INT: Ladies of Evil Dead

Last Updated on July 28, 2021

The Arrow
interviews
The Ladies of Evil Dead

Since
Evil Dead’s initial release in 1982, Bruce Campbell (Ash) and Sam
Raimi (director) have been the two names mostly associated to
the long lasting classic. But what about the ladies? Betsy Baker (Linda), Ellen Sandweiss
(Sheryl) and Sarah York (Shelly)?
How come we don’t hear about them? Well, the good news is that the ladies of Evil Dead have
recently surfaced out of the cellar through their
Official Site and
appearances at conventions. And of course, Arrow had the chance to
chit chat with them. Here’s what they had to say…

ARROW: How does it feel
to meet the fans at the conventions? Does it blow your mind that the
little movie you shot in the woods so long ago is still bringing you
recognition?

BETSY:

It is so great to,
after all these years, be able to meet and talk with
the fans! We have a blast hearing all about their “Evil Dead”
stories, how many times they’ve seen it, their ‘first’ experience
watching it, where they saw it, who they were with, and how many
nightmares
they’ve had!! And yes, it is unbelievable that it is still
such a popular and well-loved classic — but I’m thrilled that it
is!!

ELLEN:

It’s wonderful to
finally meet the fans, and yes, it absolutely blows my mind. I
actually wish that I had known I could get this recognition a little
earlier than 20 years after the film was released, but perhaps in a
way the waiting has made it all the more
pleasurable.

SARAH:
Most of the fans are really friendly, intelligent people and I
thoroughly enjoy reminiscing about
filming Book of the Dead. I have to call the movie that
because that’s how I knew it first. I think when it
first premiered in Michigan it was still being called Book of the
Dead. It’s a lot of fun being part of something that is so
legendary, it reminds me of being a kid and being the only one who
could wiggle my
ears, it gave me a lot of favorable attention, who wouldn’t like
that! Also, it’s an icebreaker when I read for
casting directors, as they look at my resume many will say, “Evil
Dead! That’s my favorite movie”!! And then they have lots of
questions about the shoot.

ARROW TO BETSY: I must admit that your eerie, head-tilting,
maniacal laugh was the prime reason for many of my childhood
nightmares. Was there an inspiration for that laugh? Did Sam direct
you into it? How did it come about? Do you still exercise it at
times, maybe upon request?

BETSY:
First of all,
I just want to say…I’m so sorry you had so many nightmares–
I hope that by now you are

through those horrible scary nights. (Hmmm… or would I have???) I really didn’t have an inspiration
for
the laugh prior to shooting– Sam and I really didn’t know how the
scene was actually going to progress.

We decided to make Linda
a sweet, seemingly innocent, baby-doll monster once she gets
possessed,
so for the next few nights of rehearsal, this sickening-sweet
infantile giggle started to emerge. Sam liked
it, asked me to giggle longer and harder and louder, and in the end
this horrible, eerie laugh emerged that wouldn’t stop. I HAVE been
asked a number of times to do Linda’s laugh at public appearances
and at conventions, and it’s
always met with resounding screams and applause — go figure!!

ARROW TO ELLEN: Did any of the staged horror you went through on
the Evil Dead set ever follow you home? How did you sleep at night
during or after the shoot?

ELLEN:
I’ve never really been one to frighten easily, and after all, it was
just a movie, with karo syrup blood and rubber body parts. My
difficulty in sleeping during the actual filming resulted more from
a messed-up internal clock, due to the all-night shooting schedule.

ARROW TO SARAH: What was the hardest scene you had to shoot? The
one that frustrated
you the most?

SARAH:
Let me see, what was the hardest scene to shoot: Could it be the one
where I’m “singing” solo
(the song Sam wrote) in the car as we’re driving to the fateful
cabin, or is it the scene where we’re
making frozen strawberry daiquiris and Bruce makes a
rather lame toast and we all had to laugh real
hard, or maybe the scene where I’m looking passionately into
Scotty’s eyes hoping that he’ll protect me
from the evil “Book of the Dead”…perhaps, it’s the scene where my
body parts are strewn around the
cabin floor, dismemberment is never easy to do…that’s the one!

ARROW TO BETSY: Were you disappointed that you weren’t asked back
for “Evil Dead 2”? I
mean, they re-shot the chain of events from Evil Dead but with
another actress
playing Ash’s
girlfriend. How did that make you feel?

