“Svengoolie” presents his big broadcast of Roger Corman’s “The Undead” (1957), this Sat. on Me-TV

Fellow Svengoolie Super SvenPals everywhere will be dancing for joy for his big broadcast of a classic mammoth American-International fantasy masterpiece from a legendary feature film director-producer-exhibitor.

“Svengoolie” presents his big broadcast of Roger Corman’s “The Undead” (1957)

A snippet from Roger Corman‘s classic mammoth supernatural feature masterpiece production of “The Undead” (1957), originally released via Samuel Z. Arkoff and James Nicholson’s American-International Pictures.

Original 1957 American-International theatrical advertising proof for Roger Corman’s “The Undead.”

The legendary and iconic Berwyn/Chicago-based fantasy feature film masterpiece host will present his big broadcast of “The Undead” (1957), this Sat.; June 29 at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on Me-TV.

The classic mammoth horror/supernatural masterpiece production of “The Undead” (1957) was directed and produced by legendary veteran feature film director-producer Roger Corman.  Corman got into the motion picture business as a messenger for Twentieth Century Fox (Twentieth Century Studios) in 1948 after graduating from Stanford University with an Engineering degree and was promoted to the story department; according to a March 1957 profile on Corman in Motion Picture Exhibitor. After studying at Oxford University in 1950, Corman returned to Hollywood and sold his first original screenplay to Allied Artists; which was made into a film by veteran director Nathan Hertz Juran, titled “Highway Dragnet” (1954).  Corman would later produce one of his classic creature and sci-fi fantasy feature film masterpieces for release thru Allied Artists, “Attack of the Crab Monsters” (1957) with a pre-“Gilligan’s Island” Russell Johnson, Pamela Duncan and Richard Garland.

For the majority of his career, Corman collaborated with Samuel Z. Arkoff and James H. Nicholson’s American-International Pictures and was responsible for most of the feature film successes for Arkoff and Nicholson’s motion picture releasing/distribution firm.  Some of Corman’s best-known early classic mammoth American-International feature film masterpiece productions that he worked on include “The Fast and the Furious” (1954/55 which was one of the very first feature films released by Arkoff and Nicholson’s company) with John Ireland and Dorothy Malone, “It Conquered the World” (1956) with Peter Graves, Beverly Garland and young Lee Van Cleef and  “A Bucket of Blood” (1959).

Original 1958 American-International exhibitors’ leaflet, featuring Samuel Z. Arkoff and James Nicholson. Sidebar: That’s not “Zalman T. Tombstone” in the middle! -C.H.

Both Arkoff and Nicholson established American-International as the American Releasing Corporation in 1954, according to the Samuel Z. Arkoff papers collection housed at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.   Arkoff later sold American-International to television and feature film production-syndication company Filmways in 1979, which was later acquired by Orion Pictures in 1982.  Orion, along with the majority of the American-International/Filmways holdings** was then sold to the present incarnation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1997.  Inspired by MGM’s re-introduction of the “Orion Pictures” moniker for feature films and television productions (minus modern TV syndication of feature films, where the American-International/Filmways/Orion holdings are still syndicated under the MGM Television moniker), the modern incarnation of MGM recently revived the “American-International Pictures” (AIP) moniker for certain theatrical releases/feature film productions for theatrical release and premium streaming/video-on-demand service providers.

 **”The Undead” (1957) was one of several early features from Arkoff and Nicholson’s American-International that were not sold to Filmways in 1979. Samuel Z. Arkoff acquired the rights to several early classic mammoth American-International feature film masterpiece productions.  Under the moniker of Selma Enterprises, the Samuel Z. Arkoff estate owns the rights to “The Undead” (1957)- the home entertainment, television syndication and streaming rights are currently licensed to Shout! Factory, LLC/Shout! Studios (by arrangement with Selma Enterprises/the Samuel Z. Arkoff estate).  –C.H.

Roger Corman was also known for his classic mammoth American-International masterpiece screen thriller masterpiece adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe’s literary thriller works, including “House of Usher” (1960, a.k.a. “The Fall of the House of Usher”) with Vincent Price, the American-International adaptation of Poe’s “Pit and the Pendulum” (1961, with Vincent Price and Barbara Steele), the American-International adaptation of Poe’s short stories, “Tales of Terror” (1962, with Price, Maggie Pierce, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone), the American-International feature adaptation of Poe’s “The Raven” (1963, with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Hazel Court and young Jack Nicholson).  Corman’s latter American-International productions included “The Wild Angels” (1966) with Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra and young Bruce Dern, Corman also produced Daniel Haller’s “The Dunwich Horror” (1970) with Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, the senior Ed Begley and Sam Jaffe.

