Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie [Paperback]

Ted Okuda (Author), Mark Yurkiw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2007

During my generally misspent youth, I devoted an inordinate amount of time watching the most preposterous movies ever made. I use the word preposterous advisedly, because that s the precise term to describe films involving giant scorpions, teenage werewolves, little green Martians, big alien brains, fire-breathing space turtles, 50-foot women, puppet people, humongous leeches, killer shrews, and grasshoppers as big as the Shedd Aquarium. Not that I have any regrets.
--Author Ted Okuda, from the Introduction

Although the motion picture industry initially disparaged and feared television, by the late 1950s, studios saw the medium as a convenient dumping ground for thousands of films that had long been gathering dust in their vaults. As these films found their way to local TV stations, enterprising distributors grouped the titles by genre so programmers could showcase them accordingly. It was in this spirit that Chicago s tradition of horror TV movie shows was born. TV viewers couldn t get enough of the old monster movies everything from glossy Frankenstein and Dracula epics to low-budget cheapies featuring giant grasshoppers and teenage werewolves. Here in Chicago, these films were broadcast on such horror movie shows as Shock Theatre, Thrillerama, Creature Features, and Screaming Yellow Theater.

Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie is the first comprehensive look at Chicago s horror movie programs, from their inception in 1957 to the present. Through career profiles of the Horror Hosts who provided comedic interludes between commercial breaks, discover which creepy presenter was one of the 12 reporters to travel around the country with the Beatles during their 1965 66 U.S. tour, and learn about the politics behind Channel 32's sudden (and outrageous) switch from Svengoolie to the Ghoul. Also included are broadcast histories of such hostless programs as Creature Features, Thrillerama The Big Show, The Early Show, The Science Fiction Theater, and Monster Rally, along with a guide to 100 fright films broadcast on Chicago television and a look at the Shock! horror library that started a TV craze. Filled with rare photographs and ever-before-published data, Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows celebrates a grand tradition in local television.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ted and Mark have really done a great and thorough job! It s a fun read, and answers a lot of the frequently-asked-questions viewers usually ask of me! --Rich Koz, Svengoolie

Any book that hopes to recapture the fun of this chapter in local television must offer that same sense of fun in the reading, and the authors have succeeded in a manner that induces a feeling of sweet homesickness for those days when we horror-movie fans felt like we belonged to something secret, subversive, and wonderful. The exceptional text and the equally exceptional photos and graphics evoke nostalgic, hilarious memories. --Mark A. Miller, The Christopher Lee Filmography

All the childhood memories of TV in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s come crashing back with the book Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows. Authors Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw have hit the nerve that electrifies an era of our pop culture. It doesn't matter if you grew up with the fantastic Chicagoland TV hosts or not....it was the period of fun monsters for kids across America in the form of the television movie packages from golden age Hollywood to model kits at the corner hobby store to saving your allowance for the latest monster magazine or comic book. This book takes you back with fun writing from people who are passionate, wonderful TV listing ads, rare photographs, the theatre promotions, and insight into Chicago's versions of it all. A true monster treat for The Monster Boomer Generation! --Ron Adams, Director, The International Monster Bash Classic Movie Conference; Editor, Monster Bash

About the Author

Ted Okuda is a Chicago-based film historian whose previous books include The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television (coauthored with Jack Mulqueen), The Columbia Comedy Shorts, The Monogram Checklist, The Jerry Lewis Films (coauthored with James L. Neibaur), and The Soundies Distributing Corporation of America (coauthored with Scott MacGillivray). His most recent book credits include coauthoring Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp David Maska, contributing chapters for Guilty Pleasures of the Horror Film and Science Fiction America, and writing the foreword for Castle Films: A Hobbyist's Guide. Okuda's articles, interviews, and reviews have appeared in such media-themed publications as Filmfax, Classic Images, Cult Movies, Outré, Classic Film Collector, The Big Reel, and Movie Collector's World. He has discussed film, television, and pop culture topics on The Today Show, Chicago Tonight, Three Stooges Stooge-A-Palooza, Nude Hippo: Your Chicago Show, and NBC Channel 5 News. Ted was also a research consultant for the cable access anthology series The Kings of Comedy.

Mark Yurkiw is a journalist for the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark newspaper; his articles have also appeared in Suburban Life, The Wednesday Journal, and The Forest Park Review. He holds a BA in television production from Columbia College and an Associates Degree in journalism and mass communication from Triton College. Mark is a member of the Network 6 Commission for Riverside, Illinois. He has been a member of the improvisational comedy troupe the Happy Clams, and a writer-performer for the cable access program the Funny Show. He has served as a research consultant for books dealing with movie/TV history and pop culture, including The Golden Age of Chicago Children s Television, and is currently the Grand Sheik of The Bacon Grabbers, the Chicago tent of The Sons of the Desert, the International Laurel & Hardy Society. He resides in the Riverside-Brookfield area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 253 pages
• Publisher: Lake Claremont Press; 1st edition (October 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893121135
• ISBN-13: 978-1893121133
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television > History & Criticism

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A necessary volume for Chicago TV history, horror and Svengoolie buffs December 21, 2007

By Brian A. Bernardoni

Format:Paperback

Let me start by saying I am from Chicago and I am a Chicago History buff.

