“How do you do, ladies and gentlemen. Once again this is the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock welcoming you back to Granny Creech’s Radio Spot Crypt and Part Two of The Birds. I was thinking that Granny’s nephew, Crazy Gary, would be here to help me introduce these radio spots, but he is over in the corner, cowering in fear after listening to last week’s spots and the ones you are about to hear. He keeps mumbling incoherently and is just a pile of mush at the moment.
“As promised last week, we are now going to feature the radio spots for The Birds that aired on local radio stations prior to and up to the arrival of the movie at the theater. The lobby spots from last week whetted the appetites of theater goers who heard them while they stood in line at the theater. Now, The Birds was here to be seen.
“I hope you enjoy them and that they don’t cause you too much mental anguish. From now on, when you see these little feathered friends of ours flitting past you in the parks or in the streets, just keep telling yourself, ‘It was only a movie, it was only a movie.’ It may help.
“And so, until we meet again, may all your nightmares be pleasant. With that, I bid you adieu.”
Alfred Hitchcock prepares the cast for shooting the finale of the movie.
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Gary (Granny’s nephew) at [email protected].
I was working in the Dead Letter Office when I had a brainstorm. Now, Granny would say anything in my brain is a storm, but that’s not what I meant. She had given me a list of the spots she wanted to include during her absence, so I decided to invite an old friend of the Radio Spot Crypt to come and help out. He has had many letters pile up here in the post office so I thought it was time for him to come pick them up and help me out while he was here…sort of killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
He agreed, and so, I will turn over this week’s introduction to him…
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, this is the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock. I am delighted to be here once again at Granny Creech’s Radio Spot Crypt. It has been awhile since I was last here, and I am humbled to see the mail response to my last visit when I presented the radio spots to Psycho. This time I shall attempt to go one step further and present spots to what I believe could be the most terrifying motion picture I have ever made: The Birds.
“At the request of Granny Creech’s most capable and somewhat neurotic nephew, Crazy Gary, I have broken down these spots into two offerings: This week I will feature advance and current lobby spots, those delightful little tidbits designed to fill waiting theater patrons with uncontrolled excitement over the arrival of my movie at the theater; the second installment for next week will feature the spots designed to play on various radio stations in the area to alert the theater-going public that The Birds is here.
“And so, without further ado, I, and Crazy Gary, encourage you to check your doors and windows and ensure that your chimney flue is closed as we present the lobby spots for the 1963 release of The Birds. We hope you get a kick out of them.”
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Gary (Granny’s nephew) at [email protected].
Crazy Gary here, filling in for the ever vivacious and witty Granny Creech. I am her much-loved nephew and I work in the Dead Letter Office at the post office in Squirrel Hollow.
Granny’s mother, Hattie Jones, suffered a stroke recently and is in the intensive care unit in the hospital in Geyser Springs. Granny went to be with her. Before she left, she told me to carry on her weekly radio spot column, and I agreed, hesitatingly of course, because I don’t have the way with words Granny does nor her knowledge. I told her I would do the best I could. She patted me on the head and said I would do okay. I just wish she hadn’t had that hammer in her hand when she did it. Ha Ha. Just kidding.
Granny gave me a tentative list of the spots she wanted me to cover, and there are some good ones, believe you me. I just hope she gets back in time to do them justice. Until then, though, I will do the best I can.
Today we will feature radio spots for a movie I have never seen. It’s a 1949 comedy murder-mystery feature from Universal International called Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff.
Now I’ve seen several Abbott and Costello movies in the past, but this one has always escaped me. My favorite, of course, is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (Isn’t it everybody’s?!), a classic in every way. I had to look up the synopsis for this one on Wikipedia to see what it was all about and it sounds very confusing…a typical ‘who-dunnit’ with lots of suspects and the patsy, of course, being poor old Lou Costello. The odd part about all of this is the title of the movie. From the synopsis I see that the killer isn’t Boris Karloff at all, and why he is billed as such is a mystery to me. Even the radio spots can’t decide the proper name for the film, announcing it in some cuts as Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer. It must have been a ploy by the marketing department to capitalize on Karloff’s reputation and drawing power.
