13 SCI-FI MOVIES THAT PLAYED REGULARLY ON LOCAL TV IN THE FIFTIES

 Eegah and I grew up where we had two television stations that we watched, KJEO Channel 47 out of Fresno and KERO Channel 23 out of Bakersfield, and we switched back and forth for our favorite shows. Both stations were founded in 1953, the year we got our first TV set, I was 5, sweet! Like at the movies, they played horror and sci-fi stuff mostly on Friday and Saturday, but sometimes they were sprinkled throughout the week. There were some movies played more often than others, these are some of the ones I remember seeing the most...

This Thing was my favorite broken rollercoaster haunted house thrill ride, ever! Scenes like the Thing staring through the ice, the crying plants, and the dread of it lurking around outside. Back then it was number 1 in scares, just a fact.

This movie really disturbed me and there were parts I didn't want to watch. Even now when I see dad smack his kid, it shocks me, those cavern making heat rays were fun, but, another real rollercoaster horror ride.

I liked this one but it had too much drama for a kid, bring on the monsters, man!!

This movie always intrigued me and I liked to watch it. Their drilling machine was a large modified tank model (used from THINGS TO COME) was too cool, and, there were some creepy moments, the ending was extra strange.

I always liked to see GOG, the action never ends, with the alien presence killing people and causing the two robots to go on a rampage, I was disturbed a bit.

This one creeped me out pretty good, wow, the stuff that can happen in one short hour. The underground complex was awesome, but that magnetized lawn mower in the hardware store really bugged me for some reason.

Here's another one I really liked, it was bonkers in spots, but as always, that disastrous meteor capture scene was the cherry on top.

Here's another movie I watched a lot, it had some sci-fi elements that intrigued me, and it had enough action to keep me interested. 

I liked this one I think mainly because of the dinosaurs in it, a little hard to watch nowadays, but MST makes it fun again.

This one I really liked, the Martian landscape looked great and the building and art piece looked alien. What disturbed me was the makeup and eyes of the mutants.

I couldn't help liking this crazy little movie, space aliens with bug eyes, giant insects, and Peter Graves as the hero, perfect for a monster kid.

Wow, the first Godzilla movie was terrifying, especially as the monster made its way through the cities. The scientist with his oxygen destroyer saves the day but he sacrifices himself which ends up being a very sad ending.

This one played quite a bit, its alternative title is GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN. A lot of time is spent with the observation airplane flying over icebergs, where Godzilla is hiding out on one. Also, it introduces Angurus to the list of other giant monsters Godzilla has to battle over the coming years. My little trip through memory lane, hope you enjoyed...

THE SCI-FI AND HORROR MOVIES OF 1954

For some reason the other day, I was wondering what it would look like if I compiled a list of all the sci-fi and horror movies from 1954. I thought the list would be strange, you know, 1954, and there are lots more sci-fi flicks than there are horror films. Movies are in random order.

We got our first television in 1953, so, I got to watch movies like KILLERS FROM SPACE on TV a lot because they re-ran them all the time, mostly Friday and Saturday evenings. I liked this one, it was just so weird, and for a kid, it delivered the goods. Love the ping pong eyeballs!

I swear, I cannot remember if my dad took me to see CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, there are a few parts I remember for some reason, and, this was not a movie that played very often on TV at all. Now, I cannot watch it, it's boring as Hell, but the Creature costume is superb!

GOG is another movie they played the crap out of on TV in the fifties. I was creeped out a little by the robots, I loved the sets, but that spinning two-seat centrifugal machine was plain ridiculous!

I can't tell you how many time I saw RIDERS TO THE STARS on TV, but many. The main thing I was interested in was the scene where the astronaut gets toasted by a meteor, of course!

I'd say they started playing GODZILLA on TV in 1955, and soon thereafter, GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN. The original Godzilla is terrifying!

I'm not sure if I saw MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR on TV. As a kid, I probably wouldn't have stuck around for the 55 minutes it took before they showed the monster. Love that damn monster though, a small masterpiece of imagination.

I totally preferred anything sci-fi to horror, the ideas were fresh and space monsters were a new kind of horror. PHANTOM OF THE RUE MORGUE just recycled another ape.

They played TARGET EARTH a bit on TV and it was okay, but watching it now is a real chore, and, there was only one actual robot!

I don't think I ever saw a Bowery Boys movie at the theater. In THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS, the boys are stuck in a haunted house filled with creeps and ghouls, and a man eating plant. Here at The Dungeon, we prefer MASTERMINDS, it's so freaking hilarious!

Vincent Price gives another great performance as THE MAD MAGICIAN, and for a second time the movie's filmed in 3-D, a follow up to HOUSE OF WAX a year earlier.

