In the late 50’s there was a show that I religiously
watched called Shock Theatre. It starred John Zacherle as Roland. John was
called the cool ghoul by Dick Clark and it was a fitting name for the talented
and funny Roland who hosted the weekly horror flicks for my generation on the
Philadelphia station WCAU.
Roland, who dressed like an undertaker and looked
deader than a doorknob, lived in a crypt with his wife, “My Dear” and his lab
assistant, “Igor”, but what made Roland such a hit with me and my friends was
the way he would insert his own brand of humor or satire with cut-ins during a
film. I had never seen someone do this before and I loved how Roland would cut
in on a scary horror scene and do something funny. I did not see this type of brilliance
again until Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
I’ll include a few videos for you to check out, but Shock
Theatre and Roland are one of the reasons that I love watching and writing horror stories.
