We’ve mentioned the documentary, AMERICAN SCARY, many times on this site and for good reason. It has not only served as a road-map to those interested in learning their horror host history, but also provided introductions to some of its most notable examples. If left to cover ALL of the greats, however, the movie would have probably had a running time of approximately 72 hours!
Dave F: Ohio is one of the most prolific states when it comes to churning out horror hosts. Therefore, it was not surprising that several inductees to The Horror Host Hall of Fame would hail from there. One of these was Dick Von Hoene a.k.a. The Cool Ghoul!
Classic commercial horror hosts were also professional broadcasters and Von Hoene was no exception. In the early 1960’s, he worked on Cincinnati radio and was featured on a show called “Bob Smith’s Monster Mash.” It was there that The Cool Ghoul character was born, though it would not be until the latter part of the decade (after he moved from radio to television) that the character would be given its official “look.”
Horror and comedy were two genres I wasn’t always keen on mixing. Over the years with movies such as SHAUN OF THE DEAD and LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS, however, I’ve slowly gone from skeptic to outright fan. Needless to say, I was delighted when actor, David Fultz, found me on Facebook and introduced me to the latest project he was involved in – MY BLOODY WEDDING!
One of the great celebrities we were privileged to meet at The Indianapolis Horrorhound Weekend last March, was the legendary Barbara Steele! The 72 year old actress, most notable for her role in Maria Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY (THE MASK OF SATAN), was one we had flagged as a “must see.”
Marvin
Dave F: Over a decade before the Svengoolies would become synonymous with Chicago horror hosting, the Windy City’s very first host was a “near-sighted madman” named Marvin! Former Ventriloquist, Terry Bennett, was working for Chicago channel, WBKB, in 1957 when the station received the infamous “Shock Theatre Package” of films. It was Terry, himself, who created the character of “Marvin” and urged television management to allow him to present these films to a Chicago audience.
Terror from Beyond the Dave 