July 2007 Archives

I was very sad to hear about the passing of a great television personality- Tom Snyder. Tom died Sunday in San Francisco, following a struggle with leukemia.

His name is probably drawing a blank with some younger folks, but Tom was well-known to many of us- his late-night talk shows were a nightly “must- see” on NBC – even before they had “Must-See TV.”

One of the things I like about Tom’s show was that it wasn’t the on-stage, with a big studio audience program- it was just Tom, on a minimal set, a kind of intimate setting. He’d joke with the director and camera guys, but you’d get the feeling it was just them, and then, the guest, in the studio. The great thing about Tom- as with any really good personality- was that, when he was talking to the camera- you really got the feeling that he was talking to YOU, one on one- that he was having a conversation with you. The very best personalities in TV and radio connect with the viewer/listener that way. Back at the beginning, he’d come on right after the “Tonight” show- so his show was “Tomorrow.” He’d be all eyebrows, and waving his cigarette around, and he’d always be entertaining. He could talk about serious stuff, or popular culture, and, even when you didn’t agree with him, you still got an entertaining program. A good Midwestern guy, he came from Milwaukee- and ended up chatting with presidents, movie stars, and some just plain nutcases. He spent over 40 years in broadcasting, both radio and TV.

Longtime Sven fans know I loved doing impressions of him- I think I could both look and sound a lot like him, and we did some funny stuff- including when he first was cancelled from NBC, in the “Son of Svengoolie” days, and we did a show that was all about finding him a new job! That included a “Brady Bunch” parody- complete with theme song- called “the Snyder Shrimps.” I always had the feeling Tom would’ve taken it as a compliment. Let’s “fire up a colortini” as Tom used to say, and salute the passing of a great personality. Here’s to ya, Tom…

Let me also mention the passing of Tammy Faye Messner (aka Bakker)-who actually appeared with me on a Sven show here at “the U!” It was when the station was going to run the show “Jim J. and Tammy Faye” –and both she and Jim J. Bullock dropped by in a Sven segment. She was very kind and went along with all the fun stuff. I’m not sure about her days with Jim Bakker, and their religious outfit, but she seemed to be a sincere woman who perhaps wasn’t aware of what her then-hubby was up to. I still have a set of “Tammy Faye” false eyelashes she and Jim J. gave out to promote their talk show.

We did joke that she was the first person to appear on my show with more eye make-up than me! So, let’s raise an eyelash to Tammy Faye as well…

Well, it’s happened again- got home, checked the mail, and found an official looking government-type form- indicating that I am being summoned as a “stand-by juror” for jury duty! So, rest assured that, if you’re going to court sometime in the fairly-near future, and it’s a jury trial, you may just have a jury member whose education in court proceedings stems mainly from the 3 Stooges short “Disorder in the Court.”

Actually, I am well-versed in the world of being involved in jury duty- this is probably the fifth or sixth time that I’ve been summoned. So- explain this to me- this is, as I say, my fifth or sixth time- and yet I know people who are eligible and have NEVER been summoned. Is there something amiss here?

Now, I did say that it indicates that I’m a stand-by juror…what this means, according to the information, is that, IF they think they’re going to need me- I must call a special phone number after 4:30 on the day before the day I’m supposed to possibly show up- and I will get the word on whether or not they will need me. Okay- I’ve been in this “stand-by” boat before- and NEVER ONCE have I called in and they’ve said “no, you don’t have to show up.” Is this just some scam, to give you the false hope that you may NOT have to show up, go through metal detectors, watch a tape made around 1978 telling you how to be a juror- then sit in a big room with soap operas or Maury Povich blaring at you from the television set on the other side of the room while you try to read a book- unless you’re lucky enough to actually be called to be screened for a jury? And, that , if it’s a big trial, you may be coming back for one or more days, thereby delaying your work on a classic “Creature from the Black Lagoon” movie? If you or someone you know has ever called in and been told they didn’t have to show up- please let me know- svengoolie@wciu.com…

I’ve served on juries before- my first was back when I was working with Dick “Chicken Man” Orkin. It was an interesting case, with a wealthy-looking couple suing a working-class, less-than-educated family man with ten kids for damages in an auto accident. The wealthy folks seemed really eager to nail the poor guy- but things didn’t add up. They claimed that the man had smelled strongly of liquor at the accident scene- yet, there was NO mention of that in the police reports. Now, honestly, do you know of any police officer who even gets a hint of alcohol being involved at an accident scene that wouldn’t jump on that fact with both feet?! Also, they related how the rear view mirror flew off the windshield and struck the wife- yet pictures taken at the accident scene show the mirror mounted right on the windshield- exactly in place. Needless to say, there were other inconsistencies, and the gentleman was cleared.

That’s the reason I really don’t mind serving on a jury- being part of a process where justice actually can prevail- for once.

But- just once- couldn’t somebody else get THEIR turn?!

In a recent Tribune editorial, I noticed that, as they went over the story of the famed “Spindle’ sculpture- the pile of cars on a spike that resides in the parking lot of the Harlem-Cermak Shopping Plaza in Berwyn, which reportedly is going to be taken down so they can build a free-standing Walgreen’s store in its place- the writer talked about how its use in the movie “Wayne’s World” is what put Berwyn on the map. Ahem- now, as every Svengoolie fan knows, the Svengoolie family has been touting the suburb and its eccentricities since the early 70s- just from my aspect, when “Son of Svengoolie” ran in San Francisco, Detroit, Boston, and Philadelphia, we were promoting Berwyn, as always…so, give us a LITTLE credit, won’t you? Whenever you hear a radio announcer or a train conductor read the word “Berwyn” and they give it that same well-known Sven cadence- “BER-WYN?!” –you get the idea of how much we have had a hand in engraining that village’s name into the public’s consciousness. At least we’ve always given the “Spindle” its proper location, in Berwyn…while Mike Meyers had to allege that it had been transplanted to Aurora.

“Au-RORA?!” (See- it doesn’t work!) In a recent public appearance, I mentioned that the “Spindle” had originally been Berwyn’s answer to parking congestion-they thought they could just pile cars up on a spike. This plan was thought out by the same people who worked on Berwyn’s “Man into Space” project- see, they got this trampoline….

Speaking of the Tribune- I haven’t checked my Sunday edition out yet, but I was told that, if you look in the “Q” section- there will be an article by Pat Kampert. Pat says he was a lifelong 3 Stooges fan, and suddenly found their appeal waning a bit for him. He tried to figure out why- was he getting too old and boring, or was it just that he’s seen the films too many times? Then, his family bought him some remastered and colorized Stooges- and, lo! Even though he, like myself, abhors most colorizations, it turned out to be a revelation for him. I noticed new details he hadn’t seen before, and got his “Stooge mojo” back! He spoke with me recently about this, and may just include some quotes from me in the article, so please check it out! Also, try the wacky TV Jumble in the Tribune TV book- it’s just about the only thing that’s different between that and the one in the Sun Times…

One more Mummy flick coming up tonight- it’s “the Mummy’s Curse!” This final piece of the Kharis saga actually is the follow-up to one film Universal didn’t provide to us- “the Mummy’s Ghost” (see a previous blog)-where Kharis and his intended bride end up sinking in a swamp. This flick starts out down in the bayou, where an irrigation project inadvertently excavates Kharis from the swamp…and, along the way, also disturbs the mud enough to bring forth a muddy young woman- who can’t recall a thing, but does seem to have unexplained knowledge of things Egyptian. Of course, the latest in a long line of high priests has arrived to aid Kharis…or, is it control him? Kharis, naturally, as in every one of these movies, is still trying to find the latest incarnation of his beloved Princess Annanka…which just happens to be Miss Mud who stumbled out of the swamp earlier. There’s plenty of by-play with stereotypical characters (some very dated and somewhat embarrassing)-and our mummy is again played by Lon Chaney Jr. The reincarnation of Annanka is an actress that many of you may be familiar with from some 60s and 70s television commercials-you might be surprised to find out who she is! We’ll give you the low-down…also, this show is chock-full of Sven bits- you’ll see some of the most popular recent segments, plus some classic stuff- and maybe just a few old “Son of” clips! And- one of our most popular commercial parodies that we haven’t run in a long time…and that people constantly ask about!

