How Elvis Presley Changed the Fate of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

For almost half a century, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has been a symbol of gothic style and campy horror. Since her first appearance hosting Elvira’s Movie Macabre in 1981, the character—famous for her black dress, towering hair, and sharp wit—has become a pop culture legend. The show ran for five years, inspiring two movies, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and Elvira’s Haunted Hills, and cementing Elvira’s place in the hearts of horror fans everywhere.

Elvira’s image is everywhere: on dolls, action figures, clothing, and even home goods. She’s written a memoir and a cookbook, and calls herself the Santa Claus of Halloween. Her signature lines, like “unpleasant dreams” and “yours cruelly, Elvira,” have delighted her devoted fans for decades. But behind the makeup and the persona is Cassandra Peterson, who once dreamed of a very different life before she created her iconic character.

From Small-Town Girl to Las Vegas Showgirl

Peterson grew up in Kansas and Colorado, always drawn to the spooky and unusual. As a kid, she preferred monster toys over Barbies. She trained as a ballerina and, while still in high school, worked as a go-go dancer at a local gay bar and nightclub. Everything changed when, at 14, she saw the 1964 musical Viva Las Vegas starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. That movie sparked her dream of becoming a Las Vegas showgirl.

At 17, Peterson convinced her parents to let her tag along on a family trip to Las Vegas. They attended a show at the Dunes Hotel, where the dance captain told Peterson she’d be perfect for their summer production, Viva Les Girls. Her parents were not thrilled.

“They said, ‘No way in hell,’ and dragged me out of there by my falls,”

Peterson recalled in Pamela Des Barres’ book Let’s Spend the Night Together. She spent the rest of her senior year threatening to run away until her parents finally relented. The day she graduated, she packed her car and drove straight to Las Vegas to start rehearsals as a showgirl.

A Life-Changing Encounter with the King

Fate had more in store for Peterson. While performing in Viva Les Girls, she met Elvis Presley himself. Her roommate was dating Presley’s road manager, Joe Esposito, and invited Peterson to join them in Elvis’s hotel suite. A lifelong fan, she jumped at the chance. Soon, she found herself sitting next to Elvis at the piano, singing harmonies and talking late into the night. They discussed everything from family to spirituality, drugs, and even numerology.

During their conversation, Elvis offered advice that would change Peterson’s life forever.

“You have a good voice,” Presley told her. “Have you ever taken singing lessons?”

When she said no, he replied,

“You ought to get out of Vegas. If you stay here you’ll wind up like one of these old showgirls. You won’t have anything when you get older, and that’ll be the end of you.”

Peterson later admitted,

“If anybody else had told me that, I would have thought they were full of shit. But he was Elvis.”

Following Elvis’s Advice and Finding a New Path

Inspired by Elvis’s words, Peterson found a vocal coach the very next day. Not long after, she and her fellow showgirls were asked to audition for a singing role, and she landed the part. This led her to Europe, where she became a singer and actress in Italy. Looking back, Peterson said,

“Honestly, I tell everyone, I was the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas at the time. I would now be the oldest showgirl in Las Vegas,”

she joked.

“[I’d] probably be doing it still. So, thank you, Elvis. Oh, you saved my life.”

In a nod to her idol, Peterson wears a T-shirt featuring Elvis in a scene from Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. That night with the King gave her the confidence to pursue a new direction, ultimately leading to the creation of one of horror’s most beloved icons.