May 2008 Archives
I’m guessing that most of you can tell, from the title on this blog, what our feature will be tonight- “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” What many consider the greatest horror/comedy film ever made- with the added plus of the greatest Universal monsters- is a landmark film for Universal- in more ways than one! Not only was it the first pairing of Universal’s top comedy team of Bud and Lou with classic monsters- a trend so successful, that the duo went on to meet other monsters like Dr.Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man (okay, actually AN invisible man) and the Mummy- but also because it was a huge success for the studio, and re-energized the film careers of Bud and Lou.
Some people ponder whether or not this movie fits into the continuity of the other sequenced monster films- going through the Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and Dracula time line
of which film follows which in order. The general thought is that, if we DOI put this in the same timeline, it would most likely come right after “House of Dracula”- but, that still leaves some strange continuity jumps- foremost, Dracula once again looking like Bela Lugosi (by the way, this is only the SECOND time Bela played Drac!) and- Larry Talbot still becoming the Wolf Man, after the operation using the strange fungus in “House of Dracula” had supposedly cured him!
Regardless, this film is perfect scary fun- as freight handlers Bud and Lou have to carry the alleged remains of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster to a cut-rate “House of Horrors” for display…but getting a warning phone call from none other than Larry Talbot, that it’s all part of a scheme by Dracula –the REAL one- to revive the Monster! The “House of Horrors” becomes the escape point for Dracula and the Monster, and the boys are accused of losing –or stealing- the exhibits! Before long, Talbot arrives- and soon Bud and Lou are embroiled in the fight between the Wolf Man and Dracula- who decides that Lou’s feeble brain would be perfect to install in the Monster’s head. (I guess Ygor’s brain, stuck in there in “Ghost of Frankenstein”, no longer contains any of Ygor’s memories or thought processes!) Pretty soon, all the monsters are on the prowl…and a good time will be had by all!
We WILL get one more run of this one – but, why deprive yourself of the fun? Join us tonight at 9 or at 1 am on Me-TV!
(And- join me on Cermak Road for the Berywn Centennial Parade- tomorrow Sunday at 2 pm in-of course- BERWYN!!!)
Some people ponder whether or not this movie fits into the continuity of the other sequenced monster films- going through the Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and Dracula time line
of which film follows which in order. The general thought is that, if we DOI put this in the same timeline, it would most likely come right after “House of Dracula”- but, that still leaves some strange continuity jumps- foremost, Dracula once again looking like Bela Lugosi (by the way, this is only the SECOND time Bela played Drac!) and- Larry Talbot still becoming the Wolf Man, after the operation using the strange fungus in “House of Dracula” had supposedly cured him!
Regardless, this film is perfect scary fun- as freight handlers Bud and Lou have to carry the alleged remains of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster to a cut-rate “House of Horrors” for display…but getting a warning phone call from none other than Larry Talbot, that it’s all part of a scheme by Dracula –the REAL one- to revive the Monster! The “House of Horrors” becomes the escape point for Dracula and the Monster, and the boys are accused of losing –or stealing- the exhibits! Before long, Talbot arrives- and soon Bud and Lou are embroiled in the fight between the Wolf Man and Dracula- who decides that Lou’s feeble brain would be perfect to install in the Monster’s head. (I guess Ygor’s brain, stuck in there in “Ghost of Frankenstein”, no longer contains any of Ygor’s memories or thought processes!) Pretty soon, all the monsters are on the prowl…and a good time will be had by all!
We WILL get one more run of this one – but, why deprive yourself of the fun? Join us tonight at 9 or at 1 am on Me-TV!
(And- join me on Cermak Road for the Berywn Centennial Parade- tomorrow Sunday at 2 pm in-of course- BERWYN!!!)
Are you going through the same thing I am- thanks to the day off this past Monday? You know what I mean- the feeling that today is actually yesterday- I mean, today is Wednesday in your mind, but Thursday on your calendar! The usual stuff that has a Thursday deadline CAN’T be due today, because it’s only wed…no, wait, we had Monday off. The dreaded four-day week always makes you pay for the benign three-day weekend…
Ah, but the good news is- that just puts us closer to-the next weekend! And, if you’ve been following the daily Sven blog like a good little Svenamaniac-you know that, this Sunday, your favorite goolie will be appearing in the big Berwyn Centennial Parade! With our favorite suburb celebrating 100 years of existence- how could I NOT be a part of it? I’ve gotten word that they have kindly placed me in a position of honor, very near the front of the parade for what they are rightfully calling a once in a lifetime celebration.
So- if you’re planning on coming out- make sure that you’re in place along the parade route for the start of the parade! It kicks off at 2 pm- from the intersection of Lombard and Cermak. It will roll down Cermak Road- probably the most well known thoroughfare in Berywn-going to Riverside Drive, then to Home Ave.-and on to Morton High School. There will be a special veterans memorial ceremony at the high school stadium afterwards.(Since I feel it would be disrespectful for someone dressed as a ghoul to attend that ceremony, I will respectfully decline.)
The people of Berwyn have always treated me with great kindness and appreciation. It’s a fine little town, with down to earth, hard-working folks- plus, a cool artistic faction that has become more evident in recent years. I know there are a few Berwyn officials who have felt that our gentle jibes at the suburb don’t help them- but they’re being shortsighted. I think a LOT of people know more about their suburb thanks to the Svengoolie family. Our jokes are just that- jokes. In interviews, both print and broadcast, I’ve always talked positively about Berwyn. Yes, I mourn for “the Spindle”- but I also mourn for the old G.C. Murphy store that used to be in Cermak Plaza-or the old Cermak Theater-or, for that matter- the Berwyn Theater! Yet- as long as the general public in Berwyn supports me, and enjoys what I do- you’ll be hearing that time honored chorus of “BER-WYN?!” on my shows.
By the way, if you’re coming out to the parade, please wear your Sven shirt! If you don’t have one, stop at Horrorbles on Roosevelt Road in that selfsame suburb, and pick one up!
(I’ll toss in one more reminder about the parade during this weekend. I will NOT be tossing rubber chickens in the parade though- so, as I go by , don’t ask me for my chicken!)
Ah, but the good news is- that just puts us closer to-the next weekend! And, if you’ve been following the daily Sven blog like a good little Svenamaniac-you know that, this Sunday, your favorite goolie will be appearing in the big Berwyn Centennial Parade! With our favorite suburb celebrating 100 years of existence- how could I NOT be a part of it? I’ve gotten word that they have kindly placed me in a position of honor, very near the front of the parade for what they are rightfully calling a once in a lifetime celebration.
So- if you’re planning on coming out- make sure that you’re in place along the parade route for the start of the parade! It kicks off at 2 pm- from the intersection of Lombard and Cermak. It will roll down Cermak Road- probably the most well known thoroughfare in Berywn-going to Riverside Drive, then to Home Ave.-and on to Morton High School. There will be a special veterans memorial ceremony at the high school stadium afterwards.(Since I feel it would be disrespectful for someone dressed as a ghoul to attend that ceremony, I will respectfully decline.)
The people of Berwyn have always treated me with great kindness and appreciation. It’s a fine little town, with down to earth, hard-working folks- plus, a cool artistic faction that has become more evident in recent years. I know there are a few Berwyn officials who have felt that our gentle jibes at the suburb don’t help them- but they’re being shortsighted. I think a LOT of people know more about their suburb thanks to the Svengoolie family. Our jokes are just that- jokes. In interviews, both print and broadcast, I’ve always talked positively about Berwyn. Yes, I mourn for “the Spindle”- but I also mourn for the old G.C. Murphy store that used to be in Cermak Plaza-or the old Cermak Theater-or, for that matter- the Berwyn Theater! Yet- as long as the general public in Berwyn supports me, and enjoys what I do- you’ll be hearing that time honored chorus of “BER-WYN?!” on my shows.
By the way, if you’re coming out to the parade, please wear your Sven shirt! If you don’t have one, stop at Horrorbles on Roosevelt Road in that selfsame suburb, and pick one up!
(I’ll toss in one more reminder about the parade during this weekend. I will NOT be tossing rubber chickens in the parade though- so, as I go by , don’t ask me for my chicken!)
I’ve been meaning to mention the passing of comedian and director Dick Martin, who died over the weekend. Most of you probably know him from the culturally significant “Laugh-In” show that he hosted with his comedy team partner Dan Rowan back in the late 60s. “Laugh-In” was a big influence on me, a trend-setting milestone in TV- it departed from the usual variety-comedy shows- with fast edits, jokes coming at you a mile a minute, and a hipper sensibility than most shows of that era. It made political statements, doing jokes other shows wouldn’t touch, and yet throwing in some old fashioned vaudeville –type stuff as well.
Dick Martin was teamed with straight man Dan Rowan, I’m pretty sure, from the late 50s on- he and Dan did night clubs, movies (try to find “Once Upon a Horse”- a western take-off) before hitting it big with “Laugh-In.” Dick worked as an actor by himself as well- he played a boyfriend to Lucille Ball for a while on “the Lucy Show”-before he and Dan had their program on directly opposite hers on Monday nights! That’s why Dick would often conclude the show saying goodnight to Lucy (plus, his and Dan’s usual shtick of where Dan would tell him “Say good night, Dick” to which he’d respond “Good Night, Dick!”)He and Dick also made a wacky movie during their “Laugh-In” fame- “the Maltese Bippy!” That played off Dick’s catch phrase- “You bet your sweet bippy!” (Yeah, I know- can you believe that was a popular phrase back then?!)
Even while they were doing the show, Dick would show people, on his home video unit (this was reels of tape, before vcrs) how the show had increased in tempo since it first came on, and some of the technical stuff they did- which was probably part of what lead him to becoming a director, for shows like “Newhart.” He also enjoyed doing guest gigs on game shows.
Dick was very proud of the “Laugh-In” show- he was quoted in one place as saying “Other shows might pay (popular singer) Robert Goulet a thousand dollars to come on and sing three songs- we pay him 250 bucks, and drop him down a trap door!” Celebrities loved coming on the trendy show, playing goofy parts, and even just saying a couple words, in close-up, that were edited on to the ends of bits.
Dan Rowan passed away in the mid-80s, and now his partner is joining him at the big cocktail party in the sky, where, just like on their old TV show, no doubt, the music will stop for a moment- Dan will give Dick a set-up line, and Dick will deliver the punch line. Thanks for the laughs- and –once more- say good night, Dick.
Dick Martin was teamed with straight man Dan Rowan, I’m pretty sure, from the late 50s on- he and Dan did night clubs, movies (try to find “Once Upon a Horse”- a western take-off) before hitting it big with “Laugh-In.” Dick worked as an actor by himself as well- he played a boyfriend to Lucille Ball for a while on “the Lucy Show”-before he and Dan had their program on directly opposite hers on Monday nights! That’s why Dick would often conclude the show saying goodnight to Lucy (plus, his and Dan’s usual shtick of where Dan would tell him “Say good night, Dick” to which he’d respond “Good Night, Dick!”)He and Dick also made a wacky movie during their “Laugh-In” fame- “the Maltese Bippy!” That played off Dick’s catch phrase- “You bet your sweet bippy!” (Yeah, I know- can you believe that was a popular phrase back then?!)
Even while they were doing the show, Dick would show people, on his home video unit (this was reels of tape, before vcrs) how the show had increased in tempo since it first came on, and some of the technical stuff they did- which was probably part of what lead him to becoming a director, for shows like “Newhart.” He also enjoyed doing guest gigs on game shows.
Dick was very proud of the “Laugh-In” show- he was quoted in one place as saying “Other shows might pay (popular singer) Robert Goulet a thousand dollars to come on and sing three songs- we pay him 250 bucks, and drop him down a trap door!” Celebrities loved coming on the trendy show, playing goofy parts, and even just saying a couple words, in close-up, that were edited on to the ends of bits.
Dan Rowan passed away in the mid-80s, and now his partner is joining him at the big cocktail party in the sky, where, just like on their old TV show, no doubt, the music will stop for a moment- Dan will give Dick a set-up line, and Dick will deliver the punch line. Thanks for the laughs- and –once more- say good night, Dick.
Back to work! You’ve had too many days off, already! Don’t you MISS work? (Okay, I’m shutting up…) It was nice to have a three-day weekend, though…when’s the next one? NOT ‘TIL JULY?! Awww…
I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on our final showings of many of the Universal classics we’ve been lucky to obtain for you guys…there seems to be a real appreciation for these later entries in the Frankenstein series. I will certainly miss having them- but am very happy that we’ve not only renewed their stories with people who’ve missed seeing them on free TV, but also the ones who have gotten their first look at them with our showings.
Roger Ebert recently had one of his “Movie Answer Man” columns in the Sun Times (and, Roger, we’ve all been thinking of you during your recent bout with medical problems- a big “thumbs up” to your fighting spirit and recovery!) and wrote about something that I’ve run into, showing many of the Universal classics- people who “don’t like” black and white films, and, when they see a movie is black and white- decide on that basis-and ONLY that basis –that they don’t want to watch it.
I’ve gotten e-mails and letters from people who are complaining because all we’re showing are black and white movies. Most of them really don’t say WHY they don’t want to see them. I know there’s a younger faction, who’ve never known a time when TV shows were mostly (if not all) black and white- and every movie they went to see in the theater was color- and seem to feel that anything black and white is too old to be worth bothering with!
I remember at program director at a station I was previously with (boy, won’t THIS take a lot of detective work for you to figure out which one that was) who would offer me a choice of movies to run on my show- and when I’d balk at showing an excruciatingly crappy (not fun crappy) film, he’d actually say- “but it’s in color!” One of his theories of programming was always that people are more likely to watch a movie or show that’s in color. I’m guessing he’d never have let “Stooge-a-palooza” off the ground…
I think real fans of the horror genre know that these old classics didn’t need color to get their stories across, to bring to life amazing characters, and to create an atmosphere of foreboding evil. No, there was no bright red blood- heck, most of the time, there was no blood at all, of any color-but they helped form the horror legends that everybody knows today.
