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Date Posted: 11:40:22 11/15/07 Thu
Author: Rick
Subject: 
When did you first see Universal Horror films?
This question is always a fun one. For me, it wasn't until 2005. I had decided to research and assemble all the music the studio tracked over to the space serials. It may sound easier then said, but a long and dedicated task. In order to accomplish this, I had to obtain nearly every Universal feature film made in and around that time. Then came obtaining classics on music CD.
I'd thought once I was done, I'd go in and make the music pages for the Universal horror, drama and silent film scores tracked in Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. I had access to cue listings for some other horror film scores that weren't used in the space serials. The thought of adding this on the site and a new forum sounded good. In July of 2005, I obtained VHS copies of the films, but they were difficult in the areas of rewinding and fast-forwarding from one section of the story to another and so on. I had one scary thought--what if the stress of tape transport to and from breaks it and I'll have to buy a replacement?
The DVD sets I began buying and this made it much more convenient and faster. In the case of Universal films not commercially available I had to obtain them from collectors. For example, the studio cut of White Hell of Pitz Palu became available in November 2005 exclusively at Grapevine Video.
I'd only work with the films that had music tracked in the space serials, but what about the others in the DVD sets I purchased? I came across more of the horror film scores, obtained the cue titles and tracked those correctly. Some of them such as Ghost of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein are full scores on music CD. The surviving partial scores are The Wolf Man, Son of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man Returns ( which I haven't gotten to yet ). There's also a couple of cues from Son of Dracula and Black Friday. I plan to wrap it with a complete tracking score of Dracula's Daughter.
In the future, I plan to take my spare time and enjoy these films without tracking them. When you employ this task to document, you have to pay strict attention to the music and filmed storyline. If you don't, you will never be able to do it! You must have the cue titles, too. This was a good start for me to discover these wonderful films over the past few years.
I was born in 1967. As a child, it was Star Wars that captured my heart. Other filmed works such as the original Star Trek and Bonanza TV series, Speed Racer ( 1966 ), one of Japan's finest anime series. Of course, Michael Landon's post-Bonanza career with Little House and Highway to Heaven were also included.
On a funny note, I'd been to Universal Studios many times on the tour while I grew up in LA and never made any connection with the horror films, with the slight exception of TV's The Munsters! By the time I was in my teens, I'd estimate the horror and drama films were much lesser seen on independent TV stations. I watched major TV networks for years, which didn't carry them. So in another long post, there's the story!
Rick
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Alan, 13:58:37 11/15/07 Thu [1]
Rick,
Yours is a very interesting story. Honestly, I was surprised that your introduction to the classic Universal films was so belated. One thing is for sure though...the music from these classic films stands as one of their most striking attributes.
My experience is somewhat the opposite of yours. Born in 1964, I can recall a time when even big cities such as mine had a maximum of seven or eight channels (I also remember having to physically move from wherever I was and manually change the channel, a fact that will one day amaze my grandchildren). Sometime in the early 70's, the Karloff-Lugosi "The Black Cat" appeared on one of the UHF stations, along with an episode of Boris Karloff's "Thriller" series. It was probably sheer accident that I found it but I did. I was transfixed, and at some point after that, I caught the Lon Chaney Jr. film "The Wolfman".
Shortly after, my parents left me at a magazine rack while they shopped, and I found something that may have forged a direction in my life; issue #96 of 'Famous Monsters of Filmland' magazine. Inside was an in-depth article about the Chaney "Wolfman" movie, and many enticing photos from horror films I had not seen; well, I sure wanted to see them! And ultimately I did, because all of that lead to a serious study of the Horror genre, a large collection of books on the films and the talent behind them, a mountain of videos and DVDs, and even a brief career in show business, before and behind the camera.
The sands of time have shifted, and, over the years, so have I. There have been periods when the Universal films were not even near front of mind (like the eight months I lived in L.A. myself in 1984), but these days, for some reason, they are. Revisiting them again, they are loyal old friends who manage to stand the test of time for me in both an emotional and artistic sense. They may not be perfect movies, but they're classics, and my hat's off to them.
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Rick, 14:21:52 11/15/07 Thu [1]
Alan, your story and experience with the Universal films is certainly the opposite of mine and more common I'd say. I grew up with so much television and movies in the 70's and 80's. It just seemed I missed them.
Sure, I saw The Exorcist and its sequel in the movie theaters back then. The Amityville Horror and the first two Friday the 13th films as well. The Shining, too. Out of curiousity I recall. Return of the Jedi was in re-release in March of 1985 and it was doubled-billed with one of the 13th films.
I didn't care for them at all. I had to wait almost 2 hours to get past that stupid 13th film in order see Jedi again. The next week I went back. The initial release of ROTJ was May 1983, so I missed it greatly.