The spots are some of the oldest Granny has, and she said to thank The Radio Reaper. He dug deep into his reliquary to provide these. An audio rarity to be sure…
So, as Granny would say, sit back and enjoy these spots from 1949, and give a toast to The Radio Reaper the next time you meet with friends to enjoy cups of Granny’s witch’s brew.
I’ll see you next time…
15, 30, and 60 second radio spots
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Gary (Granny’s nephew) at [email protected].
I was working in The Crypt the other day, cleaning and dusting and making room for new material. Suddenly, my phone rang and I answered it.
“Granny! This is Portia! The Killer Shrews is on TV tonight!” She exclaimed.
‘What? I said. Where? When?”
“On Channel 13 tonight on The Early Late Show! At nine o’clock!” she said.
“Well, come on over,” I said. We’ll watch it.”
Portia is my rather excitable niece, my brother Ambrose’s youngest daughter. Having her over was going to be an experience to say the least. I knew that The Killer Shrews is one of her favorite movies, as is mine, so it ought to be a hoot, two fans absorbing every minute of this “B movie” classic.
She arrived about 8:30 PM and together we cooked up some popcorn and got our drinks together. At nine I fired up the old Sylvania 19” black-and-white TV and we settled in. We had a ball! …
Granny Creech digs up the radio spots for The Day of the Triffids…
It is hotter than blazes here in Squirrel Hollow!
I was working in my garden the other day, sweating, cussing and cursing at the top of my voice, when my neighbor and best friend, Esmeree Grimshaw, came around the corner of the house into my backyard. She was carrying a small box.
“Granny!” she exclaimed, setting the box down on my back porch. “What in the world is going on? Why are you yelling so much?”
“These…danged…triffids are driving me crazy! Every summer when I come out here I am faced with pulling up all of these blasted weeds. I don’t know where they all come from. Danged triffids!”
Esmeree smiled gently at me. “Oh, Granny, you’re so silly. Here…let me help.”
So, for the next hour we sat in the dirt, pulling out all the invaders that seem to choose my garden to grow in, year after year. I don’t know how they keep coming back, but they are ugly little critters. I “fondly” call all these ugly weeds and stalks in my garden “triffids”. As we pulled them out, my grumbling continued.
“Well, why don’t you just use salt water to kill them?” Esmeree asked.
We both looked at each other and started to laugh.
“Okay,” I said. “You got me. Enough about triffids.”
“At least they don’t pull themselves out of the ground and chase you,” she said, with a sly little grin.
We went into the house and washed our hands. We cooled off with glasses of sassafras iced tea. Esmeree told me the reason she came by was to drop off a box full of radio spots from The Radio Reaper. She opened the back door and brought in the box she had left on the porch. We spent the next few minutes going through it. Suddenly, Esmeree began to laugh. She handed me a record. “Here’s your next story,” she said.
I looked at the record she was holding and started to laugh, too. “That’s it,” I said. The Day of the Triffids. How fitting!”
The Day of the Triffids is a 1963 British film based on the 1951 novel by John Wyndham. When most of the entire world is blinded from watching a spectacular meteor shower, it is soon discovered that the meteorites contained spores which grow into giant mobile, man-eating plants. The story follows several characters who survive the blindness for various reasons and the trials they face.
The movie features many disturbing scenes of the general populace faced with sudden blindness: streets deserted of vehicular traffic while crowds of people stagger about; a train full of blind passengers crashing into a train station and the ensuing panic as injured passengers desperately grope their way around; and the moment when passengers on an airliner realize they and the pilots are all blind and the realization of their impending doom. Composite shots of burning cities and excellent matte paintings of landmarks and streets with dozens of crashed vehicles, and a shot of hundreds of triffids growing in a giant crater, add to the terror.
