November 2007 Archives

All right- don’t forget that you get your only chance to see “Sventa Claus” tonight, from 6-8pm, at the Comic Collector- 3246 S. Harlem- in Riverside! Yes, your only chance to see Sven wearing half a Santa suit (guess which half!)Hope you’ll come by tonight and visit…and, be watching the show tomorrow night for some info on Sven’s one –day Max Madsen marathon, coming up on December 8 ! We even get a visit from “the Doctor” from the Max Madsen commercials (I’m going to NEED a doctor, after doing the all-day, three appearance event!)

Wow. It’s already the end of November- and there’s just one more month of 2007! “Franken-Fall” officially continues for two more Saturdays, although we’re giving you a bonus look at some of the Frankenstein flicks in the weeks after that- as I always hear from fans, an excellent time to watch while wrapping packages!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who were so nice to send or post messages to me, congratulating me on reaching 13 years here at “the U!” I appreciate your good wishes, and hearing how much you’re enjoying the show-and the blogs! That reminds me- our ever-diligent web folks are working on some big things for wciu.com – including a possible Svengoolie mini-site! We have a bunch of ideas, and it will be THE official Sven site when this all comes together- but, I’d like your help! If you have some suggestions for what you’d like to see on the site- let us know! Any that we haven’t already thought of, that might be a possibility, I’ll pass along to the web crew. Just drop me a line- you know the e-mail address - svengoolie@wciu.com …

Some of you have asked if the ever-popular Sven version of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” will be airing this holiday season-well, I’m working with the Me-TV folks to see if we can get it into the schedule. As soon as I know for sure if it will air or not- I’ll pass the word on to you! I know a lot of you enjoy it, especially with the Svensurround we added. I always remember that our good friend and former co-worker, Jaime Tamaki, really disliked that film! Jaime, who was a talented cameraman and audio guy, is currently in Japan! We miss him here, even though he’s been gone for years- many of you who have watched the show from the beginning here at WCIU will remember that Sven used to wind up the mail segment with “Hit the theme, Jaime!” Wow…how many different names have I made that request of in the past (almost) 13 years?! (It’ll be thirteen years on air the first week of January- the 13 year mark I just hit was for actually coming to work for this company.)

Come back for a preview of this Saturday’s program tomorrow! (because it won’t be a preview if I do it on Sunday…)

Did you think that, just because the Halloween season is over, so were the Svengoolie public appearances? That’s not the case! There are more Sven events coming- including a BIG one, at three different Max Madsen locations, on Dec. 8th!

Can’t wait until then? Well, you’re in luck- because “Sventa Claus” will be arriving tomorrow night- Friday, Nov. 30th - at the Comic Collector in Riverside!

Ho-ho-hoo, boy- it’s all part of the yearly “Holiday Walk” in held by Riverside’s merchants- all the stores do something special on this Friday night, and our friends at the Comic Collector, a fun comic book and comics collectible store, have once again opted for yours truly to show up from 6-8 pm, not just as Sven, but in holiday gear as “Sventa Claus!” I’ll be posing for pictures and signing autographs –maybe you’d like one as a gift for the Sven fan in your life (hmm…kind of a cheap gift?!) Better yet, I’ll bet they have some of Alex Ross’ oversized comic “Liberty and Justice”-in which Alex hid a couple pictures of Sven alongside Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman…anyway, come shop and stop to see me- tomorrow night- 6-8 pm- at the Comic Collector- 3246 S. Harlem in Riverside (right across from BERWYN!!!) Please park all reindeer outside!

I’ve done a lot of Christmas appearances in my Sven career (the very first public appearance as “Son of Svengoolie” was sort of a Christmas one- it was a “Christmas in July” event!)

I remember doing one event with Deborah Norville (when she was working at ch. 5,) with then WIND personalities Dave Baum and Clark Weber broadcasting live. I did a few of the Christmas parades, too- one year, I was on a fire truck with a bunch of other TV folks, like Jay Levine, and every time we went under L tracks, we had to haul down some big balloons that were attached to the truck! Another year- I think the last time I was in the parade) they had me ride on the back of a convertible that was covered with Brach’s hard candies. It was freezing out, and the nice people tried to keep the heater going full blast to keep me warm. Unfortunately, the hard candies I was semi-sitting on got a little soft, and my Sven tuxedo had some candy melted onto it!

Rest assured, I will NOT sit on any candy tomorrow night- nor next weekend at the Max Madsen dealerships (I’ll give you more info on the show this Saturday…speaking of which, and, having mentioned the great artist Alex Ross- on this Saturday’s show- you’ll see a unique contribution of his- tune in to see what- or WHO-that is!)

Why is this day different from all other days? Well, it’s different for me- because today is the lucky 13th anniversary of my coming to work at WCIU! Yes, way back in 1994- I officially walked into an L-shaped office on the upper floors of the Board of Trade Building in downtown Chicago, and became a part of this station.(The original studios and offices were in that building, and had been since the early 60s.)

Johnnie from WGN Radio pointed me in the direction of one Neal Sabin- who had made WPWR a success, and now was going to turn what had been an outlet for Univision Spanish language programming and the venerable “Stock Market Observer” into a full –fledged local independent station- like channel 9 and channel 32 had originally been. I know I’ve told this story before, but- Neal and I hit it off immediately- we both had grown up with same interests in broadcasting, love of great old TV shows and movies- and were both dyed-in-the-wool 3 Stooges fans. (Was that wool, or Larry’s hair?!) Neal’s excitement and vision of what the station could become certainly sold me on the idea of getting in on the ground floor of what could be a unique Chicago television station.

Now, 13 years later- it sure seems like it worked! The station succeeded faster than anyone had expected- and has expanded with our sister station Me-TV, and our company’s other stations in Milwaukee and South Bend. A lot of the stuff we wished for back at the start- getting the broadcast rights to the 3 Stooges for the station, getting the amazing Universal monster movie classics, and so much more- have become a reality! Not to mention- this 13 years has been the longest job I’ve ever had- which is really saying something in the world of broadcasting.

I’m happy to be here, and I hear from so many of you, every week, saying the same thing- that you’re happy I’m here, doing the stuff that I do- which no other local station provides. So, thanks- to Neal, to the powers that be here at Weigel Broadcasting, and to all of you out there who support us. Just remember- it’s YOUR support that keeps us here (I know, sounds like Pledge Night at Ch. 11)- so, support our advertisers- and come out when we do appearances! I’ll tell you about the next one tomorrow! Right now, I’m going to go put those 13 candles on a rubber chicken (somebody get the fire extinguisher ready!)

Sorry to hear of the passing of news anchor John Drury-another good guy who, it seems, we’d watched on TV since we were kids. A sad way to start the holiday season…

Moving on to some of your feedback- it seems that we still hear from viewers who enjoy the Universal movies, but still miss the “less-than-classic” stuff, that we had to load with “Svensurround!” Certainly, we’ve tried to throw some of that in- like, our summertime late-night Me-TV run of several of those films. I’m sure there will be more instances like that along the way, but, for now, our contract with Universal makes it very important that we air the old classics. The viewer reactions and ratings certainly bear that out!

I also need to ask those of you who have ordered your Sven shirts to please be patient! Our promotion department is working very hard to fulfill your orders.

Remember that it takes a few weeks- which is why I need to remind you- if you’re going to order shirts as a Christmas gift- PLEASE order early! There’s truly nothing we can do when we get an order a week before the big day, expecting delivery before the holiday. So, order early if you want to surprise someone with a Sven shirt under the tree!

While “Franken-Fall” will soon give way to frankincense (that may be the weakest holiday transition ever!) there’s still some Frankenstein scares coming your way- this weekend, Ygor is back- in the film that, chronologically, falls right after “Son of Frankenstein!” More on that later this week- just keep in mind that we will have some special encore performances of Frankenstein favorites (including “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”) to take us through the holiday season and into 2008.

