Fright Night (TV show)
Encyclopedia
Fright Night was the name of at least two science fiction and horror movie programs. One ran from 1970 to 1981, and the other ran from 1973 to 1987. Both programs were broadcast by KHJ-TV
Los Angeles, and its sister-station WOR-TV
New York City.
in Los Angeles between 1970 and 1981. The host for the show was Larry Vincent (Sinister Seymour). 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.
He show began with a voice-over introduction by a whiny-voiced, never seen assistant, who proclaimed him ". . .the Master of the Macabre, the Eppy-tome of Evil, SEEEEEEEYmooooourrrr!" He would then come out from behind the "slimiest of walls," and often lambaste the viewing audience for wasting their time watching such "stinkers." His films generally were poorly-written movies which had been distributed for late-night filler programming, in the days before satellite distribution became cost-effective for non-network stations.
He would frequently try to get a free meal from Pizza Fella which was a take-off on a then-popular franchise known as Pizza Man. He would announce that a character was a "real four-flusher" -- followed by the sound of a toilet, flushing four times.
("Mistress of The Dark"). Upon Elvira's arrival the show was renamed "Movie Macabre".
horror movie Fright Night
, Roddy McDowall
's character, Peter Vincent, is also a horror host
for an Iowa
TV horror show titled "Fright Night". Although the character's name is derived from veteran horror film
actors Peter Cushing
and Vincent Price
, and the character an amalgam of Cushing, Price, and Christopher Lee
, the Peter Vincent character is also an homage to Fright Night 's host Larry Vincent.
's WOR-TV
, Channel 9. Unlike some of the station's other horror showcases from the 1970s such as Thriller Theater
and Chiller Thriller
, Fright Night catered to an adult audience.
As the Championship Wrestling
show was ending, a Channel 9 off-screen announcer (either Ray Marlin, Jesse Elin Browne, Barbara Daniels Korsen or Ted Mallie
) would say "Now stay tuned for Fright Night, next on Channel 9."
The opening featured a series of classic monsters from the Universal Horror series. Bela Lugosi
's Dracula, Elsa Lanchester
as the Bride Of Frankenstein, Lon Chaney, Jr.
. as The Wolfman and then Boris Karloff
as the Frankenstein Monster which dissolved into a skull from whose empty eye socket flowed wispy dry ice mist. Then two words appeared in the eye socket...FRIGHT NIGHT.
From there the screen would give way to an incredible array of weekly horror films unlike those offered on any other station of the time. The show ran at various times throughout its history, ranging from midnight to 1 and 1:30 am.
Fright Night had its premiere on Saturday night, October 6, 1973 at midnight. The first film shown was one of Hemisphere Pictures' television movies called Decoy For Terror.
From 1973 to 1979 Fright Night showed mainly the Universal Horror classics like Dracula
and Frankenstein
. In fact, The Invisible Man
became a Christmas
tradition, broadcast whenever the Saturday night program fell on a Christmas weekend. Fright Night also later made a tradition of showing the violent Christmas chiller Silent Night, Bloody Night
instead.
In early 1979 the movies changed switched to more 1970s slasher film
s and B-movies like:
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KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
Los Angeles, and its sister-station WOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
New York City.
Los Angeles
Fright Night was a television horror show that presented low-budget horror and science fiction movies on KHJ-TVKCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Los Angeles between 1970 and 1981. The host for the show was Larry Vincent (Sinister Seymour). 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.
He show began with a voice-over introduction by a whiny-voiced, never seen assistant, who proclaimed him ". . .the Master of the Macabre, the Eppy-tome of Evil, SEEEEEEEYmooooourrrr!" He would then come out from behind the "slimiest of walls," and often lambaste the viewing audience for wasting their time watching such "stinkers." His films generally were poorly-written movies which had been distributed for late-night filler programming, in the days before satellite distribution became cost-effective for non-network stations.
He would frequently try to get a free meal from Pizza Fella which was a take-off on a then-popular franchise known as Pizza Man. He would announce that a character was a "real four-flusher" -- followed by the sound of a toilet, flushing four times.
Elvira
When Vincent died he was replaced by ElviraCassandra Peterson
Cassandra Peterson is an American actress best known for her on-screen horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation...
("Mistress of The Dark"). Upon Elvira's arrival the show was renamed "Movie Macabre".
