Television Horror Movie Hosts: 68 Vampires, Mad Scientists and Other Denizens of the Late-Night Airwaves Examined and Interviewed

by Elena M. Watson

Overview

Midnight, 1954. A striking woman in a torn black dress slinks down a cobwebbed, candelabra'd corridor. She stops, shrieks hysterically into the camera, then solemnly says, "Good evening, I am Vampira."

Her real name is Maila Nurmi and she was the first in a long line of television horror movie hosts, commonly seen on independent stations' late-night "grade Z" offerings dressed as some zany ghoul or mad scientist.

This book covers the major hosts in detail, along with styles and show themes. Merchandise tie-in and fan reactions are also chronicled. The appendices list film and record credits.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476611600
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	05/03/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

The late Elena M. Watson was an editor for the National Capital Area Skeptical Eye.
The late Elena M. Watson was an editor for the National Capital Area Skeptical Eye.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	viii
	Introduction	xi
1	Television Terror Begins with Vampira	1
2	Shock! or Horror Is Universal	12
3	Invasion of the Ghost Hosts	22
4	Warning: Zacherley at Large!	31
5	Gorgon, a Gothic Nightmare	43
6	Into the Realm of Science with Morgus the Magnificent	48
7	To Ghoulardi, "All the world's a purple knif"	57
8	Chilly Billy; or, Night of the Living Horror Host	65
9	It's Dr. Cadaverino, Stupid!	70
10	Sir Graves Ghastly Presents	73
11	Life after Ghoulardi: Big Chuck and Little John	77
12	Dr. Paul Bearer: "Welcome, fright fans!"	84
13	Dr. Shock: The Mad Magician of Fright	88
14	The Bowman Body	92
15	Seymour: "Good evening, Fringies!"	97
16	The Phantom of the Opry: Sir Cecil Creape	106
17	Direct from Parma: The Ghoul	111
18	Professor Cerberus and the Museum of Horrors	118
19	Count Gore Devol: A Vampire Goes to Washington	128
20	Doctor Madblood's Movie	138
21	Son of Svengoolie; or, "The Return of Sven-TV"	146
22	John Stanley: Man, Not Monster	152
23	"Rock Shock": Toulouse-NoNeck	158
24	Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; or, Viva Las Cleavage	162
25	Son of Invasion of the Ghost Hosts	174
26	Son of Invasion of the Ghost Hosts, Part II: The Return	183
27	Crematia Mortem, the Ghostess with the Mostess	192
28	Stella!	198
29	Holy Cats, It's Commander USA's Groovie Movies!	206
30	Frank and Drac Were Back...	213
31	Grampa's Revenge	217
	Filmography-Discography	227
	Selected Bibliography	231
	Index	233

Editorial Reviews

This is, as you might have suggested from the tile, a history of those creepy hosts of the various Creature Feature programs on television, everything from Zacheley to Commander USA, from Vampira to Elvira. The author covers their carers, their personal styles, films they were involved with, the habit of some of them to edit themselves into the films they showed, and other interesting bits. Although most of the horror hosts played their roles for a laugh, some were quite serious. There's also a section of fictional horror host who originated in films, and shorter pieces on regional characters who never made it to the big time. Lots of black and white photographs and stills. An amusing nostalgia ride for anyone who watched these things in the past.

Science Fiction Chronicle

Explores how normal Americans have transmuted into bizarre and sometimes grotesque creatures, and achieved fame by making bad jokes about bad movies. Some of them are very sexy as well. A must for the cultist, and of interest to students of media. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

well worth reading”—Classic Images; “factual information is provided...many black-and-white photographs will...delight fans...a must for public and school libraries”—ARBA; “recommended”—SFRA Review; “wonderful”—Midnight Marquee; “a nostalgic treat”—Shock Cinema; “immensely informative and terrifically entertaining”—VideoScope; “in-depth”—Rapport; “[a] wealth of rare stills”—Video Watchdog; “interesting nuggets”—Bite Me.

From the Publisher

recommended

SFRA Review

"in-depth"

Rapport

factual information is provided...many black-and-white photographs will...delight fans...a must for public and school libraries

ARBA

well worth reading

Classic Images