Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well
TV Horror Hosts of Southern California
SECOND EDITION
By James M. Fetters
Foreword by Douglas McEwan and Introduction by Dave Fuentes and David Albaugh
Jeepers Creepers Theatre, in 1962, ignited a love of horror hosts that was the beginning of a life-long addiction for many fans. But as much as the audience loved the shows, they never knew the horror that occurred off-screen — live adult stage performances, lawsuits and cutthroat competition. What started off as risqué and sexy by 1954 standards ended as risqué and sexy by 1984 standards. Horror hosts affected 30 years of television history... a phenomenon that is not known by today's generation but well remembered by the "baby Boomers" and now chronicled for future generations. Inside Creatures of the Night That We Loved So Well SECOND EDITION, you will find: little known trivia, over 300 photos, ads and images -- many never seen before, movie listings by date, actual scripts, interviews with the hosts and writers and the hosts identity revealed for the first time.
The Hosts...
|
And in the 'Honorable Mentions'...
The Scary Show - XETV-6 1963 Weird Weird World - KTLA-5 1963 Strange Tales of Science Fiction - KHJ-9 1963 Chiller - KTTV-11 1963 Shock Theater - KTLA-5 1962 Shock! - KFMB-8 1958 Shrimpenstein and Dr. Von Schtick - KHJ-9 1965 Hilarious House of Frightenstein - KTLA-5 1974 Disasterpiece Theater - XETV-6 1980 Plus complete listings of all the films in the 'SHOCK!', 'SON OF SHOCK!', 'AAP HORRORS' and many other horror film packages with original package descriptions, notes and photos. And much, much more! |
Reviews Of First Edition - Second Edition Bigger, Better and over 550 pages!
GREAT DETAIL - WELL WORTH THE PRICE!
By Adam Love April 20, 2011
Much of this 365-page book is packed with detailed reference material that has been sadly lacking in earlier volumes on the subject. People interested in Southern California and National Horror Hosts from their very beginnings in the early 1950's to today, will love this book. It is a MUST for monsterkids and scary movie rugrats who delighted in staying up late in the 50's and 60's to watch the classic Universal monsters lumbering across their flickering B&W TV screens. The Horror Hosts and Hostesses are presented here with numerous photographic illustrations, bits of scripts, movie playlists, TV Guide display ads - even court transcripts (Remember when Ottola Nesmith was sued by Frankenstein actress Mae Clarke?). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Reminds me of what it was like being a kid in those simpler times
By Sean Mcclain on May 16, 2012
A lot of love & care obviously went into this book. There are plenty of facts for those hard-core fans. I enjoyed the stories, as well as the insight into what it was like being a part of those shows. It brought back memories of going to a Son of Svengoolie appearance at Oak Mill Mall as a child.
Unique and nostalgic
By Andacar July 30, 2011
I remember staying up late to watch the horror show hosts come "alive" on TV back in the late 70s. Grimsley became my obsession during an impressionable period, and I'm happy to say he and his fellow horror show hosts have stunted my growth and warped my mind ever since. You can barely find any information on this fascinating and now little known (except perhaps Elvira) niche in the history of TV. Thanks so much to the author for going to the trouble to do all this research.
Pure Gold for Our Kind!
By M. E. Graves May 31, 2011
I grew up in San Diego the same time as the author (he grew up in the SD suburb of Lemon Grove, I grew up in Chula Vista) and we are about the same age, so for that crop of dudes out there just like us who loved all of the horror hosts, Aurora monster models, Famous Monsters magazine, watching Lon Chaney Jr. go through the moonlight change, and toughed-out the creakiest moments of the Universal classics (you get the idea, but you can't count yourself among the crop unless you stuck it out watching 'The Mummy' with Karloff and 'Dracula' with Lugosi, again and again, and again... as well as enjoyed those cheesy "Pizza Man' commercials that ran at 2 a.m.) this book is a treasure.
There are loads of informational surprises and I give James huge credit for the research. I never, never thought I'd get to the bottom of who played Ghoulita, find out anything about her or the show (which I thought ran forever but, alas, it only lasted a few months); and Larry "Seymour" Vincent was a god to my brother and I during all three incarnations of his series (with all 3 different stations).
If you're a self-professed and proud horror geek like the rest of us, buy it without question, Fringies. Great work, James.
Good Interviews, Lively Horror Hosts
By John M. Cozzoli January 1, 2012
Main strength here is the depth given to hosts who received barely a mention in Watson's book. Also, the complete listing of host appearances and shows is excellent.
A Great Book of Knowledge for the TV Horror Show Lover!
By Leslie Bruce
There is a wealth of information not previously known by everyone about these icons of Television history. A great read that I would highly recommend to anyone with a thirst for the Macabre.
