"Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa played by "Prince Band" 78rpm

Happy Independence Day!

The Gorgon KFJZ-TV Dallas, Texas (late 50's/early 60's)

I ripped all this text off from Monster Kid Online Magazine... This site is a must for your list of book marks. So do it today! This article on Dallas Texas Horror Host The Gorgon is just the tip of the nightmare!

The man behind NIGHTMARE was a talented young employee of KFJZ named Bill Camfield. Born in nearby Mineral Wells, Texas, Camfield moved to Ft. Worth at an early age. He developed an interest in literature and theater and entered TCU as an English major with aspirations of being a writer. In 1949 he began working as a copywriter for a local department store and was soon in charge of their advertisements on the burgeoning medium of television. Taking quickly to small screen, he began to write and perform in the local programs sponsored by the store. In 1954 he became part of the staff of the newly created KFJZ-TV, Channel 11. Bill Camfield soon became one of the busiest workers at the station both behind and in front of the camera and was on his way to becoming a local TV legend.


When KFJZ-TV purchased the SHOCK package Bill Camfield, who had already created many characters for various local shows and commercials, was selected to host the movies, partly on the strength of his evil laugh. He was given free reign to write and produce the program. Drawing upon his interest in gothic literature he developed the character of Gorgon and worked to establish the eerie mood of the show. He chose a subtle but effective make-up and wore a black cape over a white shirt. NIGHTMARE made it's debut in September of 1957 amid much hoopla and was an instant hit with young viewers in the Dallas and Ft. Worth area.
NIGHTMARE received national attention and was featured in LIFE, POST and TV GUIDE magazines as well as Famous Monsters of Filmland . Gorgon was named one of the top three chiller peronalities of 1958.

NIGHTMARE originally aired on Saturday nights from 8:00 to 10:30 and featured two movies each week. Camfield preferred to run mainly pure horror films on NIGHTMARE so some of the features from the SHOCK package were run on the station's MYSTERY MATINEE on Saturday afternoons. At the end of 1959 KFJZ, feeling the films were being overexposed, put the show on a planned hiatus except for Halloween specials. Camfield's busy schedule might have been a factor in the decision too since he had recently begun his stint as Icky Twerp, host of the station's long running afternoon kids' show SLAM-BANG THEATER .

In 1962 NIGHTMAREreturned to it's weekly schedule now with one feature at 7:30 each Saturday night. The show proved just as popular as ever and ran in that slot for two more years. When country-western music programming took over the Channel 11's Saturday night lineup, NIGHTMARE was moved to Wednesday nights for several months before being taken of the air permanently.

Gene Autry & Smiley Burnette "Uncle Noah's Ark" (1935)

It's June 22nd and that means that the start of the Gene Autry and the Twentieth Century West exhibit opens at The Autry... Here's the scoop:

Gene Autry and the Twentieth-Century West:
The Centennial Exhibition 1907-2007
Autry National Center, Griffith Park Campus
in Los Angeles, California
June 22, 2007 through January 13, 2008

Gene Autry achieved fame as America's Favorite Singing Cowboy, but he was so much more than that. Come learn about this multifaceted man who was the first and only entertainer to earn five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording, radio, motion picture, television, and live performance. Gene Autry and the Twentieth-Century West: The Centennial Exhibition, 1907-2007 provides a comprehensive window into Gene Autry as a celebrity, innovative media maverick, sports team owner, businessman, and humanitarian.

On display in the George Montgomery Gallery from June 22, 2007, through January 13, 2008, the exhibition spotlights Gene's contributions during the significant events of his lifetime, including his military service during World War II, friendships formed with U.S. presidents, and his involvement in Major League Baseball. At every critical point throughout the twentieth century, Gene Autry was there-as a patriot, celebrity, visionary, and everyday hero who helped shape and influence our culture.

As you tour the five-gallery exhibition, you'll engage with fun, interactive, multimedia displays that allow you to sample early recordings and film clips. You'll also experience the more personal side of Gene as you peruse his closet full of brilliantly embroidered Western shirts, handsome, hand-tooled leather boots, and spotless cowboy hats, not to mention his famous Martin D-45 guitar. Additional displays round out the other dimensions of Gene, effectively bringing this legend to life for all to experience anew.





To celebrate here's a clip from my favorite Gene Autry movie/serial, "The Phantom Empire". Here's the plot summary...

When the ancient continent of Mu sank beneath the ocean, some of its inhabitant survived in caverns beneath the sea. Cowboy singer Gene Autry stumbles upon the civilization, now buried beneath his own Radio Ranch. The Muranians have developed technology and weaponry such as television and ray guns. Their rich supply of radium draws unscrupulous speculators from the surface. The peaceful civilization of the Muranians is corrupted by the greed from above, and it becomes Autry's task to prevent all-out war, ideally without disrupting his regular radio show.

This is an incredible film. Visit www.geneautry.com for more Gene goodness.

The Hoosier Hot Shots - Etiquette Blues (1946)

Here's another YouTube clip I ripped from Pappy Stuckey's page. I'll even rip-off his text....

Along with Freddie Fisher and the Korn Kobblers, the Hot Shots were the precursor to Spike Jones, albeit with a rural bent... they were highly successful, making at least 22 movies throughout the 40's & 50's -- this one from the 1946 feature Lone Star Moonlight -- and featured the greatest musical washboard of all time, walloped by the great Hezzie! Dig in!

Zacherely "The Cool Ghoul" Footage (early 1960's)

Here's some rare B&W footage of Horror Host John Zacherley. There's not too much of this stuff around. If you want to know more about him here's a pretty in depth Wikipdeia entry for him. He also has a website, www.zacherley.com that you should all bookmark. He recorded a bunch of great horror rock 'n' roll records that everyone should hear. I love Zacherley. I'm going to post more footage of him on here when I run across it.

"Mark of the Vampire" Theater Ads (1935)

"The Creature Walks Among Us" Half Sheet (1956)