This film will wind up our run of Mummy movies. Many of you have commented about how Universal had no qualms at all about re-using those huge hunks of previously shown footage to fill in the audience on the Kharis history (remember, these films originally weren’t aired one week after another- there was a fair stretch of time between them, so there was good reason to “remind” people of the legend of the Mummy, or educate them to it, if they hadn’t seen the previous films.) I’ve enjoyed some of the comments you guys have sent to me- like one viewer pointed out- we always see the Mummy with his one arm totally useless- and yet, he always seems to be able to use that arm when carrying the latest incarnation of his princess- not to mention that the stiff, slow-moving Mummy is suddenly able to climb up a trellis like a Ace-bandaged spider monkey!

I’m sure there’ll be more observations tonight with “the Mummy’s Curse”- so, tune in- and enjoy the bonus Sven bits as well!

Tomorrow night, we jump into the final installment of the Kharis the Mummy saga- “the Mummy’s Curse.” So, as I promised, let’s get to more of the information that viewer Dan Kelley generously provided to us regarding these Mummy flicks!

He points out that the string of Kharis movies are full of lapses in continuity- we mentioned last week that the “Babe” character’s last name changed between “the Mummy’s Hand” and “the Mummy’s Tomb”…additionally, high priest George Zucco went from a younger balding man to an old man with a full head of white hair in those same flicks, and in “the Mummy’s Ghost” as well (“Ghost” is the one Mummy flick that Universal didn’t include in our schedule- which is a shame, since the high priest sent to retrieve Kharis from America, as I’ve mentioned before, is an old favorite of mine- John Carradine!) At the end of “Mummy’s Ghost”-the Annanka re-incarnation sinks into a swamp in Massachusetts- but rises out of a swamp in Louisiana in tomorrow night’s Sven feature “the Mummy’s Curse!”

Dan also thinks that someone in Universal’s marketing department must have come up with the films’ titles first, since the plots don’t necessarily make sense with the titles- “Mummy’s Hand” takes place mostly in Egypt- and a lot of it in the Mummy’s tomb. But- “the Mummy’s Tomb” isn’t near his tomb at all- it all takes place in America, where the Mummy is out to wipe out the members of the expedition that violated Annanka’s tomb in the previous film. “The Mummy’s Ghost” finds Annanka’s reincarnation alive in Mapleton, Mass. Finally; “the Mummy’s Curse” has both Kharis and re-incarnated Annanka slopping through the bayous of Louisiana, where the superstitious locals claim that the Mummy’s ghost haunts the swamps. So- Dan suggests that, logically, according to the plots- actually “Hand” should be titled “Tomb”- “Tomb” should be “Curse”- “Ghost” should be “Hand”- and “Curse” should be “Ghost!”

One additional bit of trivia Dan provided about the missing-from-the-Sven-schedule “Mummy’s Ghost”- Lon Chaney Jr. suffered some serious cuts when he punched out an actual plate glass door instead of the prop door rigged to break on contact! (I’ll bet all those bandages he was wrapped in came in handy then…)

Again, thanks to Dan Kelley for these morsels of Mummy trivia- and come back tomorrow for the info on our Sven program-which will include some classic Sven moments!

I’ve gotten some questions regarding the book I mentioned last week- “Chicago TV’s Horror Movie Shows: from Shock Theatre to Svengoolie” by Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw. People have been asking where they can get the book; and, actually, right now- you can’t! But- soon- you WILL be able to find it, most likely at most local bookstores, under “local interest” or “media/television.”

I got an e-mail from Ted, who has been responsible for many fine books, including a great volume on the Columbia Short Subjects series like the 3 Stooges, Andy Clyde, and more; and his book about Chicago TV Kids’ Shows, which was a great success. Ted explained that he’s proofreading the “galleys” of the first half of the book- and will be receiving the rest by later this week. As son as he finishes checking the pages, he’ll ship them off to the printer- and then, it’ll be a little less than a month before the book is ready to be shipped out to the stores.

So, chances are you’ll be seeing it in bookstores before Labor Day.

Just for historic information on Chicago’s horror hosts- Marvin (Terry Bennett) of “Shock Theatre” and the Svens, Senior and Junior (Jerry G. Bishop and yours truly)- plus out-of-town short-timer “the Ghoul” (people STILL tell me about how upset they were when Kaiser replaced Jerry with him!) and Cleveland legend Ghoulardi- this book is a real treasure trove. It will also include information that I get asked about a lot- the non-hosted shows, like “The Early Show,” “Creature Features,” “Monster Rally” and the like- and, a guide to about 100 horror films that aired on Chicago TV.

Another interesting feature is the information about the original “Shock!” package of movies that Universal first syndicated to local television stations in the 50s- which was what actually spawned the whole hosted horror flick business- with Vampira on the west coast, Zacherly on the east coast, and Marvin right here in the Midwest. Add in some great photos of us all, and you’ve got a pretty neat package! So, be looking for it in about four weeks…

And, speaking of the “Shock!” Universal library- we will be continuing with the great Universal flicks right on through from summer, into fall- with the entire “Creature from the Black Lagoon” trilogy on the horizon, and a variety pack of Frankenstein flicks to chill your spine when the weather starts to turn cold!…and- have I mentioned lately that they’re still running Sven flicks on Me-TV during the week at 3 am? Please check you local listings for details…so, looks like the Summer of Sven will turn into a Fall of Famous Fear! (Supply your own “winter” alliteration title!)

Been catching a few more mispronunciations by television geniuses- including a medical doctor who was talking about the salmonella cases from taste of Chicago. She spoke about the suspicion that the outbreak was caused by some hummus- but she repeatedly pronounced it “humus,” which I believe is a type of soil. Well, if people are eating dirt, who KNOWS what kind of stuff they’re going to pickup?!…and this is an alleged “doctor”…

Some of you loyal Sven blog readers have helped me out with the ones you’ve heard-these come from the Svengoolieweb Yahoo group:

Duanne mentions hearing a preacher saying that children were a heritage from the Lord and the fruit of the loom. So kids and underwear are synonymous?

Bluecat talked about an attractive local anchor whose looks might exceed her intelligence- she’s been in town throughout the entire “Family Secrets” mob trial and more, though she’s not a native of this area, and referred to the Spilotro Brothers as “SPILL-a-TORRO” (and reportedly even stumbles over that- spill a torro? Is that about making the gas run out of a lawn mower?) Not satisfied with that massacre, she went on to read a story (most likely for the first time, while on air- god FORBID you read your scripts BEFORE the actual newscast!) in which she referred to the Russian currency “ruble” that she thinks is named after a Bedrock citizen who lives next door to Fred Flintstone.

Long time fan Dave, who is now dwelling outside our viewing area, and keeps up on Sven shows by having friends tape them off air and ship them to him, had a really funny one- not from a newscaster, but from a relative. His wife’s aunt used to call condos…ahem… “condoms.” Used in a sentence- “He lives in a real nice condom on the other side of town.” I shall make no further comment- please supply your own…

Not to say that I don’t occasionally mispronounce something on air-but, I hope that I’m doing it honestly, not through sheer ignorance. On an upcoming show, I know I was trying to say “tune in” for something, and you’ll hear me say “tine in”- maybe that’s a rule for how to carry a fork (get it? TINE in?)

Yes, there’s no IQ test for being on television…I’m living proof of that…

If you hear or read something that fits in this category- let us know! Send it to svengoolie@wciu.com…

I mentioned that I had gotten an informative e-mail with some facts about the Lon Chaney Jr./Kharis Mummy flicks, but needed to find in which e-mail account of mine I had received it. Well, thankfully, Dan Kelley, who had sent the original e-mail, followed up with a re-send, and even more info!

