For the past month, the very spirit of Halloween has been manifested on lawns, homes, trees, cars, and even in airports.
October is in its waning days, but we are just 6 days from the Grand Boooliday – HALLOWEEN.
Very few of us even think about this mystic October 31 celebration that goes back in history centuries ago.
Actually, to be blunt – many couldn’t care less.
When the calendar turns to October across the world, just like clockwork, those macabre symbols hit the lawns and landscape. Today you are likely looking at skeletons, ghosts, witches, headstones, cobwebs, and monsters. Some of the huge displays are even enhanced with incredible lighting and sound systems.
Even though Halloween falls in mid-week in 2023, you can bet there will be plenty of costume parties, bonfires, apple bobbing, along with haunting attractions in your community.
Of course, the world’s largest Halloween parade is held annually in Greenwich Village – Manhattan, New York, where scores of thousands attend to watch the hundreds of marchers celebrate.
Many of us will buy enough Halloween treats to fill the baskets of the ghouls and scary people who will be ringing your door bell or knock on your door.
Yesteryear on Halloween Eve “Trick of Treat” was celebrated the day before Halloween on October 30.
The phrase meant what it says: “Give me a Treat or you will be Tricked!” If you turned them down, or didn’t answer the door, your car or windows just might be “soaped” or egged. Actually, these acts of vandalism caused due concern over the years and Trick or Treat night was eventually eliminated into the good times we now enjoy October 31.
If you’re an octogenarian like me and grew up in the 1940’s and 50’s, one of your main sources of entertainment were the local movie theaters across America. There was not a lot to do back then, so movies became the place to be. I remember having a quarter and spending 15 cents for a ticket, and I had a dime to spend! That was a lot, because candy bars were only a nickel.
Long before the 1978 movie “Halloween” with Michael Myers and the 1984 “Nightmare on Elm Street” with the antics of Freddy Krueger, there was indeed:
THE FAB FOUR OF HORROR MOVIES
• FRANKENSTEIN Boris Karloff-Glenn Strange
• DRACULA The VAMPIRE Bela Lugosi
• THE WOLFMAN Lon Chaney Jr.
• THE MUMMY Boris Karloff
From 1930 to the mid 1950’s, America was in a trance watching the Classic Monsters of that era at their local movie theater. I know, I was in the audience beginning in 1947. These black and white classic monster movies were shown near Halloween of yesteryear; audiences loved it.
Here’s a litany of scary horror movies from the last 50 years of the 20th Century:
The decade of the 50’s was punctuated by another huge black and white 1951 hit entitled: THE THING. It featured a flying saucer that crashed in Alaska and was frozen in the ice. The one surviving alien aboard was 9 feet tall and was a walking monster played by a very young actor you may remember well, James Arness. You came to know him in 1955 on the radio and for the next 20 years as Marshal Matt Dillon in the legendary series “ Gunsmoke.”
The 1960’s kept the trend going and entertained us with such scary movies as “THE BRIDES OF DRACULA and THE HOUSE OF USHER.
By 1970 producers really understood how the movie industry flourished with those films of horror 40 years prior.
So, look out.
Make way for Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the 1974 scary classic entitled: THE EXORCIST.
As the 20th century moved into its last two decades, the 1980’s keep audiences on the edge with the 1981 hit THE HOWLING that continued on with 5 sequels.
1986 featured TROLL and a dandy film entitled ALIEN.
Then, in 1987 another alien made the scene in the blockbuster movie you may just remember entitled “PREDATOR” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The final decade of the 20th century in 1990 featured: TALES OF THE DARKSIDE, THE EXORCIST III, FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND and PREDATOR II.
For the last several weeks most of the TV channels were featuring the screamers one after another in anticipation of the great climax that is October 31.
You name the movie and likely if you were scanning around you would find it and most all of the classics as well. America seems to be enchanted with horror and violence flicks and it’s a good bet that trend will continue.
There’s a new generation out there right now and it’s a good bet, the box offices are selling a ton of tickets. Even though, 2 tickets, popcorn and candy along with a drink will delete your wallet for sure.
I know, because recently I went to see the new movie “ OPPENHEIMER” and what I paid for the ticket, bag of popcorn and a drink nearly put me in shock. It was a long way from the quarter I spent in 1947 for a ticket and a dime to spend on two candy bars.
So, given that Halloween ’23 will be howling in just 120 hours…
May your Witch’s Brooms have auto pilot.
May your Goblins gobble all they can eat.
May your Skeletons be wind proof.
May your Best Ghost be named Casper.
From our house to yours, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Mike Tussey has “retired” from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the “Touchdown Saints.” He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another “Door of Opportunity” and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.
very cool!!