Shock Theatre, Chicago Style: WBKB-TV’s Late Night Horror Showcase!

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Chicago Horror Hosting has been receiving a lot of attention this days with the recent re-release of “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie” (covered last week HERE) as well as a new book focusing on the “Shock Theatre” years specifically, “Shock Theatre, Chicago Style!”  This book was written by Don Glut, a film-maker, writer, as well as a super fan of Chicago’s Marvin. Glut had assisted us years ago when we featured our own tribute to this host which you can check out HERE!

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From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie: Chicago TV Horror Host Book Returns!

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TERROR FROM BEYOND THE DAVES is pleased to announce the re-release of the quintessential guide to Chicago horror hosts and horror programming – “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie!” I remember buying this book at “Horrorbles” in Berrrr-wyn, Illinois  during its first release. As a die-hard Rich Koz/Svengoolie fan, I was elated to see his visage on the cover of a book. It seems so odd now but, when I look back, I actually used to feel isolated in my fandom of him. Thanks to the Internet and the Svengoolie YAHOO forum I soon discovered that I was far from alone. And, thanks to THIS book, it filled in a lot of Svengoolie-gaps in information that I had been unaware of…

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Horror Host Tribute to Chicago’s Shock Theatre MARVIN!

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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.

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