Finally, our helpful viewer Dan, always a fountain of cool information, brought up some of the information we’ve passed on in the show and the blog about “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man”(which, chronologically, falls AFTER “Ghost of…”)- along with other info, including the fact that there are scenes where Bela’s Monster’s lips move, but his dialogue was erased, after the decision that the Monster SHOULDN’T talk in the film. He also wondered what became of Maleva, the gypsy woman in the film’s finale? In real life, Dan reveals she met a grisly end- fell asleep with a lit cigarette and – well, you get the idea.

Finally- the young woman killed by the werewolf was Martha Vickers- who, as Dan put it, suffered her own curse later- as one of the eight wives of –Mickey Rooney! Now THAT’S scary…

Okay- have the turkey leftovers run out yet? Still spooning out that stuffing that has taken on the consistency of almost-set concrete? Candied yams that are now petrified potatoes? And don’t get me started on the canned cranberry stuff that is now half-molten and totally revoltin’…

There appears to be some controversy regarding when exactly the skin of the Frankenstein Monster was assigned the hue of green! (Hugh Green- wasn’t he a character actor in the late 40s?)From what I’ve read, it happened around “son of Frankenstein”- which the studio was going to make in Technicolor, then changed its mind. The color was noted in some home movies supposedly shot on the set of “Son of…” which are now in the possession of Boris Karloff’s daughter Sarah- and also by a test reel for the “Son of” film that surfaced in the 80s from the Universal vault. That film supposedly disappeared from the desk of an executive, never to be seen again.

I’ve gotten a few messages that dispute that story. First, some information I mentioned before – Keith had read an interview with make-up legend Jack Pierce, who designed Karloff’s make-up. He said that, to make the monster’s flesh look like dead tissue, since everybody’s skin looked gray due to black and white photography- they used green make-up on Karloff.

Keith read this as an endnote commentary in a novelization of the “Bride of Frankenstein” movie.

Then, I got a message from Bill, which stated that, on the Internet Movie Data Base, it states that Pierce’s make-up was actually yellow, which was consistent with Mary Shelley’s original description of the monster. So- now we have two stories that conflict- one, supposedly, coming from the guy who actually DID the make-up.

Let’s add a little more confusion! Paul attended a recent appearance by Sarah Karloff at Hollywood Boulevard Theater in Woodridge- where she appeared along with Lon Chaney’s grandson and Bela Lugosi’s son. Before they showed “ “Frankenstein” on the big screen- she actually showed the aforementioned home movies that are the only existing color footage of her father in the Monster make-up- and, that make-up was green! But- Paul says he thought she said that the movies were shot during the filming of “Frankenstein”- so, more contradiction. Did Paul remember correctly- or were these home movies shot during “Son of…”(during that movies’ filming, by the way, Sarah Karloff, “daughter of…”was actually born!) A side note Paul mentioned- Sarah said that she was planning- for the first and last time- to dress up as her father’s version of the Monster for a party at Hugh Hefner’s mansion that weekend! He said that she already strongly resembles her dad, so- imagine how closely she might resemble the Monster!

(Maybe we can have her send some pictures from the Playboy Mansion- oh, yeah, some of her in the costume, too…) So- bottom line? We still aren’t sure- if you know more, e-mail me- svengoolie@wciu.com…

“Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man for Thanksgiving Left-Overs”… was not the actual title last night, but I think the movie was a great addition to the holiday weekend- especially for those burned out by a couple days of early Christmas shopping. Wow- it won’t be long before a lot of Sven viewers will be following the tradition of wrapping holiday gifts while watching the show! By the way-even with the passing of Thanksgiving, “Franken-Fall” will continue- more Franken-flicks will be coming in the upcoming weeks.

Last night’s movie is a big favorite of a lot of people- many bring up the goofy “fa-lo-la, fa-lo-lee” song, and especially Larry’s interrupting it, sounding like a South Side Chicago guy- “get away from me, all of ya!”

The two big monsters –and who played them- certainly got a work out. Originally, big Lon Chaney was going to play both the Wolf man and the Frankenstein Monster in a rare bit of gimmick stunt casting- but- the production time necessary for him to constantly switch make-ups, etc, brought that idea down. Various stunt men were used as both monsters throughout the film- reportedly, when we first see the Monster in the ice, it isn’t Bela! Since Bela was getting on in years, in most action scenes, except for close-ups, a stunt man fills in as the Monster- also, in the big closing smackdown, in the wide shots of the grappling duo, both are played by stunt men. Actually, while Lon at one time was slated to play both monsters, stuntman Eddie Parker- who worked on many of the Universal movies- ended up playing both monsters in different scenes!

And, yes, the Monster WAS supposed to still be able to speak in this one – but both his dialogue- AND any reference to the Monster being blind (you’ll see why he was blind, next week in “Ghost of Frankenstein”) were cut from the final print. Many sources have confirmed this is so, including the screenwriter, Curt Siodmak. Siodmak is also responsible for the Frankenstein-infested town of Vasaria… this movie was shot during the Second World War, and he was originally from Germany- and fled his home country when German Jews like himself were being persecuted. With string anti-German sentiments prevalent in our country at the time, Siodmak didn’t want to have the Frankenstein castle located anywhere in Germany. He purposely had it moved to the mythical European town of “Vasaria”-which, in German, means “place of water.” That makes perfect sense with the hydro-powered equipment used in the castle- and with the water that eventually puts an “end” (like anything ever does!) to the two monsters! Will they return?…do you even have to ask? Just keep watching “Franken-fall!” And, come back later in the week, for Sven appearance news!

Early warning- more Sven appearances are on the way! Next Friday night, for example, I’ll be playing “Sventa Claus” at the Comic Collector on Harlem in Riverside (right near Berwyn!)

More info later in the week…

Tonight, however, it’s a combination shot on Svengoolie- when, at 9 pm- we will bring you yet another “Franken-fall” classic- “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man!” Larry Talbot-dead? Well, not exactly- as a pair of grave robbers find out when they try to plunder the Talbot family tomb on the night of a full moon!

Soon, the Wolf Man is on the prowl again- and Larry is looking for some final peace and the end of his fuzzy double life! He re-locates the old gypsy woman Maleva from the original “ Wolf Man” movie, who thinks that perhaps a doctor she has heard of can help him. That doctor- is Dr. Frankenstein, and they head to his old haunts, only to find the doctor dead and his castle in ruins! Before long, the Wolf Man stumbles onto the undying Monster, and both end up on the loose- and face each other in a showdown! The monster grudge match of the century ends the team-up of terror in “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man!”

Of course, Larry Talbot/Wolfie is again played by Lon Chaney Jr.- but, this time, the Monster is none other than former “Dracula” and “Ygor”- Bela Lugosi! We’ll fill you in on why Lugosi finally agreed to play the Monster after rejecting the role for the original “Frankenstein” movie. The daughter of the

Late ‘maker of monsters” is played by a woman who gained her main fame starring with the Marx Brothers- and one of Lon’s previous co-stars from “Wolf Man” is back as well-we’ll give you the complete lowdown on the show!

Just so you know- we’re following the schedule Universal gave us, and this film is actually out of chronological sequence- “Ghost of Frankenstein”- which we’ll air here next week- should actually follow “Son of Frankenstein”- with “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” following “Ghost.” It shouldn’t take anything away from your enjoyment of the film- but, when you see “Ghost of…” next week, I think you’ll see how it followed “Son of…” and the conclusion of “Ghost” will also explain a few things about “…Meets the Wolf Man.”

Wait- did that just muddy the water more?! We’ll clear it all up In the next couple shows…hopefully…see you tonight at 9 (1am on Me-TV!)

