ELVIRA'S SELLING OFF HER STASH

You can't say that Cassandra Peterson isn't a sharp businesswoman. With the current buzz around her new book, what better time than to unload her personal collection of items from her life and career as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark? The lucky auctioneer is Julien's and the huge trove of Miss Peterson's memorabilia is going live this December 4th. Now's your chance to own a piece of Evira's . . . history.

Event Details:

JULIEN'S AUCTIONS IS PROUD TO PRESENT "PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK", AN AUCTION TAKING PLACE IN BEVERLY HILLS AND LIVE ONLINE AT JULIEN'S LIVE ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4TH

Julien’s Auctions, the world-record breaking auction house to the stars, has announced its spine-tingling event "Property From The Collection of Elvira, Mistress of The Dark", taking place on Saturday, December 4th, in Beverly Hills and live online at juliensauctions.com.

The exclusive auction celebration of the career of American actress, writer, singer, pop culture icon and sex symbol, Cassandra Peterson, known the world over as “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” will showcase a frightful collection of her personal memorabilia, including her signature black gown, props and costumes from her television series and films as well as jewelry, a pinball machine and other Elvira ephemera from the pioneering horror host who was the first ever to be syndicated throughout the U.S. on national television.

Cassandra Peterson began her career in entertainment as a Las Vegas showgirl and appeared in the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever and Federico Fellini’s Roma.

In 1979, she joined the Los Angeles based improvisational group The Groundlings where she created a California “Valley Girl” character which would evolve into her iconic persona as Elvira.

In 1981, Peterson was offered the role of horror host of Los Angeles KHJ-TV’s Movie Macabre, a local late-night movie show featuring B horror, sci-fi and genre movies. Peterson's Elvira character attracted immediate attention and raised eyebrows for her tight-fitting, cleavage-enhancing black gown and vampire/punk look. Her campy humor and sexy gothic appearance made her a beloved cult figure with late-night viewers of the show which was soon re-titled Elvira’s Movie Macabre.

Her popularity soared and the Elvira brand grew into an empire during the 1980s-1990s that included Halloween costumes, comic books, action figures, trading cards, pinball machines, décor, Halloween albums, model kits, perfume, beer, dolls and more.

In 1985, Elvira began hosting a successful home video series called Thriller Video with horror and genre films chosen by Peterson which led to a second video set, Elvira's Midnight Madness and the DVD horror-film collection Elvira's Box of Horrors.

On the radio, Elvira was a personality on LA’s KROQ-FM and on the big screen, Peterson produced, wrote and starred in the films, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988) and Elvira’s Haunted Hills (2001). The latter film screened at AIDS charity fundraisers across America and made its official premiere in Hollywood where Elvira arrived in her Macabre Mobile, the 1959 Thunderbird from the film, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. The film would later be screened at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, Elvira's Movie Macabre returned to television syndication in the U.S. and in October 2014, Peterson reprised her role in Hulu’s 13 Nights of Elvira.

Peterson is the author of Elvira novels (co-authored by John Paragon) Transylvania 90210, Camp Vamp, and The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.

In the 2000s, her reign as Halloween empress continued with appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Halloween Wars, AMC’s Talking Dead, Celebrity Ghost Stories, Oddities, Counting Cars, Fangasm, Face Off and the TV reality series Search for the Next Elvira.

In 2016, Peterson published a large format photo retrospective “coffin” table book for Elvira’s 35th anniversary. Elvira has been a voice character in several animated films including Scooby-Doo! Return to Zombie Island and Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo and various episodes of the animated TV series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She also appeared in the 2019 documentary film, In Search of Darkness.

“Julien’s Auctions is honored to present for the first time at auction this thriller collection from the Queen of Halloween, Elvira,” said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions. “For over three decades, Cassandra Peterson has delighted millions of fans from the television screen to Comic Cons all over the world with her iconic character and trailblazing brand as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable horror personas of all time.”

