Kids grew up watching Casey Jones, Axel, Clancy and Willie, and Grandpa Ken on Minnesota television. Eventually kids become teenagers and their interests change a bit. For me, there were monster movies. The showcase for classic (and not so classic) horror movies was Horror Incorporated, on KSTP, channel 5. The program was first broadcast in November 1969, beginning with Bela Lugosi’s Dracula from 1931.
The open is shown above, with the close below.
The history of Horror Incorporated is being documented with plenty of great commentary by “Uncle Mike” in a blog called The Horror Incorporated Project. Please check it out!
Uncle Mike is documenting each weekly broadcast of the series which ran for about 10 years. The program ran Saturday nights at midnight, but there were also Saturday afternoon showings. I clearly recall discovering Godzilla on one Saturday showing. And it was one of the worst Godzilla movies… Godzilla’s Revenge.
For a brief time, around 1973 or 74, the show was broadcast on Friday nights with a host, Dr. Paul Bearer, played by Dick Bennick. Bennick’s character originated in Tampa, Florida, at WTOC, a station owned by the same company that as KSTP. After than, the show returned to its format without a host. For a brief time in the mid 70’s there was a host on Saturday night named “Graves.” My memory was that this was a man in a tux with frizzy hair like Tim Curry in Rocky Horror, with the required Transylvanian accent.