David Copperfield and the Psycho Shower Scene (1985)

Magic may not immediately come to mind when one thinks of Halloween, but it's not much of a stretch. Consider that during the spiritualism fad of the early 1900s, magicians' tricks were usually behind the ghostly manifestations that awed seance participants. The Search for Houdini, a TV special that aired on October 31, 1987, made the connection to Halloween obvious, though the seance staged that night was a dud.

There have been other magic-related Halloween shows, including multiple editions of Magical, Musical Halloween that aired in the early 80s.

In a previous post I commented that, as a child, I associated Toys 'R Us with magic tricks. The store had a significant selection of both individual tricks and complete magic sets. I received a few from there, including Hat Full of Magic, the Magic World of Blackstone Beginners Magic Set, and my first set—Fisher Price Magic Show.

(On my old Fisher Price set, pictured below, notice that I added a skull Halloween sticker along with labels reading "Houdini" and "David Copperfield.")

My interest in magic spanned most of my elementary school years and even into junior high. And much of that interest came from watching David Copperfield's TV specials that aired each spring. One in particular stands out.

Aired in March 1985, the seventh edition of The Magic of David Copperfield included a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic Psycho. Featuring guest star Angie Dickinson, the vignette recreated the "shower scene" from that famous film, but included a disappearance as well as a surprise ending.

As if to put you in a Halloween mood, this segment begins with an excerpt from Michael Jackson's hit song "Thriller." Enjoy!

Thoughts for October 2022

With October here and the promise of another Halloween, I decided to revisit this 13-year-old blog after a long hiatus. Family and work priorities prevent me from giving the site much attention during the year, but the site deserves to remain active. This week I checked old posts and, when possible, updated video links to replace dead ones. I hope to add new posts in the coming weeks.

I originally created Ghosts of Halloweens Past as a way to celebrate my childhood memories of the holiday, by sharing Halloween shows and programs that I remembered from those decades—along with fun and interesting videos that I discovered in more recent years of scouring the Internet.

But it occurred to me that despite its good intentions, this blog is by its very nature somewhat antithetical to my childhood experiences of Halloween. Having been born in the mid-1970s, I grew up in a time when holiday entertainment was more communal. Halloween specials were typically shown only once a year, and network TV stations advertised them accordingly. Catching the annual airing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, for example, was a much-anticipated event. As my sister pointed out to me in a recent conversation, part of what made these programs special was knowing that all your friends were watching them at the same moment. And even though we could pop a videotape into the VCR and record the program for later viewing, or eventually purchase an official VHS or DVD of it, a recording never did justice to the actual broadcast, because the communal event had passed. Watching the program whenever we desired meant that the shared experience rarely extended beyond the walls of our living room.

Today such experiences are even more individualized and fragmented. Halloween fans now have the choice of innumerable sites offering holiday fare—Ghosts of Halloweens Past being one of the humbler ones. Meanwhile, it's not yet clear whether It's the Great Pumpkin will be shown on PBS Kids or any other cable TV station this year.

On the flip side, sites like YouTube allow us the privilege of discovering obscure shows—sometimes including commercials from the original broadcasts—which never benefitted from repeat airings or commercial releases. Communal or not, such sites make it possible to re-experience programs that otherwise might have only existed as a strange memory—such as the "haunted Toys-R-Us" episode of That's Incredible from 1978, or The Search for Houdini, probably the most unusual Halloween program aired in 1987.

Thankfully, TV entertainment is only one part of a holiday that is still very much a communal event, at least in my neighborhood. Costumed children and their families will be seen along the sidewalks, and walking up to houses they otherwise never visit, and speaking to people with whom they otherwise never chat. And despite the potential for glorifying darkness and evil on Halloween night, in my experience the holiday can still bring out the best in humanity.

Here's to a wonderful Halloween 2022!

Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special (1977)

Witch Hazel's house serves as the centerpiece of this Halloween anthology, comprised of nine Looney Tunes cartoons plus some new transitional segments. (Quality is obviously lacking in the newer material.) Although I was too young to catch this special when it originally aired on October 26, 1977, I grew familiar with most of these individual cartoons from watching the Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Show in the 1980s.

Tales From The Far Side I and II (1994, 1997)

Bizarre TV specials based on the "Far Side" comic strip by Gary Larson.

Excerpts from Tales From The Far Side I and II:

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

Originally aired October 27, 1966. The Peanuts gang celebrates by trick-or-treating and attending the big Halloween party, while Linus and Sally spend the evening in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is, without a doubt, the most cherished Halloween special of all time. My family and I now watch this every year on DVD as we carve our jack-o-lantern. But when I was a child, it was a special occasion to catch the annual TV broadcast. While commercials tend to annoy me, I actually looked forward to those that often accompanied this Halloween special. I remember when airings from the mid-80s often included candy ads for Mounds and Almond Joy, Caramello, Peppermint Patties, and others.

Here is a recording from October 24, 1980, shared on YouTube by the Museum of Classic Chicago Television, that includes the spinning "CBS SPECIAL" logo, as well as the opening of the program up to the first station break, and commercials that followed:

And here is the full video of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966):

Magical, Musical Halloween (1983)

TV special from Dick Clark Productions, hosted by Fred Travalena and included guests William Shatner (who hosted 1987's The Search for Houdini), Jermaine Jackson, magician Larry Wilson, and escape artist Steve Baker. These clips from YouTube are not necessarily in order.

Fred Travalena celebrity impersonations

William Statner reciting "The Raven"

Larry Wilson catches a spook

Larry Wilson cooks

Larry Wilson magic egg trick

Steve Baker Water Torture

Magical, Musical Halloween (1984)

The 2nd annual Halloween TV special from Dick Clark Productions that features a mix of magic and comedy. This year's guests included Mr. T and magician Harry Blackstone, Jr. (who also appeared in the 1987 Halloween special The Search for Houdini). These clips from YouTube are not necessarily in order.

Decapitation gag with Blackstone and Mr. T

Harry Blackstone levitates a woman

Harry Blackstone saws a woman in half

Instrument of torture with Blackstone and Mr. T

Hanky Panky trick with Blackstone and Mr. T

A canary trick with Blackstone and Mr. T

Rules of trick-or-treating by Mr. T

Disney's Halloween Treat (1982)

"Disney's Halloween Treat" originally aired on October 30, 1982, and was released on VHS in 1984. This video appears to be from a later Disney Channel airing:

Disney's Halloween Treat (1982) from SamDisneyDiary on Vimeo.

Another airing of "Disney's Halloween Treat," from October 1992, can be found here on YouTube, with an introduction by Michael Eisner.

ABC Weekend Special: Red Room Riddle (1983)

Originally aired February 5, 1983. As part of a club initiation, Bill and Todd have to enter an old house haunted by the ghost of Jamie Bly. Soon the boys encounter a slew of ghosts, and they get trapped inside of a red, glowing room. (Synopsis from Retrojunk.com)

ABC Weekend Special: The Trouble with Miss Switch (1980)

Originally aired February 16, 1980. When Rupert and his friend Amelia find the new substitute teacher doing odd things, they discover that she is actually a witch with a magical talking cat who sought them out in order to stop an evil coven of witches from destroying her. (Synopsis from IMDB.com)

Jerry Seinfeld on Halloween

From his Broadway stand-up special, "I'm Telling You for the Last Time."

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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)

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.