Well, this is it- the traditional day of Berwyn’s “Carcass Day Parade!” The big parade in honor of the leftovers from Thanksgiving began back in 1989, when I first did the play-by-play broadcast over WCKG while serving as the morning personality.

The parade stretches down Cermak Road, heading towards Harlem, or as far as the traffic will let it go. Hopefully, it winds up at the famed Spindle –the shish kabob of cars- in the Cermak Plaza shopping center.

Leading off the parade-it’s the Houby Hot Shots marching band! The Midwest’s premiere marching band composed of accordions, slide whistles, and empty KFC buckets used as percussion instruments. The lingering aroma of gravy and that bready coating makes them a perfect lead-off for this parade, as they play a march of their own composition- “the Dry Stuffing Promenade.” It’s a nice touch that, instead of feathers in their uniform caps, the players have put stalks of celery, in a salute to stuffing.

Following them is the local civic organization known for keeping the town clean- the Berwyn Brawny Lads. These quicker-picker-uppers always march right behind the float that once caused a major splash in the parade- the giant gravy boat sponsored by the local Jiffy Lube. We all recall that day back in 1989 when the gravy boat tipped over, and the Brawny Lads stepped in to absorb the spilled gravy with their utility belt rolls of paper towels (except for the mock giblet hunks, which were handed out to the attending children as special gifts.) Ever since that year, the Lads have stayed close to the boat, in case of any overflow.

Oh boy- coming up next is the Carcass Queen and her court! These lovely lasses, chosen by an on-line voting process involving a puzzle involving connecting virtual turkey bones together until they form anything resembling Tom Dreesen, are the true backbone- also the thigh bones and the wishbone- of the Carcass Day Parade, spreading good cheer and breath mints to the adoring throng. Last year’s Carcass Queen, Carlotta “Butterball” Spronzak, refused to give up her crown, after finding it worked well to replace a missing piece in her snow blower- so, a new crown was created for this year’s queen, the lovely Tina Zakspron, made entirely of fast-drying concrete. It should fall off after the first good snowfall.

I’d like to continue this commentary, but, it really is too ridiculous to complete- so, why not just come back tomorrow for a preview of the great Universal flick we’ve got for you on the next Sven show? Until then, don’t forget- leftovers are very similar to a TV rerun!

Happy Thanksgiving to all you Sven fans- wouldn’t you know it- on this holiday, I end up pulling duty on the Berwyn Rubber Chicken Hotline, taking calls from all those helpless individuals who can’t seem to handle the preparation of their rubber chickens on this special day…oops! A call is coming in- be right back…

Sorry- this caller was wondering how many hours to the pound one should keep a rubber chicken in the oven. Now, isn’t that obvious? Your average rubber chicken weighs less than a pound- and, besides- who puts a rubber chicken in their oven- unless you’re a big fan of the fragrance of a tire fire? At least that one was easy to answer. Meanwhile, I hope you all enjoy whatever you’re having for your feast today, because…oh, sorry- another call coming in. stay right there, I’ll be back…

I’m back- and another genius heard from- he wanted to know if it’s better to stuff the chicken, or to prepare the stuffing on the stove top. Naturally, I told him that I am not a big fan of stuffing anything in a rubber chicken- that can cause major problems when it is hurled at an unsuspecting horror movie host. I told him to put the stuffing on the stove top- and asked him what kind of stuffing it was. He said he thinks it’s the stuffing from his mother’s old couch that used to be in the basement. I asked him never to call me again.

Anyway, I’d like to tell you the story of that day long ago, when the Pilgrims played the Indians and, on the very first kick-off, managed to…oh, fine- the hotline is ringing again. Please stand by…

That was a guy wanting to know if I’d like to consolidate my telephone, cable and computer modem. I told him, yes, I’d like to consolidate all three of them into a trash can, along with those stupid talking turtles and that wise guru who’s “enlightening” my wallet. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, so Santa put a finger upside his nose, and- no, wait- no Christmas stuff until tomorrow, when the Christmas season launches pre-maturely in full force. I know- I was telling the story of Squanto. Squanto was the Native American version of Bingo, and, if they called the right numbers you could…wait- somebody’s calling MY number. Look, this really isn’t working- I’ll let you go to celebrate your Thanksgiving- meanwhile, I’ll answer the hotline, and have more blog for you tomorrow…

Last time, you remember, we were talking about the lists that you blog readers had sent (or posted on the Yahoo Groups Svengoolieweb group) of your Top Ten Local TV Icons. This was in response to the TV Land Top 50 TV Icons list, featuring national TV luminaries.

I think a lot of people must have different ideas of what an icon is, as you’ll see. Some lists were totally devoid of any news or sports people, some were loaded with commercial spokespeople and puppets, and some were…radio guys. To define (at least, in MY mind)- an icon should be someone who has made a significant contribution to the local TV scene- not just a lovable character, or someone who’s been on the air since black and white TV. The icon should mean something to the business and the viewers, and not strictly on an emotional level. I think making a list really is a tough call, because there would be somewhat of a difference between someone who was a pioneer of early local TV that many people may not be aware of anymore- and someone more contemporary- not that either should be excluded.

Let’s share some of the opinions:

Oprah was mentioned, and some people felt she should not be included. I think she should, even if I’m not the biggest Oprah fan- she turned what was essentially just another local morning show into a local- then, national phenomenon.

There were plenty of mentions of the Channel 9 stalwarts- Fraiser Thomas, Ned Locke, Bob Bell, Roy Brown and Ray Rayner-plus, many of their characters- Bozo, Andy Starr, Sgt. Pettibone, etc. On the UHF dial, people brought up my mentor, Jerry G. Bishop, and Bill Jackson. On the pioneer side, we had Burr Tillstrom and Kukla Fran and Ollie, Dave Garroway, and Studs Turkel.

I was surprised so few people brought up sports icons like Harry Caray or Jack Brickhouse, or news people like Fahey Flynn, Bill Curtis, or Alex Drier. I was confused by the icon nominations for “the guy with the long hair in the Victory Auto Wreckers commercial,” Hardrock, Coco and Joe, Susie Snowflake, and the Blob. Again, does just being a character you’ve seen forever, or a character you really like that’s become a holiday tradition necessarily mean it’s made a significant impact on the TV scene? People mentioned Chet Coppock, Jerry Springer, the Blob and Phil Donahue (no, they’re not all the same person!)

I guess the thing is- everybody has an opinion of what and who an icon is- whether it’s judged by actual history or emotional attachment. The debate will no doubt continue!

Thanks to everybody who told us what they thought!(And, those kind enough to include me on their lists!)

Boy, talk about opening a can of worms- when I mentioned that TV Land list of the Top 50 TV Icons- and suggested that you guys come up with, perhaps, a Top 10 of local TV icons- I didn’t think it would start an avalanche of comments!

First of all, I appreciate that some of you would include me- but my whole point wasn’t just to be fishing for your favor. (What would I use for bait?!) The thing is- I guess I have the same feeling about a local list, as I have about the TV Land list- it seems to be an uneven mix, and should perhaps be broken down into different categories- say, pioneers, modern, etc.

Some of the specific nominations did kind of throw me- one being “Cuddley Dudley!” This was a puppet character on WGN (used both on Bozo and Ray Rayner), though lovably portrayed by “Cookie”- Roy Brown- it was still basically a shill for the Chicago Tribune- since the dog doll was a give-away to subscribers one year, and first appeared on TV to promote it.

Nonetheless- seriously- a TV ICON? Though it was a fun character, I’m not sure I’d agree.

One correspondent really hit the nail on the head, regarding who should be considered- he said that, granted, there are a lot of people who have managed to stay on TV for quite a long time- but, it shouldn’t be quantity of time that makes one an icon- it should be the significant contribution to the make-up of the Chicago television scene. If it were just longevity, then, perhaps Hubert the Harris Lion should be entering the hallowed halls of iconery (or, even Sean Connery.)

