Searching for a costume idea this year that’s both nostalgic and iconic? Here’s a list of some female characters from old-school, Halloween-themed movies and television shows that are sure to strike as inspiration for you.
Lily Munster
In 1964, CBS began airing a popular sitcom featuring a traditional, nuclear family that consisted of famous Universal Studios horror characters called The Munsters, featuring Frankenstein, Count Dracula, and the Wolfman. While there were plenty of other sitcoms during the time that showed a conventional, entirely human family, the show was created to show a family that might look a little odd but is still viewed as a supportive one.
The matriarch of the family, Lily Munster, was a mix between a classic vampire with nods to the Bride of Frankenstein with her classic white streak in her long black hair. She was portrayed by Yvonne de Carlo and played the role for the entirety of the series’ run, which ended after two seasons. However, the character of Lily Munster wasn’t written into the series until after the first pilot episode aired.
According to a documentary that was produced about the show, it was instead supposed to be another woman named Phoebe Munster whose style resembled Morticia Addams, and was to be played by Joan Marshall. Because of the two characters’ similarities, the character was re-written and de Carlo was cast, and she used Donna Reed as a main inspiration behind Lily. While de Carlo had gained much attention as a movie star, she was happy to be given a role in television and attract a younger fan base.
Although The Munsters did not have a significantly long air time, the characters resurfaced in a recent film directed by Rob Zombie detailing the family’s origins. The show still remains a staple in 60s prime-time comedy for its creativity and statements on being inclusive.
Morticia Addams
Back in the late 1930’s, Charles Addams published the first comic strips of The Addams Family for The New Yorker. Addams was always interested in the macabre and wanted to create a fictional family that also expressed that. After the comic’s success, a sitcom was aired in the 60s, a competing show to The Munsters.
The character of Morticia Addams has spanned throughout the years with different portrayals while maintaining the same gothic, femme fatale style. Carolyn Jones was the first to originate the role in The Addams Family sitcom series, and because of this opportunity, she specifically enjoyed having the freedom to bring the character to life herself, according to Vogue France.
In the popular 90s adapted films, The Addams Family and Addams Family Values, Anjelica Huston took on the role and the character was given a make-over. In order to make Huston’s look more dynamic compared to Jones’ in the sitcom, her cheekbones were stretched with tape and she wore false eyelashes in addition to long false nails.
Since then, while further adaptations weren’t commercially successful, the Addams Family has become a Halloween staple. With various families deciding to dress up as them for the holiday or even having theatre companies and high schools perform the musical that premiered on Broadway in 2010, the spooky family continues to live on.
Elvira
In the 80s, Cassandra Peterson originated the character of Elvira, a campy and wise-cracking vampire-like hostess who broadcasted B-roll horror film screenings in her show Elvira’s Movie Macabre. Originally, the plan was to revive the character Vampira, who played a similar role in the 1950s and was portrayed by Maila Nurmi. However, due to her older age, Peterson was offered to take on the revival with a new character that reflected the current times.
Elvira’s looks are similar to Vampira’s but with an 80s spin. Her classic, beehive hairstyle is said to be inspired by Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the 60s girl group, The Ronnettes. Her plunging black dress and long nails completed the look, along with her thick winged eyeliner and signature closing saying: “unpleasant dreams.”
After her TV success, the 1988 film Elvira: Mistress of the Dark became a cult classic due to its dark and campy humour. Peterson was set on doing a sequel and produced and co-wrote Elvira’s Haunted Hills. Through the film’s pre-release screenings, they were able to use those sales to help benefit AIDS charities. Aside from the screen, Elvira was also featured in her own comic book series.
While there haven’t been any revivals of Elvira in years, Cassandra Peterson is still very much attached to the character that she helped bring to life, and her sarcastic and witty humour shines through when she steps into character.
Carrie white
Stephen King introduced the world to the blood-soaked prom queen back in 1974 when he published Carrie as a novelette, which brought him great success as an author. The story followed Carrie White, an outcast who was tormented by her classmates, and how she finally got revenge during her high school prom by using her newfound, destructive telekinetic powers after having pig blood dumped on her, right after winning prom queen.
The idea behind his story started when King brought together two completely odd and different ideas – a communal shower and telekinetic powers. More specifically, King conjured up the famous shower room scene while scrubbing a female shower when working as a janitor, and came across an article that suggested that adolescent girls could potentially have telekinesis.
After the story’s success and popularity, a film adaptation was released in 1976 starring Sissy Spacek and is considered a cult classic in the horror genre. In her audition for the film, Spacek arrived appearing disheveled like the novel’s main character as a form of method acting, which scored her the role. The famous pig blood scene actually involved Karo syrup and food dye, and because of how sticky it was, Spacek would have to shower with her dress on in order to get it off. In 2007, a remake of the film was released starring Chloë Grace Moretz.
Another little-known fact about Carrie was that it was adapted into a stage musical in 1988, however, it was considered a flop and was short-lived. Up until 2008, an off-Broadway production resurfaced and released a cast recording including new songs.
To this day, Carrie’s signature prom look remains a popular Halloween costume choice and the film is still enjoyed by many horror and Stephen King fans.