He mentioned that big Lon held Kharis as his least-favorite role…and hated the mummy make-up. He eventually ended up wearing a sort of face mask that make-up genius Jack Pierce had created as a way to get Chaney into make-up faster. In some shots, Chaney only had to have make-up applied to his hands and legs. As we near this weekend’s mummy movie, I’ll share more of the mummy lore!

Dan included some other facts from a book by Lon’s “Wolf Man” co-star, Evelyn Ankers. She and Lon worked together on six films in rapid succession, but- they really didn’t get along too well! Chaney called her “Shankers” and loved to play pranks on her. Lon had a drinking buddy at Universal- burly actor Broderick Crawford, later famous on TV in “Highway Patrol” in the 50s.Thye had a shared trailer in which they would conduct “booze-fueled extracurricular activities.” It seems Universal didn’t appreciate that, and disciplined them- which ended up with Evelyn being reassigned the trailer as her dressing room. Lon blamed her for the loss of his trailer! At the premiere party for “Son of Dracula”- big Lon argued with Evelyn’s husband, actor Richard Denning, and a food fight broke out! (Ankers and Denning starred with a couple familiar faces- Abbott and Costello- in “Hold That Ghost”- their first supernatural comedy- sadly, Universal has not given us that flick.) Evelyn described Chaney as covered with pistachio ice cream when the melee finally ended.

Besides hating the make-up, Lon Chaney disliked the mummy role because- as an actor- he disliked the absence of dialogue!

He felt that Boris Karloff had a much better role, since he got to speak as Ardath Bey in the original film.

Also, Lon was supposed to appear in our old standby “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy”- until a studio executive decided that, since the mummy wouldn’t speak and would be completely covered in bandages- ANY actor could play the mummy, and eliminate Chaney’s higher salary from the film’s budget. Stuntman Eddie Parker ended up playing the mummy instead.

Thanks to Dan for all the behind the scenes info- look for more later this week!

Flashback Weekend was, as usual, a terrific time! I made my appearance Saturday afternoon, and, as I was ushered into the place where I’d be signing autographs, was greeted by a long line of fans, snaking back and forth between the velvet ropes like people waiting to ride the Rock N’ Roller Coaster at Disney World! It’s always so amazing to me, to have so many people perfectly willing to wait in line just to meet some goof with a painted-up face and wig. But, enough about Bozo…

The VERY patient crowd couldn’t have been nicer! Again, we had the various generations of fans, from adults even older than me (yes, that IS possible) to the families with parents and kids, the young adults, teens, and kids by themselves. It was another over two hour non-stop signing session, which included signing rubber chickens from our sponsor Horrorbles (there was a problem with one certain type of chicken- the smooth rubber should have been easy to write on, but the chickens were covered with some sort of powder that, when the Sharpie pen tip came in contact with it- it started to dry up the tip, so the pen wouldn’t work!)-and, of course, a healthy number of copies of the Sven issue of “Scary Monsters!” as usual, some folks brought photos they had taken at previous events to have signed, along with some very kind gifts- more great artwork from our pal John Doyle, some great photos that you’ll see in the future on the show, a really nice rock inscribed like a tombstone that you’ll also see sometime soon, and even a t-shirt from a motorcycle shop in – BERWYN !!! Our steady-handed audio man and editor Kevin was very kind to take pictures for the many people who brought their cameras, so they could be in the shots.

Because the autograph session ran long, we hit the stage a little late, and only did a brief question and answer session, then went right into the costume contest! Some great kid contestants, including a Jr. Sven, an evil jester, a psychopathic little “Dorothy” from the “Wizard of Oz”- and the winner- a cute little tyke who was “Child’s Play’s” Chuckie! The adult contest, as usual, had a great variety- including a scary “Creeper”- a pregnant zombie- “Harry Rotter,” a wizardly graduate of the Undead- and , the winner- a bizarre “Mr. Pumpernickel”- with glowing green eyes, a pumpkin head, and strange long arms and fingers!

I want to thank the Flashback Weekend staff, our friend Don of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and all the great Sven fans who showed up to make me feel welcome, as usual!

Well, Flashback Weekend was the usual fun- I’ll give you a complete report in a future blog! Plenty of stories to tell…

A quick reaction to something on the news- so, soon it’ll be okay to bring lighters onto planes again. Let me get this straight- you can’t bring a bottle of water onto a plane- but you CAN bring something that ignites?! Homeland security- is there nothing it can’t do…?

I know many of you are enjoying the mummy flicks this month- and it’s funny, I’ve been catching a lot of mummy news lately-the actual discovery of the mummy of a princess, and , a program, on , I think, the Discovery Channel about the REAL Im-Ho-Tep; whose tomb, according to the show, has never been discovered, and was an engineer of the building of the great Pyramids! ( Im-Ho-Tep was the name of Boris Karloff’s character in the original “Mummy” flick, for those of you with short memories!) I received an interesting letter recently- longtime viewer Bruce brought up the fact that, in reality, the bodies mummified had all their major organs removed, and placed in jars- so, all the friggin’ tanna leaf tea in the world wouldn’t reanimate their pickled bodies! He was amazed that the Universal scriptwriters never researched that fact. Well, to be fair, Bruce- I think in the case of Im-Ho-Tep/Kharis, they do say that part of his punishment was that he was buried alive- so, the organs wouldn’t have been a part of his burial. However, I know I’ve seen some other mummy movies which didn’t include that punishment- and yet, the mummies came back to life…maybe some kind of “remote control” organs that allow him to revive from a distance? Those Egyptians thought of everything!

I’m trying to locate an e-mail I got with some great info on Lon Chaney Jr.- but I can’t recall which of my accounts it was sent to! As soon as I figure that out, I’ll share it with you- I remember much of what was in it, but I really want to credit the person who sent the information to me!

Remember, you can send me your interesting information, ideas, comments, etc.- just drop it to svengoolie@wciu.com - Or, should your e-mail bounce back at you – duck, and then, try svenonu@aol.com . I do indeed read every e-mail that comes in- and, as we say, only some of it makes its way to air…or computer screen.

Okay, early warning- tomorrow is the day that I’ll be making my yearly appearance at the “Flashback Weekend” Horror Convention in Rosemont. I thought I’d give you the information early, so, if you need to plan your visit, you’ve got time. This is, I think, the fourth year that I’ve been asked to take part in “Flashback Weekend”- and every visit has been great!

Here’s the itinerary- you show up- pay your admission fee- and, from 2 to 4 pm, I will be signing autograph picture cards, as well as any Sven-related things you might bring, including copies of the “Scary Monsters” magazine with me on the cover, rubber chickens, or previously-purchased Sven shirts (we WILL have a VERY limited number of Sven shirts for sale, as well)- plus, I’m happy to pose for a picture with you- just PLEASE make sure your camera is working, has batteries, and you know how to work it! Also, please be REASONABLE if you bring items for me to sign- remember, there are other people who will be waiting for their turn. Please make sure you hit the line early, to make sure I’ll be able to sign for you before the session ends at 4 pm- there will be someone who will cut off the line at a certain time, if necessary, so we’ll end on time. Also, after that, as we go to the next parts of the event, it is usually not easy for me to do further signing- it becomes one of those things where, as we’re trying to move along through the convention, I can’t sign “just one more”- it isn’t fair to sign one, and then tell the next person that I can’t do theirs. That’s the whole reason we have the set time for strictly autographs, so please make sure you won’t be disappointed if you want something signed, and be in the autograph area-the Atrium- during that two-hour stretch.