When I first saw The Day of the Triffids, I felt I was watching two movies rolled into one. I later found out I was. It seems that, according to the Internet Movie DataBase, the initial film starred Howard Keel and Nicole Maurey and centered on their adventures with the triffids. When production was over, the producers found they didn’t have enough footage to release as a full length movie. So, they brought on Janette Scott and Kieron Moore, created a new storyline set in a deserted lighthouse, and filmed their encounters with the triffids. The two stories were blended together into the movie we have now. It ends with a rather “War of the Worlds” tone as Moore and Scott find out that sea water dissolves and kills the triffids. Sea water, from whence mankind got its origin, now serves as its preserver.
The radio spots are awesome! They reflect the mystery and terror of the movie. Complete with amazing announcers, effective sound effects and music, the spots are some of the best I’ve heard. So, thanks to The Radio Reaper, have a listen and beware the unknown weeds in your garden: They may be…triffids!
Here are 10, 30, and 60 second radio spots to fill you with terror.
I was sitting in my kitchen the other morning when Big Abner comes running into my house, his laptop in hand.
“Granny, did you see your latest posting on Zombos’ Closet? he yelled.” He changed it!”
I took his computer from him and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Why that old….he took off all of my horror and science-fiction spots and replaced them with beach party spots and spots for some sleazy girlie movies,” I exclaimed.
“Yep, and he called yours “boring”!” added Abner.
I fumed. I thought the spots I had chosen from the It Came From Hollywood collection were pretty good and in keeping with the theme of my postings. But here he called them boring?? Hmmm. I would get to the bottom of this and have a nice long talk with Zombos’ valet, Zoc.
Big Abner sat down with me and we listened to the spots Zoc had chosen to replace mine. The Beach Blanket Bingo spots were pretty interesting and the lobby spots for Beach Party were cool; ah, that Frankie Avalon. Then we listened to the spots for The Student Nurses, The Young Nurses and then The Swinging Barmaids.
“Humpf,” I said. “Who would pay money to go see those movies?” I grumbled.
I looked at Abner. His eyes were glazed over and sweat was beginning to form on his brow.
“Abner!” I said. “Put your tongue back in your mouth and wipe that silly grin off your face.”
“Bye, Granny,” he said abruptly. “I’ve got to go!”
“Where are you off to?” I asked.
“The thrift store! I’ve got to find those movies and watch them….especially The Swinging Barmaids!” And with that he was out the door. …
From the super secret radio lair of Granny Creech and The Radio Reaper…
The other day I called up my brother Ambrose and asked him if he wanted to go into town to the grocery store with me. He did. I picked him up and we rode into Pumpkin Hollow to the General Store. We shopped for the month’s groceries and departed. We used the time together to catch up on all the latest gossip and to see how each other’s families were doing. I dropped him off and headed home. When I arrived, I noticed a large manilla envelope on my porch, leaning up against my front door. I took it in and then unloaded my many sacks of groceries. When I finished that task, I opened the envelope. It was from The Radio Reaper with a note that said, “Here are some interesting spots to go with the spots you ran a few weeks ago. I hope you enjoy them.”
I took out the record. “Ah, yes,” I thought, “the second feature to an interesting double bill. We finally get to hear the radio spots for Creature With the Atom Brain. Released in 1955 as the companion feature to It Came From Beneath the Sea, Creature is a delightfully atmospheric detective murder-mystery with science fiction elements thrown in. The opening scene showing someone or…something…walking toward the camera with a heavy back light while a beating heart is heard instantly grabs your attention. Later, when the mysterious figure bends iron window bars and breaks into a mansion, it attacks the man inside. Bullets can’t stop it and we see, quite graphically via shadows on the wall, the man picked up overhead by the powerful intruder and getting his spine snapped. And I don’t mean slightly snapped, I mean the poor guy gets folded in two…backwards…with a loud crack! Yeowch! My teeth hurt every time I watch that scene. …
Granny Creech digs deep to uncover memorable radio spots for Roger Corman movies…
I was invited over to my daughter Drusilla’s house this past Sunday to celebrate Mother’s Day. Her husband, Winslow, was there, as was my son, Arthur, and his wife Letitia (Letty), along with a whole bunch of little monsterkids-in-training. My grandson, Big Abner –Arthur’s and Letty’s son – couldn’t make it because he had some out-of-town business to finish up. He hoped to be there later.
