Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Director:

James Signorelli

Writers (WGA):

Sam Egan (written by) &
John Paragon (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 September 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Elvira makes her Big Screem Debut in her Hot New Comedy.

Plot:

When her Great Aunt dies, famed horror hostess Elvira heads for the uptight New England town of Falwell to claim her inheritance of a haunted house...

Plot Keywords:

Inheritance | Hostess | Spell Book | Mob Scene | Cult Comedy

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Phil Rubenstein	...	Director
Larry Flash Jenkins	...	Technical Director
Cassandra Peterson	...	Elvira (as Elvira)
Damita Jo Freeman	...	Associate Producer
Tress MacNeille	...	Anchorwoman
Edwina Moore	...	Hairdresser
Mario Celario	...	Rudy
Lee McLaughlin	...	Earl Hooter
Bill Swearingen	...	Cameraman
Charles Woolf	...	Manny
William Dance	...	Messenger
William Cort	...	Lawyer / Game Show Host
Sharon Hays	...	Game Show Girl
Bill Cable	...	Cop
John Paragon	...	Gas Station Attendant
Joseph Arias	...	Hitchhiker
Edie McClurg	...	Chastity Pariah
Kris Kamm	...	Randy
Scott Morris	...	Sean
Ira Heiden	...	Bo
Bill Morey	...	Mr. Rivers
Pat Crawford Brown	...	Mrs. Meeker
William Duell	...	Lesley Meeker
Ellen Dunning	...	Robin Meeker
Jeff Conaway	...	Travis
Frank Collison	...	Billy
Daniel Greene	...	Bob Redding
Susan Kellermann	...	Patty
Lynne Marie Stewart	...	Bartender (as Lynn Stewart)
Deryl Carroll	...	Charlie
Marie Sullivan	...	Mrs. Morissey
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Vincent Talbot (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
Jack Fletcher	...	Mr. Bigelow
Gonk	...	Gonk
Robert Benedetti	...	Calvin Cobb
Kurt Fuller	...	Mr. Glotter
Kate Brown	...	Anita
Hugh Gillin	...	Sheriff
Eve Smith	...	Little Old Lady
Raleigh Bond	...	Minister
Tony Burrier	...	Las Vegas Dancer
Alan Dewames	...	Las Vegas Dancer
Tim Hill	...	Las Vegas Dancer
James Hogan	...	Las Vegas Dancer (as James P. Hogan)
Alex Magno	...	Las Vegas Dancer (as Alexandre Magno)
Sebastian Russell	...	Las Vegas Dancer
Read Scot	...	Las Vegas Dancer
James Zyzack Sterling	...	Las Vegas Dancer
Peter Blanco Jr.	...	Las Vegas Rapper
Gabriel Colbert	...	Las Vegas Rapper
Michael A. Jackson	...	Las Vegas Rapper
Derek Givens	...	Las Vegas Muscle Man
Deron McBee	...	Las Vegas Muscle Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark David Fritsche	...	Young Man at Game Show (uncredited)
Dick Miller	...	Sgt. Neil (archive footage) (uncredited)
Terry Ray	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
James Signorelli

Writing credits (WGA)
Sam Egan		(written by) &
John Paragon		(written by) &
Cassandra Peterson		(written by)

Produced by
Eric Gardner	....	producer
Mark Pierson	....	producer
Michael I. Rachmil	....	executive producer (as Michael Rachmil)
Joel Thurm	....	supervising producer

Original Music by
James B. Campbell		(as James Campbell)

Cinematography by
Hanania Baer		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Battle Davis

Casting by
Dennis Erdman

Production Design by
John DeCuir Jr.		(as John De Cuir Jr.)

Set Decoration by
Bruce A. Gibeson

Costume Design by
Betsy Heimann

Makeup Department
Robin Beauchesne	....	key makeup artist
Steve LaPorte	....	special makeup artist: "Vincent" (as Steve La Porte)
Lisa Meyers	....	key hair stylist
Pamela S. Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Dorothy J. Bailey	....	post-production supervisor
Robert Latham Brown	....	production manager: additional scenes
Cleve Landsberg	....	unit production manager
William F. Phillips	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Anderson	....	first assistant director: Las Vegas
Steve Danton	....	second assistant director: Las Vegas
Michael Lange	....	second unit director
Paul Moen	....	first assistant director
Nilo Otero	....	second assistant director
Patricia Dyer Walden	....	second second assistant director (as Patricia Dyer)