After the autographing, we’ll move to the stage in “Ballrooms 1-2”- and, at 4:15, I’ll do our yearly Svengoolie question and answer session, in which you, the audience members, can ask me any questions you like- and, that includes the usual FAQ that some folks newer to the show might not know the answers to- it’s no problem! I might drop some info on future programs, as well…we’ll follow that up with one of the most fun events of the convention- the costume contest! Again this year, I’ll be your host, and you’ll definitely enjoy the wide range of scary and hilarious costumes that people come up with- and, if YOU want to take part, just show up in your costume, sign up right before, and you might win some prizes!

Please keep in mind that, although the convention does run Friday through Sunday, I will only be there on Saturday. One of the great events this year is the “Nightmare on Elm Street” reunion- with Freddy himself, the great Robert Englund, and his co-stars- including Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Amanda Wyss, and more- plus other horror personalities. The attendees are always great, and it’s a big-time fun event, so, start planning today for your visit with me tomorrow! It all takes place at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont on River Road, and you’ll find all the information you need at www.flashbackweekend.com - we appreciate their sponsorship of our show every year, and are honored that they invite us to appear…so, come on out!

Horror movie shows have been on Chicago television since the 50s, when Universal Studios first released a bunch of their classic monster flicks to stations around the country- and the craze of using horror movie hosts began- and continues, as you viewers of our program know…

The reason I bring this up, is that I’ve been made aware of a special event next week at the North Riverside Public Library.

Ted Okuta (whom you may know from his great book about the Columbia short subjects, including lots of 3 Stooges information, or his book about Chicago television kids shows) and Mark Yurkiw, another fine local writer, will be at the library to discuss their new book, due for release any moment now- “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: From Shock Theatre to Svengoolie.” I’ve made mention of this book before in this space- it’s jam-packed with great information about the horror shows that have been broadcast, hosted and unhosted, over the years in this area. I’ve seen the chapters on my mentor, Jerry G. Bishop, the original “Sven”, and on myself, and they are very informative and fun to read- and, a little flattering, if I do say so myself. You also get information on the earliest hosted show –channel 7’s “Shock Theatre” hosted by Marvin, and information about other influential-and, not so influential- hosts. Ted and Mark will be doing their discussion at the North Riverside Public Library (so close to Berwyn!) next Tuesday night July 24 at 7 pm, so make plans to attend- I understand you may have to sign up in advance in a binder near the front entrance, so, if you want to attend, you may need to make a prior visit to the library. I don’t have exact information on the library’s location, or its phone number, but I’m sure you can Google it easily! The guys also plan to show some video with clips from various shows, as well as some vintage horror movie trailers.

As I said, the book will be coming out very soon, and I hope you’ll check it out- you’ll find out, among other things, how Chicago area viewers rejected Cleveland’s “the Ghoul” overwhelmingly after he replaced the original Svengoolie, who was unceremoniously cancelled by Kaiser Broadcasting, even after they gave Jerry G. their assurance that the show would continue. Plus, it gives you some background on yours truly’s career as part of the Svengoolie family. If you’re not someone who usually reads books- this is a great way to get back into reading, since it’s about something you like! Just don’t try to use a rubber chicken as a book mark…

There was a show on last night, as we say, on “another network”-with the wacky title “Just for Laughs.” It basically is a combination “Candid Camera/Punked” type show- for example, the promo showed someone going into a porta-potty, and suddenly someone’s head sticks out of the bowl, screaming at them. You get the idea.

It occurred to me that this is yet another “original” idea that was taken from European television. Maybe you remember the commercials or half-hour infomercials from a few years ago for a wacky set of videotapes called… “Just for Fun!” It was a cheesy assortment of the same kind of gags on unsuspecting people in public places. I remember this very well, because, the year that these tapes were for sale, we were on vacation, renting a lakeside house with a good friend- and he and I had the wacky background music that they used in the spots and the infomercial running through our heads. You’d see clips of the “fun”- someone sitting by someone on a park bench, then letting out a very loud fake explosion of intestinal gas- someone parking their car, and having a fake fireplug placed next to it, followed by a phony cop writing them a ticket, something that involved women’s skirts being blown up…and it was all obviously shot in Europe, with American voices occasionally dubbed in saying “Yeech!” and things like that. One of the most blatant examples of that was an escalator that had something like Vaseline rubbed on the handrail- and watch the ca-razy reactions of people who put their mitts into it! Then, someone would have a spray bottle, be standing behind someone in a line, then “sneeze’ and spray the bottle onto the person in front of them! Hilarity ensued…

I think there was also a more “naughty” collection of these tapes marketed as a follow-up…with nudity that was censored and covered in the commercials, much like the current “Girls Gone Wild” dvds- except THESE were “Just for Fun!” So, it’s taken maybe 5 years or more for this idea to filter its way from European television, and worldwide tape distribution, to an American television network. Another evolution, like “All in the Family” and “Sanford and Son” being created from original series overseas- actually, more like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Deal or No Deal”… if any of you bought those “Just for Fun” tapes back a few years ago, tell me about ‘em- svengoolie@wciu.com - and let’s see if ALL the gags in the brand spanking new American show are the same stuff!

I wanted to share a couple e-mails that I’ve received regarding stuff I’ve talked about in the recent blogs. The first topic was miniature golf, which I professed as my favorite summer sport during my earlier years. My old friend Steve pointed out the “grown up course he played as a grown-up”- artgolf! He remembers it was located in the “Clybourn Corridor”, in a building that was positioning itself as a sort of “upscale mall.”

The hook (see? a golf pun!) on this course was that all the holes were designed by artists. On one hole, you’d be putting through an earthquake-ravaged room, on another you’d have to put your way through a giant camera (which would probably be a smaller hole now, thanks to the digital revolution.)Steve says that it lasted for quite a while. Other mini-golf courses that have been mentioned include one that contains Chicago landmarks that you putt through (although I’d say that the original idea for that came from the beloved “Par King” course I mentioned in that earlier blog, with the John Hancock building obstacle!)- and, the one that’s located in the basement of a local funeral parlor. That sounds like a Sven remote segment waiting to happen.

The other subject was the mispronunciation of words. Mary, one of the guardians of the “Stooge-a-palooza” and “Svengoolieweb” Yahoo groups- sent me a hilarious e-mail, talking about an aunt of hers whom she dubbed a “female Norm Crosby” (kids, ask your folks, or go rent a Dean Martin roast.) This aunt regularly massacred the English language- when she had a stomach ache, she took “Thumbs!” The comfortable sling secured between two trees by ropes was a “hamhock.” The funniest story was that her aunt told Mary about a neighbor whose son was “Useless.” (I’m sure we’ve all had neighbors like that…) Mary couldn’t believe that this was the kid’s name- could it be “Ulysees?” Certainly not- the aunt insisted that the boy’s moniker was indeed “Useless.” Mary was in confusion for a while, but eventually asked her mother about this strange name being assigned to the neighbor child.

Her mother straightened things out- the boy’s name was “Eustace!” Not “Useless”- “Eustace!” Now THAT’S funny! Thanks, Mary! As for the rest of you- you know I’d love to hear what you have to say- so, send an e-mail today...or, at the least, tonight. It’s svengoolie@wciu.com... but, please, call me “Useless” (that’s what most management calls me)…

Regarding the weekend- thanks to everybody who stopped by/tuned in/called in to Nick’ DiGilios show on WGN Saturday night!

For those who wrote and said they called and the phone just kept ringing- they got to the point where they were backed up with callers, and knew that we’d never get to them all, so I’m guessing they just didn’t pick up- also, since we were on late in the show, they were getting stuff together to make their exit at midnight. The reason we were only on for that hour was, obviously, because we didn’t want to compete with our TV show, so I went on after it was over. (By the way, navigating around “Batman” movie closures on the streets was fun…)

We were up front in the WGN “showcase studio”- that’s the one with big windows, right out on Michigan Avenue, so their were lots of folks who came by to watch and listen, and give us some very kind comments! The visit was a lot of fun- Nick is a great guy, and knows his movies and television very well, and since he’s a big part of next weekend’s “Flashback Weekend” horror convention, know all about who’ll be there- he will be serving as a major m.c. for the convention, so, if you come by, you’ll be seeing him at various events all weekend! He’s hoping to swing by either during our signing, or before the costume contest, so, if you see him, make sure you thank him for having me on his show!