I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on our final showings of many of the Universal classics we’ve been lucky to obtain for you guys…there seems to be a real appreciation for these later entries in the Frankenstein series. I will certainly miss having them- but am very happy that we’ve not only renewed their stories with people who’ve missed seeing them on free TV, but also the ones who have gotten their first look at them with our showings.
Roger Ebert recently had one of his “Movie Answer Man” columns in the Sun Times (and, Roger, we’ve all been thinking of you during your recent bout with medical problems- a big “thumbs up” to your fighting spirit and recovery!) and wrote about something that I’ve run into, showing many of the Universal classics- people who “don’t like” black and white films, and, when they see a movie is black and white- decide on that basis-and ONLY that basis –that they don’t want to watch it.
I’ve gotten e-mails and letters from people who are complaining because all we’re showing are black and white movies. Most of them really don’t say WHY they don’t want to see them. I know there’s a younger faction, who’ve never known a time when TV shows were mostly (if not all) black and white- and every movie they went to see in the theater was color- and seem to feel that anything black and white is too old to be worth bothering with!
I remember at program director at a station I was previously with (boy, won’t THIS take a lot of detective work for you to figure out which one that was) who would offer me a choice of movies to run on my show- and when I’d balk at showing an excruciatingly crappy (not fun crappy) film, he’d actually say- “but it’s in color!” One of his theories of programming was always that people are more likely to watch a movie or show that’s in color. I’m guessing he’d never have let “Stooge-a-palooza” off the ground…
I think real fans of the horror genre know that these old classics didn’t need color to get their stories across, to bring to life amazing characters, and to create an atmosphere of foreboding evil. No, there was no bright red blood- heck, most of the time, there was no blood at all, of any color-but they helped form the horror legends that everybody knows today.
Come on! It’s a holiday weekend! Do I really have to blog around today? Oh, all right…let’s see what bits and pieces I can pull together…
I have to thank longtime fan and blog reader Bluecat for correcting an earlier blog- I was talking about how I still go old school, and observe Memorial Day on the 31st. I guess I need to go BACK to that old school, because the proper date was May 30.I guess I’ve been brainwashed enough by the “Monday holiday” decree that I’ve got Swiss cheese holes in my memory…
Speaking of which, let us all not fail to remember that the original purpose of this day is not just to start the summer season, trot out the grill, or scramble to put together a blog out of odds and ends- it’s the day we’re supposed to respectfully pay tribute to the many military personnel that we have lost in battles through the history of this nation. Let’s hope that we never stop paying tribute to them, but that, at some point, maybe we can stop adding new people to pay tribute to.
Okay, now- back to the grilling- let me just give you one of my grilling tips- NEVER try to put a rubber chicken on the grill as a joke. The results are NOT pretty- in fact, they’re pretty disgusting and odor-ific.
Let me again toss in a reminder to you-next Sunday, I’ll be riding in the Berwyn (“BERWYN?!) Centennial Parade down Cermak Road. I’ll post the info again as it gets closer. My appearance there has sparked some interest from other communities, as far as having me make appearances- so, if we can work things out, you’ll be seeing me in other suburbs as the summer and fall roll on…
I just want to mention that the “spell check” on my computer gets annoying at times. Granted, when you’ve got a clumsy two-fingered typist at work, things aren’t going to be trouble free, but when I’m typing one of these, I see enough red and green lines that I start to think it’s Christmas again (see.. red and green are Christmas colors…WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT CHRISTMAS ON MEMORIAL DAY?!)
Maybe it’s a hint that I should stop, and enjoy the rest of the day off. I hope you do the same. Please check out our webisodes here on the site- you DO know that there’s an archive with all sorts of webisodes and past Sven bits available for viewing, right? And- don’t forget that you can always contact me at svengoolie@wciu.com …
I have to thank longtime fan and blog reader Bluecat for correcting an earlier blog- I was talking about how I still go old school, and observe Memorial Day on the 31st. I guess I need to go BACK to that old school, because the proper date was May 30.I guess I’ve been brainwashed enough by the “Monday holiday” decree that I’ve got Swiss cheese holes in my memory…
Speaking of which, let us all not fail to remember that the original purpose of this day is not just to start the summer season, trot out the grill, or scramble to put together a blog out of odds and ends- it’s the day we’re supposed to respectfully pay tribute to the many military personnel that we have lost in battles through the history of this nation. Let’s hope that we never stop paying tribute to them, but that, at some point, maybe we can stop adding new people to pay tribute to.
Okay, now- back to the grilling- let me just give you one of my grilling tips- NEVER try to put a rubber chicken on the grill as a joke. The results are NOT pretty- in fact, they’re pretty disgusting and odor-ific.
Let me again toss in a reminder to you-next Sunday, I’ll be riding in the Berwyn (“BERWYN?!) Centennial Parade down Cermak Road. I’ll post the info again as it gets closer. My appearance there has sparked some interest from other communities, as far as having me make appearances- so, if we can work things out, you’ll be seeing me in other suburbs as the summer and fall roll on…
I just want to mention that the “spell check” on my computer gets annoying at times. Granted, when you’ve got a clumsy two-fingered typist at work, things aren’t going to be trouble free, but when I’m typing one of these, I see enough red and green lines that I start to think it’s Christmas again (see.. red and green are Christmas colors…WHY AM I WRITING ABOUT CHRISTMAS ON MEMORIAL DAY?!)
Maybe it’s a hint that I should stop, and enjoy the rest of the day off. I hope you do the same. Please check out our webisodes here on the site- you DO know that there’s an archive with all sorts of webisodes and past Sven bits available for viewing, right? And- don’t forget that you can always contact me at svengoolie@wciu.com …
I got an e-mail from Glen, who had read my previous blog about some of the commercials that drive me up several walls- and he had one that dealt, not with walls, but floors. I can’t believe I neglected to mention it, and I’m glad he brought it up.
You know the ones- for a flooring company with a moon-like name-where you have these women rolling around on and talking to their new floors! Glen feels that these ladies seem to be a little on the psycho side (I agree- especially the one who responds to her hubby with a goggle-eyed grinning nod!) he suggests that they may be ready to pull out a knife and go after anyone who dares to tread on their beloved floory-woory.
Glen thought I could parody them during the right film- maybe “I Saw What You Did”-and he imagines Joan Crawford rolling around on some 60s floor, talking to the carpet with a huge knife or cleaver in her hand. That WOULD make her threats to anyone using wire hangers even more menacing…
I did forget the other one I had neglected to mention- those adorable cartoon bears who seem obsessed with toilet paper.
The thing lost on a lot of viewers is that this is supposed to be playing off the old affirmation retort to a question that obviously has a “yes” answer -i.e., “is Sven’s blog a lot of senseless rambling?” “Does a bear _____ in the woods?”
One of the latest features one bear sweeping the backside of another, to remove a lint-like substance that presumably was left by an inferior bathroom tissue. Oooh- what if they’d been polar bears- they wouldn’t even be able to TELL that some lousy toilet tissue had left residue on their backfield.
Another loyal Sven fan, Dave, sent me an e-mail regarding
the SHAM WOW commercial. Dave says, “There’s a totally weird skinny guy who acts young but looks about 50” complete with a spiky hairdo. He mentions that the product is made in Germany and the guy says “And you know Germans make good stuff!” Good thing we don’t air this one on Me-TV during “Hogan’s Heroes”…I believe this spot also contains some really lame testimonials from “regular people” one of whom gushes “all I can say about it is- SHAM WOW!!!”
Another one that’s getting less than high marks is the Bo-flex commercial with the 50-somethingyear old guy with the shaved head, who can’t seem to stop dropping the tidbit of information that he’s in a rock band. He’s in the best shape of his life-oh, and he’s also in a rock band. He’s now living his dreams and- hey! He also plays in rock band! What, does the Bo-flex also work as a guitar stand?(By the way- did I mention I’m 56 years old, and I sing on TV every week- badly?!)
You know the ones- for a flooring company with a moon-like name-where you have these women rolling around on and talking to their new floors! Glen feels that these ladies seem to be a little on the psycho side (I agree- especially the one who responds to her hubby with a goggle-eyed grinning nod!) he suggests that they may be ready to pull out a knife and go after anyone who dares to tread on their beloved floory-woory.
Glen thought I could parody them during the right film- maybe “I Saw What You Did”-and he imagines Joan Crawford rolling around on some 60s floor, talking to the carpet with a huge knife or cleaver in her hand. That WOULD make her threats to anyone using wire hangers even more menacing…
I did forget the other one I had neglected to mention- those adorable cartoon bears who seem obsessed with toilet paper.
The thing lost on a lot of viewers is that this is supposed to be playing off the old affirmation retort to a question that obviously has a “yes” answer -i.e., “is Sven’s blog a lot of senseless rambling?” “Does a bear _____ in the woods?”
One of the latest features one bear sweeping the backside of another, to remove a lint-like substance that presumably was left by an inferior bathroom tissue. Oooh- what if they’d been polar bears- they wouldn’t even be able to TELL that some lousy toilet tissue had left residue on their backfield.
Another loyal Sven fan, Dave, sent me an e-mail regarding
the SHAM WOW commercial. Dave says, “There’s a totally weird skinny guy who acts young but looks about 50” complete with a spiky hairdo. He mentions that the product is made in Germany and the guy says “And you know Germans make good stuff!” Good thing we don’t air this one on Me-TV during “Hogan’s Heroes”…I believe this spot also contains some really lame testimonials from “regular people” one of whom gushes “all I can say about it is- SHAM WOW!!!”
Another one that’s getting less than high marks is the Bo-flex commercial with the 50-somethingyear old guy with the shaved head, who can’t seem to stop dropping the tidbit of information that he’s in a rock band. He’s in the best shape of his life-oh, and he’s also in a rock band. He’s now living his dreams and- hey! He also plays in rock band! What, does the Bo-flex also work as a guitar stand?(By the way- did I mention I’m 56 years old, and I sing on TV every week- badly?!)
Okay, folks, after a day of barbeque, fun in the sun, and
warmer weather, settle in for the final run of another
Universal classic – “Ghost of Frankenstein”-and the encore appearance of my “brother”, Fraido! (You may have seen Fraido recently in some of our webisodes here on the Svengoolie page…he’s a ventriloquist dummy specially created for us by superstar artist Alex Ross.)
The movie, for continuity’s sake, actually fits into the Universal Frankenstein timeline between “Son of Frankenstein” and last week’s “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf man”- with the villagers, although having bid the son of Frankenstein a fond farewell, again getting agitated about the remains of the Frankenstein castle- especially after having seen Ygor prowling around there (guess he survived those gunshot wounds from “Son of…” that had apparently killed him!) When the villagers decide that blowing the place up good is the only answer, Ygor discovers the Monster-preserved in the sulfur from the previous movie’s sulfur pit- and escapes with the Monster in tow. He decides to go to Frankenstein’s OTHER son- you know, the one nobody has even mentioned until that very moment-and “convince” him to help restore the Monster to vibrant health. However, more devious actions enter into it- with Ygor deciding HIS brain should end up in the Monster’s powerful body!
It’s great to see Bela Lugosi’s Ygor character back…and, this time, in the Monster make-up, we have Lon Chaney Jr., cast for this part while he was filming ‘Wolf Man”, who seems well suited to being a huge lumbering brute (Boris Karloff, who had played the Monster in the previous film, was appearing on Broadway when the film was being shot, and didn’t feel he wanted to play the creature again at that time.)Sir Cedric Hardwicke is the previously unspoken of Frankenstein offspring, and he carries on his family tradition pretty well!
As does my brother Fraido, who comes in to stand in for me while I’m off on jury duty (no, not on the R. Kelly case!) You’ll also see the other ventriloquist dummy of the Svengoolie family- the one and only Durwood, who started his career alongside the original Sven, Jerry G. Bishop, in the ‘70s.
So, for plenty of dummies (what are you looking at ME for?) and your last Sven show look at another Universal classic, tune in tonight at 9 (or, if you MUST be out partying, at 1 am on MeTV!)
warmer weather, settle in for the final run of another
Universal classic – “Ghost of Frankenstein”-and the encore appearance of my “brother”, Fraido! (You may have seen Fraido recently in some of our webisodes here on the Svengoolie page…he’s a ventriloquist dummy specially created for us by superstar artist Alex Ross.)
The movie, for continuity’s sake, actually fits into the Universal Frankenstein timeline between “Son of Frankenstein” and last week’s “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf man”- with the villagers, although having bid the son of Frankenstein a fond farewell, again getting agitated about the remains of the Frankenstein castle- especially after having seen Ygor prowling around there (guess he survived those gunshot wounds from “Son of…” that had apparently killed him!) When the villagers decide that blowing the place up good is the only answer, Ygor discovers the Monster-preserved in the sulfur from the previous movie’s sulfur pit- and escapes with the Monster in tow. He decides to go to Frankenstein’s OTHER son- you know, the one nobody has even mentioned until that very moment-and “convince” him to help restore the Monster to vibrant health. However, more devious actions enter into it- with Ygor deciding HIS brain should end up in the Monster’s powerful body!
It’s great to see Bela Lugosi’s Ygor character back…and, this time, in the Monster make-up, we have Lon Chaney Jr., cast for this part while he was filming ‘Wolf Man”, who seems well suited to being a huge lumbering brute (Boris Karloff, who had played the Monster in the previous film, was appearing on Broadway when the film was being shot, and didn’t feel he wanted to play the creature again at that time.)Sir Cedric Hardwicke is the previously unspoken of Frankenstein offspring, and he carries on his family tradition pretty well!
As does my brother Fraido, who comes in to stand in for me while I’m off on jury duty (no, not on the R. Kelly case!) You’ll also see the other ventriloquist dummy of the Svengoolie family- the one and only Durwood, who started his career alongside the original Sven, Jerry G. Bishop, in the ‘70s.
