Nick Or Treat Halloween Giveaway (1985)

Growing Pains: Happy Halloween (1990)

Originally aired October 31, 1990. The Seaver family is rained in on Halloween and takes turns telling spooky stories in this one-hour "Growing Pains" Halloween special.

Episode part 1:

Episode part 2:

SNL: Adam Sandler's Costume Suggestions (1993)

Do you need some last-minute costume ideas and don't have time for a trip to Walmart? Adam Sandler shows us how to make Halloween magic out of ordinary household items. This clip originally aired October 30, 1993. Now gimme some candy!

1980s Halloween Stickers

Remember these?

Fat Albert Halloween Special (1977)

This Halloween special isn't one I remember seeing as a kid (I was one year old when it first aired), but I discovered it a few years ago and have made it a part of my Halloween entertainment ever since. Fat Albert and the gang roam the neighborhood in search of "old people" to scare and other mischief, but by the end of the evening they will learn the truth about Mrs. Bakewell! Originally aired 24 October 1977.

Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Disney's retelling of the story of Ichabod Crane was released (along with an adaptation of Wind in the Willows) in theaters in 1949 as Ichabod and Mr. Toad. The Sleepy Hollow segment was shown on the "Disneyland" TV series on October 26, 1955, and included a short cartoon about the life of Washington Irving.  It was also included in Wonderful World of Disney's 1977 "Halloween Hall O' Fame" episode.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete: Halloweenie (1994)

Originally aired October 30, 1994. Nona Mecklenberg is banned from going trick-or-treating because of a dangerous group of kids known as the Pumpkin Eaters. Younger Pete plans to break the record of number of houses visited in one night. Meanwhile, older Pete is wanted by the Pumpkin Eaters.

The Witch Who Turned Pink (1989)

An unlucky witch searches for the way to restore her original coloring, after an unfortunate incident turns her skin pink.

The Worst Witch (1986)

Originally released November 1, 1986. Mildred Hubble is the flunk-out of the Witch's Academy...that is, until she gets her big chance to show everyone just how much magic she can make! The school's headmistress Agatha has an evil twin, who is plotting to cause havoc just before the big Halloween celebration and visit by the Grand Wizard. Can Mildred find a way to stop this plot before it ruins the party? This family fantasy features a stellar cast, including Diana Rigg and Tim Curry, as well as plenty of enchanting action.

Disney's Haunted Halloween (1984)

Enjoy this Disney educational film about Halloween: a compact "Disney's Halloween Treat" with some history and safety lessons thrown in!

Georgie (1968), by Robert Bright

This recording is new to me, but I remember reading the book when I was little.

CHiPs: Trick or Trick (1978)

Originally aired October 21, 1978. Ponch suffers from a series of misfortunes after crossing the path of thirteen black cats, breaking his shaving mirror, and walking under a ladder. Ponch and Jon also attempt to find a boy who goes missing after Ponch threatened to arrest him after the kid played a Halloween prank on the California Highway Patrol officer.

Burger Chef commercial (1976)

Disneyland Haunted Mansion 8mm Souvenir Film (c. 1974)

Edited from souvenir films that were sold at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the 1970s.

Oingo Boingo Dead Man's Party (1990)

Concert video from Halloween 1990 at Irvine Meadows. I was able to see this great band during their 1995 Farewell tour.



Tender Lumplings video shown during the 1995 Farewell tour:

Mickey Mouse: The Mad Doctor (1933)

Mickey tries to rescue Pluto before he becomes part of the Mad Doctor's grotesque experiment.

The Berenstain Bears: Trick or Treat (2003)

As Brother and Sister Bear don their costumes to go trick-or-treating by themselves for the first time, they plan to avoid Miz McGrizz's spooky home. But during their Halloween outing, the cubs discover that appearances can be deceiving.

Star Trek: Catspaw (1967)

Originally aired October 27, 1967. When Kirk and his landing party arrive on the planet below, they are met by eerie mists, a dark castle, witches, goblins and a black cat. They soon learn that they are under the influence of a wizard, Korob, who tries to bend them to his will. They also soon learn that the black cat they saw is more than she appears and is in fact a powerful witch in her right. It is left to Kirk and Spock to find a means to escape their grasp. (Synopsis from IMDB)

Tales from the Darkside: Trick or Treat (1983)

Originally aired October 29, 1983. A miser taunts his neighbors by daring them to send their children in to find their debt records inside of his "haunted house," but he gets some unusual late-night visitors.