GREAT DETAIL - WELL WORTH THE PRICE!
By Adam Love April 20, 2011
Much of this 365-page book is packed with detailed reference material that has been sadly lacking in earlier volumes on the subject. People interested in Southern California and National Horror Hosts from their very beginnings in the early 1950's to today, will love this book. It is a MUST for monsterkids and scary movie rugrats who delighted in staying up late in the 50's and 60's to watch the classic Universal monsters lumbering across their flickering B&W TV screens. The Horror Hosts and Hostesses are presented here with numerous photographic illustrations, bits of scripts, movie playlists, TV Guide display ads - even court transcripts (Remember when Ottola Nesmith was sued by Frankenstein actress Mae Clarke?). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Reminds me of what it was like being a kid in those simpler times
By Sean Mcclain on May 16, 2012
A lot of love & care obviously went into this book. There are plenty of facts for those hard-core fans. I enjoyed the stories, as well as the insight into what it was like being a part of those shows. It brought back memories of going to a Son of Svengoolie appearance at Oak Mill Mall as a child.
Unique and nostalgic
By Andacar July 30, 2011
I remember staying up late to watch the horror show hosts come "alive" on TV back in the late 70s. Grimsley became my obsession during an impressionable period, and I'm happy to say he and his fellow horror show hosts have stunted my growth and warped my mind ever since. You can barely find any information on this fascinating and now little known (except perhaps Elvira) niche in the history of TV. Thanks so much to the author for going to the trouble to do all this research.
Pure Gold for Our Kind!
By M. E. Graves May 31, 2011
I grew up in San Diego the same time as the author (he grew up in the SD suburb of Lemon Grove, I grew up in Chula Vista) and we are about the same age, so for that crop of dudes out there just like us who loved all of the horror hosts, Aurora monster models, Famous Monsters magazine, watching Lon Chaney Jr. go through the moonlight change, and toughed-out the creakiest moments of the Universal classics (you get the idea, but you can't count yourself among the crop unless you stuck it out watching 'The Mummy' with Karloff and 'Dracula' with Lugosi, again and again, and again... as well as enjoyed those cheesy "Pizza Man' commercials that ran at 2 a.m.) this book is a treasure.
There are loads of informational surprises and I give James huge credit for the research. I never, never thought I'd get to the bottom of who played Ghoulita, find out anything about her or the show (which I thought ran forever but, alas, it only lasted a few months); and Larry "Seymour" Vincent was a god to my brother and I during all three incarnations of his series (with all 3 different stations).
If you're a self-professed and proud horror geek like the rest of us, buy it without question, Fringies. Great work, James.
Good Interviews, Lively Horror Hosts
By John M. Cozzoli January 1, 2012
Main strength here is the depth given to hosts who received barely a mention in Watson's book. Also, the complete listing of host appearances and shows is excellent.
A Great Book of Knowledge for the TV Horror Show Lover!
By Leslie Bruce
There is a wealth of information not previously known by everyone about these icons of Television history. A great read that I would highly recommend to anyone with a thirst for the Macabre.
If you watched Vampira KABC-7, Dr. Diablo KCOP-13, The Old Woman KTLA-5, Jeepers KCOP-13, Ghoulita KCOP-13, Cosmosina KOGO-10, Moona Lisa KOGO-10 and KHJ-9, Arachnid KCHU-18, Jeepers' Keeper KCOP-13, The Creeper KCOP-13, Sinister Seymour KHJ-9 and KTLA-5, Arach and his friend Nid KHJ-9, Famous Morris KCOP-13, Grimsley KHJ-9 and KTLA-5, and Elvira KHJ-9...
Or the 'No-Host' shows like The Scary Show XETV-6, Weird Weird World KTLA-5, Strange Tales of Science Fiction KHJ-9, Chiller KTTV-11, Shock Theater KTLA-5, Shock! KFMB-8, Shrimpenstein KHJ-9, Hilarious House of Frightenstein KTLA-5...
This is your chance to relive those memories with over 300 images- photos, actual script scans, the hosts real names and much, much more. Over 550 pages of glorious SoCal Horror Hosts!
Or the 'No-Host' shows like The Scary Show XETV-6, Weird Weird World KTLA-5, Strange Tales of Science Fiction KHJ-9, Chiller KTTV-11, Shock Theater KTLA-5, Shock! KFMB-8, Shrimpenstein KHJ-9, Hilarious House of Frightenstein KTLA-5...
This is your chance to relive those memories with over 300 images- photos, actual script scans, the hosts real names and much, much more. Over 550 pages of glorious SoCal Horror Hosts!
Video promo for First Edition
|
Video promo for Second Edition
|