You're collection of articles, photos and DVDs is certainly a big one. Something to treasure for many years. I forgot, Three Stooges was the black and white mainstay on television for me as I grew up. I have every short they made and earlier this year took them from VHS to DVD. I bought the volume one as Sony is issuing the complete library on disc. Their shorts with the take-offs of the Universal horror films are hilarious and remain some of my favorites to this day! You can find some of the Universal regulars in quite a few of them including "Spook Louder".
Rick
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Alan, 18:21:34 11/15/07 Thu [1]
Hi Rick,
OMG, just thinking of 70's television! In the early 70's CBS used to show a late movie on Friday night that included such fare as Hammer's "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave" and Amicus' "The House That Dripped Blood". My dad insisted on staying up with me to 'monitor' these disturbing films, but he would be asleep within the first ten minutes, leaving me to savor these mini-classics alone.
And the TV shows; "Night Gallery", "Ghost Story" (a.k.a."Circle of Fear"), "The Night Stalker"...and the TV movies like "Moon of the Wolf", "Gargoyles", and some movie about a haunted airplane, starring a post-"Beverly Hillbillies" Buddy Ebsen.
Truth be told, I sneaked into "The Exorcist" in 1973, when I was around nine. Frankly, it scared me more than any Universal film had, and I consider it a bellwether film in this sense...the American Horror Film was never the same.
"The Exorcist" totally changed the rules, and 'Gothic Horror', which had survived since the 1930's, was no more.
The period between "The Exorcist" and "Star Wars" is a little fuzzy, but I recall "Star Wars" well; I had just turned 13 that summer, and it premiered at one of Dallas' best theaters, the NorthPark I and II. But the day my parents and I went, there was no air conditioning! I remember literally dripping sweat into my cup of lemonade as the two of them griped and moaned through the entire screening. Hard to believe they had both survived the Great Depression and World War Two!
Growing up in Dallas, we had a show called 'Slam Bang Theater' that gave us a daily dose of 3 Stooges at 7a.m. every weekday. Every Sunday night channel 11 (another UHF station at the time) would broadcast 'Young Adult Theater', which often featured the "Abbott & Costello Meet..." series,
so that was my introduction to those films. I saw "A&C Meet Frankenstein" long before I did "The Mad Ghoul" or "The Invisible Woman".
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Tim, 20:38:50 11/15/07 Thu [1]
I am 50 years old, and remember seeing many of the Universal horror films as a kid growing up in the 1960s. We only had three television stations, but one of them devoted Saturday nights to horror and science fiction movies. Most USA markets back then had their own local horror host who would air vintage horror pictures, usually late on Friday or Saturday night. So when I was able to stay awake late enough I was treated to some of the Universal horror classics, as well as a plethora of low-budget horror and science fiction movies like The Angry Red Planet and The Cape Canaveral Monsters. Of course at the time I didn't know a Universal Picture from any other studio's pictures, they were all just "scary movies", but some were obviously much better than others. I continued to be a late night horror movie fan into the 1970s, and like Alan, read Famous Monsters of Filmland, learning about the various actors and studios like Universal, RKO, Hammer, etc.
Around 1978 I got cable, which greatly expanded the number of horror pictures one could catch on the tube. I seem to remember something called Friday Night Frights on the old WTCG (which soon became WTBS), but am not sure if they showed any of the Universal pictures. In the 1980s American Movie Classics came along, and they aired many of the Universal classics, especially around Halloween. It was there that I first saw a number of the Universal films I had missed in the 1960s and 1970s, like The Old Dark House (once considered a lost film) and Tower of London.
Although VHS came along in the 1970s, it did not get widely popular until the early 1980s, and it had a huge impact on movie viewers. And now with DVDs we can watch virtually any film we want at any time. Modern technology is marvelous, it's a wonderful time we live in. Still, I will always fondly remember those late nights in front of the television, watching the old monster movies.
Tim
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Officer Torch, 11:24:34 11/16/07 Fri [1]
Tim brought up some good points..allow me to share some experiences and thoughts. Being yet a few years older, with maybe one foot on a banana peel, I can go back further..with TV, radio, etc. Hmm...Lecture in Memories 101 Class.
Think..comfort food. It's eg cold out. You maybe recall as a kid gettin' a bowl of simple chicken soup from a red and white can. It tasted great, made you comfy, maybe you slurped it in front of TV watching an old "cowboy" movie, or kid show with a serial fill-in, maybe some cartoons, Howdy Doody, the Stooges, some movie, etc. Disclaimer> this relates to my experiences, in Northeast. Ok, let's time travel to now.
It's Nov.2007, a Saturday morn, TV was left on and I see some(now) animated cartoons..a Disney one, with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and gang. They move human like..all smoothly, pix is smooth as silk, no visible flaws..and I say, hmm, tech stuff great, but something just not right.
