Well, this kinda throws a wet towel on Halloween. John Zacherle--"The Cool Ghoul"--has passed away.
John Zacherle was born in Philadelphia. He served in the US Army during World War II, seeing action in Europe and Northern Africa. He did a bit of acting and then landed a gig with Philly's WCAU television station.
Wherever you grew up, chances are you had a local station that played bad horror and SciFi movies and you had a host for those movies who dressed like a ghoul or a vampire or something odd and who made bad puns during the commercial breaks. Zacherle was the original. Beginning in 1957, he became the host of WCAU's "Shock Theater". He invented the character of Roland who wore a long undertaker's jacket and addressed his "wife" (who was theoretically dead and lying in the coffin) as "My dear". He also had a lab assistant (Igor) and, together, they would often perform skits and make jokes while the movie played. If that sounds like "Mystery Science Theater 3000" to you, it should. As I said earlier, Zacherle was the original. He was close friends with Dick Clark and sometimes filled in for him on American Bandstand. And it was Clark who first called him "The Cool Ghoul".
Zacherle moved onto New York in 1959, keeping the Roland character (though changing the character's name to Zacherley) and the same basic schtick. Though he changed stations from time to time, he was a fixture in the New York market for years.
Zacherle had a Top Ten hit with "Dinner With Drac" and roles in numerous B-movies. He recorded several albums and wrote several books. In 1960, he even ran for President (facetiously of course, but nearly a decade before Pat Paulson did it). If you want to hear his platform, you'll find "Zacherley For President" on the "Spook Along" album. Truly, the man was a Renaissance Ghoul.
Wherever you grew up, chances are you had a local station that played bad horror and SciFi movies and you had a host for those movies who dressed like a ghoul or a vampire or something odd and who made bad puns during the commercial breaks. Zacherle was the original. Beginning in 1957, he became the host of WCAU's "Shock Theater". He invented the character of Roland who wore a long undertaker's jacket and addressed his "wife" (who was theoretically dead and lying in the coffin) as "My dear". He also had a lab assistant (Igor) and, together, they would often perform skits and make jokes while the movie played. If that sounds like "Mystery Science Theater 3000" to you, it should. As I said earlier, Zacherle was the original. He was close friends with Dick Clark and sometimes filled in for him on American Bandstand. And it was Clark who first called him "The Cool Ghoul".
Zacherle moved onto New York in 1959, keeping the Roland character (though changing the character's name to Zacherley) and the same basic schtick. Though he changed stations from time to time, he was a fixture in the New York market for years.
Zacherle had a Top Ten hit with "Dinner With Drac" and roles in numerous B-movies. He recorded several albums and wrote several books. In 1960, he even ran for President (facetiously of course, but nearly a decade before Pat Paulson did it). If you want to hear his platform, you'll find "Zacherley For President" on the "Spook Along" album. Truly, the man was a Renaissance Ghoul.
I knew none of this when I first heard Zacherle. To me, he was the late night radio host on WPLJ-FM. He held that gig through the seventies and I listened most every night. He did no schtick (although he did retain the "My Dear(s)", though, in this context, it was addressed to the listeners). And, in a town with more than its share of top notch late night DJs, Zacherle was the best. The only one who even came close was The Nightbird, Alison Steele, but that was an entirely different kind of trip.
After his run at WPLJ, Zach moved up and down the dial a couple of times, including a short-lived return to WPLJ. As time went on, his appearances on the radio became an annual thing. Once a year, Zacherle would rise to host a Halloween special on the radio. Some years, he'd even get to do Halloween on TV again. And it should come as no surprise that he was a huge hit at conventions and the like, which he attended regularly pretty much through the rest of his life.
Zacherle and his fans carried on a mutual love affair for many many years. And make no mistake, this man was loved. He was such a good person, through and through. You've likely never known anyone more comfortable in his own skin. He looked on the brighter side always and enjoyed and savored every moment of life (I'm guessing not many of you have seen the old movie "Between Two Worlds", but Zacherle's disposition was a lot like that of Pete Musick).
John Zacherle died on Thursday at the age of 98. Halloween will never be quite the same.
After his run at WPLJ, Zach moved up and down the dial a couple of times, including a short-lived return to WPLJ. As time went on, his appearances on the radio became an annual thing. Once a year, Zacherle would rise to host a Halloween special on the radio. Some years, he'd even get to do Halloween on TV again. And it should come as no surprise that he was a huge hit at conventions and the like, which he attended regularly pretty much through the rest of his life.
Zacherle and his fans carried on a mutual love affair for many many years. And make no mistake, this man was loved. He was such a good person, through and through. You've likely never known anyone more comfortable in his own skin. He looked on the brighter side always and enjoyed and savored every moment of life (I'm guessing not many of you have seen the old movie "Between Two Worlds", but Zacherle's disposition was a lot like that of Pete Musick).
John Zacherle died on Thursday at the age of 98. Halloween will never be quite the same.
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