Oh what a great time it was growing up in the late 70s/early 80s. This brings back so many fond memories of that time. I used to watch Elwy on a regular basis and even at 10 years old I thought he was such a cool guy who captivated his viewers. So sad to see him gone. The intro was so bizarre it was like nothing I had seen on TV before.
Many thanks for posting this and letting me feel like a kid again if ojnly for a moment.......
boy i sure miss the good old days. watching this intro takes me back in time. looking back on this intro of magic shadows reminds me of a bad acid trip..LOL. but it does bring on the nastalgia
Wow, I remember this as a kid. I found it a bit dark but was so mesmerized by this. Glad this is here as I have been looking for this for a few years now. Thanks
Elwy Yost - introduced me and so many others to film. What a guy. Best interviewer in the business for sure. Rest in peace, in the green room in the sky.
Oh, I loved this so much! Never scared me at all. Though the gorilla flash at the end (I hadn't heard of King Kong by then, probably) was a bit of a jolt. Everything in this theme is so familiar I can't believe I haven't seen it in 25 years. Crazy and wonderful.
Wow, this brings back memories. Artistically, it's absolute genius. The song has a sad almost depressing quality to it. The octopus coming out of the suit is the part I remember the most, it used to freak me out.
This brings back so much fond memories of my childhood. I love that Magic Shadows theme song that it lingered in my memory. I missed that kind of creativity we used to see on television. The theme song is nostolgic!
BOY THAT BRINGS BACK SOME BRAIN CELL'S ELWY YOST WAS HOST, I BUMPED INTO ELWY IN LINE AT A MOVIE'S PREVIEW IF MEMORY SERVES IT WAS SUPER MAN i THINK ANY WAY HE WAS PLEASANT. THE FUNNY PART WAS HE WAS WITH HIS WIFE AND EVERY TIME THE CROWED LAUGHED HE WOULD ASK HIS WIFE WHAT WAS SEAD SHE'D REPEAT IT AND HE WOULD LAUGH GOOD TIMES.
@thegirl44 absolutely. i'm from detroit and used to watch tvo from windsor's channel 32. just about everything on that channel scared the shit out of me, especially sol from parlez-moi
I used to love watching this as a kid in Thunder Bay. This and "Saturday Night at the Movies" were my introduction to classic films. (And I just love how trippy the animation was!)
Jesus, that is absolutely brilliant, and terrifying if you are a child. I can clearly remember turning the channel as fast as I could when that intro came on. Now, I'm a little sad that we don't see that level of creativity anymore.
@TheHolloway1983 I feel the exact same way. Got scared, changed the channel! Which is a little odd, as I'd gladly watch that animation on Sesame street.
@TheHolloway1983 Hahaha, it sort of terrified me a little but once when I was a child growing up on TVO. The first time I saw that theme of Magic Shadows there was a severe thunderstorm outside.
@TheHolloway1983 My thoughts exactly! I was 9 in '82, and everytime this came on, I HATED IT! The images were wierd and creepy! And now a friend of mine just the other day posted this and as I watched it, it brought tears to my eyes. The song was so comforting bringing back such wonderful childhood memories! Things were so real yet, so simple back then. And yes, unfortunately, the level of creativity has been lost for children with today's technology.
@cowtippingrocks I am with you on that. The first time I saw the theme of Magic Shadows I was about 7 years old. That Wednesday evening there was a severe thunderstorm outside. My mother later called me upstairs.
Thanks so much for posting this! Whenever I watch "Saturday Night at the Movies" now, I always remember the original "Magic Shadows" theme song from when I was a kid in the 70's, watched it every week, first time I saw "King Kong" and the Fleischer "Superman" cartoons, it was there. I liked this song so much I actually taped it off my TV set with a tape recorder!!
As a young child, I was allowed to stay up on Saturdays to hear this intro and then it was off to bed! This song always brings a smile when I hear it.
I love this song and intro, probably haven't seen it in about twenty-five years. My dad used to watch this show but I always watched just the opening. Thanks for posting this!
The One True Zod approves of government funded media station "TV Ontario". More funds must be allocated to raise it to the powerful mind-controlling status it had in the 1970's.
I demand more subliminal messages be embedded in the content; if Elwy Yost were here, he would support me, just as Suzuki already does.
If I'm remembering this correctly, the theme was composed by Harry Forbes. He once commented to me that there were effects in the original recording (cymbals or some other high frequency sounds) that never made it home.
this is what makes youtube great! ***I love this song from my childhood, I named three of my cats after this song from the show. Elwie was cool too, I met him at Chi Chi's when I was working as a waitress there.