Tales from the Darkside: Halloween Candy (1985)

Originally aired October 27, 1985. A misanthropic old man torments trick-or-treating children and is visited by a terrifying goblin demanding candy.

Family Matters: Dark and Stormy Night (1994)

Originally aired October 28, 1994. On a dark and stormy Halloween night, the Winslows play Pass the Ghost Story, in which Carl and Harriette are 19th century vampires licking their chops over the wayfaring Sir Steven. (Synopsis from TVmaze.com)

Family Matters: Whose Kid Is It Anyway? (1992)

Originally aired October 30, 1992. Eddie is told to take Richie trick-or-treating, but it interferes with a hot date. Richie decides to go alone and gets lost. When Eddie finds out, he goes on a frantic search to find the little tyke before everyone else finds out. (Synopsis from IMDB)

Happy Days: Haunted (1974)

Originally aired October 29, 1974. After experiencing a few strange happenings, Richie begins to buy into the legend that the place where Ralph's Halloween party is to be held, the old Simpson house, is haunted.

The full episode is playable here without sound, but can be downloaded with sound (click the three dots on the right side of the player controls).

Bugs Bunny: Hyde and Hare (1955)

Bugs comes out of his rabbit hole in a city park every morning because a kind gentleman keeps coming to feed him a carrot. At first feigning a usual rabbit posture, Bugs eventually stands up and confides that he'd rather simply go home with the gentleman as a "pet", since it would be easier on both of them. As the gentleman brings Bugs home, the camera pans up to see that the name above the apartment is none other than Dr. Jekyll.

Weinerville Halloween Special (1993)

Weinerville is being haunted by ghosts.

SNL: Halloween with Matt Foley (1993)

Originally aired October 30, 1993.

The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone (1980)

Originally aired October 30, 1980. The Flintstones and Rubbles win a trip on "Make a Deal or Don't" to Count Rockula's castle in Rocksylvania where they have an unpleasant meeting with the Count and his servant Frankenstone.

Halloween with the Addams Family (1964)

Originally aired October 30, 1964. The Addams family are all busy preparing for their favorite holiday: Halloween! Mistaking two robbers for trick-or-treaters, the family takes them in for a Halloween celebration.

Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977)

Originally aired October 30, 1977. A revival of the popular '60s TV comedy series "The Addams Family" has them preparing for Halloween in their own inimitable way.

Night Court: Halloween II: the Return of Leon (1986)

Originally aired October 30, 1986. Leon returns to Manhattan, but threatens to run away again if Harry reports him to the authorities. Dan plans to crash District Attorney Daniels's Halloween party.

Night Court: Halloween Too (1985)

Originally aired October 31, 1985. Harry falls for Kim, a beautiful and free-spirited young woman. But then she appears in court, claiming to be a witch, with a tabloid reporter hovering in the background.

21 Jumpstreet: Old Haunts in the New Age (1989)

Originally aired October 30, 1989. During a Halloween string of high school fires, Hanson becomes a bit skeptical of a teen age psychic claiming to be able to predict where the next fire will occur.

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976)

Originally aired October 29, 1976. Witchipoo and the Wicked Witch of the West give Paul Lynde three wishes for Halloween.

Bewitched: The Safe and Sane Halloween (1967)

Originally aired October 26, 1967. Tabitha brings three storybook goblins to life and they go trick-or-treating with them around Morning Glory Circle.

Circuit City Midnight Madness commercial (1986)

Bud Light Halloween Spuds McKenzie commercial (1988)

Hallmark Halloween commercial (1989)

American Express commercial with Stephen King (1985)

Our Gang: Shivering Spooks (1926)

Originally released August 6, 1926. Years ago I found this short on TV and hit record on the VCR in time to catch the last several minutes. Now it's fairly easily found online. The plot is straightforward. Phony spiritualist Professor Fleece is holding a seance, but is continually interrupted by the gang's noisy ball game outside. He chases them off, but they take refuge in their underground hideout, which just happens to be directly beneath the seance room. They manage to ruin the seance, so Fleece decides to give them a good scare. This silent short contains some great sight gags.

Snoopy: The Musical (1988)

Originally aired January 29, 1988. In this segment, called "The Vigil," Linus once again waits in the pumpkin patch on Halloween night, in hopes that the Great Pumpkin will appear. Snoopy accompanies him, but wears dark glasses so as to prevent anyone from recognizing him.

1970s Halloween Home Movies

Halloween filmstrip (1948)

Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)

This music video was released December 2, 1983, and I probably saw it for the first time in 1984 or 1985, when we rented it from a local store, Video Biz. The VHS release also featured a making-of documentary, where I recall Michael Jackson saying it felt like Tobasco sauce being poured in his eyes while he was wearing the cat-eye contact lenses. Somewhere there is a picture from the mid-80s that shows me mimicking Jackson as the werewolf character, with half of a yellow plastic Easter egg over each eye.