Art Department
Ron Ashmore	....	standby painter (as Ronald Ashmore)
Dennis Cripps	....	assistant prop master (as Dennis R. Cripps)
Robert Dottini	....	leadman (as Robert I. Dottini)
David Durand	....	concept sketches
Beverli Eagan	....	set designer
Alfonso Goris	....	greensman
Art Lipschultz	....	property master
Stacey S. McIntosh	....	construction coordinator (as Stacey McIntosh)
Lisa Neil	....	art department assistant
Jim Zemansky	....	property master: second unit
David Russell	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Nick Alphin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dwayne Avery	....	sound editor
Patrick Bietz	....	assistant sound editor
Duke Brown	....	foley editor (as Duke L. Brown)
Duncan Burns	....	sound editor (as Duncan James Burns)
Gonzo Cervantes	....	assistant sound editor (as Gonzo)
Gail Clark Burch	....	adr editor (as Gail Clark)
Jeff Clark	....	post-production sound supervisor
Jim Cook	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael P. Cook	....	sound editor
Ed Fassl	....	sound editor (as Ed F. Fassl)
Al Gomez	....	foley mixer
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Allen Hurd	....	sound recordist
Jerry Jacobson	....	supervising adr editor (as Jerry M. Jacobson)
Adam Johnston	....	sound editor
James Koford	....	sound editor
Bill Nelson	....	sound mixer (as William Nelson)
Kevin Rockey	....	foley stepper
Kenneth Schwarz	....	cable person
Charles C. Simmons	....	apprentice sound editor (as Chuck C. Simmons)
Joseph G. Sorokin	....	sound editor
Jules Strasser	....	boom operator
Gretchen Thoma	....	assistant sound editor
Clancy T. Troutman	....	foley stepper
Kyle Wright	....	sound editor
David Lewis Yewdall	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Chris Burton	....	assistant special effects
Dennis Dion	....	special effects coordinator
Richard L. Hill	....	assistant special effects (as Rick Hill)
Richard Ratliff	....	special effects
Yancy Calzada	....	monster sculptor (uncredited)
Joerg Fiederer	....	puppeteer (uncredited)
Larry Odien	....	mechanical effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Clint Colver	....	animation supervisor
Peter Donen	....	visual effects supervisor
Roger Dorney	....	optical effects supervisor (as R. William Dorney)
Marti Julian	....	animation assistant
Stephanie Lesner	....	animation assistant (as Stephanie Lessner)
Nick G. Linardos	....	optical lineup
Harry Moreau	....	animator
Jerry Pooler	....	optical camera
Kathleen Quaife-Hodge	....	animator
John R. Shourt	....	animation assistant (as John Shourt)
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer (uncredited)
Larry Nikolai	....	visual effects illustrator (uncredited)
Joseph Yanuzzi	....	visual effects editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Pete Antico	....	stunt player
Rick Avery	....	stunt player
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunt player
Geoff Brewer	....	stunt player (as Geof Brewer)
Anthony Cecere	....	stunt player
Monty Cox	....	stunt coordinator
Eurlyne Epper	....	stunt player
Jeannie Epper	....	stunt player
Jack Gill	....	stunt player
Sandra Lee Gimpel	....	stunt player (as Sandra Gimpel)
Ted Gincig	....	stunt player
Johnny Hock	....	stunt player (as John Hock)
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunt player (as Thomas J. Huff)
Steve Hulin	....	stunt player
Rosemary Johnston	....	stunt player
Matt McColm	....	stunt player
Kathleen O'Haco	....	stunt player
William R. Perry	....	stunt player
Jim J. Poslof	....	stunt player (as James J. Poslof)
Anna Rapagna	....	stunt player (as Anna Maria Rapagna)
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunt player
Edward J. Ulrich	....	stunt player
Jack West	....	stunt player
Victoria Bowes	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Richard Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Barcroft	....	best boy grip
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Pat Blymyer	....	chief lighting technician (as Patrick R. Blymyer)
Mark Buckalew	....	chief lighting technician
Dan Elsasser	....	first assistant camera
Paul Ferrara	....	key grip
Bob Fillis	....	assistant lighting technician (as Robert A. Fillis)
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip (as Antonio Garrido)
George Halverson	....	best boy grip
Warren Kroeger	....	assistant lighting technician
John R. Leonetti	....	camera operator
Matthew F. Leonetti	....	additional photographer (as Matthew Leonetti)
John J. Linder	....	key grip (as John Linder)
Craig Morse	....	second assistant camera
Edmondo Sepulveda	....	dolly grip (as Edmundo Sepulveda)
Randy Shanofsky	....	assistant camera
Dennis Smith	....	camera operator
Michael St. Hilaire	....	camera operator
Stephen J. Ullman	....	second assistant camera (as Stephen Ullman)
Michael D. Weldon	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Weldon)

Casting Department
Bill Dance	....	extras casting coordinator (as William Dance)
Betsy Fels	....	casting secretary (as Elizabeth Fels)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Berdell	....	costumer
Theresa Laursen	....	costumer (as Theresa V. Laursen)
Peter Menefee	....	costume designer: Las Vegas sequence (as Pete Menefee)
Andrea E. Weaver	....	costume supervisor (as Andrea Weaver)

