Happy Haunting, Sir Graves!

[wednes]

When I was just a wee little Wednes, there was but one place I wanted to find myself on Saturday afternoons. Yep, in front of the TV, waiting to see what horrible (though at the time, they were great) old scary movie Sir Graves Ghastly was going to show me this week. I'd also be watching to hear him say people's birthdays, show pictures they drew, and even open fan mail on the air. When I was five or so, my mom and I sent Sir Graves a big skull that was also a coin bank. He opened it on the air, which was something they'd never do today.

The first time I ever saw the original King Kong it was on Sir Graves, ditto Dracula, the Wolf Man, and that movie about the lady who turns into a snake. And in between commercials, he would have his ghoulish friends sing and dance with cheese, awful special effects that kids would only laugh at now. You can see them here if you're so disposed. Sir Graves taught me to love horror, and we all loved him. Lawson Deming, the man who played Sir Graves, and indeed answered fan mail up to and including two years ago, died yesterday. I can only assume of natural causes, he lived a long, full life after all.

One of the funniest things I ever saw on his show was a lady in a sequined dress singing this song, which it turns out, is by Little Jimmy Dickens:

May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose

One fine day as I was a-walkin' down the street
Spied a beggar man with rags upon his feet
Took a penny from my pocket
In his tin cup I did drop it
I heard him say as I made my retreat

CHORUS
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"
"May an elephant caress you with his toes"
"May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose"
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"

The laundry man is really on his toes
Found a hundred-dollar bill among my clothes
When he called me I came a-runnin'
Gave him back his dime for phonin'
I heard him sayin' as I turned to go

CHORUS

I was way behind one day to catch the train
Taxi driver said "We'll make it just the same"
The speed cop made it with us
And as he wrote out the ticket
I stood by politely a-waitin' for my change


See, I told you it was funny.

So Thank You, Mr Deming, for making my childhood that much more wonderful and for teaching me that scary movies are the greatest thing in the history of all mankind. And for that laugh: Nyahahahahahahaaa!

Comments

[sudrin.livejournal.com]

I was just talking to someone about Sir Graves recently at work. They wanted to know who the heck I was talking about. It was then I realized that he was just a local legend. I guess that's the amazing thing about someone like this who is part of your formative years. You figure everyone else must know who he is too!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah...every now and then I meet someone who is about my age and even from the area and they don't know who he is because they "didn't watch a lot of TV". That is unfathomable enough not watch TV? It's lunacy I tells ya.

[roane.livejournal.com]

Aw, I'm very sad now. You were the one who reminded me about Sir Graves. I used to get scared silly by him as a kid. His evil laugh became the standard by which all other evil laughs have been judged. :)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

It is indeed a sad thing.

That laugh was priceless...I tried to laugh like that for years and never quite got it. Maybe I should take up cigarrettes. ;-]

[madush69.livejournal.com]

Was it Tilly that sang it?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I remember her dress being shinier, but that's her.

[madush69.livejournal.com]

I just found out today that that was Mr. Deming as well.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

That is hilarious.

[derekfz.livejournal.com]

She looks as if she might break into a chorus of "in heaven, everything is fine..."

[kindofblue328.livejournal.com]

This just serves to remind me how much I miss Shocktober!

Wednes, I need your help. I want to buy Halloween on DVD, but there are a million different choices for just that one movie - is there one you would recommend as far as viewing quality, yet with just the right mix of extras?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

This is the one I would buy:

http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Restored-Limited-Brian-Andrews/dp/6305546797/ref=pd_bbs_4/002-6639392-0176801?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1177613814&sr=8-4

It's not the one I own though, I got it as a gift.

[kindofblue328.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks.

I saw yesterday that they now offer a DVD of Frailty and Saw as a dual feature - awesome!

Yes, if you're wondering, I've been in the mood for a few good horror flicks.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

I just asked 4 people who grew up in SE Michigan and are 30-35 years old. None of them know who Sir Graves was.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah but these the the a-holes you work with, no? They were probably too busy putting on makeup and having corrective surgery.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

Yes. They are the embodiment of all that is wrong with this country.

[madush69.livejournal.com]

Everybody should remember Sir Graves. These people are fools. They probably don't remember Bill Kennedy either.

[kindofblue328.livejournal.com]

29, and I have no clue.

The name sounds familiar, but I've never actually seen him.

I just know the surf rock band, The Ghastly Ones (signed by Rob Zombie).

[groovesinorbit]

My condolences. Omaha's scary film host is who taught me to love horror. Everyone should have had one.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, San Guinary!
He's a zombie loving fellow isn't he?

[groovesinorbit]

He dug all of the scary critters out there. Like you, that's where I first saw all the classics. I don't really remember zombies standing out, but it's been a while.

[lickingtoad.livejournal.com]

Alas, I too am sans-Graves. He might've been off the air by the time I was a wee bairn.

All we had was TV20's "Thriller Hour" on Saturday afternoons -- they used Led Zeppelin as their opening theme! Some odd feedbacky thing that I guess was supposed to be like a scream?

[purplecat-a2.livejournal.com]

I think he went off the air in 1982.

[madush69.livejournal.com]

Yep, November 6th.

[kindofblue328.livejournal.com]

That explains it.

Being a four-year-old, and scared of Michael Jackson's Thriller, well...

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yep, Thriller movies lasted a few years after that.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, that was on after Sir Graves on the "other" UHF channel. Stronger stuff, more recent films as I recall. That was where I first saw "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things".

[purplecat-a2.livejournal.com]

On a related note, I heard this on the radio today:

from "All Things Considered", April 26, 2007 · Bobby "Boris" Pickett, whose dead-on Boris Karloff impression propelled the Halloween anthem "Monster Mash" to the top of the charts while cementing his place as one of pop music's most enduring one-hit wonders, has died of leukemia. He was 69.

[madush69.livejournal.com]

"dead on Boris Karloff impression"

Priceless.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Uh oh, that's two.

The Ghoul better watch his ass, since the rumor is that such things occur in threes. ;-/

[lickingtoad.livejournal.com]

Ah, touche'.

He was still Ghoulin' as of Motor City Comic-con last year; his biggest fan ever, plus me, we bee-lined for the booth.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Actually, non-scary guy but still dEtroit legend Ted Hueisel died today. So now I guess Bill Bonds better watch out!