Customer Reviews

Ghoulardi: The Real Story Behind the Most Subversive Show in Cleveland Television History (Ohio)

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I picked it up, and found myself on a time machine back to friday nights at home in a simpler time. While I rarely get much time to read for pleasure's sake, this one caused me to lose sleep. I finished it in two days, having set-aside many responsibilities in the process (Ghoulardi would've been proud). Although, I kept backing-up and repeating some passages, only because they conjured-up those old memories. It's about time someone chronicled that great piece of Northeast Ohio TV history...and I hope it's the beginning of other efforts (i.e. video/audio retrospectives). Considering what impact Ernie Anderson's "Ghoulardi" had on all of us who were watching, it's surprising such an undertaking took so long to come-about. Too bad Ernie couldn't be here to read it; But then again, he'd shy-away from the accolades. By the way, I still harbor those old dreams of doing a skit with Big Chuck some day...and look forward to seeing other long-time TV8 staffers in my travels as a sports reporter. Good job, Tom and R.D. Now, get busy on bringing-back other great memories of the 60's!!!

I bought this book for a Cleveland transplant friend of mine, Dennis. Dennis had affectionately mentioned Ghoulardi to me many times, so I was able to find this book about Ghoulardi on Amazon. Well, I bought this book for Dennis as a gift, but since he only stops by my house about every six months. I got tired of waiting for him to drop by, so I decided to read his "gift" in the meantime. I grew up in Los Angeles with horror movie hosts, such as Jeepers Creepers, Seymour, and Elvira, and no matter what movie they were showing, good, bad, or as often was the case terrible, I always tuned in, more for the hosts funny antics than the movie itself. Most major cities had television horror hosts during the late fifties, early sixties, to show the science fiction/horror movies that the movie studios had put together in bulk packages to recycle on television. Even though I have never seen Ghoulardi, this book was a lot of fun to read, and I know that he was very similar to the horror hosts that I grew up with. Another great book about horror movie hosts is titled, "Television Horror Movie Hosts," by Elena M. Watson, this is the definitive book on the subject affectionately researched by Ms. Watson, also an excellent enjoyable book to read. Her book also has a section devoted to Ghoulardi. Do I worry about Dennis finding out the truth about his slighly used present, or reading this review on the web? Nawwww, it's been over fifteen years since I showed Dennis how to use a cheese slicer, and he still hasn't figured out how to use it. My secret is safe!

Ghoulardi.....The greatest bad horror movie host that ever lived! The stories are absolutly true, and irreverent is an understatement. I only got to see Ernie live once, it was one summer evening at the Akron Armory. We sent things to him at the station that they used on the air and we went wild when we saw a picture we had painted of him on an old Ohio route sign. They used it at a station break. When I received the book as a gift I had no idea that it even existed as I now live in Michigan, what a surprise! As I read those pages all the memories came flooding back.......Thank you for helping me go back to those innocent, irreverent, weekend horror shows and most of all the memories of a man I will never forget.

Did you ever wonder who the man was on Drew Carey's t-shirt? This book will tell you all about him. Ghoulardi was so popular in Cleveland that the crime rate actually went down when he was on. He made Parma so infamous that their high school basketball team was once pelted with white socks when they took the court! He even managed to infiltrate the hallowed Severence Hall with his irreverence, much to the consternation of maestro George Szell. My personal favorite, though, is the story of Ghoulardi's erstwhile pet, Oxnard the crow, who--not being content to merely "redecorate" the set of "Jim Doney's Adventure Road" (I hated that d*mn show!)--decided to augment the appearance of Doney himself!!! (I knew I liked that bird!!!)

When this book came out, I was working in a Youngstown, Ohio bookstore. Youngstown being a little far from Cleveland, my manager was reluctant to stock many of the book. When we got the first few copies in, they went so fast that the manager was in shock. We sold so many of them that we ended up having a signing that drew a line of customers that extended almost to the back of the store! It was one of the biggest sellers of that fall. I loved it, and so did my customers--lots of them. I predict you will love it, too.

If you are from the Cleveland area this is a nice book. Ghoulardi, Hoolihan & Big Chuck....Holy Perogie! I would like to write a long review, but I've got to put on my white socks and watch Lawrence Welk..

What can I say, except that Ernie Anderson is a legend in broadcasting. Back when local television stations produced more than the local news (Barnaby, Captain Penny, Dorothy), Ghoulardi was cutting edge humor. Cleveland was that much more a special town to grow up in because of the folks at Channel 8. A wonderful, non-PC age, where the diversity of Cleveland became fertile ground for Ernie's creative humor. Too bad due to 'correctness' we've lost the ability to make fun of ourselves.

There's good reason that Cleveland is both the home of Rock and Roll and the home of Ghoulardi.

If you ever lived in Cleveland in the 1960s, Ghoulardi was your man!! The best movie host in history!! His rowdy, delinquent, irreverent stage persona and his infamous B movies were so popular that the crime rate actually dropped noticibly when he was on the air! This book is the first history of that legendary show...lots of cool vigenettes, like the time when he almost blew out the windows of the sound stage and got the city fire marshal on his case with his pyrotewchnic antics. Its amazing that most of Cleveland's movie hosts in the 60s and 70s were all tied in to the original Ghoulardi show. Clevelanders, at least those of the 60s and 70s, will love this book....for those outsiders, well, its a Cleveland thing....you wouldn't understand!

Now for somebody to assemble Ghoulardi's best (or at least most infamous) into a DVD or two....I'll be first in line!! Meabwhile, at leat we have this book!

A wonderful book depicting Ghoulardi, a tv icon of Cleveland in the mid 1960s. The inside scoop on Cleveland broadcasting is the set, GHOULARDI is the star. Well documented, rich in quotes, fun to read. An icon, an iconoclast. An excellent source on the role played by Ohioans, Buckeyes, Clevelanders, in Hollywood. In a sense a good case study for management, especially where creativity bumps up against control and conformity.

The Ghoulardi book was amazing in telling of all the Ernie Anderson facts-and I didn't realize that the others creators of Ghoulardi were Shelly Saltman,Ralph Gulko,Big Chuck and Bob Soinski.I realize now that Ron Sweed was really involved in the Ghoulardi days-and even the early Hoolihan/Big Chuck days. I wished there would have been more details about the movies Ghoulardi hosted.Many people consider The Little Shop of Horrors as the classic Ghoulardi movie-yet it wasn't even mentioned.The only movies mentioned were many of those Ghoulardi showed in his first year-and-a-half. Apparently,the only episodes of Parma Place availiable were those Chuck was in...and I guess he has copies.There were seven other episodes,just as funny and worth remembering. Those who remember Ghoulardi vaguely will love the book. Those who remember Ghoulardi in more detail,like me,will be slightly disappointed. Still,it's a wonderful telling of the movie-host who made a tremendous impact on viewers like me.I admire Ernie Anderson for staying on as Ghoulardi long enough to become an icon,but not quite long enough to get stale.

If you are old enough to remember staying up late to watch "Ghoulardi", then you will get a kick out of this funny and informative book. It recalls the silly format that was so hilarious when I watched it with my brother growing up in Cleveland.