The other thing I wanted to mention was the nice encounter with the manager of a restaurant on Sunday. She came by after our meal, and very politely asked if I was who she thought I was (which depended- who did she think I was?!)

Actually, she had recognized me, and asked if I would sign something to her and her young son, which I happily did.

(And, no, I didn’t get my meal for free!) After I signed it, and she went back to work, our waiter came by, and told me that I had really made the manager’s day, which was really nice. The reason I bring this up is- if you see me somewhere in public- it’s perfectly okay to say hello! I’m always happy to meet the people for whom, after all, we’re doing our shows. I appreciate too, if you see me in a restaurant, if you kindly wait until AFTER I’m done eating to come say hello and converse (it’s hard to talk about rubber chickens with a mouthful of real chicken…) Sometimes, it’s fun to see people do the old “double-take” when they notice me in their business establishment, or the ones who keep peering around the end of an aisle trying to tell if it’s me or not! Anyway, I’m always happy to say hi to you- as long as you’re courteous. (Just don’t start yelling “HEY! LOOK WHO’S HERE!”…it makes it tough to get out of the place!)

Due to some schedule mayhem, I’m writing this blog ahead of time-so, I can write this while I’m still kind of miffed.(I’ll tell my weekend stories in an upcoming blog!) This morning, I open the front door to find the Tribune right by the doorstep- and the Sun Times nowhere in sight. Looking around, I spot a Sun Times, neatly bagged in its plastic protection, lying behind the evergreen bushes next to the stairs. With no lack of great effort, I make my way thru the needled branches, hugging the side of the house, until I can reach the paper. I emerge from the evergreens triumphant- until I get a look at the date of the paper, which is from two days ago…so, obviously it was a first attempt at delivery the other day, when they tossed a second paper more carefully- and omitted delivering one on THIS day. Thanks, “Bright One”…take as many overhead shots as you like of your reporters for the top of their columns, but if you overlook proper delivery, nobody will see it.

When I was talking about miniature golf courses the other day, several viewer/readers (I guess most people are both) reminded me of a place that I’ve even done appearances at- the Haunted Trails mini-golf on Harlem in Burbank. Lots of spookily- decorated holes, plus other attractions. Funny thing is- I’ve been there to sign autographs, but never had the chance to play the course! I’m told there’s another one in Joliet, as well…

Our friend Bohus, a loyal Sven fan and film-maker, was happy to see me decrying the use of the term “samwich” in advertising- and sent a whole list of words that he constantly hears thrown around, including “supposably”- which should be “supposedly”- and the beloved “irregardless”-of which there is no such word- it should just be “regardless!” He also included my favorite –“Illinoise”- as opposed to the pronunciation with the silent “s” sound.(Now, Bohus- tell me- should I be saying “Des Plaines” as “De Plaine?” Oh, boss- de plane! De plane!)

I won’t even go into the various names and words I’ve just heard mispronounced by local news readers in the past 24 hours. My favorite was the name “Aloysius”- which is pronounced “Al- o-WISH-iss” – that the fine anchor read as “Al-OY-see-us”- once again, folks- it should be there job to PRE-READ their scripts before hitting air, and , if they aren’t sure how to pronounce something- ask for help. I challenge ANY local news program to let ME be an “anchor” on just one show- and see if I don’t do a better job reading the news (and, if they’re extra nice- I won’t dress like Sven while I’m doing it!)

Tonight’s Svengoolie show is jam-packed with mummified mirth- as we bring you the “sequel” to Karloff’s “the Mummy”- “the Mummy’s Hand!” (Good thing they didn’t continue to make sequels that specified a certain body part…) This movie is actually the first of the “Kharis” mummy movies- for some reason, the studio decided to change some names for this fil- the mummy previously known as “Im-Ho-Tep” is now known as “Kharis”- even though it’s supposed to be the same mummy. There’s even flashback footage from the original film- but with shots of Tom Tyler- who plays the Mummy in this film- intercut wherever there were previous shots of Karloff.

Likewise, look for his beloved princess- Anank-sen-Ahmen- to now be re-named Annanka. But- otherwise- it’s still a sequel to the original film! Really! This is also the beginning of the Mummy flicks that establish that the Mummy is a slow-moving, foot-dragging monster who seems like he could never move fast enough to capture any of his victims who are RUNNING away! This is a prime example of the Universal formula that mixes comedy (watch for the wacky sidekick and the goofy magician) with the horror, just as Brendan Fraser’s “Mummy” remake did.

Then- when the show is over- you can pick up some bonus Sven on the radio! As I mentioned here yesterday, I’ll be joining Nick DiGilio over at WGN radio (AM 720) at about 11:05 for some Sven talk, Stooges talk, and shameless plugs for my appearance next Saturday at “Flashback Weekend” in Rosemont! I hope you’ll tune in- you may even get to interact with a phone call!

I’ve spent a lot of time at WGN radio over the years- I used to do some fill-in shifts there occasionally. Originally, the radio studios were over on Bradley Place, in the same building where the TV studios are- so, I’d get to run into old friends like Tom Skilling, and my old pal Rick Rosenthal, who used to anchor the news on WGN.I first met Rick back when I was working with Jerry G. at WMAQ radio, where we did mornings for a while- and Rick was one of the newsmen on the morning shift back then. Even then, I figured he’d eventually be doing television, because, as he’d read his radio scripts, he’d always look up –mush like one would do if they were reading a script (not a teleprompter!) on a television newscast. One thing that amazes me about this business is how you’ll meet and work with people, and every once in a while, your paths re-connect.

Anyway- re-connect with me tonight at 9- and then on the radio afterwards- consider it the Sven “post-game” show!

Oh, no! It’s Friday the Thirteenth once again! I’m sure I’ve written this before, but, actually, most Friday the Thirteenths have been great for me- lots of good stuff has happened for me on those dates. One of the first that I remember was one spent doing a bunch of appearances with Jerry G. Bishop, the original Svengoolie. I’m pretty sure that we did a circuit of about three movie theaters that night, for late night movie screenings. One of the theaters was a Berwyn movie house near the North Riverside shopping center (if that was even there then!) This was not the fancy old theater with the “Berwyn” marquee that was on Cermak Road- this theater was across the street from the strip mall that is now threatening to get rid of the “Spindle” eight-car pile-up at Harlem and Cermak. Anyway, I remember it being a wild and fun night. At one of the theaters, the p.a. system wasn’t working, and I was up front trying to entertain a raucous crowd that was running up and down the aisles! I remember we didn’t get home until the sun was coming up. It was great working with Jerry G. - especially in live appearance events like that. I learned a lot from him about what- and what NOT to do!

Something I WILL do tomorrow (Saturday) night- is make a guest appearance on WGN Radio (AM 720) with my pal Nick DiGilio. I’ll be showing up around 11:05 pm (conveniently just after our show ends on WCIU!) We’ll be talking about my up-coming appearance at “Flashback Weekend” next Saturday July 21- Nick is a big part of the yearly horror convention- and, I’m sure we’ll discuss our current Universal movies, “Stooge-a-palooza”, and anything else that comes up! Chances are we may take some phone calls too. I hope you’ll tune in after watching our show- or, maybe BEFORE watching the show on Me-TV !Nick is a virtual encyclopedia about movies and TV- not to mention a big fan of Shemp Howard, one of my favorite Stooges, and his show is always fun to listen to- much less, take part in! The folks at ‘GN have always been really kind to us- especially my good friends Steve and Johnnie, who hold down the overnight shift. I’ve noticed I have a lot of friends who do the overnight shift- like Candi at B 96… could it just be that it’s because I’m a “creature of the night?” Or, that I’m a cure for other people’s insomnia? Regardless, I’ll have an extra cup of coffee so I’ll be wide-awake for the radio show Saturday night…

First- there is no truth to the rumor that I have been let go, due to an incident of me swimming in Mayor Daley’s secretarial pool. A responsible journalist like myself knows better than to compromise my integrity, or my swim trunks.