One of the funniest ideas was a “most hated” list (I’m sure I’d land on that one easily for some people!) Topping the list was Timmy Long. Just as quickly, someone asked, “who’s Timmy Long?” Yes, it’s been a “long” time-but; he was the obnoxious “newsboy” character who shrieked “Extra! Extra! Long Chevrolet –etc.” in the dealership commercials, and was most famous for eventually reading a headline that said “the kid gets a pie in the face”- at which point- he did! He was, I guess, a relative of one of the owners, which must be how he got the gig- I don’t think it was on the basis of his sheer acting talent, or his deft handling of a newspaper.

So- who’s been suggested to be on the Top 10 Local Icon list?

Who’s created the most controversy? Should multiple characters played by the same person qualify? Is all aspirin alike? (Sorry- that was from an old commercial…)We’ll go over the contenders tomorrow- right here!

I’m still getting lots of feedback on “Son of Frankenstein” from this past Saturday night! I’m happy that “Franken-fall” has fallen into favor with so many of our loyal Sven viewers, and some new viewers of the show as well.

I’ve received some interesting information- Dan, who has sent me some great stuff about previous movies, had another helping of cool insight for me- he mentioned that Dwight Frye- the former “Renfield” from “Dracula” and the hunchback “Fritz” in the first “Frankenstein” film- did not appear in “Son of Frankenstein”- he was cast, but all his scenes were cut from the final print! According to Dan, Frye worked on the first five films, making his final appearance in “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” (which conveniently runs this Saturday night on Sven)- and passed away before the very last few sequels were made.

As you may notice, Universal cast a lot of the same actors in each of its films- I’m sure many of them were under contract to them. Supposedly, the marketing people thought that having the same faces show up provided some continuity that the audience would enjoy. I know some of our viewers find it weird that actors show up in different roles, especially when they played someone who was killed in a previous movie! Granted, these movies were released with a span of a year or more between them, so, unlike us, watching them the next week, the audiences of that time maybe didn’t recall that they had seen the actor as a different character in a previous film.

(It’s just like when we show a couple Stooge shorts that contain duplicate footage on “Stooge-a-palooza”- there were probably many years between the two shorts in real life, unlike us showing them a week apart!)

Dan mentioned a couple other sidebar actors who show up in various films- Lionel Belmore and Michael Mark are both killed by the Monster in “Son of Frankenstein”- but, in “Ghost of Frankenstein” -both are still serving on the town council. Sounds like Chicago, where dead men can vote!

Also, in “Ghost of Frankenstein” (coming in two weeks on Sven) watch for Dwight Frye (formerly that hunchbacked assistant in the original) as a town person who feels that the Frankenstein Castle ought to be blown up! (Again, like Chicago politics- switching sides at a moment’s notice!)

Quickly, we talked about how we thought the origin of the Monster’s green face came from “Son of…” which was supposed to be in Technicolor originally- viewer Keith says he recalls reading an interview many years ago that stated the make-up department was trying to figure out how to make the Monster’s flesh look “dead”- since everyone’s skin tone in a black and white film looks gray- and came up with a greenish mixture of make-up that read as the tone they wanted on camera. Has anyone else ever read this somewhere? Let me know- svengoolie@wciu.com .I appreciate that Dan, Keith, and so many others of you share the information you’ve gained over the years as fans of these great movies!

I believe “Son of Frankenstein” was a hit last night! I need to qualify something I wrote yesterday- that this was the longest of the Universal horror films. Actually, the Spanish-language version of “Dracula” was a little longer- so, let me say that “Son of…” is the longest ENGLISH LANGUAGE horror film!

You have to love Bela Lugosi’s characterization of Ygor- which became almost as legendary as his “Dracula!” It certainly shows what a wonderful character actor Lugosi could be! Amazingly, the character was NOT in the original version of the screenplay! He was added in later, Bela, who didn’t seem very adept at getting jobs, agreed to play the part for an embarrassingly low salary. The director, Roland Lee, felt sorry for the proud star, and had the script adapted and re-written several times, increasing Bela’s screen time, and making him more important to the story- so that Bela would get a MUCH larger payday for his work in the film. It’s hard to imagine the film without Ygor, especially without him as such a pivotal character! He was significant enough to return in the film “Ghost of Frankenstein”- which we will be showing, but somewhat out of sequence, unfortunately- since Universal has the films scheduled out of order.

As I mentioned, this was the film that established the Monster’s skin color as a gangrene green- mainly because Universal had, at first, planned on it being a color feature- so, Boris’ make-up, as applied by the great Jack Pierce, was as green as the Wicked Witch of the West! The only existing film of the green goliath in color are in some home movies owned by Boris daughter Sarah (who, coincidentally, was BORN during the filming of this flick- no, she wasn’t born with a home movie camera in her hands- someone else, more adult, shot the movies!) There is a rumor that a reel of a Technicolor test scene of the green Monster was found in the Universal film vaults during the 1980s- but it mysteriously disappeared

from the desk of a Universal executive.(Too bad “Son of” star Basil Rathbone wasn’t around to play Sherlock Holmes and find out where it went!)

Yep, this was Boris’ last go-round as the Monster- but, he hasn’t abandoned the Frankenstein clan all together- he’ll be back, as a different character, as “Franken-Fall” rolls on- when we present “House of Frankenstein” at a later date. Next Saturday- it’s a slugfest between the hairy and the scary- but- We’ll tell you about that later on in the upcoming week…

The “Son” rises tonight! Huh?! You know what I mean- it’s “Son of Frankenstein”- the last time that Boris Karloff was the monster in a Universal film. In spite of what you saw in “Bride of Frankenstein”-he once again has lost the power of speech (getting blowed up good could have that effect on you.) Anyway, in this film, the son of Henry Frankenstein- Wolf (played by the perennial Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone) is bringing his wife and young son back to the family town of Frankenstein-to take over the family estate. They are met by some unfriendly villagers who don’t want another Frankenstein living in the area…and then, by the squatter in their old place- the demented hunchback Ygor (Bela Lugosi, in his second-greatest role!) He’s a criminal who was hanged for his crimes- but survived, as a malformed hunchback. Ygor also has a friend he’s nursing who helps him with – “things”- the Frankenstein Monster! Wolf is amazed to finds the creature- but then his old family genes kick in- and he decides he could help Ygor restore his “friend”- and also clear the family name by “fixing” his problems! Meanwhile, the townsfolk get suspicious about what Wolf is up to- led by the one-armed police inspector who was so brilliantly parodied in “Young Frankenstein!” Wolf works at recharging the Monster-only to find that Ygor has been having him make visits to his family- AND been sending him out on missions of personal revenge! Will Wolf live to regret following in his father’s footsteps? Will we finally get a Frankenstein flick that doesn’t end with some joint burning or blowing up? You’ll find out- tonight at 9 !