So, for plenty of dummies (what are you looking at ME for?) and your last Sven show look at another Universal classic, tune in tonight at 9 (or, if you MUST be out partying, at 1 am on MeTV!)
Don’t look now, but the unofficial start of the summer season is here- break out the grill, put out the pink yard flamingo, and –well, I’d still hold off on jumping into Lake Michigan at this point. Yes, I know- Memorial Day is kind of early this year. I still retain the old school “May 31” date for Memorial Day- from the days before the “holidays are always on Mondays, except for Christmas, New Year’s, Thanksgiving, and Easter” law went into effect.
Back then, we kind of knew that Memorial Day meant that school wouldn’t be going on for any more than about a week and a half, tops. The boundaries of summer were always -about a week after Memorial Day through the Jerry Lewis telethon…I mean, Labor Day. Now, with school starting for kids MUCH earlier than Labor Day, and some schools going into mid-to-late June, the old yardstick just doesn’t work anymore.
Regardless, big time fun is coming, as we’ll be starting our Svengoolie June appearance tour! The first stop- most appropriately- will be- BERWYN!!! Get set to join me in celebrating 100 years of our favorite suburb, as we take part in the Berwyn Centennial Parade! It’ll start at 2 pm on Sunday, June 1- kicking off from Lombard (the street, not the lilac suburb) and Cermak- heading down Cermak Road. I’ll be riding in the parade, waving to each and every one of you. No, I mean that- I will actually be waving at YOU. Also, make sure to watch for the “Horrorbles” hearse, official vehicle of our fine sponsor and provider of rubber chickens!
Just a few weeks after that, I’ll be right next door to Berwyn, in scenic Cicero, which just happens to be celebrating its 150th anniversary! I’ll help kick of their big festival on Friday night, June 20 at 6 pm, and will be signing autographs for two hours, while you enjoy all the music and fun.
We’ll close out the month with an event that, like Memorial Day, is arriving earlier this year- the always-tremendous Flashback Weekend Horror Convention! I’ll be there on Saturday, June 28- ready to sign autographs, t-shirts, magazines and books (many of which will be for sale on the premises)- and pose for pictures with you! Then around 4 pm, we’ll head onstage to chat with you, answer a few questions, and, once again, m.c. the costume contest! That’s always a highlight of the day, with some truly amazing costumes, and, of course, a few head-scratchers, but it’s all fun!
We’ll remind you about all these appearances as they’re coming up- meanwhile, go out and start that 3-day weekend-
pausing, of course, to catch our show tomorrow night- which our next blog will preview for you in detail!
Back then, we kind of knew that Memorial Day meant that school wouldn’t be going on for any more than about a week and a half, tops. The boundaries of summer were always -about a week after Memorial Day through the Jerry Lewis telethon…I mean, Labor Day. Now, with school starting for kids MUCH earlier than Labor Day, and some schools going into mid-to-late June, the old yardstick just doesn’t work anymore.
Regardless, big time fun is coming, as we’ll be starting our Svengoolie June appearance tour! The first stop- most appropriately- will be- BERWYN!!! Get set to join me in celebrating 100 years of our favorite suburb, as we take part in the Berwyn Centennial Parade! It’ll start at 2 pm on Sunday, June 1- kicking off from Lombard (the street, not the lilac suburb) and Cermak- heading down Cermak Road. I’ll be riding in the parade, waving to each and every one of you. No, I mean that- I will actually be waving at YOU. Also, make sure to watch for the “Horrorbles” hearse, official vehicle of our fine sponsor and provider of rubber chickens!
Just a few weeks after that, I’ll be right next door to Berwyn, in scenic Cicero, which just happens to be celebrating its 150th anniversary! I’ll help kick of their big festival on Friday night, June 20 at 6 pm, and will be signing autographs for two hours, while you enjoy all the music and fun.
We’ll close out the month with an event that, like Memorial Day, is arriving earlier this year- the always-tremendous Flashback Weekend Horror Convention! I’ll be there on Saturday, June 28- ready to sign autographs, t-shirts, magazines and books (many of which will be for sale on the premises)- and pose for pictures with you! Then around 4 pm, we’ll head onstage to chat with you, answer a few questions, and, once again, m.c. the costume contest! That’s always a highlight of the day, with some truly amazing costumes, and, of course, a few head-scratchers, but it’s all fun!
We’ll remind you about all these appearances as they’re coming up- meanwhile, go out and start that 3-day weekend-
pausing, of course, to catch our show tomorrow night- which our next blog will preview for you in detail!
I know those of us who work in the business might watch the commercials with a little more of a critical eye than some viewers- especially those of us who have had tom MAKE commercials as part of their livelihood- ands there are some that just drive me towards pulling an Elvis and shooting out the TV tube (that is, if I had a gun, and if I could afford a NEW set-which would be digital, so I wouldn’t need any of those government coupons for a digital converter box- and are you sick of THOSE commercials yet?)
A prime offender is that cable commercial (and, believe me, cable and dish commercials are usually prime offenders) where a caveman (who somehow avoided working for Geico during their Neanderthal-centric period) is about to pound some sort of prehistoric saber-toothed ground hog with his trusty club- when the foul little creature articulates, in what is supposed to be a cute voice “I…love…you!” At that point, Cave Boy is stunned and frozen in his tracks. “Tough to beat!” says the unctuous announcer. Oh, yeah? Hand ME the club, pal…
Now, let’s turn our sights to the north- specifically, to a certain amusement park that has been known to bring Mr. Goolie up for a visit now and then. You might remember a former spokesman for the theme park- a bizarre, skinny bald, spectacled old weirdo called “Mr. Six” who would pop and lock to that “get on the Bus” tune that gets stuck in your cranium and refuses to go away. Well eventually, Mr. Six went away, after research seemed to indicate that, during the time of his presence, park attendance actually went down. Well, this year, he has a replacement- an Asian gentleman who seems to be “rating” various activities with a number of flags-a hapless sap in his La-Z-Boy tries to adjust his recliner, spilling his mammoth bowl of popcorn all over creation- up pops the head of Asian Man, shrieking “One Flag!” Then, we see a ride at the park, and he cries “Six Flags! More Flags! More Fun!” in almost the same volume as Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” bellowed, “No soup for you!” Maybe our Asian friend should stick with the decaf…although, with the Olympics coming up, it’d be a fine idea to have HIM as an event judge- when he did his judge’s report, half the participants would probably be frightened away from the stadium!
And- need I even bring up the spotlight-seeking Smythe Brothers- and their latest “hey, look at US!” commercial in which they all seem to think they’re Sarah Jessica Parker?
I thought not…
A prime offender is that cable commercial (and, believe me, cable and dish commercials are usually prime offenders) where a caveman (who somehow avoided working for Geico during their Neanderthal-centric period) is about to pound some sort of prehistoric saber-toothed ground hog with his trusty club- when the foul little creature articulates, in what is supposed to be a cute voice “I…love…you!” At that point, Cave Boy is stunned and frozen in his tracks. “Tough to beat!” says the unctuous announcer. Oh, yeah? Hand ME the club, pal…
Now, let’s turn our sights to the north- specifically, to a certain amusement park that has been known to bring Mr. Goolie up for a visit now and then. You might remember a former spokesman for the theme park- a bizarre, skinny bald, spectacled old weirdo called “Mr. Six” who would pop and lock to that “get on the Bus” tune that gets stuck in your cranium and refuses to go away. Well eventually, Mr. Six went away, after research seemed to indicate that, during the time of his presence, park attendance actually went down. Well, this year, he has a replacement- an Asian gentleman who seems to be “rating” various activities with a number of flags-a hapless sap in his La-Z-Boy tries to adjust his recliner, spilling his mammoth bowl of popcorn all over creation- up pops the head of Asian Man, shrieking “One Flag!” Then, we see a ride at the park, and he cries “Six Flags! More Flags! More Fun!” in almost the same volume as Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” bellowed, “No soup for you!” Maybe our Asian friend should stick with the decaf…although, with the Olympics coming up, it’d be a fine idea to have HIM as an event judge- when he did his judge’s report, half the participants would probably be frightened away from the stadium!
And- need I even bring up the spotlight-seeking Smythe Brothers- and their latest “hey, look at US!” commercial in which they all seem to think they’re Sarah Jessica Parker?
I thought not…
I saw an interesting article online, with a list of items in movies that were “objects of desire” that were a major part of the films. Among the listed items were the Ark of the Covenant from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (with a crystal skull soon to be added, I’d guess…)-the sports almanac that went back in time in “Back to the Future II”- and, of course, “the Maltese Falcon”
(no, ye uninitiated, that’s not a previous model of the Millennium Falcon!)About the only true horror item on the list was the Necronomicon- the ancient Book of the Dead- from “Army of Darkness”-but, surely, there are other items we can put together for a horror-oriented list…
There’s certainly fodder for a few listings from the Universal
Frankenstein series- Dr. Frankenstein’s original notebook is a definite one. In last week’s movie, plus the upcoming “Ghost of Frankenstein”- and others-the doc’s original notebook where he provides notes on his infamous experiments is sought after, whether to replace the brain in the Monster, or to try to help whining Larry Talbot find eternal rest. I always hoped they’d find someone who said they had the doctor’s notebook- and they would produce a school type three-ringed binder, with his science homework, doodles of Prussian army guys fighting dinosaurs, and graffiti like “Gretchen is Dreamy” and “Heinrich Sucks”!
Does a living thing- like the Creature from the Black Lagoon-qualify, since so many people sought it? Certainly, there have been objects of desire of the female variety, like all the women the Gill Man had a yen for- heck, even the Frankenstein Monster had the hots for his Marge Simpson-esque Bride. The Mummy searched for the Scroll to bring back his beloved- and also for whichever woman was the current reincarnation of said babe.
Can the item be something that’s sought, but not found- like Griffin trying to discover the formula to return to visibility in “the Invisible Man?” (although his brother does find it in “Invisible Man Returns…”)
Any number of films have had people in search of creatures like dinosaurs, Loch Ness Monsters, but are any of them truly list-worthy as “objects of desire?” The amulets worn by each high priest in the Mummy series have some significance- but,
Are they really desired by anyone other than the priests?
Maybe you can suggest some things- again, we want them to be in the horror genre- and, we want the item to be something that truly IS desirable enough to deserve a spot on a list. Submit your list items, and we’ll see if it’s even worth compiling a list!
(no, ye uninitiated, that’s not a previous model of the Millennium Falcon!)About the only true horror item on the list was the Necronomicon- the ancient Book of the Dead- from “Army of Darkness”-but, surely, there are other items we can put together for a horror-oriented list…
There’s certainly fodder for a few listings from the Universal
Frankenstein series- Dr. Frankenstein’s original notebook is a definite one. In last week’s movie, plus the upcoming “Ghost of Frankenstein”- and others-the doc’s original notebook where he provides notes on his infamous experiments is sought after, whether to replace the brain in the Monster, or to try to help whining Larry Talbot find eternal rest. I always hoped they’d find someone who said they had the doctor’s notebook- and they would produce a school type three-ringed binder, with his science homework, doodles of Prussian army guys fighting dinosaurs, and graffiti like “Gretchen is Dreamy” and “Heinrich Sucks”!
Does a living thing- like the Creature from the Black Lagoon-qualify, since so many people sought it? Certainly, there have been objects of desire of the female variety, like all the women the Gill Man had a yen for- heck, even the Frankenstein Monster had the hots for his Marge Simpson-esque Bride. The Mummy searched for the Scroll to bring back his beloved- and also for whichever woman was the current reincarnation of said babe.
Can the item be something that’s sought, but not found- like Griffin trying to discover the formula to return to visibility in “the Invisible Man?” (although his brother does find it in “Invisible Man Returns…”)
Any number of films have had people in search of creatures like dinosaurs, Loch Ness Monsters, but are any of them truly list-worthy as “objects of desire?” The amulets worn by each high priest in the Mummy series have some significance- but,
Are they really desired by anyone other than the priests?
Maybe you can suggest some things- again, we want them to be in the horror genre- and, we want the item to be something that truly IS desirable enough to deserve a spot on a list. Submit your list items, and we’ll see if it’s even worth compiling a list!
You’ve heard me talk about public domain movies- for some clarification, interesting information, and quick peeks at some-check out our webisodes this week here on our page!
I’m happy to hear that so many of you got into “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man”- especially since it was its farewell appearance on our show. A few people commented on the constant whining of Larry Talbot about how he wants to die-and how he felt that, in this film, much as energy could be drained from the Monster- HIS life force could be drained from him, finally giving him eternal peace.
Perhaps Larry failed to realize that the Monster had those handy electrodes protruding from his neck to facilitate the
Power drainage- what would they hook the jumper cables up to, in Larry’s case? (Supply your own joke here) Another idea had crossed our minds- if Larry really wanted to die, and regular bullets couldn’t do the job- and SILVER bullets were somewhat hard to come by- why couldn’t he take yet another tip from the Monster? You know, his old mantra- “fire bad?”
If Larry really wanted to die- couldn’t he set himself on fire, and get burned to a pile of wolf-scented ashes? Granted, it isn’t the most painless death, but, as dead-set (sorry) as he was on dying, you’d think he’d be willing to endure it to end his curse. But wait- even if he was a pile of ash- would the light of a full moon still restore him to his wolfen form? Even if the ashes were wind-strewn, would the moonlight make him pull together, like the Sandman in the Spider-Man comics and movie, and become the werewolf again? And- when the moon set- would it be a case of “ashes, ashes, we all fall down”- and he’d be fodder for an ashtray once again? Or- if the wind really sent his ashy bits to all corners of the world, would the moonlight create little teeny tiny werewolves (more like little killer shrews? Not the “Afghan hounds in masks”-sized ones from the famed movie- just “mini-me” versions!)
