Shock Theatre Chicago Style

From December 1957 through October 1959, Chicago TV viewers were held in thrall by “Marvin,” the ghoulishly hilarious host of WBKB-TV’s late-night horror film series Shock Theatre. Marvin and his lady friend “Dear” (her face ever hidden from the camera) introduced thousands of Chicagoland youngsters to such classic Universal chillers as Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man. This history of Shock Theatre focuses on the series and its creator, Marvin himself—in real life, the multi-talented Terry Bennett, whose wife Joy played “Dear.” Terry’s son Kerry Bennett provides an affectionate foreword, while celebrated horror host Count Gore De Vol (Dick Dyszel) supplies the afterword. Included are dozens of photos and vintage advertisement reproductions, as well as two appendices featuring a resume of Terry Bennett’s career and a list of films telecast during his two-year Shock Theatre run.

Donald F. Glut is a prolific book and article writer, and movie producer-director. He is the president of Frontline Entertainment and lives in Burbank, California.

Donald F. Glut
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 204
Bibliographic Info: 61 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6805-8
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8971-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by Kerry Bennett 1
Introduction 3
1. Off to a Shocking Start 13
2. Initial Shocks 31
3. Beginning Shock Treatment 44
4. Pre-Shock Anticipation 54
5. Shock Waves Shake Chicago 66
6. Present and Future Shocks 84
7. Electrically Shocking Charges 95
8. Son of Shock! 104
9. Shocking New Developments 112
10. Shocktails and Shock Tales 122
11. Continuing Shock Therapy 135
12. Shock Absorbers 141
13. Shockingly Sad News 152
14. Aftershock 168
Afterword by Dick Dyszel, “Count Gore De Vol” 178
Appendix I: Marvin’s “Cartoon” Line-Up 181
Appendix II: Terry Bennett Resume 184
Bibliography 186
Index 187

“lively information…definitive”—Filmfax; “Glut has provided a magisterial glimpse of the show…an enjoyable historical excursion into the early years of genre movie television broadcasting”—Mad Scientist; “Glut is a readable writer and a thorough researcher…stands as the ultimate record of the show”—Scarlet; “recommend…emphatically”—www.mania.com.