I need to explain, as I will on air- this is a VERY long movie- the longest of the Universal monster flicks. Its total run time is longer than the amount of time I normally have for both the movie and my Sven segments in the show. In order to edit out as little as possible, we’ve minimized the time of our Sven segments, and I have personally tried to cut the movie down so that it still makes sense, and we don’t just hack out full scenes like other local stations do to movies they show. I regret having to take ANY time out of a movie like this at all, but- well, you see the predicament. I think we’ve trimmed it carefully and wisely, so that it’s a great viewing experience. Please spare us your complaints that we cut scenes- you know that we respect the films- and, you must know that any longer film on ANY station will be edited to fit time- and, of course, get in the commercials. (Yeah, unfortunately, we can’t cut those…)

Quick reminder- I’ll be on the radio tonight with Nick DiGilio just a little after midnight on WGN (720 am)- if you’re a night owl, tune in! Nick’s show is always a lot of fun, and I’ll probably have a couple cups of coffee in me before I call in, so listen if you can- you may even get to call in! I’m sure “Franken-Fall” and the 3 Stooges will be among the topics for discussion…

No doubt you’ve seen that TV Land is doing their big special about the top fifty television icons, headed up by Johnny Carson in the number one position. Personally, I think they could’ve divided it somewhat- maybe the all-time icons, the modern icons, the pioneer icons, etc. I’m waiting for someone to do the local Chicago version (I’ll probably come in at number 577, somewhere between the Empire Carpet Man and the guy who wears the bright-colored suits who stands outside the channel 7 news studio windows, and spins around when he’s on camera.) If you want to submit a short list, send it to me- svengoolie@wciu.com …

Our “Franken-fall” offering this Saturday night is “Son of Frankenstein”- and loyal viewer Jerry coincidentally sent me an e-mail about a book he just read- called ‘Who Framed Boris Karloff?” (No relation to Roger Rabbit…) It’s a mystery novel supposedly taking place during the filming of “Son of Frankenstein”- and Boris teams up with his co-stars, Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi, to solve the mystery! It’s written by Dwight Kemper, with an introduction written by Boris’ daughter, Sarah Karloff! Sounds like it might be fun to read after viewing “Son of…”- I may check it out!

Rob wrote and said that he loves the factoids we throw in during the 3 Stooges- and wondered if sometime we could do a “Pop Up Stooges”- like they used to do on VH1, with facts popping up on screen. Well, Rob, the station did that once with a block of sitcoms, and it was a nightmare- it took so much work to research, then produce, that it was decided that it was perhaps too time consuming! He also asked about the old Japanese horror flick “Attack of the Mushroom People.” Believe me, I had a lot of fun with that one- the problem is, a lot of those movies don’t seem to be offered to local stations like ours anymore. However- remember that we never thought we’d ever get these Universal movies, and now…so- keep hope alive! I hope you’ll come back tomorrow for a preview of our “Son of Frankenstein” show. Maybe I’ll run into you on the radio tonight, in the meantime…

Will you be staying up late tomorrow (Friday) night? If so, you might enjoy tuning in to WGN radio (AM 720) around midnight- as yours truly Svengoolie and/or Rich Koz makes a telephonic appearance with our old friend Nick DiGilio. It’s always a good time talking with Nick and his listeners (yes, chances are we will take phone calls!)-and Nick has great knowledge of the show, our movies, etc. Nick’s story is pretty interesting in itself- he started out doing reviews for Roy Leonard on WGN- also appeared on other shows at the station, and eventually got his own airshifts. He’s also worked in theater and is a heck of a writer! Add to that, the fact that he’s a really good guy, and has always been very generous in having us do guest shots with him.(I know- you thought he had better taste than that!) Anyway, I hope you’ll tune in tomorrow night- I think they start the hour off with a brief newscast, and chances are I’ll be coming up right after that.

My recent round of radio interviews has reminded me how much I enjoy radio, and all the time I’ve put in, between guest shots, regular and “irregular” airshifts, etc- and the many people I’ve met while working in radio. Some have become lifelong friends- some I still haven’t quite figured out. I’ve worked with some old school veterans that I’ve learned a lot from- and met some whose egos were nearly unbearable. There are some who are incredible professionals- and some who couldn’t make things happen without a whole core of people propping them up.

I remember working with an overnight guy who would –ahem- sample his favorite beverages during his show, accompanied by his board operator- then, after his shift, hide his bottles in the trash cans by the vending machines, then retire to the disc jockey lounge and spend a few hours singing “hillbilly” songs, accompanying himself on his guitar. I remember an arrogant weekend part-time guy, coming in for his shift in a snit, complaining that he had to leave a date with “one of Chicago’s top models” to come in and do his show. Boo friggin’ hoo. I recall one engineer who came in somewhat “impaired” and during a very serious interview phone call, decided to insert a wacky audio sound effect. I worked with one guy who was so paranoid that my show might be better than his, that he would call people in authority that were his friends, and get them to complain about me. There are guys who are exactly the same on air and off- and some who are completely different people from the person they are when on air. There are talented people who could use a better break- and those who are in top spots who don’t deserve it. I guess it’s the same in every business, though…

Anyway- tomorrow night, what you hear is what you get- from both Nick and me. Listen and judge for yourself!

Was I kidding about the ladybugs? They continue to appear everywhere! I’ve found them in the curtains at home, lurking between the screen doors and the inside doors, hitchhiking on clothing, and riding in my car! Everyone was worried about the cicadas- but what about their innocent-looking cousins, the ladybugs?! And- have you ever gotten a little bite from one?

It’s just a tiny sensation, but it does happen…unless that’s the bug that’s sort of a look-alike for the ladybug…I never can get that straight. Granted, the orange-red little bugs really aren’t that bad- but-it’s just that there’s so many of ‘em! I’ve heard from some of you out there who are having the same experience- and, I guess, once the temperature drops as predicted, it’ll either get worse (they’ll REALLY want to get inside to stay warm) or it’ll get better (cue the insect of your choice playing “Taps” on a little tiny bugle.) Don’t worry, when that happens, I’ll switch to complaining about the fact that it’s winter, and it’s cold- what a surprise!!!

Speaking of seasonal things- Bill wrote and asked an interesting question- he thought that, in last week’s “bride of Frankenstein”, when the Monster broke out of jail, and was running through the town, under an arch with two hitching posts adjacent, that it might be the same location from “A Christmas Carol” when Tiny Tim runs to Scrooge at the film’s conclusion. Well, Bill, God bless us- every one- but, no, I don’t think so. If it’s the “Christmas Carol” version I’m thinking of, it was shot a continent away from where Boris Karloff was barreling through the town. I would not doubt that the design of the sets may be similar, because they may be based on a real location. It was kind of fun to think of the Monster as Tiny Tim, though- take that, Ebenezer! “Christmas- goood!”

Larry says he thinks that one of the two men who discover the monster in the hermit’s cabin might be John Carradine. Well, Larry- it very obviously is- Carradine appears in many of the

Universal films, whether as a bit player, or, later on, as Count Dracula himself. I didn’t think it was necessary to point him out in this one, since he’s not in any character make-up, and, of course, that voice of his is so distinctive!

“Franken-Fall” marches on this Saturday night- with another classic, featuring the great Basil Rathbone-another easily recognizable actor, best known to most of us as the definitive movie Sherlock Holmes! I’ll tell you more about that as the week goes on- and the ladybugs go out…

I think my cold is finally subsiding. I know, many of you are saying “what cold?” Well, I’ve been suffering through one of those colds that seems to be ‘going around…’ I was fighting it off with that “Airborne” stuff as I was finishing up the busy Halloween season, but it eventually came out, hit like a ton of bricks, and has hung in with me miserably. I had it when I was in for the infamous jury duty (which made the hour or so waiting for the judge to arrive in the ice-cold courtroom even MORE pleasant.) I’ve used enough Kleenex to fell a small forest and, now that it’s subsiding, the stuff I’ve been taking to fight it is giving me an upset stomach. Here’s a fun task for you- be watching upcoming Sven shows, and see if you can tell which ones we recorded while I was infected by the cold virus!

I’m happy to hear from so many of you who are really into our “Franken-Fall” shows- the old Universal Frankenstein flicks certainly still have a major appeal to the viewing audience!