Fiction
In the AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horror movie Fright Night
Fright Night
# "Fright Night" – 3:45# "You Can't Hide from the Beast Inside" – 4:14# "Good Man in a Bad Time" – 3:41# "Rock Myself to Sleep" – 2:57# "Let's Talk" – 2:52# "Armies of the Night" – 4:34...
, Roddy McDowall
Roddy McDowall
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English actor and photographer. His film roles included Cornelius and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes film series...
's character, Peter Vincent, is also a horror host
Horror host
Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...
for an Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
TV horror show titled "Fright Night". Although the character's name is derived from veteran horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
actors Peter Cushing
Peter Cushing
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE was an English actor, known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played the handsome but sinister scientist Baron Frankenstein and the vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite Christopher Lee, and occasionally...
and Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, and the character an amalgam of Cushing, Price, and Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
, the Peter Vincent character is also an homage to Fright Night 's host Larry Vincent.
New York City
Fright Night was also a horror program that aired on New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's WOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
, Channel 9. Unlike some of the station's other horror showcases from the 1970s such as Thriller Theater
Thriller Theater
Thriller Theater was a kid-friendly horror venue that aired on New York City television station WOR-TV from 1971 to 1972.It aired on weekday afternoons from 4:30 PM to 6 PM and had a film library consisting mainly of classic movies from the Universal and RKO vaults .The opening of the program...
and Chiller Thriller
Chiller Thriller
Chiller Thriller was a kid-friendly horror showcase that aired on New York City television station WOR-TV on Saturday mornings as early as 1974 and as late as 1977....
, Fright Night catered to an adult audience.
As the Championship Wrestling
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
show was ending, a Channel 9 off-screen announcer (either Ray Marlin, Jesse Elin Browne, Barbara Daniels Korsen or Ted Mallie
Ted Mallie
Theodore A. Mallie was an American radio and television announcer.Mallie started at WOR-Mutual Radio in New York in the mid-1940s. There he announced on such programs as John Steele, Adventurer and I Love a Mystery...
) would say "Now stay tuned for Fright Night, next on Channel 9."
The opening featured a series of classic monsters from the Universal Horror series. Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
's Dracula, Elsa Lanchester
Elsa Lanchester
Elsa Sullivan Lanchester was an English-American character actress with a long career in theatre, film and television....
as the Bride Of Frankenstein, Lon Chaney, Jr.
Lon Chaney, Jr.
Lon Chaney, Jr. , born Creighton Tull Chaney, was an American character actor. He was best known for his roles in monster movies and as the son of famous silent film actor, Lon Chaney...
. as The Wolfman and then Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
as the Frankenstein Monster which dissolved into a skull from whose empty eye socket flowed wispy dry ice mist. Then two words appeared in the eye socket...FRIGHT NIGHT.
From there the screen would give way to an incredible array of weekly horror films unlike those offered on any other station of the time. The show ran at various times throughout its history, ranging from midnight to 1 and 1:30 am.
Fright Night had its premiere on Saturday night, October 6, 1973 at midnight. The first film shown was one of Hemisphere Pictures' television movies called Decoy For Terror.
From 1973 to 1979 Fright Night showed mainly the Universal Horror classics like Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
and Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
. In fact, The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
became a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
tradition, broadcast whenever the Saturday night program fell on a Christmas weekend. Fright Night also later made a tradition of showing the violent Christmas chiller Silent Night, Bloody Night
Silent Night, Bloody Night
Not to be confused with a more controversial and popular film called Silent Night, Deadly Night.Silent Night, Bloody Night is a low-budget 1974 psychological horror film directed by Theodore Gershuny. It stars Patrick O'Neal and cult actress Mary Woronov in leading roles, with John Carradine in a...
instead.
In early 1979 the movies changed switched to more 1970s slasher film
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
s and B-movies like:
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- Beyond the Door
- Black ChristmasBlack Christmas (1974 film)Black Christmas is a 1974 Canadian slasher film directed by Bob Clark and written by A. Roy Moore, and largely based on a series of murders that took place in Quebec, Canada around Christmas time. The film's score is by Carl Zittrer. It was distributed by Ambassador Film Distributors in Canada and...
- Blood and Black LaceBlood and Black LaceBlood and Black Lace is a 1964 Italian thriller film directed by Mario Bava. Bava cowrote the screenplay with Giuseppe Barilla and Marcello Fondato. The film stars Cameron Mitchell and Eva Bartok...