If a silver bullet could kill Larry and end his wolfism- couldn’t he just swallow a silver charm- and would that kill him, as the silver sat in his guts- or, would it just be one heck of a stomachache for eternity? Could he down some powdered silver dust, that would end up surging through his entire bloodstream, both poisoning him and ending the curse? Or- did it really have to be a bullet, propelled into his carcass? I would think not, since his silver-headed cane crashing on Bela’s skull in the original film pretty much did the poor lycanthrope in…
So- bottom line- was whining Larry just too busy bemoaning his fate to come up with ways to kill himself- or just not inventive enough?
I’m happy to hear that so many of you got into “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man”- especially since it was its farewell appearance on our show. A few people commented on the constant whining of Larry Talbot about how he wants to die-and how he felt that, in this film, much as energy could be drained from the Monster- HIS life force could be drained from him, finally giving him eternal peace.
Perhaps Larry failed to realize that the Monster had those handy electrodes protruding from his neck to facilitate the
Power drainage- what would they hook the jumper cables up to, in Larry’s case? (Supply your own joke here) Another idea had crossed our minds- if Larry really wanted to die, and regular bullets couldn’t do the job- and SILVER bullets were somewhat hard to come by- why couldn’t he take yet another tip from the Monster? You know, his old mantra- “fire bad?”
If Larry really wanted to die- couldn’t he set himself on fire, and get burned to a pile of wolf-scented ashes? Granted, it isn’t the most painless death, but, as dead-set (sorry) as he was on dying, you’d think he’d be willing to endure it to end his curse. But wait- even if he was a pile of ash- would the light of a full moon still restore him to his wolfen form? Even if the ashes were wind-strewn, would the moonlight make him pull together, like the Sandman in the Spider-Man comics and movie, and become the werewolf again? And- when the moon set- would it be a case of “ashes, ashes, we all fall down”- and he’d be fodder for an ashtray once again? Or- if the wind really sent his ashy bits to all corners of the world, would the moonlight create little teeny tiny werewolves (more like little killer shrews? Not the “Afghan hounds in masks”-sized ones from the famed movie- just “mini-me” versions!)
If a silver bullet could kill Larry and end his wolfism- couldn’t he just swallow a silver charm- and would that kill him, as the silver sat in his guts- or, would it just be one heck of a stomachache for eternity? Could he down some powdered silver dust, that would end up surging through his entire bloodstream, both poisoning him and ending the curse? Or- did it really have to be a bullet, propelled into his carcass? I would think not, since his silver-headed cane crashing on Bela’s skull in the original film pretty much did the poor lycanthrope in…
So- bottom line- was whining Larry just too busy bemoaning his fate to come up with ways to kill himself- or just not inventive enough?
Yesterday, I gave you a couple of my grand ideas for new movies based on established characters- and, fortunately (or, is that unfortunately for YOU?) the well has not run dry- try this idea on for size…
“Indiana Jones and the Grecian Formula of Hermes”- this one
would’ve been made between “Last Crusade” and the upcoming “Crystal Skull”-in this one, Indy is lured to Greece to search for a legendary artifact- a small vessel that holds the
“Secret Potion of Hermes”- supposedly a gift to mankind from the messenger god of the Ancients with wondrous powers. Rumors of its actual existence have surfaced at the same time that whispers of the appearance of the legendary Medusa-one of the Gorgon sisters, who was transformed by a goddess into a horrid being with snakes for hair, whose very look could turn anyone into stone! Indy doesn’t believe there’s any proof of Medusa really existing, but has found enough factual evidence of the potion to make the trip to Athens. Once there, he again meets his old sidekick Short Round, who is now a teenager who works with an exporter in “procuring” artifacts- maybe not always legally. This dismays Indy, and he thinks he has convinced Short Round to give up his evil ways- when he gets news that Short Round has been discovered dead- his body seemingly turned to stone! Indy finds that it is indeed Medusa-not just a legend, but a reality- who guards the potion of Hermes in a location suspected of being the actual Mount Olympus. Indy remembers her hair- “snakes! Why does it always have to be snakes?” he whines. Nevertheless, Indy infiltrates, avoiding various traps to face-Medusa! Indy decides the only way to avoid seeing her- and turning to stone- would be to put on a blindfold, and rely only on his sense of hearing and touch! He manages to barely escape Medusa- and grabs for the vessel with Herme’s potion- only to spill it-and, as Medusa looks at the spilled droplets- they reflect her face- and, as she sees her own image- she turns to stone! The explanation? The potion is actually the silver reflective liquid element Mercury (the name the Romans gave Hermes in their mythology!) Plus- we now know how the phrase “grecian formula” got involved with hair…except… uh…it turned
Medusa’s hair gray (as in stone), rather than colored away the gray. Hmm…slight story problem…we’ll fix it in rewrite…
In any event, after reading my ideas-is there any doubt about why nobody has made these epics?
“Indiana Jones and the Grecian Formula of Hermes”- this one
would’ve been made between “Last Crusade” and the upcoming “Crystal Skull”-in this one, Indy is lured to Greece to search for a legendary artifact- a small vessel that holds the
“Secret Potion of Hermes”- supposedly a gift to mankind from the messenger god of the Ancients with wondrous powers. Rumors of its actual existence have surfaced at the same time that whispers of the appearance of the legendary Medusa-one of the Gorgon sisters, who was transformed by a goddess into a horrid being with snakes for hair, whose very look could turn anyone into stone! Indy doesn’t believe there’s any proof of Medusa really existing, but has found enough factual evidence of the potion to make the trip to Athens. Once there, he again meets his old sidekick Short Round, who is now a teenager who works with an exporter in “procuring” artifacts- maybe not always legally. This dismays Indy, and he thinks he has convinced Short Round to give up his evil ways- when he gets news that Short Round has been discovered dead- his body seemingly turned to stone! Indy finds that it is indeed Medusa-not just a legend, but a reality- who guards the potion of Hermes in a location suspected of being the actual Mount Olympus. Indy remembers her hair- “snakes! Why does it always have to be snakes?” he whines. Nevertheless, Indy infiltrates, avoiding various traps to face-Medusa! Indy decides the only way to avoid seeing her- and turning to stone- would be to put on a blindfold, and rely only on his sense of hearing and touch! He manages to barely escape Medusa- and grabs for the vessel with Herme’s potion- only to spill it-and, as Medusa looks at the spilled droplets- they reflect her face- and, as she sees her own image- she turns to stone! The explanation? The potion is actually the silver reflective liquid element Mercury (the name the Romans gave Hermes in their mythology!) Plus- we now know how the phrase “grecian formula” got involved with hair…except… uh…it turned
Medusa’s hair gray (as in stone), rather than colored away the gray. Hmm…slight story problem…we’ll fix it in rewrite…
In any event, after reading my ideas-is there any doubt about why nobody has made these epics?
Every once in a while, my feverish little mind comes up with some bizarre ideas for movies that, most likely, would not (and/or should not) ever be made…but still, how cool would it be if they were? Here’s a couple of my cinematic brainstorms –involving established characters-that I’m positive would be big winners at the box office…
“Why-Oh Silver?”- Every few years, someone tries to breathe new life into the classic old radio, movie, and TV hero the Lone Ranger- so, I’ve got one that’d make him a household favorite once again. In this one, we realize why the Lone Ranger named his horse Silver, and always carries those silver bullets-it’s because he was the Old West’s equivalent of a sort of “Van Helsing”- a sagebrush werewolf hunter! He and Tonto would travel thru the West, hunting down and dispatching werewolves-Tonto using his Native American tracking skills, along with some strange rituals he learned from his father, a shaman. The Ranger would wear a mask, because often, family members of a werewolf he’d slain were totally unaware of their loved one’s curse- and would accuse the Ranger of cold-blooded murder. We could even layer on more intrigue-
maybe Tonto had additional protective duties with the Ranger;
when a study of Tonto’s tribal language reveals that “Kemo Sabe”-the name he always calls his masked friend- translates
into “he who sucks”- a frontier man of medicine discovers the secret- the Ranger is actually- a vampire! Tonto protects his coffin during the day, and helps him track down outlaws who serve as his source of blood! The mask also serves another purpose- it shields him from sunlight! (Actually, after hearing this scenario, you may be calling me “Kemo Sabe”- due to the suckiness of the idea!)…here’s another one…
“Charlene Chan”- the character of the Honolulu detective Charlie Chan, that we all used to watch in those old movies
on channel 9 (alternating with Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes flicks) has been around a long time, and it’s been a while since somebody tried to revive the character. My idea-
change the “he’” to a “she”- have him be a beautiful young Chinese woman, very smart and contemporary- who works as a detective all over the world. She has two assistants- her brother, who was always considered the “number one son” in the family, and thought to be the biggest success- but has been a bit of a goof, and so can only find work as his sister’s lesser associate! Her other assistant- Bernice Brown (instead of “Birmingham Brown” in the old flicks)-her office manager and co-hort- but she’d have to be played by the great Wanda Sykes. They could investigate all the old school multiple suspect mysteries, and always have reasons for Charlene to be dressed in (or, almost dressed in) hot clothes-so the box office numbers would be astronomical, thanks to all the guys going to see the flick!
Remember, all these lame ideas are copyrighted by yours truly- but wait! There’s more! Check back tomorrow for an even MORE pitiful picture pitch!
“Why-Oh Silver?”- Every few years, someone tries to breathe new life into the classic old radio, movie, and TV hero the Lone Ranger- so, I’ve got one that’d make him a household favorite once again. In this one, we realize why the Lone Ranger named his horse Silver, and always carries those silver bullets-it’s because he was the Old West’s equivalent of a sort of “Van Helsing”- a sagebrush werewolf hunter! He and Tonto would travel thru the West, hunting down and dispatching werewolves-Tonto using his Native American tracking skills, along with some strange rituals he learned from his father, a shaman. The Ranger would wear a mask, because often, family members of a werewolf he’d slain were totally unaware of their loved one’s curse- and would accuse the Ranger of cold-blooded murder. We could even layer on more intrigue-
maybe Tonto had additional protective duties with the Ranger;
when a study of Tonto’s tribal language reveals that “Kemo Sabe”-the name he always calls his masked friend- translates
into “he who sucks”- a frontier man of medicine discovers the secret- the Ranger is actually- a vampire! Tonto protects his coffin during the day, and helps him track down outlaws who serve as his source of blood! The mask also serves another purpose- it shields him from sunlight! (Actually, after hearing this scenario, you may be calling me “Kemo Sabe”- due to the suckiness of the idea!)…here’s another one…
“Charlene Chan”- the character of the Honolulu detective Charlie Chan, that we all used to watch in those old movies
on channel 9 (alternating with Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes flicks) has been around a long time, and it’s been a while since somebody tried to revive the character. My idea-
change the “he’” to a “she”- have him be a beautiful young Chinese woman, very smart and contemporary- who works as a detective all over the world. She has two assistants- her brother, who was always considered the “number one son” in the family, and thought to be the biggest success- but has been a bit of a goof, and so can only find work as his sister’s lesser associate! Her other assistant- Bernice Brown (instead of “Birmingham Brown” in the old flicks)-her office manager and co-hort- but she’d have to be played by the great Wanda Sykes. They could investigate all the old school multiple suspect mysteries, and always have reasons for Charlene to be dressed in (or, almost dressed in) hot clothes-so the box office numbers would be astronomical, thanks to all the guys going to see the flick!
Remember, all these lame ideas are copyrighted by yours truly- but wait! There’s more! Check back tomorrow for an even MORE pitiful picture pitch!
Tonight, get your final Svengoolie look at another classic confrontation from the Universal horror library-as we give one last showing to “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man!”
Continuity-wise, this film falls between “Ghost of Frankenstein” and “House of Frankenstein”- and, yes, our Universal schedule does unfortunately out this one out of sequence, with “Ghost” coming up next week…but, it won’t keep you from enjoying the story that also picks up where “the Wolf Man” left off- as grave robbers accidentally revive Larry Talbot- who’s plagued by amnesia, but eventually realizes who- and what- he is! He heads out to find the only person who has ever tried to help him end his curse- Maleva the gypsy woman-who decides the only person she knows of who might be able to cure him would be- one Dr. Frankenstein!
Needless to say, they get to the old Frankenstein castle, and –
frozen down below- is the Frankenstein Monster-and he’s still alive! Larry tracks down the daughter of Frankenstein, to try to persuade her to provide him with her father’s lab notebook-
and, before long, the Monster is running loose, Larry’s getting hairy, and a new young doctor can’t resist the lure of doing a total jumpstart of the Monster, just because it would be so cool to see him at full strength (bad idea, Dr. McDummy…)-
and finally, we see the showdown grudge match that pits the Big Green Machine against the Fuzzy Freakazoid- in “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf man!”
This one is notable for the fact that Bela Lugosi-who had previously turned down the role of the Monster because he didn’t want to be buried under the make-up- finally DOES play the Monster- and, thanks to some omitted dialogue that revealed the Monster is currently blind due to occurrences in “Ghost of Frankenstein,” plus the removal of any dialogue the Monster was supposed to have- doesn’t quite make the definitive Monster. Lon Chaney Jr. is back, and it seems like he never left the Larry Talbot role-as he settles further into the “poor me/I want to die” attitude that permeated most of the rest of his portrayals of the Man who Turns Wolf.
Once again- PLEASE catch this tonight, because this is our final showing of the film- then, away it goes, back to the shelf where whichever cable network that has the exclusive rights
will leave it unshown, except maybe around Halloween. Seems as useful as the Monster being frozen in that big wall of ice beneath the Frankenstein manor…
Continuity-wise, this film falls between “Ghost of Frankenstein” and “House of Frankenstein”- and, yes, our Universal schedule does unfortunately out this one out of sequence, with “Ghost” coming up next week…but, it won’t keep you from enjoying the story that also picks up where “the Wolf Man” left off- as grave robbers accidentally revive Larry Talbot- who’s plagued by amnesia, but eventually realizes who- and what- he is! He heads out to find the only person who has ever tried to help him end his curse- Maleva the gypsy woman-who decides the only person she knows of who might be able to cure him would be- one Dr. Frankenstein!