Day goes on, you've free time..find a "cowboy" movie, it's in color, picture perfect, all politically correct ideas/cast, you channel surf, hmm, some sports..but you're not up to a 4 hour game now, a scifi or maybe action/adventure shoot-em-up flick, where CG may be used big time and stuff only happens in the movies? Want something lighter..so you switch to comedy on cable or satellite. First few minutes, maybe cursing and tasteless jokes..nah. Darn..room with your DVDs/Tapes is being cleaned-you can't get your stuff.
Ahh...heck with it..you pull out old still working cheapie record player and enjoy some old scratched up Beatles tunes, gladly maybe. Point is newer tech doesn't always satisfy..sometimes definitely, other times..you just need that comfort food, or watch an old cel type Woody Woodpecker cartoon or experience something as you once did. Maybe this day, you'd prefer a scratchier version of some old movie to watch...perhaps a tad grainy, some overscan, imperfect images/sound in this imperfect world of ours. Yes, you might have the best state-of-art this and that, BUT..sometimes, you'll associate snowy, grainy images and so-so audio, with fond memories from yesteryear!
This was a mini trip down memory lane. I saw tons of monster movies on Chiller, shows hosted by..umm, was it Zackerly?? Lots more...and I indeed have fond memories, by association, of seeing those movies as I did. I'm not against progress/improvement, and enjoy upgraded versions.. but, there's two sides to the coin. Hmm, I recall seeing a guy on a fixit/restoration type show recently, buying and scratching up, then refinishing a new cabinet to give it a "distressed" look. I dunno. Let's hear your stories.
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Tim, 23:46:59 11/16/07 Fri [1]
Alan, you are right about 1970s television. There were some great TV movies made back then, you mentioned several of them. Trilogy of Terror starring Karen Black was another amazing one. It was very popular when it was first broadcast. Duel and The Night Stalker were also huge ratings hits in their day.
The haunted airplane one you cited was The Horror at 37,000 Feet, with Buddy Ebsen and William Shatner. While not as good as some of the others you mentioned, it is interesting for its cast of television veterans.
Officer Torch, I enjoyed your post as well. Zacherley was a famous horror host in the northeast back in the 1950s and 1960s. He was played by John Zacherle, who is still around as far as I know.
Tim
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Rick, 09:43:33 11/17/07 Sat [1]
I remember "Night Gallery" and "The Night Stalker" from when I was a boy in the early 70's. They both made in DVD. "Duel" was an excellent TV movie. I don't recall if I saw the initial broadcast. By the late 70's I saw it in reruns. I spent lots of my time tracking the roadways they filmed on just outside of Los Angeles. The rugged Soledad Canyon region, east of Magic Mountain theme park. The DVD has scenes that were cut out because the stations couldn't air it in a 2 hour timeslot.
The climax was filmed atop Cruzan Mesa at Mint Canyon, located off Sierra Highway. You have an adjacent roadway that leads to the top of the mesa where a private home is situated with locked gates. The cafe Weaver went into was also situated on Sierra Highway, just downwind of the mesa. The first time I saw it, the building was closed with plywood nailed over the windows and door.
One scene I remember well--Weaver is calling for help in the phone booth and you can see Spielberg's shadow and some of the camera equipment reflecting on the glass doors.
Rick
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Tim, 23:50:37 11/17/07 Sat [1]
Duel was written by Richard Matheson, based on his own short story. It was first shown in the USA as an ABC Movie of the Weekend on Saturday November 13, 1971. It was very successful, and was released theatrically in parts of Europe, circa 1973.
It is pretty cool that you were able to track the roadways where it was filmed, Rick.
The popularity of Duel may have helped inspire the making of another ABC-TV movie, Killdozer (1974). Based on a story by science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon, Killdozer starred Clint Walker, best known as the star of the TV western Cheyenne.
Tim
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Officer Torch, 14:02:37 11/17/07 Sat [1]
Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this. I think the movie Duel first appeared as a made for TV movie, early 70s and might have been directorial debut of Steven Speielberg. I saw the show, and when repeated, saw it again. When VHS came into our home, I recorded it from TV, eventually bought tape when it became available at a popular price, wore it out, bought another, now have a DVD.
What's this all mean? Guess I really, really liked this movie! Fact is, I still do...it's timeless in a way..if you haven't seen it, try or get ahold of it. Though budget oriented production perhaps, it builds nicely and will have you on the edge of your seat just about throughout.
It takes place in the Southwest...so you folks who drive some Calif/Nevada desert type roads might relate to the scenery. If you're from elsewhere, it will just add to the excitement. It's one of my favorite movies, and for a film with a short cast list, it's great. Dennis Weaver is tops, and you've got an 18 wheel tanker truck with a madman or Michael Myers type driver. Dunno how well it was received earlier, but it may now have cult movie status.
