Switched briefly to To Tell the Truth on Buzzr while I got organized. They had the 1991 version hosted by Alex Trebek on as part of their week-long Halloween marathon. I came in just as the panelists were trying to figure out which of three women was part of a group trying to find life on other planets. We also had a lady who had to decide whether a man collected Chinese restaurant menus or invented a vibrating seat belt.
Hurried out to run errands after the cartoon ended...and because it was too gorgeous to stay inside all morning. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and bright blue and relatively warm, probably in the lower 60's, with no wind. Hit Dollar General first for lollipops to put in the trick-or-treat bags, two boxes of cheap strawberry-watermelon and "Arctic Water" hydration water mix, a birthday card for Keefe next month, a new baby card for Keefe and his family, and sympathy cards for Rose and Craig and their family and for the family of what was my next-door-neighbors in Oaklyn, whose mother just passed away of cancer. Grabbed more candy and a birthday card for Anny (whose birthday is also next month) at Family Dollar.
Went home and put everything away, then had lunch while watching The Raven. This 1963 retelling of the famous Edgar Allen Poe poem has sorcerer Dr. Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) mourning his recently-deceased wife Leonore (Hazel Court) when a raven flies in his window. Turns out the raven is wizard Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre), who was sealed in that form by another wizard, Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff). After Erasmus restores Bedlo's human form, they head to the castle themselves, Bedlo for revenge, Erasmus to see if Bedlo is right and Lenore really is alive. They're joined by Erasmus' daughter Estelle (Olive Sturgess) and Bedlo's son Rexford (Jack Nicholson). Though Scarabus is a charming host at first, it becomes clear that his real reason for bedding Erasmus' wife and letting him stay is to take his magic. Bedlo has his own interests, which he seems to switch every two minutes as he alternately helps and hinders the group. It'll take a duel of magic to see which magician truly is stronger, and who really owns the heart of the fickle Leonore.
This wound up being a surprise. I wasn't expecting something with this cast to end up being...really cute. Price and Karloff keep things elegant, even when the script is at it's silliest. That combination of elegance and goofiness works very well, and Nicholson makes a charming romantic lead. If you're looking for an older horror film with a great cast that's more funny than scary (and can live with it not really having much to do with the poem), this was a lot of fun.
Hurried out to the Thomas Sharp School after the movie ended. The kids were rowdy all afternoon, both in the halls waiting for the bathrooms and outside. I had to argue with the boys to get them in and out of the bathroom, and I had to argue with the kids (especially some of the girls) to get them off the swings and convince them to share. This wasn't helped by there being more kids on the playground than usual. Some of the older kids who didn't want to play games on the black top joined us...which I don't think was the greatest idea. It was too much. There was such a long line for the swings, some kids still didn't get to ride before they went home.
After I got in, I put on Match Game '76. Most of the episodes featured the week with Tom Poston and Barbara Shawma. Gene was delighted in one episode to receive a sequined champagne-colored microphone from a fan. He called it his "Cher" microphone, after the show filming next-door to Match Game. The last show of the night switched to the week with original Price Is Right model Anitra Ford, along with Bill Cullen and Betty White.
Watched Mickey and the Roadster Racers during dinner. "The Haunted Hot Rod" is a legendary ghost rider who is known to turn up in races with those who dare to beat him. Mickey is determined to race him, if he can get around Pete's tricks to remove the competition and win that Jack o'lantern filled with candy! Minnie, Daisy, and Cukoo-Loca become spook removers when "Pete's Ghostly Gala" has three spooky visitors. They're ready to put them in the nearest containment unit, until they learn that the house where the party is really belongs to the ghosts and figure out a way to compromise.
Worked on Maplepunzel while I watched. Hilary is the one who stops the wedding this time. When Pavla attacks her, Betty, and Walter, Scott manages to take the shot, showing Hilary how much he truly loves her ward. Meanwhile, Maple hurries over to Victor. As in the original story, her tears are what heals his blindness and the scars around his eyes. He's thrilled to see and feel her again, and they promise to wed when they return to Wennaria.
Scott isn't as lucky. Maple leaves off kissing Victor just in time to see Pavla completely drain Scott of his youth and vitality. He collapses just as the duo rush over. Maple takes everyone's hands, paws, and hoofs and concentrates on sending their love and caring into Scott to heal him. While they help Scott, Hilary uses the mirror with Jeff to send Pavla's magic back at her, sending her crashing into her own mirrors.
Finished the night at YouTube with horror or Halloween-themed game shows. Horror icons go back a long way on game shows. Peter Lorre appeared on a rather chaotic episode of I've Got a Secret from 1960. Garry Moore discovered that working with children and pets was a lot scarier than Lorre's attempts to let the panel smell and feel various items when he had to wrangle a two-year-old boy, his goat, his lamb, his monkey and nine dogs and get them all onstage.
Hollywood Squares was slightly less insane in 1978. Their "Hollywood Party" had everyone dressing up in costume ala Storybook Squares. Tammy Wynette was Scarlett O'Hara, Elke Sommer was Catherine the Great, George Gobel was a sheik, Mel Brooks was his Native chief character from Blazing Saddles, and Paul Lynde was one of the most unlikely Musketeers in history. The contestants dressed up, too, with the lady making a terrific Phyllis Diller and the man a not-bad Clint Eastwood.
Later shows got into dressing the part, too. Everyone was in costume on the classic Halloween episode of Match Game '90. Charles Nelson Reilly was Superman, his favorite drinking buddy Brett Sommers was a little girl, Vicki Lawrence was Little Red Riding Hood in a very short dress, and host Ross Schafer was a handsome Dracula, but it's ventriloquist Ronn Lucas and his dragon puppet Scorch who come up with the scariest costume of all.
All three contestants dressed up on Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck in 2002. The costumes were all pretty topical, too. The one who was the late Ozzy Osborne kept getting slammed with 3-D Whammies and went out pretty early in the second round. It was between the feisty woman dressed as Judge Judy and the very big guy in a bridal gown and a fright wig who claimed to be Dennis Rodman in a wedding dress. In the end, she hit a Whammy, letting the basketball bride earn enough for those season tickets he kept saying he wanted.
Not all Halloween game shows involved costumes. The short-lived Wipeout from 1987 was content with Peter Tomarken wearing a mask in the beginning of the episode and the contestants taking candy from a small Halloween pumpkin when they won. Halloween seemed to be lucky, considering how well the champion contestant did in that episode.
Show these spook-tacular Halloween games to the guests at your Halloween party and see which ghouls stop to play along!
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