Needless to say, they get to the old Frankenstein castle, and –
frozen down below- is the Frankenstein Monster-and he’s still alive! Larry tracks down the daughter of Frankenstein, to try to persuade her to provide him with her father’s lab notebook-
and, before long, the Monster is running loose, Larry’s getting hairy, and a new young doctor can’t resist the lure of doing a total jumpstart of the Monster, just because it would be so cool to see him at full strength (bad idea, Dr. McDummy…)-
and finally, we see the showdown grudge match that pits the Big Green Machine against the Fuzzy Freakazoid- in “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf man!”
This one is notable for the fact that Bela Lugosi-who had previously turned down the role of the Monster because he didn’t want to be buried under the make-up- finally DOES play the Monster- and, thanks to some omitted dialogue that revealed the Monster is currently blind due to occurrences in “Ghost of Frankenstein,” plus the removal of any dialogue the Monster was supposed to have- doesn’t quite make the definitive Monster. Lon Chaney Jr. is back, and it seems like he never left the Larry Talbot role-as he settles further into the “poor me/I want to die” attitude that permeated most of the rest of his portrayals of the Man who Turns Wolf.
Once again- PLEASE catch this tonight, because this is our final showing of the film- then, away it goes, back to the shelf where whichever cable network that has the exclusive rights
will leave it unshown, except maybe around Halloween. Seems as useful as the Monster being frozen in that big wall of ice beneath the Frankenstein manor…
One traditional springtime thing that’s been happening is all the TV networks doing their “upfronts”- these are presentations that they do to reveal their upcoming fall schedules, indicate which shows won’t be coming back, etc, for the advertisers, so they can start getting sponsorship commitments. Some used to do them in a big auditorium or theater, with a huge stage, and would trot out many of their stars. These days, some do that, others just have a big party- and some juts make trips to go “one on one” with the various advertising groups. These “upfronts” are usually where you learn if that favorite show of yours that’s “on the bubble”- which means, hovering between cancellation and coming back- will get the nod to return next fall- or fall by the wayside. I think most of the shows that I make a point of watching are coming back next year-even some that I, as a fan, am not sure should!
As you’ve probably heard, NBC backed out of even showing all the episodes of “Scrubs” that were produced for this, its “final” season- so, ABC picked up the show as a mid-season replacement next year- and will show the rest- AND may even have additional episodes- so “Scrubs” will continue longer than it had originally planned anyway!
I read that ABC also wanted Oprah to do another “Oprah’s Big Give”- but her royal O-ness backed out, saying she has “too many other things going on” to do another one. So, it has become “Oprah’s Big Give-Up”…one has to wonder if, since the first run of the show lost viewers every week, she’s worried it wouldn’t be a total smash hit on a second outing, and –she can’t have that! She’s Oprah, dammit!
Meanwhile, here in local television land- we don’t have an upfront- or an outback, unless it’s a steakhouse. Even though
our bosses here pretty much know what shows they’ll have for the fall- they usually don’t reveal the schedule until mid-summer, when we begin all the advertising for the upcoming fall season. So, you may ask- is Svengoolie on that schedule?
I have reason to believe it is- especially since a deal for some
pretty cool movies appears to have been made! That means that, most likely, the show will make it to next June- when we would be celebrating a full THIRTY YEARS since I put on the black hat and became a member of the Svengoolie family!
Thirty?! Well, they say thirty is the new twenty…so, lend me thirty and I’ll pay you back with a twenty… meanwhile, don’t miss the vintage Sven on our sister station “Me-Too” – overnight tonight at 3 am (chances are it’s less than thirty years old!)
As you’ve probably heard, NBC backed out of even showing all the episodes of “Scrubs” that were produced for this, its “final” season- so, ABC picked up the show as a mid-season replacement next year- and will show the rest- AND may even have additional episodes- so “Scrubs” will continue longer than it had originally planned anyway!
I read that ABC also wanted Oprah to do another “Oprah’s Big Give”- but her royal O-ness backed out, saying she has “too many other things going on” to do another one. So, it has become “Oprah’s Big Give-Up”…one has to wonder if, since the first run of the show lost viewers every week, she’s worried it wouldn’t be a total smash hit on a second outing, and –she can’t have that! She’s Oprah, dammit!
Meanwhile, here in local television land- we don’t have an upfront- or an outback, unless it’s a steakhouse. Even though
our bosses here pretty much know what shows they’ll have for the fall- they usually don’t reveal the schedule until mid-summer, when we begin all the advertising for the upcoming fall season. So, you may ask- is Svengoolie on that schedule?
I have reason to believe it is- especially since a deal for some
pretty cool movies appears to have been made! That means that, most likely, the show will make it to next June- when we would be celebrating a full THIRTY YEARS since I put on the black hat and became a member of the Svengoolie family!
Thirty?! Well, they say thirty is the new twenty…so, lend me thirty and I’ll pay you back with a twenty… meanwhile, don’t miss the vintage Sven on our sister station “Me-Too” – overnight tonight at 3 am (chances are it’s less than thirty years old!)
Each week, right before the Svengoolie program, you can enjoy two full hours of the beloved trio (with a few alternating members) that has entertained generation after generation- none other than the Three Stooges!
With almost one hundred different themed shows in our library, “3 Stooges Stooge-a-palooza” has become a tradition with many families- with people of various ages sitting down to watch-together- the comedy of Moe, Larry, Curly and/or Shemp and/or Joe. So, I thought I’d drop this choice morsel of news here for all you Stooge fans- this Saturdays “Stooge-a-palooza”- is a new show-one that has never aired before! And- it just so happens to be another round of the game that seems to be so popular with our viewers- “Catch the Connection!” That’s the fun challenge where, we show you the usual five Stooge shorts- and YOU have to determine what one consistent element appears in every one of the films! There is a specific thing we’re thinking of- a phrase, an object, an action-
That will be in each short. Now, before some of you take those wild guesses- it is NEVER “Moe and Larry are in every short” or “Curly says ‘soiteny!’” or ‘They play the Stooges theme song at the beginning.”(By the way, there was NOT a misprint in that sentence- all real Stooge fans know that Curly doesn’t say “Soitenly’- he says ‘soiteny!’-with no ‘l’!-even if there IS the on-line store called “Soitenly Stooges!”) So, stop by and play along- that’ll be at 7 pm, right before Sven. (Milwaukee and South Bend- check your local listings for day and time…)
Since we deal with monsters here, people have often asked if the 3 Stooges ever met monsters like Abbott and Costello did-
well, Bud and Lou had an edge on them, since they worked for Universal, which had the rights to the big monsters, and the Stooges were Columbia guys. We did see the Stooges meet a mummy (not “THE Mummy”) and a Wolfman-like guy…but they never got to mix it up with Dracula or the Frankenstein Monster, due to copyright issues. They did meet their share of mad doctors, skeletons, ghosts, living statues, and devils, however!
Though it would most likely have been with Joe Besser (or the feature film third Stooge Curly Joe deRita) they might have at least tangled with “the Blob”- since that was done under the Columbia banner. Knowing how many of our viewers feel about Joe Besser, they might have complained that he WAS the Blob!
Regardless- I hope you’ll tune in to “Stooge-a-palooza” this Saturday night, and play along with our “Catch the Connection” game- then, relax and catch the infection- with Svengoolie! (Even I can’t believe I wrote that…)
With almost one hundred different themed shows in our library, “3 Stooges Stooge-a-palooza” has become a tradition with many families- with people of various ages sitting down to watch-together- the comedy of Moe, Larry, Curly and/or Shemp and/or Joe. So, I thought I’d drop this choice morsel of news here for all you Stooge fans- this Saturdays “Stooge-a-palooza”- is a new show-one that has never aired before! And- it just so happens to be another round of the game that seems to be so popular with our viewers- “Catch the Connection!” That’s the fun challenge where, we show you the usual five Stooge shorts- and YOU have to determine what one consistent element appears in every one of the films! There is a specific thing we’re thinking of- a phrase, an object, an action-
That will be in each short. Now, before some of you take those wild guesses- it is NEVER “Moe and Larry are in every short” or “Curly says ‘soiteny!’” or ‘They play the Stooges theme song at the beginning.”(By the way, there was NOT a misprint in that sentence- all real Stooge fans know that Curly doesn’t say “Soitenly’- he says ‘soiteny!’-with no ‘l’!-even if there IS the on-line store called “Soitenly Stooges!”) So, stop by and play along- that’ll be at 7 pm, right before Sven. (Milwaukee and South Bend- check your local listings for day and time…)
Since we deal with monsters here, people have often asked if the 3 Stooges ever met monsters like Abbott and Costello did-
well, Bud and Lou had an edge on them, since they worked for Universal, which had the rights to the big monsters, and the Stooges were Columbia guys. We did see the Stooges meet a mummy (not “THE Mummy”) and a Wolfman-like guy…but they never got to mix it up with Dracula or the Frankenstein Monster, due to copyright issues. They did meet their share of mad doctors, skeletons, ghosts, living statues, and devils, however!
Though it would most likely have been with Joe Besser (or the feature film third Stooge Curly Joe deRita) they might have at least tangled with “the Blob”- since that was done under the Columbia banner. Knowing how many of our viewers feel about Joe Besser, they might have complained that he WAS the Blob!
Regardless- I hope you’ll tune in to “Stooge-a-palooza” this Saturday night, and play along with our “Catch the Connection” game- then, relax and catch the infection- with Svengoolie! (Even I can’t believe I wrote that…)
I’ve gotten a few ‘reviews’ of the “Speed Racer” flick from blog readers, and many of you felt that, it was a visual treat, but, overall, not really making it as far as story. Though I have no doubt its eventual dvd sales will be great, I guess a mediocre showing at the box office by this movie will sow down or eliminate any Speed resurgence- so, no “Speed Racer” rides at the big theme parks, no Speed themed restaurants or quick oil change drive-throughs, etc.
This reminded me of some other movies that were to launch a franchise that went beyond just the screen- and how most of it never happened. Probably, the most recent, which we’ve talked about here before, was “Van Helsing”- the Hugh Jackman starring vehicle was supposed to be yet another step in relaunching the classic Universal monster franchise that “the Mummy” had started- with it leading to an animated series, special exhibits and rides at the Universal theme parks, loads of toys, and, of course, more movies. However, the lackluster
Box office numbers put a quick halt to all the spin-off shows and tie-ins, rather shortly after the movie hit theaters. Many said that it was the huge amount of computer-generated effects that turned off lovers of the classic films and monsters.
I’m not sure I’d buy that. I was actually quite a fan of Kate Beckinsale in that movie, though…maybe SHE should have been spun off into a new film with her character…
The theme–park tie-ins reminded me of a similar situation when I was doing radio back in the early 90s- and we were broadcasting from what was then the MGM Studios at Disney World. We interviewed Max Howard, who had been an animation administrator for the ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” film, and he stated that another Roger film was already in the works. There were all sorts of plans for several theme park attracts and more-right then, there was a gift shop with the “maroon Cartoons” theme, and displays of some gags –plus the big “Dip Machine” spouting smoke outside. However, as time passed- there was no sequel, and, though they built “Toon Town” it wasn’t really “Roger-centric.” I think they made one ride at the California park, but all the additional ones never got past the planning stages. The “Maroon Cartoon” gift shop is long gone as well.
On that same trip, there was a huge luncheon, presided over by Michael Eisner. He was touting the upcoming film “Dick Tracy” starring Warren Beatty and Madonna- and went over the many plans for Dick Tracy on Disney properties- many rides, gift stores, and, no doubt, many sequels. I remember
That, when the question and answer session started, a reporter asked Mr. Eisner what would happen to all these plans if, when “Dick Tracy” was released- it bombed? Eisner gruffly said, “I’ve seen it- it’s no bomb.”
So- did you ever see any Dick Tracy rides at Disney World?
This reminded me of some other movies that were to launch a franchise that went beyond just the screen- and how most of it never happened. Probably, the most recent, which we’ve talked about here before, was “Van Helsing”- the Hugh Jackman starring vehicle was supposed to be yet another step in relaunching the classic Universal monster franchise that “the Mummy” had started- with it leading to an animated series, special exhibits and rides at the Universal theme parks, loads of toys, and, of course, more movies. However, the lackluster
Box office numbers put a quick halt to all the spin-off shows and tie-ins, rather shortly after the movie hit theaters. Many said that it was the huge amount of computer-generated effects that turned off lovers of the classic films and monsters.
I’m not sure I’d buy that. I was actually quite a fan of Kate Beckinsale in that movie, though…maybe SHE should have been spun off into a new film with her character…
The theme–park tie-ins reminded me of a similar situation when I was doing radio back in the early 90s- and we were broadcasting from what was then the MGM Studios at Disney World. We interviewed Max Howard, who had been an animation administrator for the ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” film, and he stated that another Roger film was already in the works. There were all sorts of plans for several theme park attracts and more-right then, there was a gift shop with the “maroon Cartoons” theme, and displays of some gags –plus the big “Dip Machine” spouting smoke outside. However, as time passed- there was no sequel, and, though they built “Toon Town” it wasn’t really “Roger-centric.” I think they made one ride at the California park, but all the additional ones never got past the planning stages. The “Maroon Cartoon” gift shop is long gone as well.
On that same trip, there was a huge luncheon, presided over by Michael Eisner. He was touting the upcoming film “Dick Tracy” starring Warren Beatty and Madonna- and went over the many plans for Dick Tracy on Disney properties- many rides, gift stores, and, no doubt, many sequels. I remember
That, when the question and answer session started, a reporter asked Mr. Eisner what would happen to all these plans if, when “Dick Tracy” was released- it bombed? Eisner gruffly said, “I’ve seen it- it’s no bomb.”
So- did you ever see any Dick Tracy rides at Disney World?
I haven’t had the chance to go see the “Speed Racer” flick yet- heck, I still haven’t gotten to “Iron Man” –and that’s at the top of my list…but, I’ve certainly gotten mixed reviews of it. Some say it’s a visual riot, but the story is extra weak- some say it’s too long- and some think it was better off as a cartoon.