Totally! I had tried to remember theme song once, but all that came to my head was Across The Universe. I wouldn't be surprised if the Beatles song inspired it, especially the lines "Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes..."
Every couple of months I looked for this. I couldn't believe it when I found it. Since starting YOUTUBE, I said, if they ever got Magic Shadows, that would put it number one in my books. Thanks!!!!!!
I remember there was one intro of this where they showed clips of movies and one was these blocks trapping these 2 guys around them which as a child I did'nt find to pleasing.
A fantastic opening, which I now use regularily on my Elwy Yost Tribute Page on Facebook. Come and take a look.
paulwestbrook0 3 weeks ago
Song by composer Harry Forbes I think...
933310520 3 weeks ago
Oh what a great time it was growing up in the late 70s/early 80s. This brings back so many fond memories of that time. I used to watch Elwy on a regular basis and even at 10 years old I thought he was such a cool guy who captivated his viewers. So sad to see him gone. The intro was so bizarre it was like nothing I had seen on TV before.
Many thanks for posting this and letting me feel like a kid again if ojnly for a moment.......
Pinballpete007 1 month ago
Is it just me, or is the frame at 0:26 obscene?
Oh, it seems it's just me.
(Yes I came from the Wikipedia "Prisoner's Cinema" article)
mjdafork 1 month ago
boy i sure miss the good old days. watching this intro takes me back in time. looking back on this intro of magic shadows reminds me of a bad acid trip..LOL. but it does bring on the nastalgia
TheConspiracyMan8 4 months ago
Thumbs up if the article on wikipedia about "Prisoner's Cinema" brought you here! :)
MDkid1 5 months ago 3
Wow, I remember this as a kid. I found it a bit dark but was so mesmerized by this. Glad this is here as I have been looking for this for a few years now. Thanks
bkworm33 6 months ago
Elwy Yost...gone but not forgotten...such a great host and he will be sadly missed!!!
joeflash4 6 months ago
I avoided this show pretty much my entire life, exclusively because these credits spooked the hell out of me as a kid.
rbairos1 7 months ago
RIP Elwy! Old movies wont be the same.
scott2eh 7 months ago
RIP Elwy
NoPuns 7 months ago
Elwy Yost - introduced me and so many others to film. What a guy. Best interviewer in the business for sure. Rest in peace, in the green room in the sky.
moviecodswallop 7 months ago
RIP Elwy Yost
jeffkahl 7 months ago
RIP Elwy Yost
NIKAS07 7 months ago
I was singing Magic Shadows yesterday and he died yesterday...incredible coincidence!
vincevega0 7 months ago
I just saw here on the internet that host Elwy Yost passed away just yesterday at the age of 86.
I slways loved Elwy's warm, friendly style and the wealth of information he imparted about whatever film or serial he was showing.
I also found this intro to be one of the spookiest, and most haunting show intros i've ever seen.
RIP Elwy, you'll be missed!
Starmage444 7 months ago 2
I grew up with this program. Every weekday at 7:30pm. Great memories.
leafyutube 7 months ago
Rest in Peace Elwy! I'm a movie fan because you were!
pilgrimomega 7 months ago 3
Oh, I loved this so much! Never scared me at all. Though the gorilla flash at the end (I hadn't heard of King Kong by then, probably) was a bit of a jolt. Everything in this theme is so familiar I can't believe I haven't seen it in 25 years. Crazy and wonderful.
balcony5 8 months ago
Thanks for posting this. Magic Shadows was always great innocent fun. This intro is even better than I remember!
blastmir 10 months ago
What a clever and attractive retro introduction! Very creative... I like it!
jonahbegone 10 months ago
the theremin makes it extra awesome/creepy
CelebrityRemix 10 months ago
Watching TVOas a kid after 8PM was a scary/psychedelic experience, especially on weekdays
countryshmountry 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I never really noticed THIS [ 0:26 ] when I was a kid!
spanky7777 1 year ago
Comment removed
spanky7777 1 year ago
Wow, this brings back memories. Artistically, it's absolute genius. The song has a sad almost depressing quality to it. The octopus coming out of the suit is the part I remember the most, it used to freak me out.
bluenotejazz 1 year ago
I used to watch the intro and then turn the channel.
chameleonday 1 year ago
*Shudders*
TheNostalgiaJunkie 1 year ago
I grew up watching this intro and Elwy Yost. Think there were influenced by 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds?'
Fangmeier 1 year ago
@Fangmeier Reminds me more of "Across the Universe"
Retrontario 1 year ago 4
@Retrontario Yeah, but since this was early 1980's, I think they were thinking of Yellow Submarine, instead of a movie that came out a few years ago.