The first person photography aiming forward of the cab of the truck is absolutely mezmerizing, exciting. The story is taut..edge of your seat excitement. Try to watch it without interruptions. I dunno, maybe it's me... let me know what you think of this movie..if you saw it. If not, try to see it.
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Rick, 14:47:44 11/17/07 Sat [1]
Yes, the film was made for TV, Torch. Spielberg's first directorial assignment. He maintains to this day, he wishes he could make a movie as good. Was his best. Filmed just northeast of LA, out West. His camera angles were awesome.
Rick
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Alan, 20:32:16 11/18/07 Sun [1]
Tim,
Thank you for the clarification regarding "The Horror at 37,000 Feet". And man, I sure should have remembered "Trilogy of Terror" with Karen Black. Great film! I saw that little cannibal doll on display at Universal in 1984. Ah, the memories...lately I've been buying up the DVDs of another 1970's TV show, "The Incredible Hulk". My wife thinks I'm nuts!
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Ogre, 22:22:22 12/28/07 Fri [1]
As for me, I really grew up with these films. My father was a big fan of them. There's a station in Richmond VA (where I grew up) that is now a Fox affiliate, but in the seventies and early eighties was an independent station. Every Friday (I think, though it might possibly have been Saturday) night they would play a Universal classic at 10:00 and a Hammer at midnight, and when my dad decided I was old enough to stay up and watch them with him was the first time I really felt grown up. Being completely freaked out by Dwight Frye's laughter in Dracula is one of my earliest memories, and Helen Chandler was my first crush.
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Alan, 08:13:29 12/30/07 Sun [1]
Hi Ogre, welcome to the forum!
I grew up with these films too, like you did, but with one big difference...my parents couldn't stand horror films, and were pretty perturbed when I found the Universal films on TV. To their credit, though, they tried to be indulgent, and we arrived at a compromise; my dad would have to stay up with me and make sure I wasn't being warped by tales of Dracula, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein's Monster! Dear old dad could only supervise about the first ten minutes of any given film, so I was able to savor the boundless charms of these classic movies more or less alone.
I can say however, that once Mom and Dad realized that my affinity for supernatural fare wouldn't turn me into a degenerate, they became a little more open minded, allowing me to not only watch, but allowing me to subscribe to that grand old magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland.
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Paul, 18:03:40 01/07/08 Mon [1]
Having grown up in the 70's, I read about the films in "Famous Monsters" before I saw them, and then at first only through Castle Films shortened versions. No local stations carried a classic horror night until about 1975 when Channel 5 ran two movies every Saturday night starting at 11:30. They were wise enough to put them in order, too! Example: They would start with "Dracula" and then go through all the Dracula sequels. I was so thrilled to finally see the movies I made sure no matter what I was home in time to watch them!
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Alan, 23:06:56 01/07/08 Mon [1]
Hi Paul,
Just the mention of "Famous Monsters" takes me back! I found the magazine quite by accident around the winter of '72 or the spring of '73. Issue # 96 was the first one I bought off a grocery store newsstand. Occasionally, I'm tempted to dig them out, but the last time I tried I found the pulp paper was crumbling faster than Karloff's Mummy. Some things are probably better left alone.
But if I can't read 'em, I also can't part with 'em. Over the years I've received some very nice offers for my collection, but I just can't let those remnants of my long-gone boyhood go. It'll take a little luck, but maybe I'll get to peruse those ancient mags again during my SECOND childhood, when neither of our conditions will matter so much.
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Re: When did you first see Universal Horror films? -- Dan-Meanone, 14:16:37 01/14/08 Mon [1]
My first time seeing theUniversal Horror & mystery Films was in NYC.
The Universal films were released to TV in 1957 along with some Columbia films.
The same film aired three days in a row at 11:15 PM est. On Thursday, Friday, & Saturday nights. I was 8 years old at the time. My parents loved these films, so I got to watch the films with them every Friday night.
Here are just a few my first time viewings:
Dracula - Oct 4,1957
Frankenstein - Oct 11,1957
The Mummy - Oct 18, 1957
Werewolf Of London - Oct 25, 1957
The Wolfman - Nov 1, 1957
The Invisible Man - Nov 8, 1957
I continued to see almost all of the Universal films in that shock package through 1957-59. They aired Dracula (1931) to The Cat Creeps (1946). The only Univ films that I remember that wasn't included in this package were:
The Missing Guest (38) I've never seen this film.
Jungle Woman (44) First viewing: Wed Jan 30 1974 WOR TV
Strange Confession(45) First viewing: Dec 1999, VHS tape
The Brute Man (46) First viewing Dec 1999, VHS tape
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