Recently I was chatting with a fellow horror-film enthusiast about iconic “scream queens” of horror cinema, a term traditionally referring to female actors known for frequent appearances in horror films, especially those involving fear, supernatural elements, and physical or emotional torment. As a long-time classic horror fan, I’m embarrassed that I was unfamiliar with the iconic Barbara Steele, the “Queen of All Scream Queens.”1 Born in 1937 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England, Steele became a cult figure for her portrayals of witches and supernatural women in a string of atmospheric European films during the 1960s. 2
Her most iconic witch role came in Black Sunday (1960), directed by Mario Bava. In this Italian horror classic (originally titled The Mask of Satan), Steele plays dual roles: the vengeful witch Princess Asa Vajda, executed with a grusome iron mask for practicing satanic rituals, and her innocent descendant Katia, whom Asa seeks to possess centuries later. The film blends medieval superstition with lush visuals, and not only launched Steele’s horror career but also established Bava as a master of atmospheric terror. I especially enjoyed the richly-detailed gothic sets and costumes, the latter of which were defining in the portrayal of witches in cinema.
Another standout performance came in The Long Hair of Death (1964), directed by Antonio Margheriti. Set during the Black Plague, the film follows Steele as Helen, the daughter of a woman wrongfully accused and burned as a witch. After her own mysterious death, she returns from the grave in a ghostly and supernatural guise to avenge the crimes committed by the feudal lords. The film’s slow, dreamlike pace and eerie visuals give it a poetic quality, and Steele’s ethereal presence enhances the sense of gothic dread. (Content warning: sexual assault, intimate partner violence, & femicide.)
In An Angel for Satan (1966), directed by Camillo Mastrocinque, Steele delivers another eerie dual performance as Harriet Montebruno and her ancestor Belinda, whose spirit is believed to haunt a mysterious statue newly arrived in a lakeside village. As strange events begin to unfold, Harriet becomes increasingly possessed by Belinda’s vengeful essence. This moody, atmospheric film blends gothic mystery with psychological horror, and Steele’s shift between innocence and malevolence plays perfectly into the theme of inherited evil. An Angel for Satan marked Steele’s final Italian gothic horror film and stands as one of her most nuanced performances.
Unlike many scream queens known for playing terrified victims, Steele often portrayed women who were both victims and powerful, vengeful forces. She blurred the line between the hunted and the haunting, often playing dual roles—innocent women and their darker, cursed counterparts. Her performances weren’t just about screaming—they were about embodying dread, doom, and the frightening power of the supernatural feminine.
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