Fangmeier 1 year ago
@Fangmeier Yes, I meant the actual theme song, which is very similar to "Across the Universe"
Retrontario 1 year ago
Boards Of Canada.
vivivmusic 1 year ago
OMG!!! I forgot about this show till I saw this... Thank you for posting this!
evanstein99 1 year ago
trippy
definitely a series from the 1970s
sweiland75 1 year ago
This and Doctor Snuggles are the two best TVO intros.
mapleavenue77 1 year ago
I never got freaked out by this intro as a kid. Instead I used to get freaked out during the news.
leafyutube 1 year ago
...WTF? Did I just get a contact high just watching this?
codeythesilent 1 year ago
Looks like the illustrations of Milton Glaser. I wonder...
gregoreverb 1 year ago
0:26 seems to be very intentionally vaginal.
BatteryEaters 1 year ago
makes me feel like going through an acid trip.
GodzillaXAbudAwwal 1 year ago
:27
calvinandhodge 1 year ago
@calvinandhodge Definitely looks like a vagina.
BatteryEaters 1 year ago
This brings back so much fond memories of my childhood. I love that Magic Shadows theme song that it lingered in my memory. I missed that kind of creativity we used to see on television. The theme song is nostolgic!
sheltv100 1 year ago
So trippy, but sooo awesome.
moebigsley1976 1 year ago
I remember watching this as a kid, no wonder i am messed up.
URYNOME 1 year ago
BOY THAT BRINGS BACK SOME BRAIN CELL'S ELWY YOST WAS HOST, I BUMPED INTO ELWY IN LINE AT A MOVIE'S PREVIEW IF MEMORY SERVES IT WAS SUPER MAN i THINK ANY WAY HE WAS PLEASANT. THE FUNNY PART WAS HE WAS WITH HIS WIFE AND EVERY TIME THE CROWED LAUGHED HE WOULD ASK HIS WIFE WHAT WAS SEAD SHE'D REPEAT IT AND HE WOULD LAUGH GOOD TIMES.
jaychristy01 1 year ago
OMG !!!! I forgot all about that this !!!
I used to watch it ALL the time when I lived in Kitchener. Thanks man !!
cedfan1 1 year ago
It's official: EVERYTHING on TVOntario scared the living fuck out of me when I was a kid.
thegirl44 1 year ago 5
@thegirl44 absolutely. i'm from detroit and used to watch tvo from windsor's channel 32. just about everything on that channel scared the shit out of me, especially sol from parlez-moi
sleepyp77 1 year ago 3
it kinda reminds me of those sketchy Mighty Taco commercials i used to see on the NY local stations late at night
666death4life666 1 year ago
I loved the theme music to this show.
CptMystery 2 years ago 2
I used to love watching this as a kid in Thunder Bay. This and "Saturday Night at the Movies" were my introduction to classic films. (And I just love how trippy the animation was!)
eeyore19 2 years ago 3
OMG, I can actually still remember this!!!
waivedwench 2 years ago
Like the bumper with the Ontario highway backpackers. Wouldn't they be stopped by the OPP now and questioned?
El135o 2 years ago 3
What freaks me out is the fact that I remember that intro scaring me so much as a kid that I looked for it on Youtube....Creepy....
energizeryj 2 years ago 3
Jesus, that is absolutely brilliant, and terrifying if you are a child. I can clearly remember turning the channel as fast as I could when that intro came on. Now, I'm a little sad that we don't see that level of creativity anymore.
TheHolloway1983 2 years ago 15
@TheHolloway1983 I feel the exact same way. Got scared, changed the channel! Which is a little odd, as I'd gladly watch that animation on Sesame street.
fearlesssockpuppet 1 year ago
@TheHolloway1983 Hahaha, it sort of terrified me a little but once when I was a child growing up on TVO. The first time I saw that theme of Magic Shadows there was a severe thunderstorm outside.
sheltv100 1 year ago
@TheHolloway1983 My thoughts exactly! I was 9 in '82, and everytime this came on, I HATED IT! The images were wierd and creepy! And now a friend of mine just the other day posted this and as I watched it, it brought tears to my eyes. The song was so comforting bringing back such wonderful childhood memories! Things were so real yet, so simple back then. And yes, unfortunately, the level of creativity has been lost for children with today's technology.
lalba07 9 months ago
That is an incredible intro. I didn't even know I remembered that one, wow!
rhendersWLU 2 years ago
haha. That used to scare the CRAP out of me when I was a kid. Whos with me on that one? lol.
cowtippingrocks 2 years ago 14
Hehe yep, me too!
