Attack of the Leading Ladies: Gender, Sexuality, and Spectatorship in Classic Horror Cinema

From the earliest days of Hollywood sound productions, horror proved to be a popular and lucrative genre. At the center of the Industry’s first cycle of horror films was the terrified woman. Eyes straining and mouth open wide as she emitted an ear-piercing scream, the damsel in distress awaited rescue from the monster’s horrible attentions. Or so it seemed.

The first book to explore the gender dynamics of classic horror film, Attack of the Leading Ladies addresses the roles of women both on-...