Speaking of swimming, I was thinking of what used to be one of my prime summertime activities when I was younger- miniature golf! Every summer, my pals and I would end up spending a lot of time playing mini golf (when we could afford it!) I’ve never actually golfed (full-size golf, I mean) and have no plans to- my coordination would guarantee scenes similar to the 3 Stooges’ golf expertise in “3 Little Beers.” However, I’ve always enjoyed the small-scale version.

One of our mainstays was the old “Par-King” golf course on Dempster in Morton Grove- it was always one of the nicer mini-golf places, with great stuff at each hole- a ‘gator that opened and closed its mouth, a windmill (I think that’s a legal requirement- mini-golf courses MUST have one windmill, due to the Holland/Titleist Act of 1963), Mount Rushmore, a version of the Prudential Building where you had to hit your ball so it would take a ride up a little elevator- and the Old Woman’s Shoe House- where you had to time your shot just right to get the ball to go through the door that swung open and closed. The story among my friends was that, one time, one of a pair of small-statured identical twins in the neighborhood, affectionately known as “the Mice”, wanted to see what was inside the show, and stuck his head in while the door was open. Unfortunately, it was also there when the door closed, and it supposedly got stuck! This was the reason, they said, that a small screen was mounted over the door, with just room at the bottom for a ball to get through. I was not there when this event happened, but always accepted it as a neighborhood legend. The last hole was always fun- it was a giant enclosed roulette wheel, and, depending which slot your ball dropped into, you could get three points off your score, or two points, or- hold your breath- if it fell into the right slot, a bell would sound and you won a FREE GAME !!! Every once in a while, we’d get lucky, and win the big one. That course has been gone for years, although there is a second Par King course still in operation in either Prairie View or Lincolnshire.

The original was always the favorite when it came to mini-golf, though my friends and I would often settle for “Fink’s Links”- a lower priced, and much more cheaply constructed course near the Golf Mill shopping mall in Niles. We’d laugh because one of the “hazards” was actually tin cans with rubber balls stuck in their tops.

As I write this, I’m itching to putt a ball into a clown’s nose! Let it be known that it isn’t summer for me without just ONE game of miniature golf…and why don’t they have a miniature “19th Hole” with mini-bottles of liquor like they have on airplanes?

Since today’s date is “7-11” it’s only fair that I confess I’ve checked out a couple 7-11 convenience stores looking for the Simpsons stuff…and been disappointed that very little was available at those stores. I won’t have the time to make the trip to the store that is completely converted to a “Quik-E-Mart” in the Chicago area…which I’m sure must keep the Simpsons products in stock…but, either the others don’t care, or they didn’t order wisely. Maybe they didn’t realize that so many Simpsons fans would be coming to locate the goods. D’oh! No Krusty-Os…

Another whining complaint from yours truly- one I think I may have mentioned previously. Do the people at ad agencies not realize that the word is “SANDwich”? Once again, I heard a radio commercial in which the announcer breathlessly announced how good a certain “samwich” was-now, granted, I’ve got friends who, when we make a lunch date, say “let’s grab a sammich”- but they’re just goofing. I’ve heard way to many TV and radio ads touting “samwiches.” Can these ads possibly make it through producers, ad execs, sponsors, etc., without somebody involved realizing the word is being mis-pronounced? If you go to their restaurants, will the menu list “samwiches?” I doubt it- unless the place is “Sam’s” and the spelling is a trademark gimmick. Or, do these ad guys just have a sort of dyslexic problem, where they switch “m” for “nd” in words- thereby allowing them to offer stuff like a “hand samwich.” Yeah, that’s the problem. It used to be that people who were doing this type of thing could at least pronounce words correctly (I know, I’m going all “Fraiser Crane” on this- I’ll stop now…)

Oh, okay, one more thing- I love going through those wacky mail-order catalogs of “household items”- and hit upon one that brought up a continuing question (no, not “why does every blurb end in a question mark?” –i.e.- “needs no batteries!” or “keeps hands clean!” or “No fish-scaler needed!”

This was an item called the “Infinity Razor”- “the last razor you’ll ever need!” It’s g0t fused steel and tungsten blades that never wear out or get dull- “you’ll never need a replacement!” Then, in the next line, it says- “buy one, and get a second razor free!” WAIT A MINUTE- didn’t they just say it would never need to be replaced?! Why would you NEED another one? And- here’s the second free offer- you’ll also get a micro-trimmer- and a chef’s knife?! (Are you shaving and chopping onions all at the same time? Or, preparing to star in a barber/slasher movie?) And, yes, of course- it’s only $19.95! (The only line missing is “makes a great gift”-which, I’m sure it does…)

Okay, enough complaining –I’ve got better things to do- like get a chef’s knife so I can cut my samwich I got at the Quik-E-Mart…thank you, come again!

All right- let’s hit the e-mail bag for what you guys have been saying to me at svengoolie@wciu.com…

TaxRat says that a great movie we’d have lots of fun with is “Hot Rods to Hell!” Though not a horror movie, this flick about young hot-rodding punks pestering Dana Andrews and his family in the desert has always been a favorite of mine- as Dana, plagued with a weak back (how long has he had it? Oh, about a week back…) tries to handle the tough boys , his unruly daughter, and his clinging wife. The whole premise is, Dana is going to run a hotel in the desert- and finds it to be a real sleaze bucket! This movie is now under contract to one of the cable nets, so it may be impossible to get- but, it would be a sweet subject for “Svensurround!”

For the folks who missed some of “the Mummy” due to TiVo/recorder problems due to the Chicago Sky game running over- yes, we WILL rerun the movie- in the early part of next year. By the way- early warning- we’ve got a Sky game on Saturday, July 21- so, in the event it runs long- set your recording machines for extra time! Or, just set it for the 1 am showing on Me-TV…

Jimmy from the Steppenwolf Theater has a suitable movie suggestion- “Wolves of Wall Street!” A young man lands a job at a brokerage firm run by Eric Roberts, where the all-male staff uses cut-throat methods to succeed…only to find out that the “Wolfe Brothers” have a secret that comes out during the full moon! Sounds like a winner- I’ve never seen it- but, it may be even better than “Werewolf of Washington” –where a wolf man ends up in the President’s cabinet!

Speaking of wolf men, Hans sent us a funny thought regarding the listing for “The Wolf Man” that was in his local paper when we ran the film. It read” Bitten man grows fangs, fur, snout.”

Hans said he knows there isn’t much room for these plot summaries in the program grids, but it’s funny how this makes it sound like the character changes into a house pet like “the Shaggy Dog!” Or, at least, ALF…

Our old pal Dave says that a movie called “Street Trash” would be a great Sven flick- in a rundown town with a homeless village located in its junkyard, a greedy liquor store clerk finds a drink called “Viper” hidden behind a wall. When people drink this cheap stuff, they melt into a puddle of ooze. Dave says some of the Troma Films actors show up in this one. It sounds like that product should be on the same shelf as “the Stuff” –the sinister dessert we featured in the film of the same name during our first year on “the U!”

We appreciate hearing from you guys- remember, we read everything you send to svengoolie@wciu.com …so, keep it coming!

I know, I know- many of you were upset that the Sven show started a little late due to Chicago Sky basketball on Saturday, and it screwed up your TiVos and vcrs…the delay was unavoidable, since we do have to wait for the exciting conclusion of the game…but, again, thank our WCIU programming department for making sure the entire show ran, and it wasn’t “joined in progress.” We WILL show “the Mummy” again, for those who missed part of the show. I’m glad to hear that so many of you enjoyed it- (even those of you who had the last part cut off by that recording device…) and am especially happy that you were entertained by Kevin J. O’Connor, our friend from “the Mummy” and “Van Helsing.”

