Horror Hosts Monster Movie Matinee

[JoetheArtist]

I grew up in the Central New York area. We had two horror hosts out of Syracuse, New York. Baron Daemon and Monster Movie Matinee. Baron Daemon was on from 1962 to 1964. Around 1963, another Syracuse TV station, WSYR channel 3, debuted “Monster Movie Matinee” on Saturday afternoons. Unlike Baron Daemon, “Monster Movie Matinee” wasn’t humorous, like the Baron’s was. The production and execution was very sinister and creative. The show opened with creepy organ music and the theme to “This Island Earth,” The camera followed a path through a scale-model cemetery, to a bridge and path leading to a detailed haunted gothic mansion on a hill with dry ice as fog. We entered Monster Mansion, finding ourselves in a darkened room with a figure sitting off camera in an ornately decorated chair. All we are able to see is an arm clad in a black silk smoking jacket with a white cuff, a pale veiny hand with long, sharp, black fingernails and large ornate rings continuously gesturing. This is Dr. E. Nick Witty, the faceless mysterious host of Monster Mansion, played by the station’s weather man, Alan Milair. Supposedly his facial disfigurement was too terrible for his audience to ever view. Milair had an deep baritone voice and unforgettably evil, sardonic laugh. “Ahhh Dear Guest welcome to Monster Mansion . . .”

I have created a website in tribute to Syracuse, NY Horror Hosts Baron Daemon and Monster Movie Matinee. Photos sound bites and videos.

http://artofjosephcapuana.homestead....hostindex.html

http://artofjosephcapuana.homestead....ineeAudio.html

Enjoy!

[kryptosmaster]

I don't recall any type of hosts like that when I was a kid but the UHF station in Buffalo where I grew up (WUTV CH. 29) did have classic monster movies on the weekends. They had Sci-Fi Theatre and Creature Feature (I think). One had (which I didn't know till years later) Pink Floyd music for the theme and the other had some Star Wars soundtrack music (not the main movie theme).
The closest thing I recall wasn't until the 80's when they took a TV newscaster (I believe he did the weather) on Channel 2 and made him the overnight host (when the station went 24 hrs a day) and he played all kinds of different genres like Kung-Fu night, etc. It was called 'Barry's Cat's Pajamas' hosted by Barry Lillis.
It was kinda neat. You could call in too if I remember right.

Rich

[JoetheArtist]

Barry's Cat Pajamas

I now live in Buffalo NY and remember Barry Lillis hosting Barry's Cat Pajamas. Now the current horror hosts haunting Western New York is Off Beat Cinema, Saturdays at 2:00am on Channel 7.

http://www.offbeatcinema.com

[kryptosmaster]

I now live in Buffalo NY

I'm sorry for you.

haha j/k

Now that I think about it. Didn't Elvira do a late night thing on USA network and then she got replaced by (maybe a couple different people) someone named Rhonda or Rhona (something like that). Was called 'USA, Up All Night'.

Rich

[vulcan2074]

I'm sorry for you.

haha j/k

Now that I think about it. Didn't Elvira do a late night thing on USA network and then she got replaced by (maybe a couple different people) someone named Rhonda or Rhona (something like that). Was called 'USA, Up All Night'.

Rich

Yeah, I Kinda Remember Something like that. I think it was Called "Up All Night". I used to stay up watching B movies. I'm not 100% sure about the Elvira part though
Sammy

[kryptosmaster]

Yeah, I Kinda Remember Something like that. I think it was Called "Up All Night". I used to stay up watching B movies. I'm not 100% sure about the Elvira part though
Sammy

I'm pretty sure it was Elvira in the beginning. They used to pause when they'd say the word "UP" and do it in a higher-pitched voice, almost to make it sound dirty. UP..All Night.

Rich

[The Toyroom]

I've been searching for clips of Monster Movie Matinee for years, having grown up on WSYR/WSTM (living in Rome, NY). I found your site several months back and was thrilled to see these guys again! Awesome job! Not as familiar with Baron Daemon but I do know of his alter ego Mike Price ( I think) who's been a WIXT staple for years. Are any of these clips available on DVD?