After a fine meal we all retired to the rocking chairs and swing on the front porch and lazily sipped our glasses of sassafras tea. The topic of conversation turned to scary movies and we each took turns naming our favorites. The titles were as varied as the personalities on the porch: the men liked the old Universal movies, the women liked the Universal classics of the ‘50s, and I liked them all, especially the lower budget movies of the 1950s.
It was at this point that Big Abner came running up the sidewalk, panting, and between gasps said, “Roger Corman has died!”
A silence fell over the group. We had lost a great one. …
William Castle offers to lend Vincent Price a hand in cutting The Tingler cake.
My great-granddaughter Grizelda came over the other night for a sleepover. We had fun making sugar cookies and then icing them to look like pumpkins, skeletons, witches and scarecrows. Afterwards, we entertained each other by telling ghost stories while roasting marshmallows in front of the fireplace.
“Granny,” she said, “That last story you told gave me the willies. It scared me so badly that I could feel my whole body tensing up. It felt like my spine was about to break!”
“Ah, child,” I said. “What you felt was the Tingler grabbing hold of you. All you had to do was scream!”
She looked at me oddly, so I began to tell her all about The Tingler. She giggled gleefully and asked, “Can we watch it?” I whipped out the old DVD and hit ‘play’. We screamed and screamed and had a great time. …
An interesting thing happened the other night. I decided to invite some of my girlfiends over for a get-together, to enjoy some of my turnip, brussel sprouts and onion soup, and to just let my hair down and have some riotous frivolity. Several showed up. There were sister Elviney, cousin Agatha, and neighbors Hester Grimple, Elspeth Darkmoor, Vespera Howler, Winifred Hawthorne and Esmeree Grimshaw.
After supper we retired to the parlor, glasses of witch’s brew in hand, and had a great time, sitting around the crackling fireplace and reminiscing, telling stories of when we were kids, talking about our favorite scary movies, and telling jokes. We laughed and laughed until our sides hurt.
It was a little after midnight when the party wound down and my guests headed to the door. As they were leaving, Esmeree turned to me and said, “Granny, that was more fun than being in a graveyard on a cold wet night!” Everyone laughed, said their goodbyes, and disappeared into the night.
As I was cleaning up the kitchen I kept thinking about what Esmeree had said and how it sounded so familiar. Where had I heard that before? It wasn’t until I was all snug in my bed that it dawned on me. Of course! Famed Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons had said one of the movies she reviewed was, “More frightening than a graveyard on a cold wet night.” The movie? House On Haunted Hill. …
Granny goes seaside this week! (or seasick, either one)
I was sitting on my bed the other night reading my old copy of Film Fantasy Scrapbook when I heard a tapping at my bedroom window. Looking over I saw a ghastly face peering in at me. At first I was startled, but then I realized what, or who, it was. Getting out of bed, I went over and opened the window.
“Reaper,” I said. “What are you doing out here at this late hour?”
“I have another set of spots for you,” he said.
I took the vinyl record from his cold, clammy hands and looked it over.
“Oh, ho, ho,” I said. “This is a good one!”
He smiled and shuffled away into the darkness. I took the record back to bed with me and examined it closely. To think, the spots on this record hadn’t been heard for almost seventy years and here I was holding them in my hand. I could only imagine what the listeners back then thought when they heard the spots, and how they reacted when they saw the film on the big screen with its magnificent special effects. And the title…..who could resist seeing a movie called It Came From Beneath The Sea?
Released in 1955, the Columbia Pictures movie starred Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, and Donald Curtis. But, the real star was the giant radioactive octopus so skillfully brought to life by Ray Harryhausen. Using his unique split-screen “sandwich” technique he was able to create many exciting visuals, incorporating his animated model with live action plates in a most convincing way.