As a child and into my teens watching Creature Features on Channel Nine (the opening as a six year old terrified me), and then the Son of Svengoolie on WFLD, I loved local tv. Why do I say this? Simply put - I had high expectations for this book. The good news is that Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw exceeded them.

Looking for Elvira - you won't find her - but "Dear" clearly was a feast for the eyes. Now I finally know what my dad was talking about.

"From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie" is a needed part of the history of Chicago TV and Lake Claremont Press respectfully published a book others might take a pass on and remains a respected leader in local publishing of Chicago history. Well edited, designed and expanded in part by a solid and varied reference section which includes a solid list of films shown (and reviews), a heartfelt "Collector's Corner" with additional reviews, and a resource guide on where to find your horror needs - that alone would stand to qualify the book as a great resource; but yes - there's more.

The book is factual and warm about the subjects themselves - with wonderful chapters on characters such as Marvin and the curvacious and faceless "Dear" of Shock Theatre to Jerry Bishops "Svengoolie" concluding with the story of how Rich Koz's "Son of Svengoolie" became "Svengoolie" in his own right.

The book doesnt mince words. The Ghoul from Cleveland gets a chapter - and in that chapters lies the great story of the loyality of Chicago to it's city and to its broadcasters. That chapter alone made me smile - unfortuantely at an outsiders expense.

The book covers some obscure local attempts to compete against established programs as well - which goes to the detail the authors provided.

And then there was Sven.

While you can watch Jerry Bishop and Rich Koz on YouTube as Sven as a resource; the chapters on Svengoolie are detailed and worth the read.

I grew up and continue to watch Rich Koz as Svengoolie now in Chicago - and through this book you realize Sven's program not only entertains through horror but is also the last of the real local efforts to fight to keep local television creative, relevant and accessible. Koz is an important throwback to Garaway and other early Chicago broadcasters and deserves the praise and critical rsearch the book compiled.

In this book you can see why Koz is important as a local celebrity - and is up there with dare I say Studs Terkel and Oprah as important local personalities - even though Koz would likely deny this endorsement. WCIU should be credited for keeping a great program such as Sven on the air when others might just put an episode of "Night Court" on instead...yeech.

I particularly enjoyed the attention to detail; with photos of the old newspaper and TV Guide advertisements of the programs. If you loved those programs as a child - before there were so many options on cable; those ads were critical in promoting the programs and the movies we grew to love.

The book is lavishly illustrated and well written and referenced, footnoted and resourced. Time, effort and true affection for the material went into this tome.

In a book like this - there is room to be melancholy - and the authors avoid that trap. Lamenting on the fact local television is in most cases just the news; and all of TV's creativity is left to the networks would be an easy place to go - but the book is upbeat and most importantly a joy to read.

You want Creature Features? The book has it. Marvin and Dear - yep; its here too. Screaming Yellow Theatre and all of Sven? Yep - that too.

Clearly highly recommended.

I would write more - but my family is ready, the popcorn is popped and Svengoolie awaits .....

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any REAL horror fan December 20, 2007

By Susan Patla Ruiz

Format:Paperback

I bought this book at a book signing at "Horrorbles". The authors are really nice guys. The book is a must for anyone even remotely interested in horror, it discusses in detail the various TV horror hosts broadcast from the Chicago area. Its covers the inception of TV horror hosts to the present. It also does a good job of showing the evolution of the TV horror show. The book is well written and offers so much insight, there is a not only a wealth of information but resources for any fan of horror. There are plenty of photos that will surely evoke pleasant memories of sitting in the dark watching "scary movies". Makes a good gift.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, How I wish Sven was Syndicated in St. Louis! March 24, 2008

By barbre

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Growing up in Chicago in the late 70's I missed Bishop's Sven. I started out with the Ghoul and was hooked forever when Rich Koz opened his coffin on Ch 32. Since that time I've lost precious brain cells to the permanent memories of those classic parodies and skits. Mr. Robbers, 50 Ways to Blow Your Cover, and more.

So, I had to get this book. It is a quick read (nearly half is just a list of b-grade movies) and tells the tale of how Svengoolie came to be and where the whole thing started. If you are a fan of Svengoolie you owe it to yourself to take this fun trip down memory lane, or elm street...whichever.