I know “Bride of Frankenstein” is a big favorite, and a loyal viewer- “Torgaman”- mentioned a really interesting thing that we didn’t have time to mention at the end of the show. If you look carefully at the end of the movie, when the Monster pulls the lever (or “the lee-ver” as Colin Clive intones) to blow the place up- even though we saw Henry leave with the lovely Elizabeth- in the wide shot that follows- we see him cowering against a far wall! The reason being- in the original script, Henry WAS blown up with the rest of them! Supposedly, the original shooting script had his bride, Elizabeth, murdered for the heart that was inserted into the “Bride”- which is why she seems so attracted to Henry, and not the Monster…and there was the final explosion to end everyone’s lives. However, the studio demanded a happier ending-just as they had re-written the story so that Henry did NOT die when hurled from the windmill by the Monster in the first movie- and shot the scenes of Elizabeth escaping, coming to the lab, and fleeing with Henry after the Monster tells him to go, because they should live- and “we belong dead!” However, it would have cost too much to re-shoot the destruction of the lab- so, if you do some still-framing- you’ll see Henry still in the laboratory when the end comes! It is barely noticeable, since the cuts are so quick, and your attention is drawn to the explosions. Our thanks to Torgaman for the reminder about that bit of trivia!

Back on the original Svengoolie show, we used to have fake products that were under the auspices of STD Enterprises- the “STD” standing for “sham-trickery-and deceit!” Well, I saw something this past weekend that seems to have been another STD Enterprises spin-off- the lighting of the tree in the Walnut Room at Marshall F…I mean, Macy’s.

There was Mayor Daley, at the side of tirelessly self-promoting Martha Stewart (okay- she sells her stuff at K- Mart… no, wait! Macy’s! No, wait!) They did the traditional countdown until they pressed the button that supposedly lights the tree (which was loaded with these ornaments that Martha just happened to be selling and signing later on…) So, here comes the big countdown- “5-4-3-2-1…” but, the one was barely out of the speaker’s mouth, and they HADN’T EVEN HIT THE BUTTON- and the tree lit up! Don’t tell me that that button really didn’t do a darn thing, and that it was all a heapin’ holiday helping of sham, trickery and deceit! Martha wouldn’t lie to us, would she? AND CERTAINLY NOT Da Mare?! Yet, there it was on every local newscast- you could watch it over and over, and every time- the tree lit before they hit the button. Oh, wait- I get it –it was voice –activated- yeah, that’s the ticket.

I’m sure, in a few weeks, when they light that tree in the Daley Center, with the usual corporate shills like that traditional harbinger of Christmas Ronald McDonald, and some fool from whatever station has shelled out sponsorship money for part of the display, the button will indeed be the REAL catalyst for the lighting of the tree. Sure it will.

But, today is no time for such humbug- since it’s in the 60s, and seems more like a spring day than a month and two weeks before Christmas. I opened my door today, only to be inundated by-ladybugs! Seems like this has been happening every other fall or so- a sudden influx of a huge number of the little bugs, sneaking into anyplace they can. I recall visiting a friend’s home in Michigan a couple years ago, and the little bugs were everywhere, and found numerous ways to get into the house- there were scores of them on every window in the place, we’d watch television at night and they’d be attracted to the light of the tube, and they’d coat the doors and cars and walls. Today, I got to work and, as I got up, noticed one crawling across the seats!(And, no, my car isn’t a VW “bug!”)

If only the ladybugs had been attracted to that tree in the Walnut Room…

First off- let’s salute all current and past veterans on this, Veteran’s Day. We owe a debt to all the men and women who have served this country. Show them your support!(That includes our enlisted folks today.)

Looks like a great many of you signed up to watch “Bride of Frankenstein” last night- we’ve gotten a lot of great comments already! Some of you had not seen the whole movie before, and were surprised by some of the stuff in it- especially the wacky “little people” that Dr. Pretorius created. Some were surprised to hear the Monster talk as much as he did (I don’t think he speaks even half as much in any other Universal film.)

The very young Mrs. Frankenstein- Valerie Hobson-who, as we mentioned, was only 17 when she made this film- has a connection to a big government scandal that occurred in Great Britain. She was the wife of Brit official John Profumo, who was involved in a steamy affair in 1963 that caused major damage to the British government. He was fooling around with “lady for hire” Christine Keeler –who was also involved with a Soviet military figure. He ended up having to resign as Minister of War. That story has been made into a movie itself!

Here’s a weird little note that I found- the little girl who was killed by the Monster in the original film, tossed into the lake- actually appears in “Bride!” She shows up as another young girl in this film, though we couldn’t tell which one.

Everybody remembers Elsa Lanchester’s hissing reaction to the monster- it seems so strange, savage and other-worldly.

The origin of it is kind of funny- she based it on a group of nasty swans that she used to encounter in a park in London!

The swans would hiss and attack the people who would pass by (if you’ve ever encountered geese at a park or forest preserve, you may have gotten the same reaction from them!) at least she didn’t bop Karloff on the head with a beak, like Garfield Goose used to do to Fraiser Thomas on WGN!

One final trivia note- we told you how Boris actually removed his bridgework for much of the original film, to maintain his gaunt, corpse-like look. Well, since he had to speak clearly in this film, there was no way he could take out his dental work and still be understood that well- so, the monster doesn’t have as hollow-cheeked a look in this film.

For those who’ve asked- unlike “Dracula” – we WILL get another run of “Bride of Frankenstein,” as well as the original “Frankenstein” film. Plus- more “Franken-fall” monster films in the next few weeks!

Tonight’s film is, as I’ve mentioned before- a true classic- “the Bride of Frankenstein!” This is the sequel to the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein, and the second of his three appearances as the Monster. This is the film where the monster is the most talkative- and Boris is just great at expressing his confusion and emotions as the “not ALWAYS so evil” monster. I think this is the Monster at his most sympathetic.

Of course, we have Elsa Lanchester as the most famous female monster in Universal history- the Bride! She is also supposedly the ONLY big name Universal monster that never kills anyone! We get a nice glimpse of her as Mary Shelley at the top of the movie, and, in that early part of the film- see if you agree with me that the one seated gentleman in the scene looks a lot like the great Graham Chapman of “Monty Python” fame! A little known fact- there was originally also a part at the end of the movie with Mary Shelley and her foppish pals- but the studio opted NOT to tack it on to the film.

This film includes the Monster’s encounter with the blind hermit- which is difficult for many people to watch without thinking of the parody of the scene in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein!” I think you’ll also get a kick out of the truly advanced (for that time) special effects when the strange Dr. Pretorius shows off his “mini- creations.” His interactions with them is amazing. I’ll fill you in on one of the “specimens” that you get a quick look at –that really isn’t in the film- and, tell you who it was- it IS someone you may have seen before!

It’s also pretty much our last fresh look at Colin Clive, who played Henry Frankenstein- he died shortly after this film.

You’ll also see a different woman playing his wife than in the first film- and I’ll tell you why she really didn’t make much money (the reason isn’t because she wasn’t a big enough star…)

If you are familiar with the excellent recent film “Gods and Monsters” you’ll know a little about this film and its director, James Whale. Some of this movie was recreated in “Gods…”-if you haven’t ever seen it, give it a look- it’s a fascinating film, and a great companion piece to “Bride.”

I know a lot of you have asked when we’d show “Bride of Frankenstein”- so make a point of tuning in tonight! I’ll also throw in- at no additional cost to you, the consumer- a favorite old song I did about this film- plus a brand new one, of course.

You may now kiss the bride tonight- just get some Windex to clean the screen afterwards….

First of all, our thanks to the great Dick Biondi for sharing his airwaves with me last night! Again, what an honor to be heard alongside a radio legend.

