Author | Cassandra Peterson |
---|---|
Audio read by | Cassandra Peterson |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Subject | Memoir |
Publisher | Hachette Book Group |
Publication date | September 22, 2021 |
Media type | Print (Hardcover, E-book) and Audiobook |
Pages | 272 pp |
ISBN | 9780306874352 |
OCLC | 1240266593 |
Website | Official website |
Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark is a 2021 memoir by Cassandra Peterson. For the first time, Peterson opens up about her personal life, her experiences in showbusiness, and the creation of her iconic character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. The release of the book coincided with the character's 40th anniversary and scored a spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. [1]
Peterson revealed that her memoir was 15 years in the making. In wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic that she was finally able to sit down and finish it as her gigs for 2020 were cancelled. [2] Peterson, who had the reputation for being guarded when it came to her personal life gave bits and pieces about her early days in showbusiness in interviews. The reaction from these stories lead to people telling her that she should write a book. "I've told these stories to friends for, you know, 100 years, and they're all like, 'Oh, my God, you have to write about this! This is insane!' It really happened, and they just can't believe that." [3] Peterson also admitted to feeling vulnerable when it came to releasing the book saying, "I do have things where I will wake up in the middle of night and have a slight panic attack going on, [thinking]: 'People are gonna hate me. Nobody's gonna talk to me. My fans don't like me.' I do have moments like that. Then there’s the other side of it, where it’s just a feeling that people should know this stuff." [3] While she was worried about revealing that she was in a relationship with a woman, Peterson said that it felt "very liberating and a real relief." [4] She further explained her hesitation revealing her relationship explaining that she feared for her career, her livelihood, and the public being unable to separate Cassandra from Elvira. At the same she says that she felt like a hypocrite. [5]
The memoir documents Peterson's humble beginnings, her turbulent relationship with her mother, and her venture into showbusiness. The scars she received after suffering third-degree burns over 35% of her body left her feeling self-conscious, something she continues to deal with today. The memoir also recounts her abusive relationship with her ex-husband and former manager, Mark Pierson, and what finally led to their divorce after 21 years of marriage. Peterson reveals the sexual harassment she received as a young actress in the industry as well as being raped on two occasions. The book alleges that professional basketball player Wilt Chamberlain, who had been a friend, raped her in the 1970s. [6] She acknowledges posing for Playgirl with model Bill Cable but curiously, though widely publicized, excludes having also posed with famed actor and model Paul Barresi in the March 1975 sellout issue of the popular women's magazine. Her career as a horror-hostess and the creation of Elvira is discussed. Peterson also reveals that she's been in a same-sex relationship for 19 years.
The book debuted at #4 on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and #2 on Los Angeles Times Best Sellers list. [7] [8]
Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player who played as a center, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the University of Kansas and for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing in the NBA. Chamberlain stood 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall, and weighed 250 pounds (110 kg) as a rookie before gaining up to 275 pounds (125 kg) and later to over 300 pounds (140 kg) with the Lakers.
Cassandra Gay Peterson is an American actress, writer and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV in her stage persona as Elvira, hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre, a weekly B movie presentation.
Maila Elizabeth Niemi, known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress and television personality who created the campy 1950s character Vampira.
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Elvira's Haunted Hills is a 2001 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Irvin and written by Cassandra Peterson and John Paragon. It is the second film starring Peterson in the title role, after the 1988 theatrical release Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. The film also stars Richard O'Brien and Mary Scheer.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by James Signorelli. In the character's feature film debut, eccentric horror hostess Elvira inherits a house that is nestled in the heart of an overtly prudish community. The screenplay was written by Peterson, John Paragon, and Sam Egan.
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Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is a horror adventure/role-playing video game developed by Horror Soft and released by Accolade in 1990 for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and MS-DOS computers. It was Horror Soft's second published game after 1989's Personal Nightmare and stars the actress Cassandra Peterson as her character Elvira.
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Elvira's Movie Macabre, or simply Movie Macabre, is an American hosted horror movie television program that originally aired from 1981 to 1986. The show features B movies, particularly those in the horror and science fiction genres, and is hosted by Elvira, a character with a black dress and heaven bump hairstyle, played by Cassandra Peterson. Elvira occasionally interrupts the films with comments and jokes, and in some episodes receives phone calls from a character called "the Breather".
"October the 31st" is an episode of the American television series The Fall Guy, starring Lee Majors. This episode first appeared on October 31, 1984. The episode features two guest stars: veteran horror movie actor John Carradine and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Carradine's sons Keith, Robert, and David Carradine make a cameo appearance in a scene with their father.
Encounter in the Third Dimension is a 3-D film directed by Ben Stassen and Sean McLeod Phillips. It was released in the US on March 31, 1999. It has been shown in 3-D theaters and released on DVD with 3-D glasses, in both 2-D and 3-D format.
Life with My Sister Madonna is an autobiography by American dancer, choreographer and tour director Christopher Ciccone and author Wendy Leigh. The book is a memoir about Ciccone's relationship with his sister, American singer Madonna, and was released on July 14, 2008 by Simon Spotlight Entertainment. A tell-all book, it details Ciccone's life spent with Madonna, and unknown aspects of the singer's life. The relationship between Ciccone and Madonna had deteriorated over the years, following the singer's refusal to employ him as her tour director. Writing the book was a catharsis for him and he contacted Leigh. Together they developed the project secretly and offered it to Simon Spotlight Entertainment for publication.
The Sun and Her Flowers is Rupi Kaur's second collection of poetry, published in 2017. It is composed of five chapters, with illustrations by the author.
"Zombie Killer" is a song performed by American recording artist Leslie Hall, recorded for her debut studio album, Door Man's Daughter (2006). Hall solely wrote and produced the track, and it serves as the third song in the album.
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