While he was producing features for Arkoff and Nicholson’s American-International, Corman founded his own brief independent production-releasing firm, Filmgroup.  His company was known for the production of “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960) with Jonathan Haze,  Jackie Joseph and young Jack Nicholson (Corman’s 1960 production inspired Howard Ashman’s latter 1982 Broadway musical-comedy, “Little Shop of Horrors” and Frank Oz’s modern classic mammoth 1986 Warner Bros. feature musical-comedy masterpiece film adaptation of “Little Shop of Horrors”).  Corman shut down his Filmgroup firm one year later, according to a June 1961 issue of Boxoffice.

Later in his career, Corman set up his own independent production-distribution firm, New World Pictures.  Some of Corman’s classic mammoth New World masterpiece productions/releases include “Death Race 2000” (1975) with David Carradine,  Simone Griffeth, young Sylvester Stallone and legendary Los Angeles radio disc jockey “The Real” Don Steele (of Los Angeles’ KHJ Radio fame, during the station’s famed “Boss Radio” Top 40 musicradio format era when the station was owned by General Tire/RKO General), Ron Howard (of TV’s “The Andy Griffith Show” fame, 1962’s “The Music Man” fame and “Happy Days” fame), “Grand Theft Auto” (1977, directed by Ron Howard, he also appeared in the aforementioned production with Nancy Morgan, Marion Ross (also of TV’s “Happy Days” fame), Clint Howard (the real-life brother of Ron Howard) and “The Real” Don Steele (Corman was responsible for giving Ron Howard his first big break in directing motion pictures) and Allan Arkush and Joe Dante’s classic mammoth rock comedy masterpiece production of “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” (1979) with the legendary rock group The Ramones; along with P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten and “The Real” Don Steele.

Produced for Arkoff and Nicholson’s American-International under the moniker of “Balboa Productions,” the screenplay for Corman’s “The Undead” (1957) was written by veteran screenwriters Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna.  Griffith collaborated with Corman for many feature film productions, including “It Conquered the World” (1956), “Attack of the Crab Monsters” (1957), “The Little Shop of Horrors” (1960), “The Wild Angels” (1966) and “Death Race 2000” (1975).  Mark Hanna also wrote the screenplay for Bert I. Gordon’s classic mammoth American-International Pictures sci-fi masterpiece, “The Amazing Colossal Man” (1957).  The original working title for the 1957 Corman/American-International Pictures production of “The Undead” was “The Trance of Diana Love.”

According to veteran director Joe Dante’s “Trailers From Hell” video on Roger Corman’s classic mammoth American-International supernatural/horror masterpiece production of “The Undead” (1957) and IMDB; it was reported that Corman was partially inspired by hypnotist/businessman/author Morey Bernstein’s book, titled “The Search for Bridey Murphy.”

According to historian Chris Root’s 2019 Denver Public Library article on Bernstein and Bridey Murphy, it was reported that Bernstein hypnotized Ruth Mills Simmons of Pueblo, Colorado; a.k.a. Virginia Tighe into a past life.  Bernstein claimed that under hypnosis, Simmons/Tighe recounted a “past life” under the name of “Bridey Murphy” of Ireland, claimed to be born in 1798.  For the “past” life of “Murphy,” Simmons/Tighe recounted past stories of her past life as “Murphy” in several hypnotism sessions. When Bernstein published his book about the hypnotic findings of Simmons/Tighe/”Murphy,” it was mentioned that there were many inaccurate findings from Bernstein and Simmons/Tighe’s “Murphy” trance.

Roger Corman’s classic mammoth American-International supernatural/horror/fantasy masterpiece production of “The Undead” (1957) was not the only film that was partially inspired by Bernstein’s story.  According to additional details from Chris Root’s 2019 Denver Public Library article, veteran director Richard Bartlett directed the classic Universal Studios supernatural-fantasy drama production of “I’ve Lived Before” (1956) with Jock Mahoney, Leigh Snowden and a pre-“Beverly Hillbillies” Raymond Bailey.  Veteran screenwriter Norman Jolley and veteran actor/writer William Talman (who played Hamilton Burger opposite Raymond Burr in TV’s “Perry Mason”) co-wrote the screenplay adaptation of “I’ve Lived Before.”

