Believe it or not, there was a time when instant access to hundreds of horror movies didn’t exist. Scary thought, huh? Before in the ’50s, unless you caught a movie in the theater, you probably weren’t going to see it, especially when you’re talking about the classic monster films, like Dracula and Frankenstein. But then in October of 1957, Universal had sold 52 of their titles, many of them being the classic monsters, were released to TV in what was called the Shock Theater package. And to help promote these, it was suggested for TV stations to have a “horror host” that would introduce the features. Simply put, it exploded. And help give birth to the Monster Kid generation.

Add in that Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine started the following year, there really was no turning back. Now you could see these monsters in the safety of your own home. A long way away from being able to hop on your computer or streaming TV service and find thousands of titles at your fingertips. But this was starting of real horror fandom, where you could get your weekly fix of monsters, as well as be reading Famous Monsters, buying your very own Aurora Monster model kits… life was great.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of this event and how it really was a game changer for horror movie fans. 

Films mentioned in this episode:

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), The Addams Family (1964-66), The Black Cat (1934), Blood of Dracula (1957), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dark Shadows (1966-71), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), Dracula (1931), The Exorcist (1973), Frankenstein (1931), The Gorgon (1964), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), The Invisible Man (1933), I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), Jaws (1975), The Jungle Captive (1945), King Kong (1933), The Last Warning (1938), The Mummy (1932), The Munsters (1964-66), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Return of Dracula (1958), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), Son of Kong (1933), The Spy Ring (1938), Star Wars (1977), Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Them (1954), The Wolf Man (1941)

Original Shock Theater Package
• Dracula (1931)
• Frankenstein (1931)
• Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
• The Mummy (1932)
• The Secret of the Blue Room (1933)
• The Invisible Man (1933)
• The Black Cat (1934)
• Secret of the Chateau (1934)
• The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935)
• The Raven (1935)
• The Great Impersonation (1935)
• Werewolf of London (1935)
• Chinatown Squad (1935)
• The Invisible Ray (1936)
• Dracula’s Daughter (1936)
• Night Key (1937)
• The Man Who Cried Wolf (1937)
• Reported Missing! (1937)
• The Spy Ring (1938)
• The Last Warning (1938)
• Son of Frankenstein (1939)
• Mystery of the White Room (1939)
• The Witness Vanishes (1939)
• The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
• Enemy Agent (1940)
• The Mummy’s Hand (1940)
• Man-Made Monster (1941)
• A Dangerous Game (1941)
• Horror Island (1941)
• Sealed Lips (1942)
• The Wolf Man (1941)
• The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942)
• The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (1942)
• Night Monster (1942)
• The Mystery of Marie Roget (1942)
• The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)
• Nightmare (1942)
• Destination Unknown (1942)
• Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
• The Mad Ghoul (1943)
• Son of Dracula (1943)
• Calling Dr. Death (1943)
• The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)
• Weird Woman (1944)
• Dead Man’s Eyes (1944)
• The Frozen Ghost (1945)
• Pillow of Death (1945)
• House of Horrors (1946)
• She-Wolf of London (1946)
• The Spider Woman Strikes Back (1946)
• The Cat Creeps (1946)
• Danger Woman (1946)

Son of Shock
• Before I Hang (1940)
• Behind the Mask (1932)
• Black Friday (1940)
• The Black Room (1935)
• The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
• Captive Wild Woman (1943)
• The Devil Commands (1941)
• The Face Behind the Mask (1941)
• The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
• House of Dracula (1945)
• House of Frankenstein (1944)
• The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944)
• Island of Doomed Men (1940)
• Jungle Captive (1945)
• The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
• The Man Who Lived Twice (1936)
• The Man with Nine Lives (1940)
• The Mummy’s Curse (1944)
• Night of Terror (1933)