The spots capture the mystery and excitement of the movie and prepare the listener for the wonders they would see on the screen. I hope they grab you as well as they do me.
A wave of the tentacle goes to The Radio Reaper (ZC Note: OMG, there’s two of them now!) for providing this exciting look back at one of the greats of the 1950s. So, beware… and enjoy! Here are seven cool radio spots including 15, 30, and 60 second variations.
The giant octopus attacks the Golden Gate Bridge. Notice the great detailing on the stop-motion model.Only Ray Harryhausen could give personality to a tentacle!Nightmare at sea – in the dark, no less. Sailors see a giant tentacle rising up out of the water, followed by more!
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].
The scientists get a look inside Kronos in this matte shot showing the internal antenna.
From Granny C…
My cousin Agatha recently sent me a bat-mail, telling me how much she is enjoying my series of radio spots on giant monsters. She told me she knew of one more giant monster from one of her favorite science fiction movies and wondered if I might consider including it. I asked her which one and she said, “That giant colossus of metal, that energy-sucking ravager of planets…Kronos!”
Well, I suppose one could categorize Kronos as a giant monster of sorts, although not of skin and bones. But, it did cause a high level of terror among the populace, and a lot of anguish for the scientists tasked to find a way to destroy it. The theme was familiar, only this time the “monster” was a one hundred feet tall – and growing – giant made of metal. This was before Mogera of The Mysterians, Mechani-Kong of King Kong Escapes or Mechagodzilla.
Released in 1957, Kronos is acclaimed by fans as being a pretty good sci-fi thriller, with interesting visual effects. Most fans get a kick out of seeing Kronos stomping its way through the countryside with that creepy squeaking sound effect of its movement. Jeff Morrow, George O’Hanlon (the future voice of George Jetson), and Barbara Lawrence headline the cast with familiars John Emery and Morris Ankrum. It is interesting to see the wall-sized, tape-driven computer named S.U.S.I.E. How far we’ve come in 67 years!
Mari Blanchard as She Devil
The spots featured here are part of a double feature with She Devil, starring Mari Blanchard, Jack Kelly and Albert Dekker. It’s a quaint little story about a scientist (Kelly) who creates a serum based on the recuperative abilities of a fruit fly and uses it to cure injured animals. When he and his partner (Dekker) try it on a dying woman, she makes a miraculous recovery. As to be expected, serious side-effects occur, transforming her into a diabolical she-devil who will stop at nothing to fulfill her desires. She is able to regenerate any wound and even change the color of her hair at will. It is up to the two scientists to figure out a way to stop her.
Of the two, Kronos was the better movie, with top visuals blending a model Kronos with cartoon animation of its onslaught, trampling everything beneath its pounding feet. She Devil uses the old red make-up/red-blue filter effect to accomplish some nifty transformation scenes.
So, from 1957, for cousin Agatha and you, here’s Kronos…..and She Devil to assail you with 20, 30, and 60 second radio spots.
Newspaper ad for Kronos and She Devil movie double bill.Kronos, as we first see it, standing silently on the beach, awaiting instructions from a mind-controlled John Emery.The she-devil with a leopard that has also been healed, and its color changed, by the rejuvenation serum. The leopard scratches her arm, but she is able to instantly heal herself. This is the only connection in the film to the growls that symbolize the she-devil on the radio spots and to the black leopard pictured in newspaper ads.
Do you have any radio spots you would like to share? Contact Granny (Gary Fox) at [email protected].
“How do you do, ladies and gentlemen. Once again this is the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock welcoming you back to Granny Creech’s Radio Spot Crypt and Part Two of The Birds. I was thinking that Granny’s nephew, Crazy Gary, would be here to help me introduce these radio spots, but he is over in the corner, cowering in fear after listening to last week’s spots and the ones you are about to hear. He keeps mumbling incoherently and is just a pile of mush at the moment.