Corman’s classic mammoth American-International supernatural/horror masterpiece production of “The Undead” (1957) was released theatrically from coast-to-coast with another cult classic mammoth American-International supernatural thriller masterpiece production, according to an original 1957 American-International double feature exhibitors’ booklet that was unearthed via New York University’s William K. Everson collection.

“The screen’s new high in violent, shrieking terror!” Original 1957 American-International Pictures exhibitors’ booklet cover art for the double-feature presentation of Edward L. Cahn’s “Voodoo Woman” and Roger Corman’s “The Undead.”

The other production in the 1957 American-International theatrical twinset with Corman’s ‘The Undead” was Edward L. Cahn’s production of “Voodoo Woman” (1957) with Marla English, Tom Conway (one half of the fictional “Falcon Brothers” of RKO Radio Pictures’ “The Falcon” film series and of 1942’s “Cat People” fame) and Mike Connors (later of TV’s “Mannix” fame, Connors received screen credit in Cahn’s 1957 American-International feature production under his nickname of “Touch” Connors) and veteran sculptor/American-International feature art director Paul Blaisdell.

Sidebar: Viewer discretion is advised.

Four decades after the original American-International theatrical release of Roger Corman’s “The Undead,” his classic mammoth 1957 supernatural-horror-fantasy masterpiece production was riffed on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” on the Sci-FI Channel (today’s SyFy) in 1997; according to the MST3K-Info/Satellite News episode guide website.  Riffed in ep. #806, the MST3K edition of Roger Corman’s “The Undead” (1957) featured host Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy (the vocal stylings of Tom Servo and portrayal of evil overlord Prof. Bobo), Mary Jo Pehl (as evil overlord Pearl Forrester), Bill Corbett (the vocal stylings of Crow T. Robot and portrayal of the “observer,’ a.k.a. “Brain Guy”) and Jim Mallon (the vocal stylings of Gypsy).  The MST3K edition of “The Undead” aired back on March 8, 1997.

This will mark Sven’s fourth big coast-to-coast broadcast of “The Undead” (1957) on the airlanes of Me-TV.  He previously showcased Corman’s classic mammoth 1957 American-International supernatural horror feature film masterpiece as a big coast-to-coast Me-TV broadcast premiere back in April 2021 and as regular Me-TV big broadcasts back in Dec. 2021 and Dec. 2023. From Sven’s earlier Me-TV big broadcasts of “The Undead” (1957), an older “Teleworld, Inc.”-syndicated print was supplied to Me-TV by Shout! Factory/Shout! Studios.  According to additional details from the syndicated print via Shout! TV (which includes the 1980s-era Teleworld logo at the conclusion) and according to 1997 edition of the International Television & Video Almanac, syndicator Teleworld, Inc. handled the TV syndication rights to “The Undead” (1957) under the moniker of “17 AIP Science Fiction Classics,” by arrangement with Arkoff’s Selma Enterprises at the time.

Who was in Roger Corman’s classic horror-fantasy masterpiece production of “The Undead” (1957)?

The players who appeared in Roger Corman’s classic American-International horror-fantasy production of “The Undead” were Allison Hayes (as Livia the witch), Pamela Duncan (in the dual roles of Diana Love/Helene), Richard Garland (as Pendragon), Dorothy Neumann (as Meg Maud the witch), Billy Barty (as an imp), Val Dufour (as Quintus Ratcliff), Mel Welles (as Smolkin, the gravedigger), Bruno VeSota (as Scroop, the innkeeper), Dick Miller (as a leper, Miller received screen credit in Corman’s production of “The Undead” under his full name of Richard Miller), Maurice Manson (as Prof. Ulbrecht Olinger), Richard Devon (as Satan), and Aaron Saxon (as Gobbo, the jailer) and Don Garrett (as a knight).

“Svengoolie” presents his big broadcast of William Castle’s “13 Ghosts” (1960), this Sat. on Me-TV

Fellow Svengoolie Super SvenPals everywhere will be dancing and jumping for joy for his upcoming big broadcast of a classic mammoth Columbia Pictures macabre gimmick thriller masterpiece from one of the legendary macabre film directors.

“Svengoolie” presents his big broadcast of William Castle’s “13 Ghosts” (1960)

Original 1960 Columbia Pictures theatrical release trailer for William Castle‘s classic mammoth macabre gimmick thriller masterpiece in the magic of “Illusion-O,” “13 Ghosts;” featuring an exclusive trailer introduction by Castle.