BETSY:
That’s a
question I’ve been asked many times. Actually, Sam and Rob
(Tapert) DID
ask me to
portray Linda again in Evil Dead 2. They phoned me one day in
the spring of 1986, and asked if we
could meet for breakfast. I was a wee bit leery, since that’s
how we first met
before shooting Evil Dead back in Detroit!! We met at a local
diner in L.A., and talked and laughed about old times. They
were going to start shooting Evil Dead 2 later in the year, and
asked if I would be interested.

But you
see, at the same time, my husband and I were expecting our first
child, and as we all talked and
reminisced throughout the morning, we all agreed I might be in the
middle of labor
during the middle of filming. As it turned out, we had a
beautiful baby girl –they started on the movie — and the rest is
history!! Looking back, it would have been lots of fun to
have continued in the trilogy as Ash’s girlfriend — but our
daughter is one of the greatest
accomplishments in my life — next to our son!!

ARROW TO ELLEN: One of the more controversial scenes in the film
involves your character
being raped by trees. Looking back, what can you tell us about how
it was shooting that specific scene?

ELLEN:
Controversial? You really think so? Looking back, I can tell you I
was
cold, tired, scraped up,
and choking from the fake fog. However, I was also very
committed to doing a good acting job, so I was intent on playing the
scene to the hilt by running as fast as I could and scaring the hell
out of everyone. Think it worked?

ARROW TO
SARAH: How was the atmosphere on set? Did you gals laugh a lot? Was
it nerve wracking? Was Bruce a funny guy?

SARAH:
We were all
pretty relaxed, or should I say exhausted! After the third day of
shooting it was mostly night shoots and who knew when you would
sleep or eat. Does prison ring a bell?

ARROW: What do you ladies do for a living today? Is the acting
bug still biting on occasion?

BETSY:
I continued acting after “Evil Dead”, in TV movies and commercials,
including working with great actors such as Karl Malden and John
Malkovich,
(“Word of Honor”), Dudley Moore, and Mary Tyler Moore (“Six Weeks”).
I also performed on stage for months as Marion the librarian in
“Music Man”, and have toured with Kaye Ballard and Eddie Bracken. I
have done voice-overs and looping for films and television, and have
my own business that supplies dressing rooms and motor
homes for commercials and videos. These days, while raising our two
children, I teach vocal music at local elementary schools,
and am auditioning once again for commercials and film work.

ELLEN: I’m
currently raising two teenaged children and running a manufacturers’
representative
agency with my husband. Occasionally when the spirit moves me, I’ll
do a theatre or singing gig. I’ve also done some local (Detroit)
commercials and voice-overs. Lately, I spend a fair amount of time
with
my Evil Dead cohorts, traveling around to conventions and meeting
the fans.

SARAH:
I try to blend
raising my family with my work. I have been the voice for many
network promos, such as Ally Mc Beal, Days of Our Lives, Temptation
Island and Six Feet Under.
I do act in commercials both voice and body (all parts included); a
few are running right now. I have
several independent movies in my credits and some co starring
television roles.

ARROW: Have you seen any
of the Evil Dead sequels? If so, what did you think?
[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]
[endif]BETSY: I
have only seen Evil Dead 2, and what can I say? A classic is a
classic – Evil Dead reigns—–!!!

ELLEN: I’ve
seen them all, but it’s been a while. Although I’m not exactly a
horror movie fan, I do like the
juxtaposition in Sam’s films of horror and comedy – that makes them
unique and
multi-dimensional.

SARAH:
I try to see
everything Sam does, I think he’s brilliant. Although, in my
opinion, he did peak
with
Evil Dead!

ARROW: When’s the last time you all watched Evil Dead? How did
you feel during its
viewing? Did it still hold up? Bring back memories?

BETSY:
The last time I saw Evil Dead in its entirety was just recently, at
the Detroit Reunion hosted by
Anchor Bay Entertainment to celebrate it’s re-release on a special
edition DVD back in February 2002. The
entire cast was there — and we saw the movie with a sold-out
theatre full of crazy,
fun-loving, fans. Now, THAT’S how to watch “Evil Dead” – driving
up in a limo, red carpet entrance, all dressed up, paparazzi cameras
flashing, munching’ some popcorn, sippin’ a drink, surrounded by
450 screaming, laughing hysterical fans — shouting out comments,
threats, and warnings at the screen every other second —-the best
time ever. Does it still hold up? — you betcha. Does it bring
back memories? —–Where do you wanna start!?!?

ELLEN: The last time I watched it was at the cast reunion in
February in Detroit. Mostly I find it very funny, very scary,
and quite over the top. It certainly brings back memories –
most of which are good. The best part of watching it, in the
theatre that is, is
hearing the audience’s reactions and laughing along with them.

SARAH:
We watch it
every night at the dinner table, don’t you?