream-O-Meter: 5

See Barbara Scream in:
The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972) 
Moon of the Wolf (1972) 
Crime Club (1973) 
Death Car on the Freeway (1979) 

26. Linda Blair (1959 - ) – Bubbly little Linda Blair has never been a stranger to the darker side of cinema. When she was just knee high to Satan, she was spitting up pea soup and it made her a household name. Linda also starred in some great television movies, and always played the spunky teen (except when she was raped with a broom handle in Born Innocent! That kind of took the spunk right out of her!). Her adorable curly locks and sweet as pie smile made her America’s Sweetheart of the Macabre, a title she richly deserves.

Scream-O-Meter: 6

See Linda Scream in:
Born Innocent (1974) 
Sarah T.: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic (1975) 
Sweet Hostage (1975) 
Stranger in our House (aka Summer of Fear, 1978) 

25. Kim Darby (1947 - ) – Untypical of the normal Hollywood starlet, Darby set about finding fame by playing unique characters that served a purpose other than eye candy. She found fame as the tomboy cowgirl in True Grit, winning accolades. She only appeared in two genre TV Movies, the first being the ineffectual Francis Ford Coppola supernatural tale The People. But her second attempt at a paranormal thriller marked her iconic stature. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark remains one of the most sought after TV Movies of that era. Darby plays a dowdy housewife who runs afoul of some devilish little creatures in her new abode. Darby’s performance of a woman quietly being driven mad is only heightened by the movie’s gut-punch ending. It only took this one movie for Darby to steal the bloodied hearts of TVM nuts everywhere.

Scream-O- Meter: 6 

See Kim Scream in:
The People (1972) 
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) 

24. Julie Harris (1925 - 2013) – Wonderfully awkward Harris was perfect at playing spinsters. Her plain yet compelling looks personified loneliness. And she was a highly praised actress by the time she moved over to the small screen. Having already won the hearts of horror hounds with her elegantly painful performance in The Haunting, she seemed a perfect choice for put-upon, lonesome characters fighting against the grain. You instantly wanted to take her home, give her a cup of tea and let her know it was going to be alright. But Harris was alright; in fact she was better than alright. Though she only appeared in a few TVM thrillers, she chose them wisely and has endeared herself to fans world over.

Julie’s Scream-O-Meter: 6

See Julie Scream in:
The House on Greenapple Road (1970) 
How Awful About Allan (1970) 
Home for the Holidays (1972) 

23. Jessica Walter (1941 - ) – Jessica played the psycho-bitch from hell in Clint Eastwood’s mini-masterpiece Play Misty for Me and it made her a star. Her depth of effortless maliciousness also spread over to the small screen where she contributed to some bona fide scares. Julie’s incredible performance as drunken Freddie in Home for the Holidays insured her place in television movie infamy. She even took on the Women in Prison subgenre in the tele-film Women in Chains, which starred Ida Lupino as an evil warden and another Small Screen Scream Queen, Belinda Montgomery! And that was just the beginning. Ms. Walter stayed away from television exploitation for awhile but came back with a bang in the ultra-glamorous small screen slasher She’s Dressed to Kill. She then went on to play Robert Mandan’s bitchy ex in the Three’s Company spin-off Three’s a Crowd! Now that’s scary!

Scream-O-Meter: 6

See Jessica Scream in:
Home for the Holidays (1972) 
Women in Chains (1971) 
She’s Dressed to Kill (1979) 

22. Janet Leigh (1927 – 2004) – Ms. Leigh was already an established Scream Queen when her time in television movies rolled around, with the most famous shower scene in history. On the small screen, she didn’t shriek quite as loudly, but still brought that sense of dignity to every production she appeared in.

Scream-O-Meter: 6 

See Janet Scream in:
House on Greenapple Road (1970) 
Deadly Dream (1971) 
Murder at the World Series (1977) 
Telethon (1977) 

21. Gretchen Corbett (1947 - ) - The name might not ring a bell, but Gretchen was all over the airwaves in the 70s. Her odd beauty and whip smart sensibilities made her a favorite recurring character on The Rockford Files (she played his lawyer Beth Davenport). She also graced other remarkable TV series from that decade such as Columbo, McMillan and Wife, and Banacek (all of those shows that aired under the moniker The NBC Mystery Wheel). She was no stranger to horror either. She started off early with an appearance in John Hancock’s masterpiece Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, but it was the small screen that kept beckoning. She was featured in both The Savage Bees and the glamorous television thriller She’s Dressed to Kill. For whatever reason, Gretchen never became the huge star we know she should have been, but the filmmography she left behind would make even the most seasoned actors jealous.

Scream-O-Meter: 6

See Gretchen Scream in:
The Cay (1974) 
Knuckle (1975) 
The Savage Bees (1976) 
Mandrake (1979) 
She’s Dressed to Kill (1979) 

Stay tuned for part 2, which will be posted on July 16th!