Pac-Man: Trick or Chomp (1982)

Originally aired October 16, 1982. The Pac-Family go trick-or-treating for Halloween in PacLand. But they better be careful. The Ghost Monsters are lurking about seeking to get the last chomp!

Gatlinburg, Tennessee: Hauntings Ghostly Adventure

[This post has been updated to reflect the closure of Hauntings in 2015.]
The town of Gatlinburg, in the Smoky Mountains, houses a lot of sidewalk attractions and shops: museums, arcades, custom airbrushed t-shirts, taffy, miniature golf, more airbrushed t-shirts, etc. Several attractions are themed towards the bizarre and supernatural, including Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, Ripley's Haunted Adventure, World of Illusions, Ghost Haunts Tours, and Mysterious Mansion.


I first visited an attraction called Hauntings in June 1991, during a summer trip to Tennessee. The show took place in a small room, dimly lit, with seating for about 20 people. Throughout the show, objects seemed to move by themselves (candle moving across mantle, spirit writing on slate board), noises were heard throughout the room (chains rattling, wolf howling), and an eerie voice narrated. At the end of the show, a figure appeared in the flashing of a strobe light, thrusting a chainsaw menacingly at the audience.

In 2009, I visited the attraction again. It had actually changed very little since 1991, although (unfortunately) the madman with the chainsaw had been removed from the show. Instead, there was something that occurred where a large head was moving toward the audience. I can't remember what that was about, but it managed to catch me off guard. Anyway, the video I posted contains narration from the beginning of the show. Most of it is pretty laughable, including a direct quotation of Rod Serling's opening spiel from The Twilight Zone, and annoying music ripped off from the Halloween theme.



Even though the attraction was pretty cheezy, it was refreshingly quaint. Unfortunately, it closed in 2015. The strip is increasingly being taken over by larger Ripley's attractions. Current Ripley's attractions in Gatlinburg:

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies
Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum
Ripley's Davy Crockett Mini Golf
Ripley's Haunted Adventure
Ripley's Marvelous Mirror Maze
Ripley's Moving Theater
Ripley's Super FunZone

The Facts of Life: Seven Little Indians (1987)

Originally aired January 3, 1987. This episode gives us a cross between a horror movie and The Twilight Zone, where a Rod Serling lookalike narrates as the girls are killed off one-by-one and Tootie is left to face the killer.

Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978)

Originally aired October 28, 1978, and released in theaters outside the U.S. as Attack of the Phantoms the following year. Anthony Zerbe appears in this made-for-TV movie as an evil inventor working at an amusement park. He also appeared in Child of Glass, another 1978 made-for-TV film. NBC bumper: Movie:

Phantom of the Park Movie from some random person on Vimeo.

Child of Glass (1978)

Shown on TV for the first time on May 14, 1978, I saw this movie on the Disney Channel back in the 80s. It is not available on DVD, unfortunately, but you can still find used VHS copies. Denise Nickerson, who plays Connie Sue in this movie, had also appeared in a Halloween-related Brady Bunch episode, "Two Petes in a Pod." And Anthony Zerbe, who plays Timmons, appeared in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, also in 1978.

Scary Tales (1983)

In 1983 or 1984, my family rented Scary Tales from a local video store called Video Biz. It was a compilation of darker-themed Disney cartoons that made for some good Halloween entertainment. Here is the intro video, followed by the six cartoons from Scary Tales:

Donald Duck and the Gorilla

Duck Pimples

The Skeleton Dance

Haunted House

Donald's Lucky Day

Pluto's Judgement Day

Here is a website that reviews Scary Tales, describing aspects of each part of the video, including the promotional segment at the end of the main program.

Donald Duck: Donald's Lucky Day (1939)

The Zombie Movie (1994)

Here is a video I made with my friends back in the 90s. Back then we didn't have a lot of money (some of us still don't), so we would amuse ourselves by making short, no-budget videos. One particular friend tended to be cast as the monster in our videos, mainly because he was the largest member of our group. Here he plays a bathrobe-clad zombie.

Donald Duck and the Gorilla (1944)

Mickey Mouse: Pluto's Judgement Day (1935)

Donald Duck: Duck Pimples (1945)

Though this isn't a Halloween cartoon, I think it has a creepy atmosphere to it!