The cartoon (when we first saw it, it wasn’t called ‘anime’ yet in these parts) was always a “must-see” show for my brothers and I- not because we were amazed by the action, but more because we found so much of it to be funny. This, of course, stemmed from mainly the hyperactive dubbing. The voices, going at a breakneck pace to try to sync the lines with the “lip movements” of the characters always seemed funny to us…and we used to notice that, at times, when the chimp Chim Chim (who was so beloved by my younger brothers, when we got a little Quaker parrot, he was named –Chim Chim!) was making noises- it seemed that they didn’t just dub in new chimp sounds, but often left the original soundtrack’s chimp noises there- so, you had two monkey voices going at once! Another favorite part was the often used exclamations done with close-ups of the characters, delivering an agitated “HAHHH?” or, Speed’s trademark “OOOOOH!” We also questioned whether Speed had gone somewhat overboard on the Maybelline on his saucer-like eyes.
His car, the Mach 5, was almost a character itself- and the special features, like the rotating saw blades, or the “homing robot” that soared like a mechanical bird out of the hood, and the steering wheel with its buttons, each labeled with a letter,
Seemed like accessories that every car should have. We especially liked the “yomp-yomp-yomp-yomp” noise the car made when it “jumped” through the air!
The show seemed to be especially violent for a cartoon, even though they seemed to try to soften it up- in one episode, in which Speed is trying to help out a downtrodden circus, the visuals show “still” pictures of a lion tamer in with a lion, followed by a still showing the lion tamer’s whip on the ground, and a hand lying limp- which would seem to indicate that the lion had done the poor sap in-but the dubbed dialogue was saying something to the effect of- “We hated to get rid of our lions, because we loved them so, but we couldn’t afford to feed them!”
I’m trying to schedule our Speed Racer parody from a few years ago into an upcoming show- so, be looking for that- but, I’m still on the fence about going to a theater to see the movie.
I’ll wait for it to hit dvd if I hear that there isn’t a single shot of Speed in close-up crying “OOOOOH!”
The cartoon (when we first saw it, it wasn’t called ‘anime’ yet in these parts) was always a “must-see” show for my brothers and I- not because we were amazed by the action, but more because we found so much of it to be funny. This, of course, stemmed from mainly the hyperactive dubbing. The voices, going at a breakneck pace to try to sync the lines with the “lip movements” of the characters always seemed funny to us…and we used to notice that, at times, when the chimp Chim Chim (who was so beloved by my younger brothers, when we got a little Quaker parrot, he was named –Chim Chim!) was making noises- it seemed that they didn’t just dub in new chimp sounds, but often left the original soundtrack’s chimp noises there- so, you had two monkey voices going at once! Another favorite part was the often used exclamations done with close-ups of the characters, delivering an agitated “HAHHH?” or, Speed’s trademark “OOOOOH!” We also questioned whether Speed had gone somewhat overboard on the Maybelline on his saucer-like eyes.
His car, the Mach 5, was almost a character itself- and the special features, like the rotating saw blades, or the “homing robot” that soared like a mechanical bird out of the hood, and the steering wheel with its buttons, each labeled with a letter,
Seemed like accessories that every car should have. We especially liked the “yomp-yomp-yomp-yomp” noise the car made when it “jumped” through the air!
The show seemed to be especially violent for a cartoon, even though they seemed to try to soften it up- in one episode, in which Speed is trying to help out a downtrodden circus, the visuals show “still” pictures of a lion tamer in with a lion, followed by a still showing the lion tamer’s whip on the ground, and a hand lying limp- which would seem to indicate that the lion had done the poor sap in-but the dubbed dialogue was saying something to the effect of- “We hated to get rid of our lions, because we loved them so, but we couldn’t afford to feed them!”
I’m trying to schedule our Speed Racer parody from a few years ago into an upcoming show- so, be looking for that- but, I’m still on the fence about going to a theater to see the movie.
I’ll wait for it to hit dvd if I hear that there isn’t a single shot of Speed in close-up crying “OOOOOH!”
I don’t think I have one single thing to write about today that will fill up this entire blog, so- why not occupy this space with another heaping helping of- random rants?
Okay, plenty of people have pointed out to me that in the episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” last week that was written by the staff of “Two and a Half Men”- it appeared that the possible cause of death for the murdered Katey Sagal (who we’ve pretty much figured out did NOT ever appear with Bette Midler on a Svengoolie show!) was- a rubber chicken! I can’t tell you how many times one has almost killed ME…it had another use as well, but, this being a family-viewed blog, anyone interested should wait for the rerun…
In other TV-related rubber chicken news, the Sun Times had an interview with comedian Craig Robinson, who plays warehouse manager Darryl on “the Office”-in which he mentioned a comedy club he went to in college, where they would throw a rubber chicken up on stage when they felt you had out-stayed your welcome. He said that, his first time on stage there- they threw two of them! No wonder he transferred to Dunder-Mifflin…
From chickens to roosters- today, the price of a first class stamp goes to 42 cents (yes, some of us still use stamps!) That sent me searching for any “make-up stamps” I might still have, to combine with my leftover 41-cent wonders. I found some that pictured a rooster on a weather vane, that only said
“Class H make-up stamp”, or something like that- but no actual monetary worth-so I had to find out what it was actually worth. Naturally, it’s worth a penny.
…which leads me to an article headline I saw regarding the government considering making certain coins out of less expensive metals, so it’ll cost less than their face value to mint them. It said “House of Representatives Decides: Steel Pennies.” At first, I thought they had just mis-spelled “one word, and that it was business as usual (get it? “Steal pennies?” Never mind…)
I was amused by a few people who contacted me to tell me how sorry they were to hear that Eddie Arnold had died- and wasn’t he great in “Green Acres?” Ahem- that was Eddie ALBERT- Eddie Arnold was a great country singer…who, actually, probably would have felt right at home among the inhabitants of Hooterville…
That’s it for this blog…there’s more rattling around in my skull, but I’ll save it for another day…
Okay, plenty of people have pointed out to me that in the episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” last week that was written by the staff of “Two and a Half Men”- it appeared that the possible cause of death for the murdered Katey Sagal (who we’ve pretty much figured out did NOT ever appear with Bette Midler on a Svengoolie show!) was- a rubber chicken! I can’t tell you how many times one has almost killed ME…it had another use as well, but, this being a family-viewed blog, anyone interested should wait for the rerun…
In other TV-related rubber chicken news, the Sun Times had an interview with comedian Craig Robinson, who plays warehouse manager Darryl on “the Office”-in which he mentioned a comedy club he went to in college, where they would throw a rubber chicken up on stage when they felt you had out-stayed your welcome. He said that, his first time on stage there- they threw two of them! No wonder he transferred to Dunder-Mifflin…
From chickens to roosters- today, the price of a first class stamp goes to 42 cents (yes, some of us still use stamps!) That sent me searching for any “make-up stamps” I might still have, to combine with my leftover 41-cent wonders. I found some that pictured a rooster on a weather vane, that only said
“Class H make-up stamp”, or something like that- but no actual monetary worth-so I had to find out what it was actually worth. Naturally, it’s worth a penny.
…which leads me to an article headline I saw regarding the government considering making certain coins out of less expensive metals, so it’ll cost less than their face value to mint them. It said “House of Representatives Decides: Steel Pennies.” At first, I thought they had just mis-spelled “one word, and that it was business as usual (get it? “Steal pennies?” Never mind…)
I was amused by a few people who contacted me to tell me how sorry they were to hear that Eddie Arnold had died- and wasn’t he great in “Green Acres?” Ahem- that was Eddie ALBERT- Eddie Arnold was a great country singer…who, actually, probably would have felt right at home among the inhabitants of Hooterville…
That’s it for this blog…there’s more rattling around in my skull, but I’ll save it for another day…
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there-and, please, everyone, notice that I’m going to avoid any of the “mummy” jokes just this once.
From what I’ve read, Mother’s Day has its roots in the ancient Greek civilization, and made its way into the Romans’ list of holidays as well, with both attached to a goddess that each held in high esteem. Later on, it was an annual event in England, where it was first known as “Mothering Sunday”-not to be confused with one of those huge ice cream parlor concoctions, like a “Smothering Sundae.” When the British first arrived on our shores, they dropped the celebration- probably because they were too busy freezing to death, arguing about tossing tea in harbors, and making fun of George Washington’s false teeth. Eventually, though, it was celebrated here in America -around 1870.So, see- it wasn’t a “hallmark holiday” invented by a greeting card company!
I think we’ve gone over many of the monster mothers that populate our favorite genre- although the Frankenstein Monster’s mother, “the lightning”, probably got the least cards on that specials day. Norman Bates’ mother in “Psycho” may be the only one who gave herself (himself?) a card. “Mommie Dearest” Joan Crawford, who made plenty of scary movies, most certainly didn’t get a gift box of wire hangers for Mother’s Day. Piper Laurie, the abusive mother of “Carrie” received a lovely assortment of cutlery, but I think that happened around prom night, not Mother’s Day- check the movie. “Gorgo” the famed Godzilla–like giant reptile, might’ve been stranded in London, had it not been for his mother coming to fetch him.
(I guess that there weren’t as strict laws about kids traveling long distances by themselves back then…)
But, what of the missing mothers? In “the Wolf Man” we see only Larry Talbot’s dad, and though they talk about his late brother- do they ever mention his mother? Did the Creature from the Black Lagoon even know his mother (which might account for him getting hung up on every woman who floated into his tributary?)Both the Son of Dracula and Dracula’s daughter seemed to take after dad’s side of the family-but, again, we never heard much about their mom. Was she one of those three brides he had in his basement? And, nobody ever saw the Mummy’s…oops. Sorry. Almost broke my promise.
Just promise me that you will honor your mother today! And no rubber chickens, either-unless that’s what she really wants.
From what I’ve read, Mother’s Day has its roots in the ancient Greek civilization, and made its way into the Romans’ list of holidays as well, with both attached to a goddess that each held in high esteem. Later on, it was an annual event in England, where it was first known as “Mothering Sunday”-not to be confused with one of those huge ice cream parlor concoctions, like a “Smothering Sundae.” When the British first arrived on our shores, they dropped the celebration- probably because they were too busy freezing to death, arguing about tossing tea in harbors, and making fun of George Washington’s false teeth. Eventually, though, it was celebrated here in America -around 1870.So, see- it wasn’t a “hallmark holiday” invented by a greeting card company!
I think we’ve gone over many of the monster mothers that populate our favorite genre- although the Frankenstein Monster’s mother, “the lightning”, probably got the least cards on that specials day. Norman Bates’ mother in “Psycho” may be the only one who gave herself (himself?) a card. “Mommie Dearest” Joan Crawford, who made plenty of scary movies, most certainly didn’t get a gift box of wire hangers for Mother’s Day. Piper Laurie, the abusive mother of “Carrie” received a lovely assortment of cutlery, but I think that happened around prom night, not Mother’s Day- check the movie. “Gorgo” the famed Godzilla–like giant reptile, might’ve been stranded in London, had it not been for his mother coming to fetch him.
(I guess that there weren’t as strict laws about kids traveling long distances by themselves back then…)
But, what of the missing mothers? In “the Wolf Man” we see only Larry Talbot’s dad, and though they talk about his late brother- do they ever mention his mother? Did the Creature from the Black Lagoon even know his mother (which might account for him getting hung up on every woman who floated into his tributary?)Both the Son of Dracula and Dracula’s daughter seemed to take after dad’s side of the family-but, again, we never heard much about their mom. Was she one of those three brides he had in his basement? And, nobody ever saw the Mummy’s…oops. Sorry. Almost broke my promise.
Just promise me that you will honor your mother today! And no rubber chickens, either-unless that’s what she really wants.
Another final run of a Frankenstein favorite occurs tonight-
as the Svengoolie show gives you one last look at “Son of Frankenstein!” This 1939 Universal classic marked the final time- on film- that Boris Karloff portrayed the Frankenstein Monster. We meet Wolf, the son of the original Dr. Frankenstein (what’s the Wolf Man’s son’s name- Frank?)-
played by Basil Rathbone- who travels to his father’s hometown- which, for this film only, is named “Frankenstein!”
(In various films, it’s been Goldstadt, Vasaria, Visaria…heck, maybe even Berwyn! They could attract lightning with the Spindle- whoops, too late.) Arriving with his wife and son
(“Grandson of Frankenstein”- whose movie we never got around to)-he receives a pretty cold welcome from the townspeople, who, in spite of the town’s name, have no desire for any member of the Frankenstein family to return to the area, after all the turmoil that’s occurred in the past. Before long, Wolf finds someone lurking in the area of his father’s old laboratory- the previously-hanged criminal Ygor, who survived what should have been his final punishment, and, by law, now roams free. Ygor is played by Bela Lugosi, and this is, without a doubt, one of his greatest roles, Dracula notwithstanding. Before long, he reveals that he has Wolf’s dad’s Monster hidden away-and that the Monster is ill, and needs help. This convinces Wolf to continue his father’s work, and- well, you know what that leads to!
This film includes the familiar character of Inspector Krogh- the one-armed police official so brilliantly parodied in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein”, and played here by Lionel Atwill. Dwight Frye, who played assistants in creating monsters in both “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein”,
had a role in this film as well, but- when they switched from doing the film in Technicolor, as originally planned, to black and white- somehow, his part was eliminated! We’ll have plenty of other information for you on the show tonight, including what famous animated character one of the cast members voiced.
Once again- last chance, kids, to see this film on Sven- it’s going back to the Universal archives, or whatever cable outlet they’ll turn it back to, where it’ll most likely sit on the shelf and get shown once a year, if they’re lucky. Don’t miss it here on free TV tonight- also on Me-TV at 1 am. For other outlets, please check your local listings. We wouldn’t want to see the “son” set one last time without you!
as the Svengoolie show gives you one last look at “Son of Frankenstein!” This 1939 Universal classic marked the final time- on film- that Boris Karloff portrayed the Frankenstein Monster. We meet Wolf, the son of the original Dr. Frankenstein (what’s the Wolf Man’s son’s name- Frank?)-
played by Basil Rathbone- who travels to his father’s hometown- which, for this film only, is named “Frankenstein!”