[ShadowAvenger]

From USA Up All Night:

USA Up All Night (also known as Up All Night and Up All Night with Rhonda Shear) is an American cable television series that aired on the weekends on the USA Network. The show began in June 6, 1986 and ended on April 25, 1998.

Hosts
Actress/comedienne Caroline Schlitt originally hosted the Friday night show, while comic Gilbert Gottfried hosted the Saturday night show. When Schlitt left the program in 1990, comedienne/B-movie actress Rhonda Shear replaced her on Fridays. In 1998, USA decided to re-brand itself, and canceled or overhauled many of its long-running programs -- Up All Night was one of those casualties. The network relieved Shear and Gottfried of their hosting duties (while still showing the Up All Night imagery before/after commercial breaks), and began airing re-runs of mainstream films that appealed to a broader audience. Eventually, the Up All Night name, music, and graphics were completely removed from the films.

[kryptosmaster]

From USA Up All Night:

USA Up All Night (also known as Up All Night and Up All Night with Rhonda Shear) is an American cable television series that aired on the weekends on the USA Network. The show began in June 6, 1986 and ended on April 25, 1998.

Hosts
Actress/comedienne Caroline Schlitt originally hosted the Friday night show, while comic Gilbert Gottfried hosted the Saturday night show. When Schlitt left the program in 1990, comedienne/B-movie actress Rhonda Shear replaced her on Fridays. In 1998, USA decided to re-brand itself, and canceled or overhauled many of its long-running programs -- Up All Night was one of those casualties. The network relieved Shear and Gottfried of their hosting duties (while still showing the Up All Night imagery before/after commercial breaks), and began airing re-runs of mainstream films that appealed to a broader audience. Eventually, the Up All Night name, music, and graphics were completely removed from the films.

Oh yeah, I forgot about Gilbert Gottfried.
I didn't realize it went off that long ago. I used to watch it all the time.
I could've swore Elvira did that too. Maybe she was on a different channel? There was another similar host, think it was Joe-Bob's Drive-In or something but can't reacll which network that was on either.
Rich

[JoetheArtist]

I've been searching for clips of Monster Movie Matinee for years, having grown up on WSYR/WSTM (living in Rome, NY). I found your site several months back and was thrilled to see these guys again! Awesome job! Not as familiar with Baron Daemon but I do know of his alter ego Mike Price ( I think) who's been a WIXT staple for years. Are any of these clips available on DVD?

Thanks -- I'm glad that you enjoy the website. There is only one intact video of Monster Movie Matinee "Tower of Terror" 1984 (to my knowledge.) Chuck the Collector from Central New York, who purchased the entire set of Monster Movie Matinee obtained it from Alan Miliar (aka Dr. E. Nick Witty.) I converted it to DVD. The extracted clips of Dr. Witty and Epal from that movie are posted at:

http://artofjosephcapuana.homestead....ineeAudio.html

as are the scripts from the sho, going back to 1963. There are 20 in all but I have only gotten around to posting 10 of them a PDF files. You can download them using Adobe Acrobat.
Enjoy!
Joe Capuana

[The Toyroom]

Joe,
Did WSTM trash all of the original archives when they changed ownership throughout the years?

[StrangeVisitor]

There was another similar host, think it was Joe-Bob's Drive-In or something but can't reacll which network that was on either.
Rich

Joe-Bob Briggs (aka John Bloom) hosted Drive-In Theater on The Movie Channel 1986-1996 followed by MonsterVision on TNT 1996-2000. He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column "Joe-Bob Goes to the Drive-In" as well as writing books, doing DVD commentaries etc.

[JoetheArtist]

Monster Movie Matinee Footage

Joe,
Did WSTM trash all of the original archives when they changed ownership throughout the years?

From what I have been told, WSTM never kept of archived the footage from Monster Movie Matinee. Despite it's consistently high ratings, the show was never popular with management.