Television horror movie hosts : 68 vampires, mad scientists and other denizens of the late-night airwaves examined and interviewed

Midnight, 1954. A striking woman in a torn black dress slinks down a cobwebbed, candelabra'd corridor. She stops, shrieks hysterically into the camera, then solemnly says, "Good evening, I am Vampira." Her real name is Maila Nurmi and she was the first in a long line of television horror movie hosts, commonly seen on independent stations' late-night "grade Z" offerings dressed as some zany ghoul or mad scientist. This book covers the major hosts in detail, along with styles and show themes. Merchandise tie-in and fan reactions are also chronicled. The appendices list film and record credits. It all began at the stroke of midnight in 1954, when a striking woman in a torn black dress slinked down a cobwebbed, candelabra'd corridor, shrieked hysterically into the camera, then solemnly said, "Good evening, I am Vampira." Since then there has been a long line of television horror movie hosts, and this book covers the major ones in detail, along with styles and show themes. Also chronicled are merchandising, film appearances, fan reactions, and record credits. Classic Images found this work, first published in 1991, "well worth reading." Examining a long line of television horror movie hosts, this book covers the major hosts in detail, along with styles and show themes. Merchandise tie-in and fan reactions are also chronicled.