Mickey Mouse: Haunted House (1929)

The Skeleton Dance (1929) and Skeleton Frolic (1937)

Two cartoons by Ub Iwerks. First is the 1929 original, made at Disney:


Here is the 1937 remake, made at Columbia:

Tom and Jerry: Fraidy Cat (1942)

Popeye: Fright to the Finish (1954)

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

This is a fun movie to watch on Halloween. The first time I ever saw this was during the mid-90s when I was staying the night at my grandparents' house with my brother and sister. In the TV room there were shelves full of old books and videos. Some of the tapes they had obviously received as gifts or had purchased without ever opening them. Anyway, it was late, the grandparents had already gone to bed, and my siblings and I decided to put this movie in the VCR. If you haven't seen this one before, it contains at least a couple of startling moments. During one surprising scene, a female character is frightened and shrieks loudly. Grabbing the remote in a scramble to turn the volume down so that it wouldn't disturb the grandparents, my sister actually turned the volume up, and the woman's scream filled the house. This greatly increased the scene's effect on us. To add to our excitement, our grandmother walked into the room shortly after without her dentures in, which we had never seen before. I hope you enjoy this film.

The Halloween that Almost Wasn't (1979)

Originally aired October 28, 1979. Upset by rumors that Halloween may end, Dracula calls his mild-mannered monsters together and delivers an ultimatum: either regain their frightening image, or leave his Transylvania castle forever.

Raggedy Ann & Andy: The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile (1979)

Woolworth & Woolco Halloween Commercial (1978)

Commercial from 1978:


Commercial from 1978 or earlier:

1980s Toys R Us Halloween Commercials

Commercial from 1980:


Commercial from around 1985:

The Three Stooges: The Ghost Talks (1949)

Originally released February 3, 1949.

The Three Stooges: Spooks (1953)

Originally released June 15, 1953.


Here is a version in anaglyph 3D:

The Three Stooges: Spook Louder (1943)

Originally released April 2, 1943.

Knight Rider: Halloween Knight (1984)

Originally aired October 28, 1984.

Roseanne: BOO! (1989)

Originally aired October 31, 1989. Halloween is the Connors' favorite holiday and they go all out to make it the scariest, most gruesome holiday they can. Roseanne puts one over on Dan who is waiting to learn the outcome of a business deal.

MacGyver: Halloween Knights (1989)

The Three Stooges: If a Body Meets a Body (1945)

Originally released on August 30, 1945, this is one of the last Three Stooges shorts to feature Curly. It is basically a remake of "The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case" (1930). Laurel and Hardy's short and the Stooges' short both used Fred Kelsey in the role of the detective.

The New Misadventures of Ichabod Crane (1979)

This animated adventure features the antics of Ichabod Crane when he comes to the rescue with his motley crew of friends.

Marc Summers' Mystery Magical Tour (1986)

Apparently, this TV special originally aired in 1986 but was still being shown around Halloween a few years later.

Disneyland Showtime (1970)

Here is an excerpt from a program called "Disneyland Showtime" that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on March 22, 1970. It features a behind-the-scenes look at the newly-opened Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, and the segment is narrated by Kurt Russell.

DTV Monster Hits (1987)

Originally shown October 30, 1987 on NBC. It features a great collection of pop songs for Halloween:

"Thriller" by Michael Jackson
"Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker, Jr.
"Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
"The Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett
"Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell
"Evil Woman" by Electric Light Orchestra
"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder
"You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
"That Old Black Magic" by Spike Jones
"Dreamtime" by Daryl Hall
"Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics

Betty Boop's Halloween Party (1933)

Max Fleischer cartoons tend to be of good quality. This one from 1933, however, seems like it was produced very quickly. It contains some ridiculous sight gags and cheap-looking animation, but there are some parts that actually made me laugh out loud.

Donald Duck: Trick or Treat (1954)

Which Witch is Which? (1984)

Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985)

First broadcast on CBS, October 30, 1985. Garfield fashions himself a pirate costume then takes Odie out trick-or-treating to ensure extra candy. But when attempting to cross a river on a boat, Garfield and Odie end up at a spooky house. The old man living there tells them that they picked the wrong night to visit, for pirates had buried their treasure beneath the mansion's floor long ago and had vowed to return for it 100 years later.

Scooby Doo: The Headless Horseman of Halloween (1976)

First aired November 23, 1976.

