Horror Movie Hosts

[Hepcat]

I'm also a long time fan of Morgus the Magnificent

Morgus The Magnificent

Ahhhhh, from New Orleans!



Morgus the Magnificent - Wikipedia

[Gory Glenn]

When I was a kid in Southern California Seymour was the guy. Every Saturday night I would stay up late and have a great time watching. He used to interrupt the movie with funny comments and during commercial breaks would do little skits. He also hosted the very first Knott's Scary Farm in Buena Park. Good memories of this guy. Here's a quote from Wikipedia:

Larry Vincent (June 14, 1924—March 9, 1975) was an American television horror host, famed for his character "Seymour," who presented—and heckled—low-budget horror and science fiction movies on Fright Night on KHJ-TV and Seymour's Monster Rally on KTLA, both local stations in Los Angeles between 1969 and 1974. He was noted for his style of criticizing the movies he presented in an offbeat and funny manner, usually appearing in a small window which would pop up in the corner, tossing a quip, then vanishing again. Sometimes he would, using blue-screen, appear in the middle of the movie, apparently interacting with the characters in the movie.

He used to call that wall behind him the "Slimy Wall"

[Paul L]

http://www.houseofjitters.com/images/largecreature.jpg

[horrorhunter]

From The Monster Times issue 12 (1972).



TV Guide ad:

[Paul L]

Chuck Acri, an aluminum siding & home improvement salesman from Moline, IL regaled us w/classic monster movies, & silent, comedic vignettes with vampire Vincent Hedges, werewolf Beauregard, & caveman Link. You could mail in letters, photos & artwork & possibly be awarded "Creep of the Week"! Monster kid magic from the early '70's!

[Paul L]

Here's Chuck & the gang with Bernie the talking skull!

[Mike Scott]

How did an aluminum siding salesman get to be a TV horror host? Those jobs usually went to someone working at the station, like the weatherman.

[Paul L]

In 1969, Chuck Acri had previously been buying 10 second spots of air-time on the already existing Creature Feature, & asked to become the sponsor to promote his home improvement business, The Acri Company. Acri's ambitious marketing spread the program's reach to much of eastern Iowa & western Illinois. The rest as they say, is history.

[Mike Scott]

So, he said - if I don't get to be the horror host I won't advertise on your station?

[Paul L]

I believe it was all amicable & mutual. I've never come across anything to the contrary in the 40+ years I've been a fan, but who knows. Chuck Acri could've made them an offer they couldn't refuse. He did hobnob with vampires & werewolves after all (& the occasional hunchback--Emmett  & caveman--Link).

[horrorhunter]

How did an aluminum siding salesman get to be a TV horror host? Those jobs usually went to someone working at the station, like the weatherman.

Most of the time it was someone from the station, but occasionally it was just a friend or acquaintance of the station. Our local '70s horror host in Chattanooga was Tommy Reynolds as Dr. Shock (with Dingbat) from Shock Theater. Tommy was a local TV weatherman. But, Lil' John Rinaldi was a jeweler who teamed with Big Chuck in Cleveland Ohio from 1979-2007. There have been so many horror hosts throughout the country since the late '50s it stands to reason they would filter in from a variety of professions and circumstances.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Chuck_and_Lil%27_John

[Mike Scott]

I believe it was all amicable & mutual.

I was just kiddin', but I forget to ad the smiley.

[Paul L]

I was just kiddin', but I forget to ad the smiley.

No problem, fair question actually. Chuck IS a salesman after all (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

[Paul L]

Most of the time it was someone from the station, but occasionally it was just a friend or acquaintance of the station.

That brings to mind Ray Adams Toyota when I lived in the Kansas City area. Ray used to host the Saturday night movie. Alien was the feature one week, & after his commercial spiel toward the end of the film, Ray cheerfully reminded the viewers, "Underwear scene, coming up!!"

[horrorhunter]

That brings to mind Ray Adams Toyota when I lived in the Kansas City area. Ray used to host the Saturday night movie. Alien was the feature one week, & after his commercial spiel toward the end of the film, Ray cheerfully reminded the viewers, "Underwear scene, coming up!!"