Grimaggressor 2 years ago
@cowtippingrocks I am with you on that. The first time I saw the theme of Magic Shadows I was about 7 years old. That Wednesday evening there was a severe thunderstorm outside. My mother later called me upstairs.
sheltv100 1 year ago
good show and music intro!
adric137 2 years ago
The very beginning of the words reminds me a lot of the Beatles' "Across the Universe." I believe it must have been inspiration.
slideboneclembot 2 years ago
@slideboneclembot - that's funny, because I'd think of this song when listening to Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds...
BigTikiDaddy 2 years ago
Uploaded by Tobias Vaughn indeed! You sure it wasn't Harrison Chase? ;)
eveningtsar 2 years ago
Thanks so much for posting this! Whenever I watch "Saturday Night at the Movies" now, I always remember the original "Magic Shadows" theme song from when I was a kid in the 70's, watched it every week, first time I saw "King Kong" and the Fleischer "Superman" cartoons, it was there. I liked this song so much I actually taped it off my TV set with a tape recorder!!
exileonbloorst 2 years ago
As a young child, I was allowed to stay up on Saturdays to hear this intro and then it was off to bed! This song always brings a smile when I hear it.
nyjimi 2 years ago
I love this song and intro, probably haven't seen it in about twenty-five years. My dad used to watch this show but I always watched just the opening. Thanks for posting this!
aglia 2 years ago
This intro always reminded me of the Beatles Yellow Submarine movie. Similar style.
phillydisco 2 years ago
That intro used to give me nightmares as a kid... Goodtimes!!!!
energizeryj 2 years ago
Am I the only person here who clearly sees the drug references in this? This is one really f*cked up acid trip!
seanaltruda 2 years ago
LOVE IT!
This was a part of my life back then.
LOVE IT!
electricland 3 years ago
Holy Smoking!!! I remembered that! I was young girl. After finished show "Polka Dot Door" about 6:30 PM.
grimbragreen 3 years ago 2
The One True Zod approves of government funded media station "TV Ontario". More funds must be allocated to raise it to the powerful mind-controlling status it had in the 1970's.
I demand more subliminal messages be embedded in the content; if Elwy Yost were here, he would support me, just as Suzuki already does.
General Zod Campaign 2009
General1Zod 3 years ago
That's a very memorable intro. I remember when Magic Shadows would run Captain America serials from the 1940s on Friday nights.
sarniatownreggae 3 years ago 3
this is the soundtrack of your life...if you lived in Ontario in the early 80s oh you can add thatt bear called Jeremy too
JonEK9 3 years ago 3
This song has haunted me for years.
JakeBarnes3 3 years ago
If I'm remembering this correctly, the theme was composed by Harry Forbes. He once commented to me that there were effects in the original recording (cymbals or some other high frequency sounds) that never made it home.
DonBlaymee 3 years ago
It also reminds of Across The Universe.
luengaga1978 3 years ago 2
ok...who is singing the song???
carolesmagicworkshop 3 years ago
this is what makes youtube great! ***I love this song from my childhood, I named three of my cats after this song from the show. Elwie was cool too, I met him at Chi Chi's when I was working as a waitress there.
carolesmagicworkshop 3 years ago
This reminds me of "across the universe" by the beatles, anyone else?
udrivemeupthewall 3 years ago
Totally! I had tried to remember theme song once, but all that came to my head was Across The Universe. I wouldn't be surprised if the Beatles song inspired it, especially the lines "Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes..."
grecomic 3 years ago
Definitely!!!
SelectedStars 3 years ago
Every couple of months I looked for this. I couldn't believe it when I found it. Since starting YOUTUBE, I said, if they ever got Magic Shadows, that would put it number one in my books. Thanks!!!!!!
WarChaplain 3 years ago
oh mon dieu, l'intro me faisait un peu peur quand j'étais jeune. Moi aussi la pieuvre qui sort du smoking, je trouvais ça weird!
voldy2 3 years ago
I used to think this was really creepy, especially the part where the tentacles come out of the suit.
yvesperret 3 years ago
I remember there was one intro of this where they showed clips of movies and one was these blocks trapping these 2 guys around them which as a child I did'nt find to pleasing.
steeltownbrown52 3 years ago
Was this before Sat. Night At The Movies?
emysterio 3 years ago
No, SNATM started in 1974. MAGIC SHADOWS ran on weeknights and showed classic films in 30 minute chunks.
The memory cheats because I could have swore I saw this intro on Sat nights... but that would have been impossible.
Retrontario 3 years ago
Wow, people smoked a lot of pot in the 80s.
golddustwoman83 3 years ago