Little House on the Prairie: The Monster of Walnut Grove (1976)

Originally aired November 1, 1976. On Halloween night, Laura and Mary get permission from their parents to walk into town and pull off a little prank at the mercantile. Laura's imagination runs wild when she peeks into the Olesons' window and thinks she sees Nels killing Mrs. Oleson. Scared by what she has seen, Laura can't seem to get anyone to believe her. Her friend, Carl, the only person to believe her, joins the search for evidence to solve the crime. Meanwhile, Mrs. Oleson has gone away, so the two really think that she has been murdered. When Nellie and Willie hear the story, they don't believe it but decide to scare Laura and Carl by saying that their father has been digging in the cellar.

The Mascot (1933)

This is the "Devil's Ball" scene from an animated film called "The Mascot," created by Ladislas Starewicz. The characters are richly detailed, and the style reminds me a little of Nightmare Before Christmas. A part of this was shown in the 80s on the show Night Flight.

"Monster Mash" Cartoon (1973)

Joe Piscopo's Halloween Party (1987)

I didn't watch this when it aired (I was watching The Search for Houdini that night), but I saw this on YouTube and thought it was amusing. The finale of the show features Joe playing drums to a Bach organ fugue. Pretty scary! I have not watched this whole video, so young viewers should be cautioned that it may contain adult content.

Family Matters: Dog Day Halloween (1990)

A Halloween costume-bedecked Urkel and Laura are hostages during a bank robbery. Urkel fantasizes about saving Laura and subduing the criminal, but things don't quite work out that way. Carl, meanwhile, is able to apprehend the subject, leaving a downtrodden Urkel to realize he can never impress Laura by being a hero who saves the day. Originally aired October 26, 1990.

Square Pegs: Halloween XII (1982)

Square Pegs Halloween episode from November 1, 1982.

Update

Unfortunately, my Veoh account was deleted, which means that some of the videos posted on this site no longer appear. However, there are still many videos to be found here, and I will replace the lost ones as I am able. Thanks for visiting this site, and I appreciate the positive comments!

Halloween Safety (1985)

Halloween Safety (1977)

The Haunted Coffin (1987)

Despite the fact that the plans fell through to film a Mummy movie with my friend, Jim, I eventually did produce one with the help of my sixth grade class. I worked on a script at school with a couple of buddies, writing it as a play. Somehow, we made a cardboard coffin and had a few props. I played the Mummy, with my sweat pants and gauze costume. My reading teacher allowed us to perform the play in class, and she videotaped it. I really wish I had asked for a copy of that video.

THE HAUNTED COFFIN
cast
The Mummy Ra-Antef Archaeologist # 1 Archaeologist # 2 Slave Owner Slaves Victims Egyptian Ghosts Background People Music Director(Sound Effects) Announcer
(Before play begins, play "mummy"music.)

Scene One: Slaves are sitting around a pool, looking into it.

SLAVE OWNER (enter at left): Get to work!
The background people spread out and eventually go backstage. The slaves start pulling the coffin out of the pool. They pull it out and sit it upright. The two archaeologists enter and inspect the coffin and try to get it open. They leave the stage at left and come back on at left with a crowbar in their hands.
ARCH 1: You and you, get over here! Help us open the sarcophagus.

Two of the slaves take the crowbar and start to pry the coffin open. The door swings open, and the air fills with the vile stench of rotting flesh.
ARCH 2: UHHH! Get the Lysol!
ARCH 1: Did YOU bring it?

ARCH 2: I thought you were going to bring it!

ARCH 1: Let's go!
The two archaeologists close the coffin slightly. Then they leave. All of the slaves and other people gather around the rotting coffin. One of the slaves opens the coffin and takes out a scroll. He wipes the dust off and reads it.
SLAVE: 'All souls empty of life
Wrapped in cloth and hid in a tomb,
Come to life when I command
To walk the lands at every moon.'
The mummy slowly opens his eyes. The other people run backstage. The slave pays no attention because he is trying to figure out the eerie rhyme of the scroll. The mummy unfolds his hands from his chest and goes up and strangles the slave.
(Close curtain. Eerie organ music, fade out.)

Scene Two: The next evening
ANNOUNCER: The next evening...
(Open curtain.)
One of the archaeologists comes to the temple. He finds the scroll. He becomes interested in the Scroll of Life. He starts reading it to himself. The mummy, once again, opens his eyes. The other archaeologist comes just in time to see the mummy strangling the other archaeologist. He pushes the mummy aside. The mummy slowly limps off the stage, unharmed. After the archaeologist helps the other one up, they both find the Scroll of Death. After they find a warning on the wall behind the pool, they both exit the stage also.
(Close curtain. Dramatic theme.)

