''Shock Theater'' (marketed as ''Shock!'') is a package of 52 pre-1948 classic horror films from

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

released for

television syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of content owners leasing the right to broadcast their content to other television stations or radio stations, without having an official broadcast network to air it on. It is common in the United States whe ...

in October 1957 by

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. ''Screen Gems'' has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the de ...

, the television subsidiary of

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

. The ''Shock Theater'' package included ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

'', ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'', '' The Mummy'', ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...

'' and '' The Wolf Man'' as well as a few non-horror

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

and

mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...

s. A second package, Son of Shock, was released for television by Screen Gems in 1958, with 20 horror films from both Universal and Columbia.

Horror hosts

''Shock Theater'' usually aired on late night television on weekends, and in many markets was introduced by a costumed

horror host 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 w ...

; a well-known example was Zacherley (John Zacherle) on

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

WCAU-TV 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 Tel ...

(as 'Roland') in 1957-58, and New York's

WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, WABC-TV maintains studios in the Hudson Square neighborhood ...

in 1958-59. Prior to Zacherely's arrival at WABC-TV, Shock Theater was hosted off-camera by ABC staff announcer Scott Vincent and three other ABC staff announcers who worked in rotation. ''Shock Theater'' continued the American tradition of horror film television shows that originated with Vampira (

Maila Nurmi Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress best known for creating the Camp (style), campy 1950s character Vampira. She was raised in Astoria, Oregon, where ...

) at

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

KABC-TV KABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship station of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station mai ...

in 1954-55. ''Shock Theater'' programs in major cities were often introduced by local hosts in the style of Zacherley or Vampira such as Terry Bennett's Marvin on Chicago's

WBKB-TV WBKB-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Alpena, Michigan, United States, affiliated with CBS, NBC, American Broadcasting Company, ABC, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Morgan Murphy Media, the station maintains st ...

. With the varying lengths of the features ranging from the 58 minutes of '' The Cat Creeps'' to the 99 minute ''

Son of Frankenstein ''Son of Frankenstein'' is a 1939 American horror film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The film is the third in Universal Pictures' ''Frankenstein'' series and is the follow-up to the 1935 ...

'', the host's sequences could pad out the broadcast to a standard time slot. Screen Gems acquired a 10-year lease of the television rights to 550 Universal Pictures features in June 1957, with the intention of packaging them by formats and stars, including horror, crime, and comedy. The first Shock package was an instant success nationwide. Viewership measurements in five key television markets (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, San Antonio) showed the program boosting ratings anywhere from 38 percent to 1,125 percent.Huge Ratings Jumps Show Dialers Flocking to 'Shock!'
, ''Billboard'', Oct. 14, 1957, p. 8.

Films

Shock Theater

Films sourced from the book ''Universal Horrors''. *''

'' (1931) *''

Murders in the Rue Morgue "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in ''Graham's Magazine'' in 1841. It has been described as the first modern detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". C. Auguste ...

'' (1932) *'' The Mummy'' (1932) *'' The Secret of the Blue Room'' (1933) *''

'' (1933) *'' The Black Cat'' (1934) *'' Secret of the Chateau'' (1934) *''

The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirm ...

'' (1935) *''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...

'' (1935) *'' The Great Impersonation'' (1935) *''

Werewolf of London ''Werewolf of London'' is a 1935 horror film directed by Stuart Walker (director), Stuart Walker and starring Henry Hull as the titular werewolf. The supporting cast includes Warner Oland, Valerie Hobson, Lester Matthews, and Spring Byington. ...

'' (1935) *''

Chinatown Squad ''Chinatown Squad'' is a 1935 American mystery film directed by Murray Roth, written by Dore Schary and Ben Ryan starring Lyle Talbot, Valerie Hobson, Hugh O'Connell, and Andy Devine, and featuring Leslie Fenton and Bradley Page. The film was ...

'' (1935) *'' The Invisible Ray'' (1936) *''

Dracula's Daughter ''Dracula's Daughter'' is a 1936 American vampire horror film produced by Universal Pictures as a sequel to the 1931 film ''Dracula''. Directed by Lambert Hillyer from a screenplay by Garrett Fort, the film stars Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden in ...

