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Lost Angels:

Horrors! LA's forgotten Horror Hosts

 
 

 

Los Angeles has had more horror hosts than you can shake a stake at.

Unfortunately, they seem to be mostly forgotten except in the minds of their fans. This is a list of some of the "hosts of yore" childhood, and a little of what made them great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ottola Nesmith may have the distinction of being the nations second horror hostess after Vampira. She quite possibly appeared on KTLA during the mid to late 50's (possibly 1956-57). She portrayed an Arsenic and Old Lace-type of character, a sort of "Little Old Lady from Transylvania". This Ghoul Gal would ask "May I pour you a cup tea?" from her own cobwebbed attic.

Ottola Nesmith had first appeared in movies, when movies first appeared around 1910. Her career lasted up to the 1960's and into television with guest shots on Bewitched and The Wild, Wild West. Maila Nurmi (Vampira) has said that she thought Ottola Nesmith was one of the best horror hosts ever and one of her personal favorites.

 

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Jeepers Creepers Theater began its life on KCOP (a Chris-Craft station)Channel 13 in 1962 with Bob Guy as the horror host Jeepers Creepers. Bob Guy was the program director for KCOP and Jeepers Creepers theater had many spookily fun characters such as a shrunken head named Julie, a lizard named Billy Joe, Boris the stuffed werewolf, Pumpkin the rat, a skull named Aunt Minnie and her smaller skull relative Doris. Jeepers ran around with large bushy brows and bulging eyes. Go to the Keeper of the Creepers Flame: Jim Fetter's Jeepers Creepers Shrine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When in 1963 Jeepers Creepers Theater was continued, a new hostess was brought on board by the name of Ghoulita. Zombie girl-style, she had a frizzy white wig and large black circles around eyes that would stare right into the camera.

Before the year ended, she would be replaced with Jeepers Keeper who portrayed an undead version of Jeepers Creepers. Fred Stuthman was a veteran actor whose credits (besides that of Jeepers Keeper) included the movies: Network and Marathon Man. His sidekick for the show was the "Little Old Lady from Pasadena", who was actually a dummy with a very rattly old skull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fourth and final entry as host of Jeepers Creepers Theater was known as The Creeper. Jim Sullivan, writer and producer of Jeepers Creepers Theater from the start, took over the acting chores as The Creeper.

 

 

 

 

 

The Creeper crept from 1965 to 1966 where it ended in a one hour special live telecast. The telecast was billed as 'House of Horror' a live theater experiment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the mid-seventies at KCOP, another horror host was helming the airwaves as Famous Morris. Famous Morris lasted less than a year, but is remembered as a chubby devil, with hood and horns, who spent a lot of time talking to his "boss" on a plastic pay phone.

 

 

 

Over at KHJ Channel 9, Grimsley was creating more of a stir. It was 1976 and Grimsley was the new host of Fright Night on Saturday nights. Robert Foster played Grimsley, a vampire that wore gray greasepaint, mustache and frizzy hair. His set was much like an attic, covered in candelabras and cobwebs and coffin. He started each show rising from his coffin. He made personal appearances at the El Portal theatre in North Hollywood, where he did a live show and he hosted two movies, The Vampires and Arnold. (Click on Arnold's name to hear a promotional spot for the movie). By 1977 he was acting Grand Marshal at Magic Mountain amusement park and appeared there at Halloween. Grimsley's Fright Night lasted up till 1979.