(In various films, it’s been Goldstadt, Vasaria, Visaria…heck, maybe even Berwyn! They could attract lightning with the Spindle- whoops, too late.) Arriving with his wife and son
(“Grandson of Frankenstein”- whose movie we never got around to)-he receives a pretty cold welcome from the townspeople, who, in spite of the town’s name, have no desire for any member of the Frankenstein family to return to the area, after all the turmoil that’s occurred in the past. Before long, Wolf finds someone lurking in the area of his father’s old laboratory- the previously-hanged criminal Ygor, who survived what should have been his final punishment, and, by law, now roams free. Ygor is played by Bela Lugosi, and this is, without a doubt, one of his greatest roles, Dracula notwithstanding. Before long, he reveals that he has Wolf’s dad’s Monster hidden away-and that the Monster is ill, and needs help. This convinces Wolf to continue his father’s work, and- well, you know what that leads to!
This film includes the familiar character of Inspector Krogh- the one-armed police official so brilliantly parodied in Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein”, and played here by Lionel Atwill. Dwight Frye, who played assistants in creating monsters in both “Frankenstein” and “Bride of Frankenstein”,
had a role in this film as well, but- when they switched from doing the film in Technicolor, as originally planned, to black and white- somehow, his part was eliminated! We’ll have plenty of other information for you on the show tonight, including what famous animated character one of the cast members voiced.
Once again- last chance, kids, to see this film on Sven- it’s going back to the Universal archives, or whatever cable outlet they’ll turn it back to, where it’ll most likely sit on the shelf and get shown once a year, if they’re lucky. Don’t miss it here on free TV tonight- also on Me-TV at 1 am. For other outlets, please check your local listings. We wouldn’t want to see the “son” set one last time without you!
As I mentioned, Universal gave us a finite group of films as part of our agreement- but, with their vast library, there were many more films that they COULD have given us…and I have a whole list of films I wish they HAD let us use! I started to tell you about them yesterday, so, let’s continue…
Back when we showed the bunch of “Mummy” series entries, I did mention that they had withheld “the Mummy’s Ghost.” This 1944 film again featured Lon Chaney Jr. as the living mummy, Kharis-but this time, John Carradine was the high priest sent to America to recover the bodies of the Princess Ananka and Kharis-one in a museum, the other, supposedly burned in the conclusion of “the Mummy’s Tomb.” Tanna leaves play an important part again in the story- as the brewing of them attracts the Mummy, who begins his moldy murdering again. High priest Carradine, in finding yet another woman who is the reincarnated soul of Ananka, also falls into the same trap as earlier high priests by lusting after the babe- only to get his comeuppance from Kharis. Kharis and his new princess meet their end by sinking into a bog- which is where they emerge from in the next movie- even though this bog is in New England, and the next film’s bog is down south!
Another Universal flick I wish we had is “Psycho!” The original 1960 shocker by Alfred Hitchcock was not offered to us, but would have made for a great Sven show. So would “The Birds”-another Hitch classic that’s in the Universal vaults, but it wasn’t dangled before our greedy eyes.
Another classic that they had from their made for TV library
That I would have loved to run on the Sven show is “Duel!” Most horror fans know that it was Steven Speilberg’s big break- a 1971 made for television movie in which Dennis Weaver is pursued by a menacing truck! Written by Richard Matheson, this is a legendary film- with tension that builds as the threat of the truck –whose driver is never seen- always seems very real, with Weaver isolated on a California highway,
trying to escape the truck, in the most terrifying tale of road rage ever! Sure, we had Weaver in “McCloud Meets Dracula”-but I’d much rather have “Duel!”
There are others- some of the Hammer films that Universal has, like “Curse of the Wolf Man”-or, some of the
Invisible Man” sequels like “Invisible Man’s Revenge” or “Invisible Woman” (with Shemp Howard along for the ride!)-but-alas- Universal wouldn’t give ‘em up. So- we’re working out new deals with …another studio! Keep watching later this year!
Back when we showed the bunch of “Mummy” series entries, I did mention that they had withheld “the Mummy’s Ghost.” This 1944 film again featured Lon Chaney Jr. as the living mummy, Kharis-but this time, John Carradine was the high priest sent to America to recover the bodies of the Princess Ananka and Kharis-one in a museum, the other, supposedly burned in the conclusion of “the Mummy’s Tomb.” Tanna leaves play an important part again in the story- as the brewing of them attracts the Mummy, who begins his moldy murdering again. High priest Carradine, in finding yet another woman who is the reincarnated soul of Ananka, also falls into the same trap as earlier high priests by lusting after the babe- only to get his comeuppance from Kharis. Kharis and his new princess meet their end by sinking into a bog- which is where they emerge from in the next movie- even though this bog is in New England, and the next film’s bog is down south!
Another Universal flick I wish we had is “Psycho!” The original 1960 shocker by Alfred Hitchcock was not offered to us, but would have made for a great Sven show. So would “The Birds”-another Hitch classic that’s in the Universal vaults, but it wasn’t dangled before our greedy eyes.
Another classic that they had from their made for TV library
That I would have loved to run on the Sven show is “Duel!” Most horror fans know that it was Steven Speilberg’s big break- a 1971 made for television movie in which Dennis Weaver is pursued by a menacing truck! Written by Richard Matheson, this is a legendary film- with tension that builds as the threat of the truck –whose driver is never seen- always seems very real, with Weaver isolated on a California highway,
trying to escape the truck, in the most terrifying tale of road rage ever! Sure, we had Weaver in “McCloud Meets Dracula”-but I’d much rather have “Duel!”
There are others- some of the Hammer films that Universal has, like “Curse of the Wolf Man”-or, some of the
Invisible Man” sequels like “Invisible Man’s Revenge” or “Invisible Woman” (with Shemp Howard along for the ride!)-but-alas- Universal wouldn’t give ‘em up. So- we’re working out new deals with …another studio! Keep watching later this year!
I’ve mentioned that many of the Universal titles you’ll be seeing in the upcoming weeks will most likely be appearing your final chance to see them on our show. We were very fortunate that our fearless leader Neal Sabin worked very diligently over a long period of time to secure a bunch of the titles for us- as I’ve pointed out, many of which have not aired on free broadcast television for well over a decade!
However, though we’ve been able to see some classic delights that many of us hold dear- Universal had a bunch of memorable titles that they did NOT give to us. I know some of you have brought up these movies, asking when we would show them. Unfortunately, Universal did NOT give us free reign to use ANY of their movies- they gave us a selection of handpicked films, set in a specific schedule. So-what are a few of the films that I wish we’d gotten to show?
The one most mentioned by Sven fans has been “the Mole People!” It’s a 1956 classic, featuring, among others, our old pal John Agar, who battled “the Creature from the Black Lagoon”-and Hugh Beaumont- better known as the Beaver’s dad, Ward Cleaver, on “Leave It to Beaver!” We also get Alan Napier- recently seen here in “Invisible Man Returns” but seen constantly as Alfred the Butler to Adam West’s “Batman!” It’s a great flick, with intrepid explorers descending underground, to meet a pale race of subterranean dwellers, who burn at the slightest touch of sunlight- and their “slaves”-the hideous Mole People! I got to run this one back in my “Son of Svengoolie” days, and it always was a big favorite-you never forget the sight of an underground infidel charred to a crisp by Mr. Sunshine!
Another movie that I’d have loved to get my grubby little hands on- is “the Incredible Shrinking Man!” More fear of this new atomic age-after getting a dose of radiation-and a healthy spritz of insecticide- Grant Williams discovers that he’s shrinking! At first, he kind of becomes a “little person”-about the size of a hefty Munchkin- but, later shrinks down to about six inches tall- and finds himself terrorized by even the pet cat!
This 1957 flick may be hampered by some obvious contrived special effects, but works pretty well in creating tension as the little tiny guy has top deal with normal household stuff turned towering menaces!
There are a few more of those Universal library flicks that I wish we could have had checked out in the “Svengoolie” name- and I’ll trot out some more in tomorrow’s blog!
However, though we’ve been able to see some classic delights that many of us hold dear- Universal had a bunch of memorable titles that they did NOT give to us. I know some of you have brought up these movies, asking when we would show them. Unfortunately, Universal did NOT give us free reign to use ANY of their movies- they gave us a selection of handpicked films, set in a specific schedule. So-what are a few of the films that I wish we’d gotten to show?
The one most mentioned by Sven fans has been “the Mole People!” It’s a 1956 classic, featuring, among others, our old pal John Agar, who battled “the Creature from the Black Lagoon”-and Hugh Beaumont- better known as the Beaver’s dad, Ward Cleaver, on “Leave It to Beaver!” We also get Alan Napier- recently seen here in “Invisible Man Returns” but seen constantly as Alfred the Butler to Adam West’s “Batman!” It’s a great flick, with intrepid explorers descending underground, to meet a pale race of subterranean dwellers, who burn at the slightest touch of sunlight- and their “slaves”-the hideous Mole People! I got to run this one back in my “Son of Svengoolie” days, and it always was a big favorite-you never forget the sight of an underground infidel charred to a crisp by Mr. Sunshine!
Another movie that I’d have loved to get my grubby little hands on- is “the Incredible Shrinking Man!” More fear of this new atomic age-after getting a dose of radiation-and a healthy spritz of insecticide- Grant Williams discovers that he’s shrinking! At first, he kind of becomes a “little person”-about the size of a hefty Munchkin- but, later shrinks down to about six inches tall- and finds himself terrorized by even the pet cat!
This 1957 flick may be hampered by some obvious contrived special effects, but works pretty well in creating tension as the little tiny guy has top deal with normal household stuff turned towering menaces!
There are a few more of those Universal library flicks that I wish we could have had checked out in the “Svengoolie” name- and I’ll trot out some more in tomorrow’s blog!
No doubt you have seen or heard the news by now- the classic car kabob that stood proudly at Harlem and Cermak in Berwyn is no more. Under cover of darkness, or pretty near that, just like Mayor Daley closing down the Meigs Field airport, a crew took down “the Spindle” sculpture on Friday night! (No doubt because they knew I’d be busy elsewhere, at the Silver Circle presentation for my boss, Neal Sabin!)
So- the Spindle, which stood tall in the shopping center parking lot since 1989, went the way of the “Garbage Sculpture” that stood at the entry to the parking lot off Harlem. They used a crane (not Fraiser) to remove the topmost car- the little red Volkswagen- and the second car, a silver 1976 BMW, which supposedly had been property of the guy who used to own the shopping center- to place them in storage, reportedly to be used in a new sculpture- but I wouldn’t hold my breath to see that completed. Then, a large machine gripped the sculpture, and knocked it to the ground. The remains were placed in a large dumpster, and all that was left was a small section of the pole that the cars rested on.
This was all done so they could build a freestanding Walgreens with a drive-through on that space. Never mind that there’s a Walgreens that’s been right at the end of the strip of stores forever, which actually has space behind it they could route a drive-through lane past. Never mind that there’s a huge empty store area right in the middle of the strip, formerly occupied by an old Service Merchandise (how long has THAT sat empty?)
The shopping center originally had all sorts of pieces of unique art in it, as was the wish of the former owner- the afore-mentioned “junk sculpture”- and several other pieces, including a really cool “clock” that would drop ball bearings down a track, which would then hit various noisemakers and objects- a real “MouseTrap” or Rube Goldberg invention. There was a small forest of magnetic “trees” that would move to various kinds of music. There were big metal “drums’ you could play, and a “Silver Surfer” looking sculpture with mirrors all over it-and many more, all very hands-on.
The Berwyn powers-that-be feel that kept the suburb from being more “upscale?!” Hmmm- avante gard art isn’t upscale?
A piece of art that drew tourists because it had been in a famous movie wasn’t worth it?
Oh, I’m sure that removing “the Spindle” will have that Service Merchandise storefront full in no time- same for the empty Walgreens they’ll have on the end of the strip once they build their new one. Maybe it can be a new headquarters for the Berwyn political machine of Judy Baar Topinka…
So- the Spindle, which stood tall in the shopping center parking lot since 1989, went the way of the “Garbage Sculpture” that stood at the entry to the parking lot off Harlem. They used a crane (not Fraiser) to remove the topmost car- the little red Volkswagen- and the second car, a silver 1976 BMW, which supposedly had been property of the guy who used to own the shopping center- to place them in storage, reportedly to be used in a new sculpture- but I wouldn’t hold my breath to see that completed. Then, a large machine gripped the sculpture, and knocked it to the ground. The remains were placed in a large dumpster, and all that was left was a small section of the pole that the cars rested on.
This was all done so they could build a freestanding Walgreens with a drive-through on that space. Never mind that there’s a Walgreens that’s been right at the end of the strip of stores forever, which actually has space behind it they could route a drive-through lane past. Never mind that there’s a huge empty store area right in the middle of the strip, formerly occupied by an old Service Merchandise (how long has THAT sat empty?)
The shopping center originally had all sorts of pieces of unique art in it, as was the wish of the former owner- the afore-mentioned “junk sculpture”- and several other pieces, including a really cool “clock” that would drop ball bearings down a track, which would then hit various noisemakers and objects- a real “MouseTrap” or Rube Goldberg invention. There was a small forest of magnetic “trees” that would move to various kinds of music. There were big metal “drums’ you could play, and a “Silver Surfer” looking sculpture with mirrors all over it-and many more, all very hands-on.
The Berwyn powers-that-be feel that kept the suburb from being more “upscale?!” Hmmm- avante gard art isn’t upscale?
A piece of art that drew tourists because it had been in a famous movie wasn’t worth it?