Scene Three:
(Open curtain.)
The mummy sees a boat. He turns toward the camera and growls. He gets on the boat. Other Egyptian ghosts join him on the deck.
(Close curtain.)
ANNOUNCER: Meanwhile, back at the temple...
(Open curtain.)
The two archaeologists decide to read the Scroll of Death to kill the mummy. Just as they start to read the scroll, the Egyptian ghosts come and stop them. The ghosts disappear with the Scroll of Death. Then the mummy comes to the temple and kills the people who have betrayed his god. After that he goes for the archaeologists. Right before he gets them, an ancient Greek warrior steps out. Thunder crashes through the temple. The mummy and the warrior start to fight. One of the archaeologists tears up the Scroll of Life. (Dramatic theme.) The warrior staggers off stage and the mummy returns to his coffin and the door shuts.
(Close curtain.)

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1987)

This is a script I wrote on 3 October 1987.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET: DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE!

CAST

ABBOTT: MARTIN
COSTELLO: PAUL
DR. JEKYLL: FIDEL
MR. HYDE: GLEN

Dr. Jekyll is in his laboratory. His good friends are Abbott and Costello. He calls them and asks them if they want to see his new experiment. They decide to come over. Dr. Jekyll drinks the potion before Abbott and Costello get there. Dr. Jekyll falls to the floor. When he gets up, he is Mr. Hyde! Abbott and Costello come in. They see Mr. Hyde.

COSTELLO: Gosh, Doc, you ought to see a doctor!

MR. HYDE: This is my experiment. What do you think of this great discovery?

COSTELLO: If that is a great discovery, I'd hate to see what a not-so-great discovery looks like!

ABBOTT: Well, come along Costello. The doctor has work to do.

MR. HYDE: Wait, you can't leave! You cannot escape Mr. Hyde!

ABBOTT: Mr. Hyde? You mean you're not Dr. Jekyll?

MR. HYDE: No!

Abbott and Costello run out of the house.

THE END

The Mummy Is Brought Back To Life (1987)

THE MUMMY IS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE

CAST
THE MUMMY AN-TARR...PAUL
THE WOMAN/PRINCESS RA-ANTEF...PAMELA
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST KASON-ANTEE...JIM

SCENE ONE: The archaeologist looks at a coffin that he had found. With it came a scroll. The archaeologist wipes the sweat from his brow and decides to get some sleep before he reads the scroll.

SCENE TWO: That night, the archaeologist wakes up. He opens the scroll and reads it. (Show scroll.) The archaeologist shrugs his shoulders. He lights his pipe and goes to bed. (He leaves his matches on the couch.) The coffin shakes. The mummy breaks his way through the coffin. He finds the scroll. He wants to bring his beloved princess to life. So he burns the scroll as a sacrifice. He runs out of the room. The archaeologist comes back in and remembers that he had forgotten his matches. He sees what had happened to the coffin, and he runs out of the room in search of the mummy. As he goes around the corner, he comes face-to-face with the mummy. The mummy chokes him and continues the search for his princess. He finds a cottage. In it he finds a woman that he thinks is the princess. When she sees him, she faints. He catches her and carries her off.

THE END

This is a story I wrote sometime near October 1987, knowing that my friend, Jim, would be coming over to my house. Of course, I had to recruit my sister to play the female part. I intended to make this into a movie by having my dad videotape us. The above story was likely a synopsis I wrote out to show my dad what the movie was about, assuring him that we had a plan and weren't just going to waste videotape.

As I recall, Jim came over and I expected us to have enough time to make the movie. I put on white socks, white sweat pants and a white T-shirt (so that I wouldn't have to use as much bandaging), and then I had Jim help wrap gauze around my head, neck and arms. It was nearing time to bring it all before the camera, but, apparently, we had reached the time limit for Jim's visit. My dad said it was time for him to go home. As Jim left, I stood there: seemingly expressionless behind a veil of gauze; however, tears welled up in my eyes as my dream of making a Mummy movie was shattered. At least, until "The Haunted Coffin."

Trick or Treat (1969)

A public service film showing how a Halloween prank can result in a serious accident.

The Facts of Life: The Halloween Show (1983)

Originally aired 26 October 1983.

Silver Spoons: A Dark and Stormy Night (1984)

Originally aired 28 October 1984.

Roseanne: Trick or Treat (1990)

Originally aired 30 October 1990.

Perfect Strangers: Aliens (1988)

Originally aired 28 October 1988.