Yes, that’s my picture in this week’s Reader- in the article about Rick Klein’s “Fuzzy memories” website, which I just wrote about here. The article seems to ignore that I’m still on TV NOW, however…

Here’s an update- Ted Okuta and Mark Yuriw have gotten word that their much-delayed book, “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows: from Shock Theater to Svengoolie,” WILL finally be coming out- but, again, later than previously announced. Now the date appears to be around December 4th. Rumor has it our sponsor Horrorbles may actually have a signing event for it, which I’ll mention here if it occurs. As K-Tel and Ronco always liked to say- “makes the ideal Christmas gift!” Speaking of Shock Theater, a man who was apart of that show- and also created the Garfield Goose puppet, among others- Bruce Newton has passed away. One obituary I read said he was a part of the team that put WCIU on the air originally- I was not aware of that. I’ll have to ask around, and see if anyone here has any information. I know that my overnight friends at WGN radio, Steve and Johnnie, knew Bruce and his late wife Claire- maybe they might know a little about it.

Maybe some of you saw the obituary for Jim Stagg in the Tribune yesterday- and noticed a few quotes from Jerry G. Bishop. Jerry had known Jim for many years, going back to their years on the radio in Cleveland. They both came to Chicago to be part of WCFL, and worked together again (when I joined forces with Jerry) at WMAQ. I remember that Jim was at the going away party for Jerry when he was about to leave for San Diego- and that was probably the last time I saw Jim.

A lot of his fans from the old days have checked in with me, and all agree that he was a real authority on the music back then.

“Franken-Fall’ rolls onwards this Saturday night- and the movie is a classic, not only as a horror movie, but as a truly great film, often appearing on lists of the best films ever made. It’s “Bride of Frankenstein”- with Boris Karloff appearing for the second time as the Monster- and Elsa Lanchester as his “bride.” You’ll definitely want to tune ion for this one- and I’ll tell you more about what you’re going to see- right here tomorrow!

Quick reminder- listen for me with the one and only Dick Biondi tonight- around 8:30- on Dick’s show on the True Oldies Channel (94.7 FM)- it will be a real honor to share the airlanes with a rock and roll radio legend!

Sadly, another famous name from the world of radio has passed away- Jim Stagg, whom I had just mentioned in the blog. I was not only a fan of Jim’s, listening to him during WCFL’s great creative heyday- but had the chance to work with him, later on, at WMAQ Radio. He was truly all about the music, did interviews with all the top rock stars when they came through town, and was genuinely enthusiastic about the tunes he played. After getting out of the radio business, he ran a record store in Skokie for several years. His sign-off on the air was “Music is my business- I hope my business is your pleasure.” The pleasure was all ours.

And now- the story of- jury duty! Finally went in- and, as I handed the woman at the desk my paperwork, she was very excited, said she loved the show, and asked for an autograph! (No, this did NOT get me out of jury duty- darn!) I proceeded to the huge “holding pen” for prospective jurors- and, eventually, they played an instructional tape about how to be a juror. I had to laugh- it was several years old, and featured Lester Holt- back from the days when he was an anchor at channel 2. He even still had his moustache!

After that, we awaited the call- which came soon- the third group they called was mine! We went and sat in a courtroom that had approximately the same temperature as a meat locker for a while, until the judge and attorneys came in. The judge then questioned each juror. When she came to me, she asked, since my information said one of my jobs was as a writer for television, was I on strike? No, I told her- I’m not in the WGA, and our local shows are not part of that. She then asked a few more questions, and, when she found out I had served on a jury once before, and the case was the same type of case as the one they were about to hear- she felt my previous experience may have an effect on my views- and I was- dismissed! I signed a couple more autographs for others in my prospective jury pool- and was then pleased to find out that I could leave, with my whopping seventeen dollars-plus change- check! So, the justice system was protected from my influence. Don’t be surprised to find that my experience influences an upcoming Svengoolie show, though…

Be listening tonight when I visit with Biondi!

While we’re presenting some legendary films during “Franken-Fall”- I’m going to be talking to a legend of a different kind tomorrow night. While visiting with Roe Conn last week, I was fortunate enough to run into a true Chicago radio legend- the great Dick Biondi! (Finally- someone who’s been around even longer than me!) Dick was kind enough to ask me to give him a call this week, so, I’ll be on the air with him tomorrow (Thursday) night- around 8:30- during Dick’s show on the “True Oldies Channel.” That’s 94.7 FM- Chicago’s Classic Hits and True Oldies. Nobody knows more about the classic music than Dick- and, in fact, he’s probably worked with most of the bands and singers that he plays!

Personally, I’ve been listening to Dick since I was (gasp) a small child, as my older sister would tune in his show on WLS- then, as a high school kid, I was listening to him when he returned to town on WCFL. In fact, one day, some of the guys from our high school radio station (WMTH in Park Ridge)

Made a trip to WCFL, met with Dick, and – he even recorded an open to my weekly radio show! I wish I had a copy of it to play for him- I’m sure he doesn’t even recall doing it. He was really kind to us, very encouraging and willing to help us out.

Of course, he’s been in and out of town a few times up until now- but he’s always been a real favorite of the local oldies fans, and a real professional. You know he’s a legend when all the other radio guys in town mention his name with reverence!

Dick worked with “my Svengoolie dad”- Jerry G. Bishop- back at WCFL. The “Wild Eye-Tralian” has seen and done it all in radio, and is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. So, make sure you tune in as the “Wild Eye-Tralian meets the “Mild Transylvanian”-Thursday night around 8:30 on the True Oldies Channel.

I’ve been lucky to work with many of the radio personalities I grew up listening to- Jerry G., Joel Sebastian, Jim Stagg, Clark Weber, Dick Orkin- and met even more of them- Ron Britain, Howard Miller, Larry Lujack- a lot of great guys who made Chicago radio great. I’m just as lucky to know many of the current air personalities. Sometimes I think that, someday, I may do some radio again, on a regular basis. I don’t know if radio has the same impact it once had on kids growing up, since, just like with television, they have so many more choices now- but radio was an important part of my life back then, and I learned a lot of things that have helped shape my career- and I’m grateful to all those on-air guys who were a part of that.

I’ve been receiving a lot of e-mail from viewers who enjoyed ‘Frankenstein” last Saturday night. I know it hasn’t aired on “free” broadcast television in a while, and it seems that many people hadn’t seen it for quite a while, even before that. Of course, the newer generation of Sven fans haven’t seen it at all, and it’s great to be able to expose them to one of the foundations of horror films.

One clarification is necessary- I got an e-mail from Dan who noticed that, when I spoke about Bela Lugosi crafting his own make-up for a test film with him as the Frankenstein Monster, we showed a picture from the 1915 silent film “The Golem”-which, of course, was neither Lugosi nor his audition as the Monster. I think it was added by one of our editors, who, having read that Lugosi’s make-up was similar to that used in “The Golem”, might have thought the still was of Bela. We apologize for this error, and will try to correct it before we show the film again.

Rob was one of those folks who had children who had never seen the film before, and found that they really got into it (especially being mad at the monster when little Maria was killed!) He said the show got four thumbs up from them!

Sandi couldn’t place what song we did- well, the real tune was “In the Middle” by Jimmy Eat World- “it just takes some time, little girl, you’re in the middle…”- don’t worry, Sandi, one of our co-workers who overheard it while we were taping asked the same thing!

Many people were impressed (as they should be!) by Boris Karloff’s performance as the Monster! His ability to express so many and varied emotions without speech is indeed a testament to his acting prowess-and his performance in next Saturday’s film-“Bride of Frankenstein”- where the Monster DOES speak- is even more impressive!

Another point brought up by some viewers is the weird fact that the characters were wearing 1930s clothing. This is explained by director James Whale’s idea that the story took place in an “alternate reality”- where the old world elements of the story mixed with then-contemporary conventions. The same holds true with “Bride of…”-as you’ll see next week.

Don’t forget, you’ll be seeing a LOT of the Monster as “Franken-Fall” rolls on- well through November, and even into December (oh, all right, it won’t still be fall by that time… unless you slip and fall on some ice…you must admit, a lot of times we all walk like the Monster when we’re negotiating ice!)