- Blood from the Mummy's TombBlood from the Mummy's TombBlood from the Mummy's Tomb is a 1971 British film starring Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, and James Villiers. This was director Seth Holt's final film, and was adapted from Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of Seven Stars. The film was released as the support feature to Dr...
- Blood on Satan's ClawBlood on Satan's ClawBlood on Satan's Claw is a 1970 British horror film made by Tigon British Film Productions and directed by Piers Haggard. The film was written by Robert Wynne-Simmons, with additions by Piers Haggard, and stars Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden and Barry Andrews...
- Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter
- Cry of the BansheeCry Of The BansheeCry of the Banshee is a 1970 horror film directed by Gordon Hessler, starring Vincent Price as an evil witchhunter. The film was released by American International Pictures. The film co stars Elizabeth Bergner, Hilary Dwyer, and Hugh Griffith...
- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
- EquinoxEquinox (film)Equinox is a 1970 American horror film. Originally made in 1967 under the title The Equinox... A Journey into the Supernatural it was directed by Dennis Muren, and stars Edward Connell as Dave, Barbara Hewitt as Susan Turner Frank Bonner as Jim Hudson and award-winning science fiction/horror writer...
- FrogsFrogs (film)Frogs is a 1972 horror film directed by George McCowan. The film falls into the "eco-horror" category since it tells the story of an upper-class U.S. Southern family who are victimized by several different animal species, including snakes, birds, and lizards, as well as the occasional butterfly...
- GrizzlyGrizzly (film)Grizzly is a 1976 horror film directed by William Girdler. The film is about an 18-foot man-eating Grizzly bear that terrorizes a National Forest. The film stars Christopher George, Andrew Prine and Richard Jaeckel...
- House of the Long ShadowsHouse of the Long ShadowsHouse of the Long Shadows is a horror-parody film directed by Pete Walker. The screenplay by Michael Armstrong is based on the novel Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers. The original music score is composed by Richard Harvey....
- I, MonsterI, MonsterI, Monster is a 1971 British horror film directed by Stephen Weeks for Amicus Productions. It is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with the main characters' names changed to Dr. Charles Marlowe and Mr...
- KilldozerKilldozer (film)Killdozer! is a 1974 made for TV science-fiction/horror movie, adapted from a 1944 novella by Theodore Sturgeon. A comic-book adaptation appeared the same year, in Marvel Comics Worlds Unknown #6 .-Plot:...
- Let's Scare Jessica to DeathLet's Scare Jessica to DeathLet's Scare Jessica to Death is a 1971 low budget American horror film, directed by John D. Hancock, and starring Zohra Lampert in the title role. The film focuses on a recently institutionalized woman who has various nightmarish experiences after moving to an old farmhouse on a Connecticut island...
- Look What's Happened to Rosemary's BabyLook What's Happened to Rosemary's BabyLook What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby is a 1976 TV movie, and a sequel to the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby. It has little connection to the novel by Ira Levin on which the first film was based.-The Book of Rosemary:...
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- SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS is a 1973 horror film starring Dirk Benedict, Heather Menzies, Reb Brown, and Strother Martin. It was directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and written by Hal Dresner and Daniel C. Striepeke. The makeup effects were created by John Chambers and Nick Marcellino...
- Scars of DraculaScars of DraculaScars of Dracula is a 1970 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer Studios.It stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, alongside Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Patrick Troughton, and Michael Gwynn...
- Season of the Witch
- SeizureSeizure (film)Seizure is a 1974 surreal horror-thriller film. It is the directorial debut of Oliver Stone, who also co-wrote the screenplay.-Plot:Horror writer Edmund Blackstone sees his recurring nightmare come to chilling life one weekend as one by one, his friends and family are killed by three villains,...
- Shock Waves
- Sometimes They Come BackSometimes They Come Back"Sometimes They Come Back" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the March 1974 issue of Cavalier and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.-Setting:...
- The AsphyxThe AsphyxThe Asphyx is a 1972 British horror film directed by Peter Newbrook. Also known as Spirit of the Dead and The Horror of Death, it stars Robert Stephens and Robert Powell.-Plot:...