“13 Times the Thrills!” “13 Times the Screams!” “13 Times the Fun!” “See the ‘Ghosts’ in ‘Ectoplasmic’ Color!” Original 1960 Columbia Pictures theatrical poster art for William Castle’s “13 Ghosts” in “Illusion-O.”

The legendary and iconic Berwyn/Chicago-based classic mammoth thriller feature film masterpiece host will present his big broadcast of “13 Ghosts” (1960) this Sat., March 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on Me-TV.

The classic mammoth 1960 Columbia macabre thriller was directed by the legendary master of macabre cinema, William Castle. For the majority of Castle’s motion picture career, he produced and directed numerous feature films for Columbia Pictures.

Before he went into the art and innovation of macabre-thriller “gimmick”-style feature film masterpiece productions, he directed numerous classic mammoth Columbia feature film masterpiece productions, including the western “Klondike Kate” (1943) with Glenda Farrell (of Warner Bros.‘ “Mystery of the Wax Museum” and Warners’ “Torchy Blane” fame), Ann Savage, Tom Neal and future TV producer Sheldon Leonard.

He also directed four entries in Columbia’s “The Whistler” feature film adaptation series (adapted from the CBS Radio mystery series of the same name) with Richard Dix, “The Whistler” (1944, also with Gloria Stuart of 1933’s “The Invisible Man” and 1997’s “Titanic” fame), “The Mark of the Whistler” (1944, also with Janis Carter and Porter Hall), “Voice of the Whistler” (1945, also with Lynn Merrick and Rhys Williams) and “Mysterious Intruder” (1946, also with Nina Vale and Barton MacLane of Warners’ “Torchy Blane” fame and later of TV’s “I Dream of Jeannie” fame in the latter part of his acting career) and four entries in Columbia’s “Crime Doctor” mystery feature film masterpiece adaptation series with Warner Baxter; “The Crime Doctor’s Warning” (1945, also with John Litel and Dusty Anderson), “Just Before Dawn” (1946, also with Adele Roberts and Martin Kosleck), “Crime Doctor’s Man Hunt” (1946, also with Ellen Drew and William Frawley; later of TV’s “I Love Lucy” and “My Three Sons”/”Binge the Cringe” fame) and “The Crime Doctor’s Gamble” (1947, also with Micheline Cheirel and Roger Dann).

Castle also produced Orson Welles‘ classic mammoth critically-acclaimed Columbia film noir-drama masterpiece production of “The Lady From Shanghai” (1947) with Welles, Rita Hayworth and Everett Sloane, Castle also co-wrote the screenplay for the aforementioned 1947 Columbia production with Welles and Sherwood King.   The veteran director-producer also directed hs classic mammoth Columbia feature-length adventure masterpiece and the very first 3-D film for Columbia Pictures, “Fort Ti” (1953) with George Montgomery, Joan Vohs, Irving Bacon and young Rusty Hamer (later of TV’s “Make Room for Daddy”/”The Danny Thomas Show” fame).

Alongside “13 Ghosts” (1960), many of Castle’s classic mammoth Columbia macabre “gimmick” feature film masterpiece productions alongside include “The Tingler” (1959) with Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn and Darryl Hickman;  “Mr. Sardonicus” (1961) with Guy Rolfe, Oscar Homolka, Audrey Dalton, Lorna Hanson, Ronald Lewis, Erika Peters and Vladimir Sokoloff; “Homicidal” (1961) with Glenn Corbett, “Zotz!” (1962) with Tom Poston (later of TV’s “Newhart” fame), Julia Meade, Jim Backus (of interest to fellow Super Tooners/Super SvenPals of Toony & Bill’s “Toon In With Me,” the vocalizations of “Mister Magoo” for the Columbia-UPA theatrical cartoon series and the latter UPA TV adaptation and his Live-Action appearances of TV’s “Gilligan’s Island” fame), Margaret Dumont (who previously appeared in seven of The Marx Brothers’ classic mammoth feature film comedy masterpieces from 1929–41) and Fred Clark,  “The Old, Dark House” (1962/63, co-produced with Britain’s Hammer Films) with Poston and Janette Scott and “Strait-Jacket” (1964) with Joan Crawford, Diane Baker, Leif Erickson, young George Kennedy and young Lee Majors (later of TV’s “The Big Valley” and “The Six Million Dollar Man” fame).