He was a great sport, and has lots of great stories- I wish we’d had time for him to talk about some of the people he’s met and worked with. A funny thing- on Sunday, while switching channels, I saw “the Mummy” movie that Kevin was in being broadcast on one of the Spanish language TV stations- and it was cool to see his lines coming out of his mouth en Espanol!

I’ve also gotten a lot of questions regarding my upcoming visit to the annual Flashback Weekend horror convention. You saw the ads on the show, but, obviously, didn’t catch all the info.

The event runs from July 20 thru the 22 at the Crown Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont- and I will be making my appearance on Saturday, July 21, starting at 2 pm- with the usual autograph signing and picture taking. Our fine sponsor “Horrorbles” will also be in attendance, and rumor has it they will have rubber chickens for sale, perfect for signing! We’ll also have a VERY limited number of Sven t-shirts available.

Then, around 4 pm, I’ll be on the big stage, for another Svengoolie question and answer session. These are always fun to do, and I love being able to answer your questions live (or, as live as I get) and in person. THEN- the big fun event- I will again host the annual costume contest! This is always a highlight, with some incredible costumes and make-up- and we encourage YOU to suit up in your best horror/sci fi costume and enter- you could win some prizes! One word of warning- PLEASE make sure you get in line for autographs early, so we can get everybody covered by the time I have to hit the stage- once that happens, we won’t have a chance to sign anymore, due to the schedule.

More about Flashback Weekend to come- and, just maybe- a Sven radio appearance late night this weekend! Come back for further word!

We’re winding up the work week with more feedback that you guys have sent me here at svengoolie@wciu.com… many of you ( I’m guessing , people who don’t check these blogs that regularly ) have been asking when more of the classic Universal monster flicks will be on the show…as I have mentioned before, at the end of this month, we’ll be starting another string of creepy classics that will include Lon Chaney Jr.’s original “Wolf Man”- plus the Karloff original “Mummy” and some mummy sequels, plus “the Invisible Man”-the Claude Raines masterpiece. I know this will not only please Universal fans, but also the Sven fans who are used to mostly reruns during the summer months. And- more classics to come! Just keep watching.

Jeff thinks I might have been confused, when, in last week’s “Funhouse” show, I said that Steven Speilberg had asked Tobe Hooper to direct “E.T.”- but Tobe was already busy with “Funhouse.” He thinks that Speilberg actually was busy with “E.T.” and handed over some responsibility for “Poltergiest” to Tobe. Jeff, you’re right about them both working on “Poltergiest”- but, my research sources DO say that Speilberg originally wanted Tobe to direct “E.T.”-and, because he was busy, Speilberg ended up doing it himself. Their collaboration on “Poltergiest” came after Tobe finished “Funhouse,” with Tobe pretty much just getting the shots that Speilberg had set up. If that’s wrong, I’m sure someone will send the info.

Minister Robert sent us a kind message that many people seem to echo these days- that we’ve got a second generation of Sven fans going- that he watched Jerry G. as Sven, and watched me as “Son of” with his oldest- and now watches me with his 5 year old, complete with rubber chickens to throw at the television during the show open! It’s really great that we’ve got multiple generations of viewers staying with us, and I appreciate that!

Rick, who’s posted some of the vintage “Son of” clips on YouTube asked a question that I get variations of every so often- when Jerry G. was Sven, did he always do the voices of Zelda (his talking skull) and Durwood (the ventriloquist dummy who has continued his Sven tenure with me!) The answer is, yes, throughout the duration of his show- he did the voices. Someone once started the rumor that Chet Coppock, who worked at the station at that time, did the voice of Zelda, but that is NOT true! (Besides, I never heard Zelda say any Coppock-copyright phrases like “it’s your dime, your dance floor…”)

Remember, your comments are welcome here- svengoolie@wciu.com… come back here this weekend for some William Castle stories!

Say it ain’t so- “the Spindle” might go! The papers this week carried the sad news that “the Spindle’ might be coming down-possibly permanently- from the Cermak Plaza shopping center in Berwyn (you just do the sound effect for yourself-“BERWYN?!”) Reports are that the mall owners want to transplant their Walgreens onto the very spot where “the Spindle’ currently stands, and they may not provide a new home for it. You’ve seen it before – the giant shish-kabob of cars, topped by a little red Volkswagon! It was featured in Mike Meyers’ “Wayne’s Wolrd” movie (painfully pretending that it was located in Aurora)- but, even before that, as I’ve recounted here, I used it as the focal point of a “Captain Dustpan” episode on Fox- when some sea monkeys came in contact with polluted beach waters, and evolved into the mutant giant ape-like creature, who, in true king Kong fashion, ended up scaling “the Spindle” as if it was an used-car Empire State Building. It really is a tourist attraction- to some extent- but, when you get close by, you can see the many pigeons (and occasional sea gulls) who inhabit its four-wheeled high-rise condos. Not to mention the artistry of the bird excrement that covers various parts of it. Did I mention that it’s probably a good idea NOT to park real close to it?

This shopping area has housed odd pieces of art for decades- many remember the Big Bil-Bored sculpture- a giant hunk of concrete, with various pieces of garbage in it, from old fans (that would spin in the wind) to keyboards, appliances, and more- the more being- you guessed it- pigeons. Though most articles say that was removed due to ‘disfavor” by the citizens- it was actually becoming a hazard, as the concrete, after years of exposure to the elements, began to fall apart, thus dropping its various pieces- concrete and otherwise- onto the unsuspecting public.

And now, “the Spindle” may soon join the Big Bil-Board in that big art gallery in the sky – or, more likely, in a big junkyard in Cicero.

Make a trip to Harlem and Cermak as soon as possible, to snap a picture of “the Spindle”- as well as the Pinto Skin (a spread out car body) mounted on a wall- and the other odd quirky pieces of art- before they are all gone. Meanwhile, I know where you can get a deal on some slightly used, slightly skewered cars- (never mind that gaping hole through the center- it makes it more aerodynamic…)

Tonight at 9, the Svengoolie program whisks you back to ancient Egypt…if you consider the 1930s as ancient. It’s another big-time classic from the Universal Studios horror vault- 1932’s “The Mummy” starring Boris Karloff as the title character. Some archeologists find the mummified Im-Ho-Tep (Karloff) and a mysterious scroll- which, unbeknownst to them, can restore life to the dead. When an anxious young archeologist reads the scroll in the presence of the embalmed mummy, he is restored to life- in one of the most famous scenes of the film, involving, of all things-laughter!(If you’ve never seen it, you’ll understand when you watch- if you have seen it, you know what I’m talking about!) Years later, another expedition, searching for the tomb of an Egyptian princess, gets an unexpected visit from a weird old fellow calling himself Ardath Bey- of course, we know it’s Karloff -I mean, Im-Ho-Tep- who shows them where to dig to find the princess. Why the good will gesture? Well, he has his own agenda- to restore his lost love to life. Add in a modern Egyptian lass who just might be the re-incarnation of the princess- and eerie danger ensues. You’ll especially like the flashback “visions” of the past, showing how Im-Ho-Tep first lost his love, and how he offended the gods. Those scenes were filmed slightly slower than normal, to give them a sort of “silent movie” look.” The Mummy” is a stylish film, with some really eerie stuff- watch for the close-ups of Boris where his eyes begin to glow!

We have some fun Sven segments in this show, including a modern re-make of one I did when I first ran this film back in 1979 ! Plus- as I’ve mentioned in an earlier blog- you get to meet Chicago born and bred actor Kevin J. O’Connor, who played the sneaky Beni in the 1999 remake of “the Mummy”- and also played the evil hunchback assistant to Dracula- Igor- in “Van Helsing.” Kevin tells us about shooting both films, and about how he grew up watching my shows-and, if you watch carefully- Beni might just make a cameo appearance!