Editorial Department
Lynn Abroms	....	apprentice editor
J. Benjamin Chulay	....	assistant editor (as Benjamin Chulay)
Jere Huggins	....	additional film editor
Neil Kirk	....	assistant editor
Michael S. Murphy	....	additional film editor
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Steven Rosenblum	....	additional film editor
Glenn Suffern	....	negative cutter
David Block	....	colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Ronald Gertz	....	music supervisor (as Ron Gertz)
Jim Harrison	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
Mike Doyle	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Tony Angellotti	....	public relations
Adrianna Bernard	....	production assistant
Patricia Birch	....	choreographer: Las Vegas number
Patsy Bouge	....	assistant: Mr. Signorelli
Doña Davis-Clarke	....	choreographer: "Maniac"
Leigh French	....	adr group coordinator
Janis Gardner	....	publicity coordinator: Queen 'B' Productions
Sharon Hays	....	assistant: Ms. Peterson
Laura Hoffman	....	production coordinator
Andree Juviler	....	location manager
Karin McElhatton	....	animal trainer (as Karin Dew)
Rebecca Milgrom	....	production assistant
Lillie Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Thurm
Rick Sherrill	....	assistant auditor
Patti Small	....	assistant auditor
Christine Soteros	....	craft service
Rhonda Super	....	assistant: Mr. Signorelli
Marilyn Tasso	....	production auditor
Robin Toncre	....	assistant: Mr. Rachmil
Frank Tudisco	....	script supervisor
Murray Weissman	....	public relations
Michael Zack	....	assistant: Mr. Pierson
A.J. Block	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Roger Corman	....	director: archive footage (uncredited)
Brad Stephens	....	publicist (uncredited)
William Wallace Ward III	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Robert Redding	....	in loving memory of (as Robert Allen Redding)

Production Companies

• NBC Productions
• New World Pictures
• Panacea Entertainment
• Queen B Productions (produced in association with) (as Queen 'B' Productions)

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Antarès et Travelling (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• Esplanade Filmverleih (1988) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Highlight Video (1988) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• NBC Enterprises (2001-) (USA) (broadcast tv)
• New World Entertainment Films (1995-1997) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Television (1997-) (USA) (cable TV)
• Warner Bros. Television (1997-2001) (USA) (broadcast TV)

Special Effects

• Apogee Productions (visual effects produced by)
• Doug Beswick Productions Inc. (special makeup effects)

Other Companies

• Buena Vista Sound Studios  re-recording facility
• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)  color (as CFI)
• Klasky-Csupo  main title design (as Klasky Csupo, Inc.)
• Leonetti Cine Rentals  provider: Ultracam camera, lenses and equipment
• NBC Production Staff, The  special thanks to
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex camera (as Panavision®)
• Queen B Productions  "Elvira" and "Mistress of the Dark" are the trademarks of (as Queen 'B' Productions)
• Segue Music  music editing
• Sync-Pop  post-production sound editing
• The Clearing House Ltd.  music clearances

Also Known As:

"Elvira" - Philippines (English title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

637 S Lucerne Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

NBC Productions

Trivia:

Cassandra Peterson's personal hand and body double for the film was Susan McNabb who was later assumed to be Cassandra's sister at hundreds of Elvira's public appearances. Susan retired as Cassandra's personal assistant in 2005 after nearly 20 years.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Vincent is chasing Elvira near the end of the movie, he has a bloody hole in his forehead from Elvira's stiletto heel as he slips through the cemetery gates, but she hasn't thrown it at him yet.

Quotes:

Earl Hooter:[Grabbing Elvira's breasts] It's milkin' time!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Prime Suspect 2 (1992) (TV)

Soundtrack:

New World Symphony

Perfect Movie of it's Type

I don't doubt that the critics panned this movie, especially the artsy fartsys who need a laxative. This is a great vehicle movie in the tradition of Abbot & Costello or more recently Don Knotts. It won't shake the world or change movies forever. What it will do is entertain. When all is said & done that's the most important thing anyway. Watch this movie & forget your troubles. It even has a simple & kind moral message at no extra charge. I always loved Elvira's TV show when I lived in LA. She did not really steal her schtick from Vampira any more than Vampira did from the original, Theda Bara. This sort of mythic character belongs to whoever does it best; & Cassandra Peterson does it best. Long live Elvira; we need more of these kind of movies. There are never enough. The villain, William Morgan Sheppard, was also excellent. He exudes a wonderful refined malice. I could find no technical faults. The execution is as close to flawless as the art form gets. My profound compliments to the director,James Signorelli,& all his crew.