The Brady Bunch: Two Petes in a Pod (1974)

"Two Petes in a Pod" originally aired 8 February 1974; sure, a few months after Halloween...but that didn't keep the writers from having Peter dress up for a costume party as Dracula. The plot is a bit of a stretch: one day at school, Peter runs into a student that looks exactly like him (except with glasses). Thinking about the fun he could have with an identical twin, Peter has the guy, Arthur, go inside his house to see if he can fool his family. Arthur pulls it off, except that Mr. Brady (thinking Arthur is Peter) asks him if he can take out his boss' niece, Pamela, Friday night. Not knowing that Peter had already made a date with Michelle for that night, Arthur agrees. So this obligates Peter to secretly entertain both Michelle and Pamela...at least until Arthur can show up. We see Peter changing in and out of his Dracula costume multiple times as he runs back and forth between the two dates. The tag at the end of the episode also has some Halloween-related dialog between Mrs. Brady and Alice. Incidentally, after this one aired there were only four more Season 5 episodes before the series was canceled. Denise Nickerson, who plays Pamela in this episode, appeared later in the movie Child of Glass.

By the way, while watching this episode I noticed a certain "ghostly" apparition after Peter runs into his double in the school hallway. As Arthur rises into frame, you can see an old man's profile rising with him, just peeking past the split-screen line. Apparently, this was a stand-in used to match the actor's movements between the two exposures. The fact that it's an old man's profile adds an eerie quality to it, and I bet if VHS had been available back in 1974 that more people would have noticed and possibly concocted stories about the ghostly image (like what happened with the unintended appearance of the cardboard stand-in from Three Men and a Baby). Here are a couple of stills of the profile from the video. (The extra profile does not appear on the DVD version of the episode.)




Don't miss the other Brady Bunch episodes: "To Move or Not To Move", "The Slumber Caper," "Fright Night," and "Out of This World."

The Brady Bunch: The Slumber Caper (1970)

"The Slumber Caper" is one among a handful of Brady Bunch episodes that had a Halloween feel, even if the holiday was not specifically mentioned. Originally aired 9 October 1970, the episode contains many examples of spooky fun: the Brady boys in Halloween masks (Frankenstein monster, Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Black Lagoon), fake spiders, a flashing skull in the refrigerator, ghost stories, howls outside the window, itching powder in the sleeping bags...

All of this Halloween fun doesn't begin until halfway through the episode. But be patient...it is worth the wait!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1987)

As the notebook paper title card suggests, there were times when my anticipation of Halloween led me to more ambitious projects than simply carving up a pumpkin. In 1982, my dad purchased a video camera for the family. Now, mind you, this wasn't a camcorder. This was a full-size video camera that had a separate, external recording deck. Basically, it was a camera connected to a VCR. By 1987, we were a pretty video-literate family, and there were many projects I had rolling around in my head. This particular video idea probably came about as a result of reading Thomas Aylesworth's Monsters from the Movies. In one of his chapters, he tells about the various filmed versions of Robert Louis Stevenson's story Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Inspired by reading about John Barrymore's famous performance, I decided to film my own version.

This was a pretty bare-bones production. I used some test tubes from a chemistry set I had received a Christmas or two prior. The transformation into Hyde was accomplished with some makeup from a kit I'd bought (the kit is visible on the couch as the camera pans to the floor). The special effect, where the camera is stopped and then restarted after the change is made, did not come out as well as I had planned (I supposed my dad jarred the tripod slightly between shots). And my sister appears briefly as Dr. Jekyll's girlfriend.

The highlight of the video is probably my choice of music (which I dubbed myself): the first movement of Beethoven's 5th for the Dr. Jekyll scene, and some organ music (from a Halloween sound effects tape) for Mr. Hyde's scene.

I made this video on 27 September 1987.

[Update 10/25/2023: The makeup kit mentioned above was called the Create-A-Face Complete Makeup Kit, manufactured by Imagineering Inc. in 1985. And thanks to an anonymous commenter from 2012, I learned that my long-lost sound effects tape was titled "Horror Sounds of the Night" and manufactured in 1986.]

Monsters from the Movies (1972), by Thomas Aylesworth

If memory serves me, I first checked this book out in the fourth grade from the school library. Throughout grade school I probably read it several more times. Like Movie Monsters, by Ormsby, this book highlights many of the great movie monsters. However, Monsters from the Movies goes into much greater detail about those creatures and presents them in a more adult manner, separating them into chapters such as "Man-Made Monsters" (which would include the Frankenstein monster) and "Self-Made Monsters" (which would include Mr. Hyde). It also chronicles the many filmed versions of monster movies such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

This book is included in a discussion of horror film books at The Rocket Video Blog.

