Shelley in a screen capture from The Stepfather, 1987
Shelley starred in the cult classic movie The Stepfather which was originally released in theaters in 1987. It was directed by Joseph Ruben and had Terry O'Quinn in the title role. Terry played Jerry Blake (the stepfather), a man who has a knack of marrying into the "perfect" family and then killing the family off when he deems that the family is not perfect after all. Shelley played Susan Maine, the woman who marries Jerry and is willing look past the cracks on Jerry's façade. Jill Schoelen played Stephanie, Susan's daughter by her first marriage. Stephanie doesn't like Jerry, finds him creepy and is determined to find out who he really is. The story was penned by Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield and Donald E. Westlake, who got screenplay credit. It was loosely based on on the story of John List, the New Jersey man who killed his own family in 1971 and then disappeared.
a newspaper promo ad for The Stepfather, 1987
The movie was a moderate success during its theatrical run but has since gained a cult following due to its unique plot, its pacing and the superb performances of its main cast (Terry, Jill and Shelley). The movie has since become a cult classic and has been mentioned on many internet sites as a definite must-see. In 1999, the film was listed by
Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the "The 25 Scariest Movies of All Time" along with
Carrie (1976),
Rosemary's Baby (1968),
Seven (1995) and
The Exorcist (1973). Check out the list at:
1987 UK Promo Vid A Entertainment Weekly magazine also placed
The Stepfather as number one on its list of the "Sixteen Little-Known Horror Gems." Check it out at:
Halloween Special: The Stepfather Even Stephen King himself included it among his top 22 scariest horror movies of all time. Check it out at:
The King's Top 22
Jill Schoelen, Terry O'Quinn and Shelley Hack
in a promo pic for The Stepfather, 1987
Shelley was cast by the film's director Joseph Ruben who was impressed by her work in Martin Scorsese's The King of Comedy. "Shelley didn't have to test," said Ruben, "Shelley got it really off King of Comedy, because I thought she was just so believable and natural and easy. She doesn't strain on camera. And I was just knocked out by her in that movie." The film was shot on location in Canada and when it was released, Shelley told Channel Surfing: Charlie's Angels that she sneaked in alone when the film was being shown in theaters and got pretty scared with what she saw. Shelley received glowing reviews for her performance in this cult classic. The film is currently out on DVD and is a great movie to watch for Halloween.