Remember, the whole month of July is made up of Mummy movies on Svengoolie- so, tune in for the original, tonight at 9!

It may start a little later if the Chicago Sky game runs over-time, but my bosses have promised that the show will run complete- in its entirety- if that happens!(They did, however, reject my request to have the Sky players wrapped in toilet paper as a salute to our show.)

By now, I’m sure you must’ve read or heard about the big property sale that’s been talked about in the “Svengoolieweb” Yahoo group- in Bucharest , Romania, the heir to Romania’s former royal family has put “Dracula’s Castle” in Transylvania up for sale. Is Renfield there as the real estate agent, just like at the start of “Dracula”?! It’s the “Bran castle” (no doubt a castle that supplies necessary dietary roughage to the area- get it? Bran?) It’s big Drac tie-in is that Prince Vlad the Impaler, the evil warlord whose cruelty inspired the character of Drac in Bram Stoker’s novel, allegedly stayed there- FOR ONE NIGHT!- back in the 1400s. So, we’re commemorating his (ahem) one-night stand- which is not even completely documented? Get this- the royal family heir tried to sell it to local authorities last year for the mere sum of 80 million bucks, but they rejected the offer from the heir.(Why? Because it didn’t have “central heir?” Oooh, I’m killin’ myself today!)

Never the less- the U.S. company representing this bozo predicts the castle will go for more than 135 million. He also added that the heir will only sell to someone who has the proper respect for the castle. By “respect”, I’m assuming he means anyone with 135 million dollars.

The government currently pays the heir to keep the castle open as a tourist attraction and museum. That agreement will run our in 2009, and the royal heir will then have complete control of the castle. The government has been given priority as a buyer, and can match any best offer for the castle. Somehow I think, if they were offered it before for 80 million and passed- and the prediction is for the actual retail price of the big deal ending up above 130 million- they may just pass on their “priority”- then again, maybe they can paint it white and sell hamburgers (whoa! There I go again!)

Or, maybe they can tailor it after our recent film, “House of Dracula”- and use it as an alleged “curing” place for those with the vampiric habit- a sort of “halfway house”- half way between blood-sucker- and just plain sucker, which would be the buyer (Somebody stop me!)

Supposedly the castle has attracted filmmakers , wanting to use it as a backdrop for horror films, and over 450,000 people visit the castle every year. Maybe Disney should buy it, convert it to a Dracula- themed “Haunted Mansion”- and put the whole deal out of its misery. Would having proper respect include having an adjoining gift shop, with mouse- I mean, bat- ears for sale, and Goofy dressed up like a vampire? Gawrsh!

Why don’t they just move the 4th to one of those “Monday” holidays? We’d be guaranteed a three-day weekend, and not have these “stuck in the middle” holidays with work days on both sides! Or, is the 4th of such significance to us all as a country that moving it to any other date would be unthinkable? Look, if it worked for Memorial Day…

Anyway, back at work today…and getting this Saturday’s Svengoolie show completed…definitely one that you fans of the classics will enjoy. It’s Boris Karloff in the original “Mummy!”

Plus, a special guest is dropping by…Kevin J. O’Connor, who played the shifty Beni in the Brendan Fraser re-make of “the Mummy!” It turns out that Kevin grew up in this area, and, when he comes back to visit, always tunes in for both Sven and “Stooge-a-palooza!” He graciously agreed to come on and talk about his work in the movies, and you’ll want to see the interview…I’ll mention it again in the Saturday blog. I’m proud to say that he’s become a friend, and has a great career going in Hollywood- not an easy thing to do! He also has a true love for the movies, and especially the old horror flicks, which he watched back when I was “Son of Svengoolie”- he even thinks that might have been an early influence on the direction he took as far as a career (does that mean his second choice would have been as a rubber chicken thrower?!)

The entire month of July will be a sort of “Mummy Month” on our show! We’ll be showing the original and most of its sequels, in order this month- with one exception, “The Mummy’s Ghost”- a 1944 sequel that Universal did not include among the films they have scheduled for us. It’s a shame, too, since that one includes one of our favorites, John Carradine, as the person who aids and abets the Mummy. You’ll notice that , after the original, where Karloff is known as Im-Ho-Tep (except when using his alias of ‘Ardath Bey’) the mummy is always known as “Kharis.” You might remember me pointing out in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” that they changed the name for that film from “Kharis” to “Klaris”-but, after the original, Im-Ho-Tep is never used as the embalmed one’s name…until the re-make that proved to be so popular, and still runs quite often on cable channels! But- no matter what name he goes by- we’ve got him – all this month on Svengoolie! I’ll tell you more about this weekend’s show in our Saturday blog…

Happy 4th of July! Please refrain from blowing off appendages with out-of-state fireworks or homemade incendiaries. I’m a big fan of the aerial fireworks (though not the stuff that just makes a loud, heart-stopping BOOM!) and one of the most vivid 4th of July memories I have is driving home at night from out of state on one 4th, and seeing various displays in the air all around me as I drove down the expressway! I know the really big downtown fireworks from the Taste went off last night (..uh…hopefully…all right! I’ll admit it! I’m writing this BEFORE the 4th! Isn’t your fiendly neighborhood Goolie allowed a holiday, too?!)- but there are still some other displays tonight, like the one from Navy Pier. With the holiday in the middle of the week this year, I think most suburbs are doing their displays tonight as well.

I remember one 4th during the “Koz Zone” era where they had me put together a special “editorial rebuttal” to the holiday for use in one of their special broadcasts- as a British guy named Nigel who pointed out all sorts of ridiculous “Facts” about the American Revolution. A high point was the story about Paul revere, in which Paul was me plating Harpo Marx…who was trying to warn Chico Marx (also me) that the British were coming…it was written like one of the traditional “translation” scenes that Harpo and Chico did in several films, with the words being something like “Bird- dish- ark- combing”-finally being slurred together by Chico into “British are coming!” It turned out pretty well…on the Svengoolie sign, I think back in my “Son of Svengoolie” days, we did a parody of “You’re a Grand Old Flag” about, coincidentally, the star of last Saturday’s movie, the Wolf Man! Lyrics were “You’re a grand wolf man, and , if anyone can, you can howl on the 4th of July…”-the rest of which, mercifully, have slipped from my memory (though I’m sure the original script still lies somewhere in the Sven archives- also known as my basement.) I seem to recall a weak joke we did about a skyrocket wrapped in spaghetti being a Roman candle… and the old wheeze about trying to light a firecracker with a match, but the match doesn’t work, to which someone replies- “that’s funny- it worked fine when I used it…” (cue the crying trumpet- “wah-wah-wah-wah!”) So, as we celebrate our freedom and independence today, let us also be glad we’re free from my old 4th of July jokes!

I’m still getting e-mails regarding “the Wolf Man!” As I’d guessed, this is one of the films you guys have been waiting for- and I’m happy that our showing of it has been so well received. Viewers especially liked our Bozo parody- “Lobo the Clown”- which I promise we’ll show again soon.

I did get some interesting information regarding the lack of man-to-wolf facial transformations in the film (as I’ve mentioned, we mostly saw Talbot’s feet transform to wolfish paws!) Long time viewer Mike from Oak Forest sends the info that, on the official Universal dvd of the film, film historian Tom Weaver goes into great detail explaining why there was only one shot of a facial transformation in the film. Supposedly, the cameras were “too primitive” at that time to handle the multi-stage transition. The method they used for the one transformation was setting up a “perfect silhouette” of Lon’s face that his face would perfectly fit into to make sure he was always in the same place as they shot the short bits of him with each change of make-up. Believe me, staying in one place for the long gradual application of make-up is extremely difficult, and takes a great deal of pa