This past Monday, at the age of 96, Kathleen Hughes passed away, an actress known for her role in the 1953 science fiction classic "It Came from Outer Space," as reported by Europa Press. The death of the actress, as reported by Variety, was confirmed by her friend, John Jigen Griffin-Atil. Hughes was married to producer Stanley Rubin for 59 years.
Born as Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan in Los Angeles, she was the niece of playwright F. Hugh Herbert but changed her stage name after joining Fox in 1948 to play small roles in films such as "Mr. Belvedere Goes to College" (1949), "Mother Is a Freshman" (1949), and "The Lady Wants Mink" (1952).
After leaving Fox, she was cast in "For Men Only," a film starring and directed by Paul Henreid, where she caught the attention of screenwriter and producer Don McGuire, who facilitated her contract with Universal-International. A year later, she achieved fame with "It Came from Outer Space," directed by Jack Arnold, which became her most memorable performance, largely due to a promotional photograph of her screaming image that became an icon of the era and of horror cinema.
In a 2019 interview with FoxNews, Hughes recalled that famous photo: "The one where I have my hands raised and I'm screaming? I had just put on that outfit. I went to the set and as I walked in, the photographer said to me, 'Raise your hands and scream.' And I did. It was an instant sensation. They loved it, and the photo just lives with me."
In 1953, Hughes also starred alongside Rock Hudson in the adventure film "The Golden Blade," where she shared her first on-screen kiss. "The Female Animal" (1955), "Stand Up and Be Counted" (1972) were among her roles on the big screen that she alternated with numerous television appearances, with roles in popular series such as M*A*S*H or Mission: Impossible. Her last major title was "Revenge," a film directed by Tony Scott in 1990 and starring Kevin Costner and Anthony Quinn.