Alongside Castle’s long career at Columbia, he also directed his earlier classic mammoth macabre gimmick thriller masterpiece productions for Allied Artists, notably “Macabre” (1958) with Jim Backus, Christine White and William Prince and “House on Haunted Hill” (1959) with Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Julie Mitchum, Elisha Cook Jr.,  Carolyn Craig, Alan Marshal and Leona Anderson. Castle also directed several classic mammoth macabre thriller masterpieces for rival Universal Studios, including “The Night Walker” (1964) with Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Taylor and Hayden Roarke (later of TV’s “I Dream of Jeannie” fame) and “I Saw What You Did” (1965) with Joan Crawford, John Ireland and Leif Erickson.  Castle later directed several productions for rival Paramount Pictures, including his classic mammoth Paramount comedy masterpiece production of “The Busy Body” (1967) with Sid Caesar, Richard Pryor, Anne Baxter and Robert Ryan and his classic mammoth Paramount sci-fi masterpiece production of “Project X” (1968) with Christopher George, Greta Baldwin, Henry Jones, Harold Gould and Monte Markham.   Near the end of his life, Castle later appeared in a cameo appearance in John Schlesinger‘s classic mammoth Paramount studio drama-thriller masterpiece production of “The Day of the Locust” (1975) with Karen Black, Donald Sutherland, Burgess Meredith and Geraldine Page.

Castle returned to Columbia Pictures to serve as an executive producer for the studio’s brief classic mammoth horror-thriller TV anthology masterpiece series, “Ghost Story/Circle of Fear” (1972-73), produced under Columbia’s Screen Gems TV unit for the NBC television network.  Alongside directing “13 Ghosts” (1960), Castle also produced his classic mammoth Columbia “Illusion-O” feature macabre thriller gimmick masterpiece production.

The screenplay for Castle’s classic mammoth 1960 Columbia “Illusion-O” macabre thriller masterpiece production of “13 Ghosts” was written by veteran Castle screenwriter/associate producer/production collaborator and novelist Robb White.  White also wrote the screenplay for Castle’s classic mammoth Allied Artists macabre thriller masterpiece production of “House on Haunted Hill” (1959) and Castle’s classic mammoth Columbia macabre masterpiece productions of “The Tingler” (1959) and “Homicidal” (1961).  Alongside working with William Castle during his screenwriting and feature film/TV production career, Robb White wrote the teleplay treatments for eight episodes of the classic mammoth CBS television drama masterpiece series adaptation of Erle Stanley Gardner‘s “Perry Mason” with Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Hopper, Ray Collins and William Talman from 1961-65 (the eight “Perry Mason” episodes that White wrote for the series were 1961’s “The Case of the Traveling Treasure,” 1962’s “The Case of the Melancholy Marksman,” 1963’s “The Case of the Lover’s Leap,” “The Case of the Deviant Delinquent,” 1964’s  “The Case of the Bountiful Beauty,” “The Case of the Careless Kidnapper,” “The Case of the Reckless Rockhound” and 1965’s “The Case of the Candy Queen”).   To paraphrase Sven, “Robb White wrote eight episodes of.. “Perry Mason!” -C.H.

This will mark Sven’s third big broadcast of Castle’s classic mammoth 1960 Columbia Pictures “Illusion-O” macabre thriller masterpiece production on the airlanes of Me-TV.  He previously showcased “13 Ghosts” (1960) as a coast-to-coast Me-TV big broadcast premiere back in Oct. 2018 and as a regular Me-TV big broadcast back in Sept. 2019.

In Sven/Rich Koz’s home area of Berwyn/Chicago, Illinois; he previously showcased William Castle’s classic mammoth Columbia macabre thriller masterpiece production of “13 Ghosts” (1960) as a Berwyn/Chicago big broadcast showcase on his hometown TV station in Berwyn/Chicago, Illinois; WCIU-TV 26 back in Nov. 2009; according to IMDB.

Who was in William Castle’s classic mammoth Columbia macabre thriller masterpiece production of “13 Ghosts” (1960, in “Illusion-O”)?

The players who appeared in William Castle’s classic mammoth Columbia Pictures “Illusion-O” macabre-thriller masterpiece production of “13 Ghosts” (1960) were Charles Herbert (as Buck Zorba), Martin Milner (as Benjamen Rush), Jo Morrow (as Medea Zorba), Donald Woods (as Cyrus Zorba), Margaret Hamilton (as Elaine Zacharides), Rosemary DeCamp (as Hilda Zorba), David Hoffman (in an uncredited role as a messenger),  John Van Dreelen (as Van Allen), Jeanne Baker, Ralph Helfer, William Kelley, Hubie Kerns, Darryl Scott McFadden, John Burnside and Roy Jenson (in uncredited roles as “ghosts”).