Virginia Creepers: The Horror Host Tradition of the Old Dominion

This project has certainly had a number of questions and riddles, most of which we have managed to solve. However, without a doubt, the biggest mystery of the list has been "House of Horrors," shown on WRLU, Channel 27 in Roanoke Virginia from October 19, 1974 to February 8, 1975. The channel was at various points a DuMont affiliate, a true independent and an ABC affliate (even though a much more powerful ABC station was less than 30 miles away.) On February 8, 1975 the station had its power shut off, unable to pay about $8000 of electric bills.

However, for a few glorious weeks, according to fans Thom Brewer and Lawrence Young, two teenagers at the time, remember watching a show hosted by the Count and the Invisible Man . . . who, as luck would have it, was often accidentally visible on screen. After a year of searching, it is possible that the Count has been identified and located. Jim Wescott sent us the following email: My memories are hazy of that time period. We didn't do the program for very long. And, I don't remember much more about doing the "plastic vampire teeth thing." I remember we tried to have some fun with it and hopefully we were "entertaining" our viewers. Another possibility is famed Roanoke DJ, Freddy Frelantz. Freelantz was a local legend in a sense and had a reputation for living in the fast lane. Unfortunately, he died in a house fire believed to be caused by a cigarette and as many people disconnect him to the show as connect him to it.

The station itself, which is now a thriving Fox affiliate in Roanoke, was apparently a rather crazy place. There are stories of employees literally racing to the bank to cash their checks before the account ran out of money and a time when the station had no working front door. Sometimes, shows were done outside because it was nice and the lighting was better, and many of the personalities at the station went on to other things, including Adrian Cronauer, of GOOD MORNING VIETNAM fame. And to make matters more frightening, there was a show on Channel 27 a few years before called Fright Night, which some people have suggested was hosted as well.


FAN CONTRIBUTIONS

This isn't much but it's the best I can recollect right now: I used to watch this show with my teenage brother-in-law. It was on a new channel -- I'm thinking WLRV Channel 27. I remember two hosts, a Dracula-type and an Invisible Man. The Dracula guy's makeup would run in the heat of the lights and by the end of the broadcast, he'd be a real mess. My brother-in-law wrote them a letter and they read it on the air. Somewhere, I drew a picture of the two hosts with colored markers. I'll try to find it and send it to you. Also, when I was much younger, I made a scrapbook of horror clippings from newspapers and magazines as well; don't know if I was keeping it up by the time this "House Of Horror" thing was on or not. I'll try to find that as well. I'm really looking forward to your DVD. I was a huge fan of WSLS-TV 10 Roanoke VA's "Saturday Theater." We never missed it when I was a 8-10-year-old kid. Four or five of us would switch off watching each week at each other's houses and our moms would feed us sandwiches and snacks during the movie. In particular, I remember "Not Of This Earth" and "Atomic Submarine." Wow -- hadn't thought of that show (or those movies) in a long, long time! -- David Simpkins
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