The Laurel-Hardy Murder Case (1930)

The story for this short was borrowed 15 years later for "If a Body Meets a Body," starring The Three Stooges.

The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion (1969)

In 1969, this Disneyland Records Storyteller album was released to commemorate the opening of Haunted Mansion. Intended as a simple promotional album, this recording has become a cherished childhood memory for many a Disneyland guest. "The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion" includes original scenes and effects that never made it into the final attraction as it follows the story of two teenagers (voiced by Robie Lester and a young Ron Howard) who take refuge inside the eerie mansion during a rainstorm. (Synopsis from DisneyStore.com) The picture above shows Ron Howard in the Happy Days episode "Haunted", made about 5 years after the album.

The Screaming Skull (1958)

A newlywed couple arrives at the home of the husband's late wife, where the gardens have been maintained by a gardener faithful to the dead woman's memory. Soon eerie events lead the new wife to think she is going out of her mind. (Synopsis from IMDB.com)

Mr. Boogedy (1986)

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)

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.

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

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

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).

American Express commercial with Stephen King (1985)

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 Three Stooges: Spooks (1953)

Originally released June 15, 1953.


Here is a version in anaglyph 3D:

Knight Rider: Halloween Knight (1984)

Originally aired October 28, 1984.

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.

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.

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.

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:

Porky & Sylvester: Scaredy Cat (1948) and Claws for Alarm (1954)

"Scaredy Cat" (1948) and "Claws for Alarm" (1954) are two cartoons that I saw as a child, and I remember being creeped out by them. They both feature Porky Pig and Sylvester spending the night in an ominous old house, with Sylvester constantly waking Porky to report the sight of something horrible. The cartoons are very successful at creating a sense of dread, particularly as we see Sylvester growing more and more anxious. As a kid, I liked when Porky let Sylvester climb into bed with him; I could identify with that feeling of safety that Sylvester longed for.



Both of these cartoons appeared in the 1977 anthology program Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special, which can be found here.