Here's another one they played a lot on television, another boring movie, SNOW CREATURE. The monster looks like a guy in a suit playing a monster, you can practically see a zipper!

Here's the finest movie to come out of 1954, THEM! They may have played this one on TV but it would have been on some special occasion during prime time.

I can still watch DEVIL GIRL FROM MARS at times, and again, they played this one a lot on TV in our area (Fresno and Bakersfield) in the fifties. It definitely has atmosphere, and a refrigerator shaped robot, unlike the one shown on the poster.

I always loved to watch TOBOR THE GREAT when it came on, really terrific robot. But my very favorite part in when Russians are entering the scientist's compound and they play wartime sounds with dive bombers, machine guns and explosions over the loud speakers (with flashing lights), chasing off the bad guys in a hurry..

Never even saw STRANGER FROM VENUS until like 10 or so years ago. Boring, way too much yakkity-yak, ho-hum. Dude was trying to capitalize on his marriage to Patricia Neal.

Can't remember seeing THE ATOMIC KID but sure I must have. You can tell that a number of actors are going to be chewing lots of rug! Included this title for the Hell of it!

Then there's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA from Disney, another movie I have no desire to watch again. When the giant octopus attacks the Nautilus at the end, it just looks silly, or maybe just plain stupid.

Here's one for Eegah, our last movie on the list. GORILLA AT LARGE is one wild and weird horror movie starring the lovely Anne Bancroft. Well, there you go, the sci-fi and horror movies from 1954, a warm up for what was yet to come!!

BEWITCHED - "A Safe And Sane Halloween" (1967)

 

The last Weenie Wednesday of this years Countdown is from Season 04, Episode 08 of

"Bewitched." 

 

This episode aired on October 26, 1967 and was called "A Safe And Sane Halloween."

It begins with Samantha reading a Halloween bedtime story to her daughter Tabitha.

In the story, there is a goblin, a gremlin and a Jack O' Lantern.

The story was supposed to put Tabitha to sleep, but sometimes she's a restless little witch.

Oops! Something seems to have happened, and the Halloween trio are no longer in the book where they are supposed to be!

Cute as a bug Tabitha is played by three year old Erin Murphy. Erin was in 102 episodes of "Bewitched," and her twin sister Diane filled in for her on 21 episodes.

Interestingly enough, the Murphy twins shared the same birthday, June 17, with Elizabeth Montgomery's real daughter Rebecca.

Samantha is going to take Tabitha out to go trick or treating, and Tabitha's new friends decide they should go along too, so they sneak out of the house.

The trio of terror follows Samantha and Tabitha around, and Samantha doesn't even notice anything strange going on. She just thinks they are more costumed kids out on a candy hunt.

In the meantime, just to make things more confusing, Gladys Kravitz's nephew Tommy is also decked out as a Jack O' Lantern.

Here's a real power trio for you, 4' 3" Jerry Maren as the Gremlin, had a career that went all the way back to "The Terror Of Tiny Town," and "The Wizard Of Oz." Jerry passed away in 2018 at the age of 98. 3' 11" Felix (She Freak) Silla as the Goblin, just passed away six months ago at the age of 84. Probably the most famous of them all is the 4' 2" Billy (Gog) Curtis as Jack O' Lantern. Billy passed away in 1988 at the age of 79. All three of them were in the 1973 film "Little Cigars."

There's confusion out in the field, and Tommy and the real Jack O' Lantern end up trading places, much to everyone's chagrin! Tommy was played by Bobby (Countdown) Riha.

A bewildered and flabbergasted Samantha finally gets the whole thing sorted out, but she doesn't have the powers to return the guys back  to the book. It's up to Tabitha.

Gladys learns the hard way that it's not Tommy underneath the sheet!

All kinds of havoc ensues when Tommy gets turned into a goat, and Samantha has to watch on helplessly!

We should do a survey, and see who had more, and better facial expressions, Lucille Ball or Elizabeth Montgomery?

 

Not only are the terrible trio full of mischief, they also have magic powers and can do things like putting a goatee on one unsuspecting lady giving out candy, smashing a hovering pie into one guy's face, or adding ears like this to Darrin.

They finally get the guys back into the book, but when they put Tabitha to bed for the night, they find this book, and think that there must be a bear loose in the house, until they notice that Tabitha is sleeping with a new stuffed animal that is a bear. Whew, close call!

After Sam and Darrin leave the room, the real bear comes out of the closet!

Baby witch Tabitha just gets a big laugh out of the whole thing. At least the title of the book was "The Friendly Grizzly Bear."