- The Beast Must DieThe Beast Must Die (film)The Beast Must Die is a 1974 horror film directed by Paul Annett. The screenplay was written by Michael Winder, based on the short story "There Shall Be No Darkness" by James Blish...
- The CarThe CarThe Car is a 1977 thriller/horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack and Lane Slate. The film stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley, and Ronny Cox, and tells the story of a mysterious car which goes on a murderous rampage, terrorizing the...
- The House on Skull MountainThe House on Skull Mountain-Synopsis:After Pauline Christophe, the sole heir for the house/mansion on Skull Mountain dies, four of her family members are called to hear her will. Upon arrival, each of the guests is stalked by a skeleton in a robe, and begin to meet their deaths...
- The Last House on the LeftThe Last House on the Left (1972 film)The Last House on the Left is a 1972 horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Sean S. Cunningham.The story is inspired by the 1960 Swedish film The Virgin Spring, directed by Ingmar Bergman, which in turn is based on the 13th century Swedish ballad "Töres döttrar i Wänge"...
- The Legacy
- The ManitouThe ManitouThe Manitou is an American horror movie from 1978 with Tony Curtis and Susan Strasberg, based on a 1975 book by Graham Masterton. The movie is based on an old legend about the Native American spirit-concept Manitou.-Plot:...
- The OtherThe OtherThe Other is a 1972 psychological horror film directed by Robert Mulligan, adapted for film by Tom Tryon, from his bestselling novel. It stars Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, and Chris & Martin Udvarnoky.-Plot:...
- The Town That Dreaded SundownThe Town That Dreaded SundownThe Town that Dreaded Sundown is a 1976, R-rated horror film directed by Charles B. Pierce. It is based on the Phantom Killer, who murdered five people in the 1940s in the city of Texarkana, Texas, at Spring Lake Park and was never caught. The film is presented similarly to Unsolved Mysteries,...
- The Werewolf of WashingtonThe Werewolf of WashingtonThe Werewolf of Washington is a 1973 horror comedy film written and directed by Milton Moses Ginsberg, produced by Nina Schulman and starring Dean Stockwell. It satirises several individuals in the Richard Nixon Presidency.-Plot summary:...
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From 1979 until its end in 1987, many famous horror and science-fiction movies debuted on Fright Night, like Ben
Ben (1972 film)
Ben is a 1972 film about a young boy named Danny and his pet rat, Ben. This film is a sequel to the 1971 film Willard. The movie is known for its sentimental theme song performed by Michael Jackson.-Plot:...
, Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
, House of Dark Shadows
House of Dark Shadows
House of Dark Shadows is a 1970 feature-length horror film directed by Dan Curtis based on his Dark Shadows television series. Filming took place at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York with additional footage at nearby Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: parts of the locals appeared on the Dark Shadows series as...
, It's Alive, Night of Dark Shadows
Night of Dark Shadows
Night of Dark Shadows is a 1971 horror film by Dan Curtis. It is the sequel to House of Dark Shadows. It centers on the story of Quentin Collins and his bride Tracy at the Collinwood Mansion in Collinsport, Maine....
, The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror (1979 film)
The Amityville Horror is a 1979 American horror film based on the bestselling 1977 novel of the same name by Jay Anson. It is the first movie in the Amityville Horror franchise....
, The Deep
The Deep (film)
The Deep is a 1977 adventure film directed by Peter Yates and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. The film stars Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, and Nick Nolte.-Plot:...
, The Hills Have Eyes
The Hills Have Eyes (1977 film)
The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 American horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Susan Lanier, Michael Berryman, and Dee Wallace. It is about a family on a road trip who become stranded in the Nevada desert, and are hunted by a clan of deformed cannibals in the surrounding hills...
, The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Hell House is a 1973 British horror film directed by John Hough and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson based on his own novel Hell House.-Plot:...
, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
, and Willard
Willard (1971 film)
Willard is a 1971 horror film starring Bruce Davison and Ernest Borgnine, directed by Daniel Mann. The movie is based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert, and was nominated for an Edgar Award for best picture...
.
Fright Night was discontinued in September, 1987.
A new book about the WOR-TV NY version of FFRIGHT NIGHT is scheduled for release in November 2011 by McFarland Publishing. It is called FRIGHT NIGHT ON CHANNEL 9 - SATURDAY NIGHT HORROR FILMS ON NEW YORK'S WOR-TV, 1973 - 1987