Highlights of the auction include:

• one of the three original signature Elvira long black gown costume used from 1981 – 1986;
• a gold wooden framed ”oil painting” look portrait of Elvira created by photographer David Goldner and used in several film and TV productions;
• a large carved wood partners desk on which Cassandra Peterson co-wrote the films Mistress of the Dark and Haunted Hills;
• a large concrete outdoor water fountain with a lion's head water spout; Peterson’s pair of Prada “Elvira” pumps worn for photo sessions;
• her original Elvira belt by A1 Pleating with back hook closure and leather “pin” faux front closure;
• Elvira, Mistress of the Dark 1987 film script with an embossed cover with handwritten notes by Cassandra Peterson;
• a screen worn black pane’ velvet robe used in the feature films, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Elvira’s Movie Macabre;
• a screen worn black velvet cloak designed by Jane Booke for the film, Elvira’s Haunted Hills;
• a pair of 1987 Fredericks of Hollywood screen worn black marabou slides used in the films Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Elvira’s Haunted Hills;
• screen worn “Can Can” dance costume, including the infamous “Applause” panties, used in the musical number, “Le Music Hall,” from the film, Elvira’s Haunted Hills;
• a stage worn “Tassel Twirling Costume” consisting of a Swarovski crystal encrusted long sleeve bodysuit, bra with beaded tassels, and wrap skirt with rhinestone dagger pin created by costume designer Michael Schmidt for the 2017 Elvira Show at Knott’s Scary Farm, a version of the finale costume from the film, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; plus, a screen used steel chain link pentagram steering wheel seen in the film, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark;
• a custom chrome cast Elvira hood ornament with acrylic bat wings, designed by Brian Cooper for George Barris Studios – an exact replica of the hood ornament that is currently on the Macabre Mobile;
• a figural light-up slot machine topper with Elvira seated on a red chair with skulls and bats;
• an Elvira’s House of Horrors 2019 Stern pinball machine;
• personal jewelry, including a solid silver devil and a solid gold angel earring set and a solid silver skull and crossbones bracelet gifted to Peterson by her ex-husband and manager Mark Pierson, and more.

If you can't make it out to Beverly Hills to bid in person, you can still watch all the action as well as bid online at Julien's Live.

Here are a few of the lots up for auction:

An original early Robert Redding pencil on sketch pad paper drawing presenting several possible looks for the Elvira character.

The sketch is one of the earliest of the Elvira character, presenting two very different looks: one a "'60s Morticia Type, black dress, black hair" resembling the familiar Elvira look, and a "traditional movie type (Polanski), 'Bride of Dracula,' skin and dress are same color (grey-cream), red hair, dress in shreds." Peterson preferred the latter concept, inspired by Sharon Tate in The Fearless Vampire Killers (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967). However, the TV station insisted on the other style, which became iconic.

"Vampira," rather than "Elvira," is written on top of the sketch, suggesting that these concepts were developed when KHJ-TV first hired Peterson to resurrect the Vampire character, created by Maila Nurmi in 1953. Nurmi was originally brought on as an Executive Producer on the show, but quit when she disapproved of Peterson's casting, at which point the character was renamed.

Robert Redding, an artist and dear friend of Cassandra Peterson, designed the character's original wig, costume, and makeup. He died from AIDS complications in 1986, partly inspiring Peterson's decades of AIDS activism.

Appears in the coffee table book Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (California: Tweeterhead Publishing, 2016).

HWD 17 x 14 inches

Cassandra Peterson's signed copy of her first contract with KHJ-TV to play Elvira, outlining "the details of our agreement covering the program entitled 'Movei [sic] Macabre.''

The contract "shall cover the hosting of a Fright Night type program consisting of a motion picture from the KHJ-TV inventory and program inserts featuring the character known as 'Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.'" The agreement is dated August 19, 1981, and covers one year beginning September 26, 1981.

This lot also includes "interorganization correspondence" from Chuck Velona (KHJ-TV vice president and general manager) to Walt Baker (vice president, programming) and Buck Evans (direct of engineering), with the subject "Elvira Incident - Weekend of 9/11/82," and "pertaining to the airing of outtake material on the Elvira program in which profanity was used." Velona urges repercussions against all concerned.

HWD 8.5 x 11 inches (each)

One of the three original "Elvira" dresses, worn from 1984 to 1986 on the television series Elvira's Movie Macabre (KHJ-TV, 1981-86) and made from thinner fabric than the star's later dresses.

The black polyester floor-length gown has a sewn-in brown nylon bra, plunging neckline, asymmetrical hem, purposely 'tattered' trim at cuffs and hem, and a zip-up back closure. Also included is its coordinating wide black leather belt.

An original Robert Redding ink on board drawing of Elvira crawling seductively, one of her most iconic poses. Done circa 1981-1986 and signed in ink lower left.

This piece was a concept drawing for a similar David Goldner photo shoot, which resulted in one of Elvira's most widely circulated photographs, published in the coffee table book Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (California: Tweeterhead Publishing, 2016).

HWD 15 x 20 inches