Movie Monsters (1975), by Alan Ormsby

I read this book a lot when I was younger. My older brother had probably bought it at a school book fair. Movie Monsters provided a lot of inspiration around Halloween time. It contained pages on some of the great movie monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, et al.) as well as "recipes" for creating your own monster makeup. I tried creating the "brown bag Frankenstein" but gave up before I finished. (I think my paper bag was not the right size for my head.) The book also contains a script for a play, called "The Monster of Frankenstein." Although I never actually performed it in front of an audience, I do remember recording a radio show version of the script, playing all of the roles myself.

Read some memories of this book by other bloggers, at Wonderful Wonderblog and John Rozum.com.

Webster: Moving On (1984)

Originally aired 2 November 1984, this episode feels a little like a Halloween episode, even though no mention is made of the holiday. What you get is a large, Victorian house with secret passageways and a particular room that is always kept locked. Katherine and George are looking for a place to rent, and Katherine especially thinks that this house is the one for them. However, George wants to know what he is paying for and wonders why the owners don't want them going upstairs. While George and Katherine are going over details with the owners, Webster is off on his own, discovering a way to enter the locked room.

Here is a clip from the episode:

Happy Days: The Evil Eye (1978)

Looking back over previous posts, I noticed that I have a tendency to consider many Halloween episodes to be among my favorites. I'm not sure how much value can be given to the phrase "favorite Halloween episodes" when so many examples have been included. In any case, here is another entry into that category. Although I only watched Happy Days occasionally as a kid, this Halloween episode is one that is very memorable to me. It originally aired Halloween night in 1978. We learn that Al is being pursued by an old lady (a witch!) who wants to put a curse on him. She is from the Dimartino family and he is from the Delvecchio family, and the two families have been fighting for many years. According to Al, his uncle made the old woman mad once, and she subsequently gave him "the evil eye"! When the woman does finally find Al and puts a curse on him, Richie and the guys concoct a ceremony to remove it.

The Cosby Show: Halloween (1985)

With Bill Cosby's 2018 conviction, it may be difficult or impossible to ever enjoy viewing the Cosby Show again. Still, those of us who grew up watching the show considered the Huxtables to be one of the best television families of all time and one that knew how to have some Halloween fun. In this episode, Cliff reluctantly agrees to wear a costume while taking Rudy trick-or-treating. Vanessa is having friends over for a costume party and when Robert ("the coolest boy in seventh grade") arrives, she has a very difficult time being herself in front of him. This fine example of 80s television originally aired Halloween night in 1985.

Little Rascals: Alfalfa's Aunt (1939)

I once recorded this episode off TV in the late 80s or early 90s, but only caught the tail end of it. The storyline doesn't involve Halloween, but it does include elements that fit the holiday mood. Alfalfa's aunt Penelope is a mystery writer who comes to visit. Alfalfa finds a page from a story she is writing, which is in the form of a letter. It reads:

Dear X,

I have discovered that only my nephew stands between me and the Switzer millions! So like the others, he shall die in agony - tonight - at the stroke of nine!

Believing that his own aunt is planning to murder him, Alfalfa recruits the gang to help protect him from her.

The Brady Bunch: To Move or Not To Move (1970)

While technically not a Halloween episode, this Brady Bunch story involves the kids trying to keep their parents from selling the house by scaring away the potential buyer. "To Move or Not To Move" will satisfy your cravings to see children posing as ghosts under bedsheets, to hear strange creaking noises throughout the house, and to see Alice holding up an amulet to protect herself from evil spirits. From the show's first season, the episode originally aired 6 March 1970, which is why the character Mrs. Hunsaker quips, "I must say, you people celebrate Halloween at a strange time of year." Here is the episode's key scene:


Other Brady Bunch episodes that could be categorized as Halloween-related are "The Slumber Caper" (1970), "Fright Night" (1972), "Two Petes in a Pod" (1974), and "Out of This World" (1974), which is similar to "Fright Night" but involves a UFO instead of a ghost.

SNL Halloween Special (1991)

This Halloween special aired on 28 October 1991. This is the older version of SNL Halloween Special and is not available on DVD. It features the following skits:

Land Shark
Wayne's World: Top 10 Excellent Babe Costumes
Return of the Coneheads
The People's Court
The Exorcist II
The Fruiting
Consumer Probe
Beauty & The Beast: The Double Date
The Thing That Wouldn't Leave
Afraid of the Dark
The Raven (as read by Tonto, Tarzan and Frankenstein)
Wayne's World: Top 5 Worst Halloween Treats

 NBC promo:

Here's the full 1991 special (link takes a few moments to load):