Oh, I’m sure that removing “the Spindle” will have that Service Merchandise storefront full in no time- same for the empty Walgreens they’ll have on the end of the strip once they build their new one. Maybe it can be a new headquarters for the Berwyn political machine of Judy Baar Topinka…
I hope you guys have been enjoying the exploits of my “brother” Fraido in our webisodes- I know the crew who worked on them certainly enjoyed doing so! Fraido’s original TV appearance will be coming back for an “encore performance” later this month when we show “Ghost of Frankenstein”-so the wooden-headed wonder will be quite prominent over-all in the world of Sven!
I’m not sure if I explained his background before- Fraido was a gift to us from our generous friend, the amazing artist who’s name you’ve seen here before- Alex Ross -whose artwork for both DC and Marvel Comics, among others, is legendary. If you ever saw “Spider-Man 2”, the artwork shown at the start of the film, depicting what had transpired in the first movie, was done by Alex. He also made the poster for the Academy awards a few years ago- the one with the big “Oscar” figure looking down, past the big “Hollywood’ sign, at the city.
As if he didn’t have enough to do, trying to meet deadlines on painting covers for various books, plotting storylines, designing action figures, etc. (and, yes, he did design a 12-inch Svengoolie action figure- but only two exist- the one he gave me, and the one that’s located in his museum/showroom in his home)-Alex had found a Groucho Marx ventriloquist dummy for sale online, and decided it would be the perfect base to build a Sven dummy upon. And he did- with the same attention to detail that his work is known for. He even made a separate red turtleneck collar for the dummy, for him to wear
If he appears in a rerun from the past era when I wore the red turtleneck! (Just as I keep the turtleneck handy here, if we do updates on one of those older shows- hey, we at least TRY to have some sense of continuity when we can…)
I know Alex was very happy to see that we used Fraido to host an entire show- while I was supposedly on “jury duty”-actually, I WAS on jury duty around that time, but, not on the day we would have shot that show. By the way, it was I who decided that his name would be Fraido-in a nod, of course, to the brother of Michael Corleone in “the Godfather” who told his brother “I’m smart!” We decide to spell the name “Fraido” rather than “Fredo” as a play off the word “afraid”-after all, fright is a factor in this show (especially when management looks at the ratings! No, just kidding!) Fraido appears to be very popular with the folks working here, and you viewers- many of whom have asked where you can buy a “Fraido”
Doll! Sorry, folks- he’s one of a kind! You’ll just have to enjoy him in webisodes and on the show. Who ever thought a dummy could be so popular? (No, I’m not talking about Dr. Phil…)
I’m not sure if I explained his background before- Fraido was a gift to us from our generous friend, the amazing artist who’s name you’ve seen here before- Alex Ross -whose artwork for both DC and Marvel Comics, among others, is legendary. If you ever saw “Spider-Man 2”, the artwork shown at the start of the film, depicting what had transpired in the first movie, was done by Alex. He also made the poster for the Academy awards a few years ago- the one with the big “Oscar” figure looking down, past the big “Hollywood’ sign, at the city.
As if he didn’t have enough to do, trying to meet deadlines on painting covers for various books, plotting storylines, designing action figures, etc. (and, yes, he did design a 12-inch Svengoolie action figure- but only two exist- the one he gave me, and the one that’s located in his museum/showroom in his home)-Alex had found a Groucho Marx ventriloquist dummy for sale online, and decided it would be the perfect base to build a Sven dummy upon. And he did- with the same attention to detail that his work is known for. He even made a separate red turtleneck collar for the dummy, for him to wear
If he appears in a rerun from the past era when I wore the red turtleneck! (Just as I keep the turtleneck handy here, if we do updates on one of those older shows- hey, we at least TRY to have some sense of continuity when we can…)
I know Alex was very happy to see that we used Fraido to host an entire show- while I was supposedly on “jury duty”-actually, I WAS on jury duty around that time, but, not on the day we would have shot that show. By the way, it was I who decided that his name would be Fraido-in a nod, of course, to the brother of Michael Corleone in “the Godfather” who told his brother “I’m smart!” We decide to spell the name “Fraido” rather than “Fredo” as a play off the word “afraid”-after all, fright is a factor in this show (especially when management looks at the ratings! No, just kidding!) Fraido appears to be very popular with the folks working here, and you viewers- many of whom have asked where you can buy a “Fraido”
Doll! Sorry, folks- he’s one of a kind! You’ll just have to enjoy him in webisodes and on the show. Who ever thought a dummy could be so popular? (No, I’m not talking about Dr. Phil…)
It’s been a while since I went over some of the e-mail that I’ve received at svengoolie@wciu.com … so, there’s no time like the present to do so…
Joe, from across the pond in the lovely state of Michigan, asked if we’d be able to do a webcast of the Svengoolie show.
He’s been enjoying our webisodes here on the site, but is too far away from Chicago to get the WCIU signal!(Depending on where he is in Michigan, he might be able to get the WCIU signal- I know some folks right along the lakeshore can get it-or, maybe even get the signal bounced across now from our Me-TV Milwaukee station, if the weather conditions are right-OR, if he’s close enough to South Bend, get the signal from
WMYS) Anyway, right now, the main problem with webcasting the show would be getting the rights to run the movies on the web, at a price that would make it worthwhile for our company…which is also a reason why we don’t sell dvds of the shows- we’d need to get the distribution rights for the movies, which the distributors, for the most part, sell already (without the Sven content, of course.) We have gotten the webcast question quite a few times- who knows? Maybe there’ll be a way to do so down the line.
Adam, who lives out in L.A., asked me about something he saw on Wikipedia, stating that an L.A. station was going to “quietly” give our show a trial run last summer. He was wondering if he missed it, since he felt that it would have helped him with his homesickness, as a transplant out there form this area, and he had noted that one station was running the same movies that we are. He asked if that station was owned by our company. Well, Adam, if it WAS owned by our company- I’d probably be on it. But, no-on actuality, there was never any plan to try out our show there. Someone saw that they were listing the same movies, running on the same weeks there as they were here, and mistakenly jumped to the conclusion that they were running the Sven show. From what I understand, that station, which seems to have taken a lot of cues from our stations, like Me-TV, has ties to Universal, and saw how well we were doing with their old classic films, and decided they’d give it a try. I also heard that they actually got some calls from other Sven fans in the area who had read the same thing, and asked if it was true!
Wow- already burned up the blog space answering just two questions! We’ll try to hit more of them soon-meanwhile, feel free to ask me whatever’s on your mind- you can just hit the “contact Sven” tab at the top of our blog page to get started!
Joe, from across the pond in the lovely state of Michigan, asked if we’d be able to do a webcast of the Svengoolie show.
He’s been enjoying our webisodes here on the site, but is too far away from Chicago to get the WCIU signal!(Depending on where he is in Michigan, he might be able to get the WCIU signal- I know some folks right along the lakeshore can get it-or, maybe even get the signal bounced across now from our Me-TV Milwaukee station, if the weather conditions are right-OR, if he’s close enough to South Bend, get the signal from
WMYS) Anyway, right now, the main problem with webcasting the show would be getting the rights to run the movies on the web, at a price that would make it worthwhile for our company…which is also a reason why we don’t sell dvds of the shows- we’d need to get the distribution rights for the movies, which the distributors, for the most part, sell already (without the Sven content, of course.) We have gotten the webcast question quite a few times- who knows? Maybe there’ll be a way to do so down the line.
Adam, who lives out in L.A., asked me about something he saw on Wikipedia, stating that an L.A. station was going to “quietly” give our show a trial run last summer. He was wondering if he missed it, since he felt that it would have helped him with his homesickness, as a transplant out there form this area, and he had noted that one station was running the same movies that we are. He asked if that station was owned by our company. Well, Adam, if it WAS owned by our company- I’d probably be on it. But, no-on actuality, there was never any plan to try out our show there. Someone saw that they were listing the same movies, running on the same weeks there as they were here, and mistakenly jumped to the conclusion that they were running the Sven show. From what I understand, that station, which seems to have taken a lot of cues from our stations, like Me-TV, has ties to Universal, and saw how well we were doing with their old classic films, and decided they’d give it a try. I also heard that they actually got some calls from other Sven fans in the area who had read the same thing, and asked if it was true!
Wow- already burned up the blog space answering just two questions! We’ll try to hit more of them soon-meanwhile, feel free to ask me whatever’s on your mind- you can just hit the “contact Sven” tab at the top of our blog page to get started!
The other day, one of the nice ladies who cuts my hair said, “oh, I missed ‘Bride of Frankenstein’…”-to which I replied
“Sorry to hear that- because that was the last time we could show it!” “WHAT?!” she cried “oh, no! You mean, forever?”
Hmm… I’m not sure about ‘forever’ but that is it for now- that was the last time Universal allowed us to show it, by terms of our agreement with them. For those who are counting, we showed it three times all together…after it hadn’t been on free television in well over a decade- and may not be, ever again, quite honestly.
Why am I telling you all this? Mainly, to give you fair warning that tonight will also be the final showing we are allowed of the classic that launched a career and a franchise- the chilling “Frankenstein!” Yes, this is the 1931 horror film that truly launched the career of William Henry Pratt-best known as Boris Karloff- from small-part character actor in almost 80 films (most of them silent!) to major horror star! It also launched the “Frankenstein” horror film franchise, as well as helping establish Universal as the prime factor in film horror, along with “Dracula” and “the Mummy.”
You most likely know the story- a crazed doctor (Colin Clive) is obsessed with discovering the secret of creating life, and building his own being out of parts from dead bodies. When he sends his hunchbacked (or “dwarf” as stated by Lord Byron in the prologue to “Bride of Frankenstein” last week) assistant to
Steal a brain from the university, he fumbles the first brain, dropping and ruining it- but, fortunately, finds a second brain, and snatches that. Unfortunately, that brain is an abnormal brain- which foreshadows what is to come!
An interesting note is- in the original “Frankenstein” book, the method by which Dr. Frankenstein brought the monster to life was never revealed! In this film, electricity is used- and that has been the standard method used to revive monsters ever since! We’ll have plenty of other bits of trivia for you, including
a special reason for one aspect of Karloff’s costume.
Here’s a bit of trivia that I just recently discovered- Karloff used to always mark his lines in his script-underline them, or whatever. When a young Jack Nicholson saw that, he decided it was a great idea- and started doing it himself!
Okay- YOU should underline “9 pm tonight on Svengoolie” (or
“1 am on Me-TV” or “check local listings for WMLW, Me-TV Milwaukee, or WMYS South Bend”)-so YOU won’t miss our final run of “Frankenstein!” The same goes for the other Frankenstein flicks coming up in the next few weeks. Don’t miss your last chance to catch these classics on free TV!
“Sorry to hear that- because that was the last time we could show it!” “WHAT?!” she cried “oh, no! You mean, forever?”
Hmm… I’m not sure about ‘forever’ but that is it for now- that was the last time Universal allowed us to show it, by terms of our agreement with them. For those who are counting, we showed it three times all together…after it hadn’t been on free television in well over a decade- and may not be, ever again, quite honestly.
Why am I telling you all this? Mainly, to give you fair warning that tonight will also be the final showing we are allowed of the classic that launched a career and a franchise- the chilling “Frankenstein!” Yes, this is the 1931 horror film that truly launched the career of William Henry Pratt-best known as Boris Karloff- from small-part character actor in almost 80 films (most of them silent!) to major horror star! It also launched the “Frankenstein” horror film franchise, as well as helping establish Universal as the prime factor in film horror, along with “Dracula” and “the Mummy.”
You most likely know the story- a crazed doctor (Colin Clive) is obsessed with discovering the secret of creating life, and building his own being out of parts from dead bodies. When he sends his hunchbacked (or “dwarf” as stated by Lord Byron in the prologue to “Bride of Frankenstein” last week) assistant to
Steal a brain from the university, he fumbles the first brain, dropping and ruining it- but, fortunately, finds a second brain, and snatches that. Unfortunately, that brain is an abnormal brain- which foreshadows what is to come!
An interesting note is- in the original “Frankenstein” book, the method by which Dr. Frankenstein brought the monster to life was never revealed! In this film, electricity is used- and that has been the standard method used to revive monsters ever since! We’ll have plenty of other bits of trivia for you, including
a special reason for one aspect of Karloff’s costume.
Here’s a bit of trivia that I just recently discovered- Karloff used to always mark his lines in his script-underline them, or whatever. When a young Jack Nicholson saw that, he decided it was a great idea- and started doing it himself!
Okay- YOU should underline “9 pm tonight on Svengoolie” (or
“1 am on Me-TV” or “check local listings for WMLW, Me-TV Milwaukee, or WMYS South Bend”)-so YOU won’t miss our final run of “Frankenstein!” The same goes for the other Frankenstein flicks coming up in the next few weeks. Don’t miss your last chance to catch these classics on free TV!
Some good things are happening for a couple people I’ve mentioned here before, and I just thought I’d share the good news today- instead of doing all the usual whining and complaining that you’ve come to expect from me.
First of all, my friend Candi, who recently left her old radio home, already has a NEW radio gig! You will hear her on the weekends on KISS-FM (105.3)- Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons! Obviously, her talent is appreciated, and I’ll bet we’ll be hearing even more from her, as she expands her horizons into other new projects- maybe we can convince her to show up on our program again, if we promise she won’t have to wear a pith helmet again, like she did in the “Gold Digger” song parody (which will be coming up again in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” next month!)
Second, you might remember my mentioning, a while back, that my boss and fearless leader, Neal Sabin, would be inducted into the TV Acad
First of all, my friend Candi, who recently left her old radio home, already has a NEW radio gig! You will hear her on the weekends on KISS-FM (105.3)- Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons! Obviously, her talent is appreciated, and I’ll bet we’ll be hearing even more from her, as she expands her horizons into other new projects- maybe we can convince her to show up on our program again, if we promise she won’t have to wear a pith helmet again, like she did in the “Gold Digger” song parody (which will be coming up again in “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy” next month!)
Second, you might remember my mentioning, a while back, that my boss and fearless leader, Neal Sabin, would be inducted into the TV Acad