A horror host is a person who acts as the host or presenter of a program where

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

s and low-budget

B movies A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, ...

are shown on television or the Internet. Usually the host assumes a horror-themed persona, often a campy or humorous one. Generally there are breaks in the film where the host comments on various aspects of the movie. Many horror host shows also include skits involving the hosts themselves, sometimes with a sidekick or other supporting characters.

History

Early hosts

The first (proto) television horror hostess was Vampira (Maila Nurmi). ''

The Vampira Show ''The Vampira Show'' is an American television show featuring vintage horror films presented by horror host Vampira. The series aired on the Los Angeles ABC television affiliate KABC-TV from April 30, 1954, through April 2, 1955. The weekly se ...

'' featured mostly low budget suspense films, as few horror films had yet been released for television broadcast. It ran from 1954-1955 only in the Los Angeles market, but Nurmi's persona (based on cartoonist

Charles Addams Charles Samuel Addams (January 7, 1912 – September 29, 1988) was an American cartoonist known for his darkly humorous and macabre characters. Some of his recurring characters became known as the Addams Family, and were subsequently populari ...

's "Morticia" character) would gain fame in magazines, TV, and film. In 1957,

John Zacherle John Zacherle ( ; sometimes credited as John Zacherley; September 26, 1918 – October 27, 2016) was an American television host, radio personality, singer, and voice actor. He was best known for his long career as a television horror host, oft ...

of Philadelphia's

WCAU WCAU (channel 10) is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned and operated by the NBC television network through its NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Mount Laurel, New Jersey–licensed ...

(and later in other markets) set the standard format for horror hosts with his "Roland" character for the station's ''

Shock Theater ''Shock Theater'' (marketed as ''Shock!'') is a package of 52 pre-1948 classic horror films from Universal Studios released for television syndication in October 1957 by Screen Gems, the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. The ''Shock The ...

''. This was made possible due to RKO Pictures' new ownership licensing out the rights to its vast B-movie horror film library. Zacherle's set, style, film commentary, and special effects (such as interjecting his image into the film) were quickly emulated at local stations around the world, and as an homage today by hosts such as the nationally syndicated Svengoolie (Rich Koz). Each station had its own host and style. Some hosts did regular commercials, while others presented fictional ads for bottled witches' blood. Hosts were often plucked from the ranks of the station staff. In the days of live television, it was not uncommon for the weather man or booth announcer to finish a nightly news broadcast and race madly to another part of the soundstage for a quick costume change to present the evening's monster tale. While a few early hosts like Roland and Vampira became the icons of this nationwide movement, most hosts were locals. The impact of these friendly revenants on their young fans cannot be underestimated. The earliest hosts are still remembered with great affection today.

Notable hosts

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

References

External links

Horror Host Hall of Fame
The official Hall of Fame for Horror Hosts of all generations.
American Scary
- Documentary: A look at the nation's tradition of horror hosting, from Zacherley to A. Ghastlee Ghoul
Horror Hosts and Creature Features Magazine
A magazine dedicated to Horror Hosts and Movies. {{Horror film *