'' (1936) *'' Night Key'' (1937) *'' The Man Who Cried Wolf'' (1937) *''

Reported Missing! ''Reported Missing!'' is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Milton Carruth and written by Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields. The film stars William Gargan, Jean Rogers, Dick Purcell, Hobart Cavanaugh, Michael Fitzmaurice, Joe Sawyer, ...

'' (1937) *''

The Spy Ring ''The Spy Ring'' is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and written by George Waggner. The film stars William Hall, Jane Wyman, Esther Ralston, Robert Warwick, Leon Ames and Ben Alexander. The film was released on Januar ...

'' (1938) *'' The Last Warning'' (1938) *''

'' (1939) *'' Mystery of the White Room'' (1939) *''

The Witness Vanishes ''The Witness Vanishes'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Otis Garrett and starring Edmund Lowe, Wendy Barrie, and Bruce Lester. Plot Cast Production In 1937, Universal Pictures made a deal with Crime Club, who were publishers of ...

'' (1939) *''

The Invisible Man Returns ''The Invisible Man Returns'' is a 1940 American horror science fiction film directed by Joe May. The film stars Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey and John Sutton. The film is a sequel to the 1933 film ''The Invisible Man'', and the ...

'' (1940) *''

Enemy Agent ''Enemy Agent'' is a 1940 American spy thriller film directed by Lew Landers and starring Richard Cromwell, Helen Vinson, and Robert Armstrong.McLaughlin p.325 The supporting cast includes Jack La Rue, Jack Carson, Philip Dorn and Milburn Ston ...

'' (1940) *''

The Mummy's Hand ''The Mummy's Hand'' is a 1940 American horror film directed by Christy Cabanne and produced by Ben Pivar for Universal Studios. Shot in black-and-white, the film is about the ancient Egyptian mummy of Kharis ( Tom Tyler), who is kept alive wit ...

'' (1940) *''

Man-Made Monster ''Man-Made Monster'' is a 1941 American science-fiction horror film directed by George Waggner and produced by Jack Bernhard for Universal Pictures. Filmed in black-and-white, it stars Lon Chaney Jr. (in his horror film debut) and Lionel Atwill. ...

'' (1941) *'' A Dangerous Game'' (1941) *'' Horror Island'' (1941) *'' Sealed Lips'' (1942) *'' The Wolf Man'' (1941) *'' The Mad Doctor of Market Street'' (1942) *''

The Strange Case of Doctor Rx ''The Strange Case of Doctor Rx'' is a 1942 black-and-white murder mystery/ horror B film by Universal Studios directed by William Nigh and starring Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Anne Gwynne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Samuel S. Hinds. Although ...

'' (1942) *''

Night Monster ''Night Monster'' is a 1942 American black-and-white horror film featuring Bela Lugosi and produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures Company. The movie uses an original story and screenplay by Clarence Upson Young and wa ...

'' (1942) *'' The Mystery of Marie Roget'' (1942) *'' The Mummy's Tomb'' (1942) *''

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety, disgust or sadness. The dream may contain situations o ...

'' (1942) *'' Destination Unknown'' (1942) *''

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man ''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot (the Wolf Man) and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. The script, written by Curt Siodmak, follows ' ...

'' (1943) *''

The Mad Ghoul ''The Mad Ghoul'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by James Hogan and starring Turhan Bey, Evelyn Ankers, and David Bruce, and featuring George Zucco, Robert Armstrong, and Milburn Stone. The film is about the scientist Dr. Alfred Mo ...

'' (1943) *'' Son of Dracula'' (1943) *'' Calling Dr. Death'' (1943) *''

The Mummy's Ghost ''The Mummy's Ghost'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Reginald Le Borg for Universal. It is the second of three sequels to '' The Mummy's Hand'' (1940), following '' The Mummy's Tomb'' (1942) and preceding '' The Mummy's Curse'' (194 ...

'' (1944) *''

Weird Woman ''Weird Woman'' is a 1944 noir- mystery horror film, and the second installment in '' The Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' anthological film series, which was based on the popular radio series of the same name. Directed by Reginald Le Borg and star ...

