Patty Duke: An Underrated Scream Queen

When it comes to naming scream queens, Patty Duke is rarely if ever mentioned which is mind-boggling because she has been in more horror films than some famous scream queens.

Below is my video talking about who Patty Duke is and why she deserves more attention for her contribution to the horror genre:

Films/Shows Mentioned In The Video

Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby (1976) In this sequel to Rosemary’s baby, the now adult Adrian comes to terms with his destiny. Patty Duke has a small part as the titular Rosemary.

Night Gallery – The Diary (1971) A gossip columnist’s life is turned upside down when she is gifted a diary that begins to predict her future in rod Serling’s ( The Twilight Zone) other anthology series.

Curse of the Black Widow (1977) People are turning up dead and enclosed in giant spider cocoons. Patty Duke plays the woman who might be behind it all in this campy horror classic.

Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes (1989) A demonic lamp terrorizes a family in this installment of the Amityville series…It’s better than it sounds.

You’ll Like My Mother (1972) A recently widowed woman travels to rural Minnesota to meet her estranged mother-in-law, but it doesn’t seem like her mother-in-law has any plans for her to leave.

She Waits (1972) A newlywed woman is ready for marital bliss but her new husband’s late wife has other plans.

Honorable Mentions:

4D Man (1959) A scientist gains the ability to pass through solid surfaces, however, this comes with a side effect that leaves him needing to kill people. This is one of the rare horror films that kills a child and young Patty Duke plays that victim.

Ghost Story aka Circle of Fear – Graveyard Shift (1973) Patty Duke’s real-life husband at the time, John Astin (the original Gomez from The Addams Family) plays a night guard at a movie studio who discovers real monsters lurking about at night. Patty Duke plays his wife.

The Swarm (1978) Swarms of venomous bees are taking over America in this all-star 70s disaster fix. Patty Duke plays a pregnant waitress caught in the mayhem.