Zach Is Back !!!

Friday, October, 24, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition) 

The legendary “Cool Ghoul”, John Zacherle is back for Halloween.  The spry looking 90-year old will host “Chiller Theatre” tomorrow night at 8 on WPIX-TV 11.  Zach who hosted ‘Chiller’ for the first time in 1963 will bring his alter-ego Roland and wife “My Dear” with him to introduce the 1955 horror classic “Tarantula” to viewers from 9 to, well, 90.  Zach first started hosting horror films in Philadelphia and New York in the ’50s and 60s.  Toss in a hit called “Dinner with Drac“, 5 decades of delightful Halloweens and a successful Radio career and you get John Zacherle.  Zach was a terrific AOR disc jockey at WNEW-FM and WPLJ-FM in the 70s and comes back from time-to-time to host a Halloween show at WCBS-FM too…

When my brother-in-law Jimmy found out that Zach would be at CBS-FM a few years back he only had one favor to ask - Zacherle’s picture and autograph.  He got both.  To this day, Zach makes appearances at conventions and Zacherle collectibles like model kits, T-shirts and posters are much coveted articles…

Zach’s appearance on tomorrow’s “Chiller Theatre” is a one-off but I hope Zach decides to host the show once a week.  The only thing better would be a return to radio for ”The Cool Ghoul.”  Legend has it that it was Dick Clark who hung the name on him and it fits like a noose… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1926] Curtains: Harry Houdini plays his last performance, at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit (10/24)…2003] Concorde makes its last commercial flight, bringing the era of supersonic transport to a close, at least for then (10/24)…
2. 1931] Debuted on this date: The George Washington Bridge opens to the public (10/24)…
3. 1964] Turn around, look at me: Viking Jim Marshall, a very good player but lacking a good sense of direction, runs 66 yards in the wrong direction after picking up a fumble, costing the Vikes a 2-point safety (10/25)…
4. 1965] Sir Beatles: The Beatles receive MBE (Member of the British Empire) honors at Buckingham Palace (10/26)…
5. 1972] “Happy Trails“: Severe heart problems take their toll on Jackie Robinson who passes away at 53 (10/24)…1990] William S. Paley, founder of CBS, Inc. dies from kidney failure at 89 (10/26)…1991] Rock promoter Bill Graham is killed in a helicopter crash at 60 (10/25)…1992] Singer/songwriter Roger Miller is a victim of cancer at 56 (10/25)…1994] One-man band, Wilbert Harrison suffers a fatal stroke at 65 (10/26)…2005] American civil rights activist Rosa Parks dies in her Detroit apartment at the age of 92 (10/24)…2005] Co-owner of the Giants, Wellington Mara succumbs to lymphoma at 89 (10/25)…
6. 1981] Fall Classics: In one of the more bizarre George Steinbrenner sagas, ‘The Boss’ claims he broke his hand in an elevator fight in L.A. during the World Series. After winning the first two games, the Yankees get swept in 4 games (10/25) by the Dodgers…1986] Bill Buckner happens (10/25) as the Mets beat the Red Sox and go on to win the World Series in the next game…2003] The Marlins’ Josh Beckett pitches Florida to the World Series title with a 2-0 shutout of the Yankees when he tags Jorge Posada on the tush for the final out (10/25)…2005] The Chicago White Sox win their first World Series since 1917 by defeating Houston 1-0 in game 4 (10/26)…
7. 1990] Holy KO: Evander Holyfield KOs  Buster Douglas for the heavyweight title (10/25). Douglas held the title briefly following a surprise KO of Mike Tyson…
8. 1996] How do you mend a broken heart?: Joe Torre’s brother Frank Torre receives a heart transplant during the 1996 World Series (10/25). Frank is living a healthy life at 76…
9. 2002] Russian justice: A hostage siege by Chechen rebels at a Moscow theater ends with 129 of the 800 plus captives dead, most from a knockout gas used by Russian special forces who storm the theater (10/26)…
10. 2002] Snipers snuffed: Army veteran John Allen Muhammad and teenage friend Lee Boyd Malvo are arrested in connection with the Washington area sniper attacks (10/24). They are both serving prison sentences…

Music Memories:

• 1961] Number One on this date: “Runaround Sue” - Dion (10/25)…1974] “Then Came You” - Dionne/Spinners (10/25)…1978] “Hot Child In The City” - Nick Gilder (10/26)…1982] “Who Can It Be Now” - Men At Work (my buds from Australia) (10/26)…1983] “Islands In The Stream” - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton (10/25)…
• 1965] Released on this date: “Get Off Of My Cloud” - Rolling Stones (10/25)…
• 1971] Gold Standard: “Tired Of Being Alone” - Al Green (10/26)…

Commentary:

Joey (WOR) Reynolds commenting on the Jane Dornacker aircheck:  “You are doing a great job and I read your stuff everyday, today you got me emotionally involved.  I guess that’s the yeast in the bread of American life?”  Or non-yeast as in Matzohs (private joke).  Thanks Joey…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

(10/24) Corey Dillon (34), Kevin Kline (61), F. Murray Abraham (69), Santo Farina (71), Bill Wyman (72), David Nelson (72) and Y.A. Tittle (82)…(10/25) Pedro Martinez (37), Mike Eruzione (54), Dave Cowens (60), Helen Reddy (67), Bob Knight (68), Marion Ross (80) and Bobby Thomson (85)…(10/26) Sasha Cohen (24), Keith Urban (41), Natalie Merchant (45), Dylan McDermott (46), Lauren Tewes (54), Jaclyn Smith (61), Pat Sajak (62), Hillary Rodham Clinton (61) and Bob Hoskins (66)…

Timeline Countdown: 7 nights until Halloween, 8 nights until Standard (back one hour) Time and 11 days until Election Day…

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