I just looked at my desk calendar/blotter, and realized I still haven’t torn off the page to make it November. By the way, do most of us really need “blotters” anymore? It’s very rare that I use a fountain pen, nice as they are- maybe I should just refer to it as a desk pad calendar and leave it at that. Regardless, I need to rip off the October page- transfer all the notes I’ve scribbled on it onto the new page- and catch up on things. Now-did I actually turn my clocks back? Or am I now working a free hour of overtime?!

I wanted to mention- sometimes I get messages from people who ask why I haven’t shown their drawings, pictures, etc, on the show. I like to occasionally repeat here- we get LOTS of stuff, thankfully, from all you fine Svengoolie viewers. The problem is, we don’t always have a lot of time to show your submissions on the air. We try to put on as much as we can- and, if your stuff DOESN’T make it to the air- please don’t think it’s because we didn’t like it! I myself remember sending in artwork to TV shows when I was a kid, and wondering why it never surfaced. After doing this job for so many years, now I understand- but I still know how it feels to be sitting at home, waiting for a glimpse of something I worked on. Back in the old days, there was no way anyone explained that they just got SO much mail, it wasn’t possible to show everything- which is why I try to mention this now and then. By the way- yes, I personally see all the mail that come in for the show. We do read everything, and look at everything! And- we appreciate that you took the time to send it in- maybe next month, as “Franken-Fall” still continues, with a couple of the shorter movies, we’ll try to do longer segments so we can put more viewer submissions on the air.

Cold weather is finally arriving, and I’m not exactly happy to see it show up- even if it COULD have arrived much earlier, I know, I know!(Remember, you’re talking to a former TV weatherman here- not a GOOD one, but…) Though I will enjoy those first snowfalls, and the upcoming holiday season- the frigid cold snaps (which would be a good name for a band- I’m copyrighting it now) are NOT to my liking. I think my dislike of winter came back when I was attending Northwestern U. in Evanston, didn’t have a car, and the buses weren’t reliable- and I would bike 16 miles to school. That included days with rain and snow, and very early mornings where I’d have to head in to WNUR, the college’s FM station, to do a morning radio show. So, maybe inadvertently- it’s due to broadcasting that I dislike winter! Now, if I can just figure out why I don’t like beets…

Did I get a chance to mention how much fun I had last week, visiting with Roe Conn and Bill Leff at WLS Radio? They were nice enough to invite me into their studio for Halloween, and it was a great time- and, from your e-mails, a lot of you enjoyed it as well. This was the first time I’d met Roe, and I’ve known Bill for many years. Going into the building (which also house Channel 7) –I ran into another old friend- the lovely Linda Yu (who laughed- even before she knew me- at the old “Yu’s on First” bit I originally did back at WFLD!) Then , on the backside of my visit- as I was about to leave Roe’s studio- someone told me that there was somebody outside who wanted to meet me- and it was- DICK BIONDI ! A true Chicago radio legend- and HE wanted to meet ME?! What a great honor it was to get to talk to Dick- his “True Oldies” station studios were just on the floor below the WLS studios- and it looks like I’ll be talking with him on his show later this week- I’ll let you know when- right here!

Meanwhile, I know we had a lot of people who were happy to see the original “Frankenstein” last night. I was amazed by how many folks had never seen the whole movie- and, in fact, had never seen any of it before! I found out something interesting- that, in the original book- they never actually say how the creature was brought to life! So, the method of creating life with the lightning, etc, was actually a creation of the screen writers- and has since become legend, and accepted as the traditional way that the doctor brought his creation to life!

Boris Karloff became a sensation after this film- he was simply billed as “Karloff”- because that name could conjure up excitement and fright! He soon became a classic screen villain, playing the evil Fu Manchu and, of course, Im-Ho-Tep, the Mummy. Fans of Tony Montana will be surprised that he also made an appearance in the original “Scarface!” (Go ahead, say this in the Karloff voice: “Say hello to my little friend!”…and, no, he did NOT play the “Scarface” character in that film…)

He’d play the monster twice more, in films you’ll see in the next couple weeks during our “Franken-Fall”- then return to the world of Frankenstein as a mad doctor in “House of Frankenstein!” You’ve already seen him on our show, playing villains against Abbott and Costello- and who doesn’t love his narration of Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas?!”

For those of you who pursue dreams, and worry that time may pass you by- Boris hit it big as Frankenstein’s Monster- when he was already 44 years old! And- if you’re dreaming of the Monster’s dream girl- come back next Saturday night- for another classic Frankenstein flick!

Tonight at 9, we revive the cornerstone classic of horror movies- it’s the original “Frankenstein!” You’ll get to see Boris Karloff in the role that pretty well made his career, and locked him into the fright business permanently. When you watch this movie, you need to keep in mind that some of the things that you’ve seen dozens of times in horror films- actually were first shown in this film! Yes, it’s based on the book- and, yes, it differs from the book in many ways- but, to most of us, it’s the definitive story of the Frankenstein Monster.

You’ll witness the grisly grave-robbing activities of Dr. Frankenstein and his hunchbacked accomplice Fritz (no, not Ygor- he came later!) as they gather “raw materials” to construct their “new human body”- and Fritz’s fatal error of taking that abnormal brain! And- be prepared for that first great look at the Monster-which set the “accepted” look for the Frankenstein Monster right up to today!

It’s amazing to watch Boris Karloff’s performance- wearing heavy asphalt-spreader’s boots, uncomfortable make-up-and even having removed some of his dental work so that he’d have the sunken look of the cadaverous monster. The fact that a genial, well-mannered English gentleman would create such fright amidst the 1930s movie audience- actually causing viewers to faint and run from the theater screaming- and, in the same film, show his loneliness, and almost child-like demeanor- is an everlasting tribute to a great actor.

Look for those amazing electrical devices- designed by Ken Strickfaden- they also show up in “Bride of Frankenstein” and- amazingly- the same pieces survived to be used in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein!” The story is that, in some of the scenes where the electrical current is imbuing the creature with life- it was actually Strickfaden, rather than Karloff, under those bandages, since he was familiar with the sparking volts!

As I mentioned, watch for two scenes that have now been restored to the film, after removal by censors years ago- the line where the doctor declares he knows what it’s like to “BE God!”- and –the on-screen drowning of the little girl Maria by the uncomprehending monster.(Supposedly in real life, the little actress got along well with Karloff- but, tired after doing many takes of her ‘drowning’- she wouldn’t do one more take unless the director promised she would get a bunch of hard-boiled eggs! You think that works with Dakota Fanning these days?)

If you’re a real horror movie fan- you’ll want to see this historically important horror classic! It’s just another step in our “Franken-Fall”- with more Frankenstein gems to come!

One of the classic cornerstones of not just Universal horror movies- but ALL horror movies- will be airing tomorrow night at 9 as our next entry in Svengoolie’s “Franken-Fall.” It’s the original Boris Karloff version of “Frankenstein!” I’ll go into more detail about it tomorrow, but wanted to give you a head’s –up. By the way, Universal sent us a “restored” version that includes two things that were edited out of the film for many years- we’ll tell you all about it on the show. If you’ve never seen this film, and are a horror movie fan, you should not miss it- you’ll see the first appearances of many things that later became clichés of these type movies!

The Halloween dust is still settling around here- and, please let me point out- there was no lack of people dressed as (ahem) yours truly this year! You’d have expected it at the Portage Theater, since part of the festivities was a Sven look-alike contest…(which featured a young lady in what looked almost like her school uniform, wearing Sven make-up; and the winner was- yes, a woman from Evanston dressed as Sven!) I have previously mentioned a “Son of Svengoolie” clone at the Venuti’s party…and, I have received several e-mails with pictures of Sven –costumed fans-in fact, I even got an e-mail from L.A. showing a guy out there dressed in Sven finery! I’m not even safe