Scream Queens - The History of Horror Films

Every horror movie has to have a beautiful woman in it.
I'm trying to think of an exception here, but I really can't.
Back in the beginning of cinema, they were just damsels-in-distress, but as the years went on, these damsels started picking up the closest thing to them and clobbering the maniac/stalker/monster.
Gone were the days of the covered mouth scream and running till you tripped over the inevitable branch in the woods.

When you think back to the beginning, usually the first damsel-in-distress you think of is Fay Wray.
How many blood-curdling screams did she let out in King Kong?

But way before 1933's King Kong was 1920's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and 1922's Nosferatu, both with their own female victims.
Of course they were both silent and everyone knows in that silent movies...no one can hear you scream.

Back to Fay Wray though, did you know Kong wasn't her only horror film?
(Okay, to be fair I actually look at Kong as a science fiction film)
Fay appeared in the horror/mystery film Doctor X in 1932, the 1933 horror film, The Vampire Bat and the 1933 horror/mystery film, Mystery of the Wax Museum.
Peter Jackson wanted Fay to do a cameo in his 2005 remake of King Kong, but she passed away at the age of 96 before shooting started.

After Fay made such a big hit, Elsa Lanchester followed her with Bride of Frankenstein in 1935.
Elsa went on to star in several horror/suspense/mystery movies like the romantic comedy/fantasy The Ghost Goes West (1935), the psychological thriller, The Spiral Staircase (1945), the horror film Willard (1971), the horror/mystery Terror in the Wax Museum (1973) and the Comedy/Horror/Thriller, Arnold (1973).
(Funny how wax museums keep popping up)

Gloria Stuart gave screaming a stab (ouch...sorry) in the 1932 horror film, The Old Dark House, but she's probably best known as Claude Rain's fiancee Flora Cranley in the 1933 horror film, The Invisible Man.

After these pioneers of being terrified, came a whole slew of women who were the target of every nightmarish creature that drew a breath (or didn't).

Here are some of the most popular Scream Queens of all time.
Some settled comfortably into their respective genres, but some moved on and became major stars.
But we need these ladies in horror, science fiction, mystery and suspense films.
I mean really, how many times can we watch Bruce Campbell scream?

Bear in mind this is just a few of these ladies and by no means covers everyone in horror, science fiction and fantasy films.

Daveigh Chase is an actress, singer, and voice over artist.
She was born on July 24, 1990 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Daveigh has always been close to horror/sci-fi and fantasy, making her acting debut on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch in 1998.
She went on to appear on shows like Charmed and Touched by an Angel among others.

Scream Queen Cred:
Donnie Darko (2001...I LOVED that movie!) as Samantha Darko
The Rats (20020, as Amy Costello
The Ring (2002) as Samara Morgan
Haunted Lighthouse (2003) as Annabel
The Ring Two (2005) as Samara Morgan
S. Darko (2009) reprising her role as as Samantha Darko

Yes, before Katherine Heigl was Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevenson on Grey's Anatomy, she was a Scream Queen.
She was born on November 24, 1978 in Washington, D.C.
Katherine made her acting debut in the 1993 romantic drama film, That Night, with C. Thomas Howell and Juliette Lewis.
And in 2005 she joined the cast of Grey's Anatomy.

Scream Queen Cred:
Bug Buster (1998) as Shannon Griffin
Bride of Chucky (1998) as Jade
Valentine (2001) as Shelley Fisher
Evil Never Dies (2003) as Eve
Descendant (2003) as Ann Hedgerow / Emily Hedgerow

Clea DuVall was born on September 25, 1977 in Los Angeles, California.
She is one of the actresses that started out in horror, making her acting debut in the 1996 horror film, Little Witches.

Scream Queen Cred:
Little Witches (1996) as Kelsey
The Faculty (1998) as Stokely Mitchell
Ghosts of Mars (2001) as Bashira Kincaid
How to Make a Monster (2001) as Laura
Identity (2003) as Ginny
Helter Skelter (2004) as Linda Kasabian
The Grudge (2004) as Jennifer Williams
Zodiac (2006) as Linda del Buono
Anamorph (2007) as Sandy
Passengers (2008) as Shannon
The Killing Room (2009) as Kerry Isalano

Brittany Murphy was born on November 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia and passed away too soon on December 20, 2009.
While she had her share of mainstream movies, she is also remembered as a Scream Queen.

Scream Queen Cred:
The Prophecy II (1998) as Izzy
Cherry Falls (2000) as Jody Marken
Don't Say a Word (2001) as Elisabeth Burrows 
Sin City (2005) as Shellie
The Dead Girl (2006) as Krista Kutcher
Deadline (2009) as Alice
Abandoned (2010) as Mary
Something Wicked (2010) as Susan

You know I had to through at least one curve ball in here.
Yes Bette Davis is a Hollywood legend, but she also had her share of movies that put her in the scream queen category.
I mean c'mon...What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?...please!

Scream Queen Cred:
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) as Jane Hudson
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) as Charlotte
Dead Ringer (1964) Margaret DeLorca/Edith Phillips
The Nanny (1965) as Nanny
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) as Mrs. Elliot
Burnt Offerings (1976) as Aunt Elizabeth
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978) as Widow Fortune (Still freaks me out to this day) 
Death on the Nile (1978) as Marie Van Schuyler
The Watcher in the Woods (1980) as Mrs. Aylwood
Murder with Mirrors (1985) as Carrie Louise Serrocold
Wicked Stepmother (1989) as Miranda Pierpoint

She only needs one movie to put her on this list.
You know what it is too.
But in fairness, I will list the other movies that she appeared in.

Scream Queen Cred:
The Exorcist (1973) as Regan
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) as Regan
Stranger in Our House (1978) as Rachel Bryant
Hell Night (1981) as Marta
La casa 4 (1988...This movie was part of a series that were unofficial sequels to The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II) as Jane Brooks
The Chilling (1989) as Mary Hampton 
Sorceress (1995) as Amelia Reynolds 
Scream (1996, uncredited) She was the obnoxious reporter who approaches Sidney when she first returns to school after being attacked by the killer.
Teddy Scares (2006) voice of Rita Mortis
All Is Normal (2008) Barbara

Everybody seems to love Jennifer Love Hewitt.
I hardly ever see one bad thing about her.
And although she doesn't have as many horror/sci-fi/mystery/suspense movies to her credits as some of the others here do, she is still very much worth mentioning.
Her acting debut was in the 1992 fantasy/comedy film Munchie.
And except for the cybertronic mind control technology and being part of a Satanic conspiracy, she seems pretty squeaky clean.
Hey...everyone has hobbies right?

Scream Queen Cred:
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) as Julie James
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) again as Julie James