'' (1944) *''

Dead Man's Eyes ''Dead Man's Eyes'' is a 1944 noir-mystery film, and the third installment in '' The Inner Sanctum Mysteries'' anthological film series, which was based on the popular radio series of the same name. Directed by Reginald Le Borg, and starring ...

'' (1944) *'' The Frozen Ghost'' (1945) *'' Pillow of Death'' (1945) *''

House of Horrors A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

'' (1946) *'' She-Wolf of London'' (1946) *''

The Spider Woman Strikes Back ''The Spider Woman Strikes Back'' is a 1946 American horror film starring Gale Sondergaard, with a running time of 59 minutes. Despite the similar title and role played by Sondergaard, the film is not a sequel to the Sherlock Holmes film '' The S ...

'' (1946) *'' The Cat Creeps'' (1946) *'' Danger Woman'' (1946)

Son of Shock

* '' Before I Hang'' (1940) * ''

Behind the Mask Behind the Mask may refer to: Film and television * Behind the Mask (1932 film), ''Behind the Mask'' (1932 film), a film featuring Boris Karloff * The Man Behind the Mask, ''Behind the Mask'' (1936 film) or ''The Man Behind the Mask'', a Britis ...

'' (1932) * '' Black Friday'' (1940) * '' The Black Room'' (1935) * ''

The Boogie Man Will Get You ''The Boogie Man Will Get You'' is a 1942 American comedy horror film directed by Lew Landers and starring Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. It was the final film Karloff made under his contract with Columbia Pictures, and it was filmed in the wake ...

'' (1942) * ''

Bride of Frankenstein ''Bride of Frankenstein'' is a 1935 American Gothic science fiction horror film, and the first sequel to Universal Pictures' 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. As with the first film, ''Bride of Frankenstein'' was directed by James Whale starring ...

'' (1935) * ''

Captive Wild Woman ''Captive Wild Woman'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, John Carradine, Milburn Stone, and features Acquanetta as Paula, the Ape Woman. The film involves a scientist, Dr. Sigmund Walters, wh ...

'' (1943) * '' The Devil Commands'' (1941) * '' The Face Behind the Mask'' (1941) * ''

The Ghost of Frankenstein ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'' is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the ''Frankenstein'' series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-u ...

'' (1942) * ''

House of Dracula ''House of Dracula'' is a 1945 American horror film released and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Erle C. Kenton, the film features several Universal Horror properties meeting as they had done in the 1944 film '' House of Franke ...

'' (1945) * '' House of Frankenstein'' (1944) * ''

The Invisible Man's Revenge ''The Invisible Man's Revenge'' is a 1944 American science fiction horror film directed by Ford Beebe and written by Bertram Millhauser. The film stars John Carradine as a scientist who tests his experiment on a psychiatric hospital escapee, pl ...

'' (1944) * '' Island of Doomed Men'' (1940) * '' Jungle Captive'' (1945) * '' The Man They Could Not Hang'' (1939) * '' The Man Who Lived Twice'' (1936) * '' The Man with Nine Lives'' (1940) * ''

The Mummy's Curse ''The Mummy's Curse'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Leslie Goodwins. Produced by Universal Pictures, it is the fifth entry in Universal's original ''Mummy'' franchise, serving as a sequel to ''The Mummy's Ghost'' (1944). It marks ...

'' (1944) * ''

Night of Terror ''Night of Terror'' is a 1933 American pre-Code horror film directed by Benjamin Stoloff, and starring Bela Lugosi, Sally Blane, Wallace Ford, and Tully Marshall. Despite receiving top billing, Bela Lugosi has a relatively small part. The fi ...

'' (1933)

References

Sources

* {{cite book , last1=Weaver , first1=Tom , last2=Brunas , first2=Michael , last3=Brunas , first3=John, year=2007 , orig-year=1990 , title=Universal Horrors , edition=2 , publisher=McFarland & Company , isbn=978-0-7864-2974-5 Horror movie television series Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series by Universal Television Television series by Screen Gems

Horror hosts

Films

Shock Theater

Son of Shock

See also

References

Sources