Creature Features WGN

[cdfreester]

I remember this. I also remember the Lon Chaney "London at Midnight" vampire shot as the title board for the show. It used to show up in the local TV Guide, too. I was a big monster movie freak when I was a lad in those days (early 70's).

[rebth1st]

I think this is where Michael Jackson got his inspiration for Thriller.

[SNAZZYJAZZYCAT]

wow.I have never told this story.........when the Garfield Goose Puppets were available in stores...I begged Mother to take me to the store and get me one and

when I got to the store,all the puppets were in color!!! Having a black and white TV,

the colored puppet was such a disappointment,I didn't want it anymore.

I'm sure Mother had a good laugh.

[luridplanet]

Good luck seeing horror movies on local TV anymore - or any movies for that matter

[speeddammit]

Oh those WERE the nights! This brings back SO many memories. Jiffy-Pop popcorn and sitting on the floor, scared to death. And with Halloween approaching, memories of trick-or-treating, the fall colors, the Halloween parties in grade school.

Ahhh...the memories.

[kebr9]

Do any of you remember the Jewel horserace that would come on right before CF? You would get this race card when you bought groceries and then you'd watch to see if your horse won. We would order a Pizza from Dunn's pizza on south Damen and settle in to watch CF.

[donslapix75]

@kebr9 wow, I forgot about that, I think it was called Night at the races and was actually called by an old WGN sports broadcaster who called the races at one of the race tracks back in Chicago. Thanks for that great memory!

[jonsey617]

@kebr9

I remember those races! My mother was so hyped on those! We would always shop at on Saturday Mornings at the Jewel Store and she was so thrilled to get her race cards. That evening our family would watch the races on tv. Such wonderful memories....wish there was some way to watch a snippett of those races again on You Tube.

[denten51]

Excellent!! Our babysitter use to let us stay up and watch this late at night!

[manny755]

This track, the theme from the movie "Experiment In Terror", is on Henry Mancini`s Greatest`s Hit`s CD. You can find it on ebay, and I would think Amazon. I`ve still got my vinyl copy my sister gave me years ago.

[easymarklulu]

I loved this show and the music that started the show gave me chills.

[stktnshawn]

when I was little my brother used to terrify me with the theme song. I had to relive it just to see what was so scary..now i know..lol..great memories

[19676]

the image at :43 seconds had me terrified as a child,i was no trouble to any babysitter that sat me in front of the tube on a saturday night.oh the memories.

[Abdurazz]

This was early 70s Saturday nights after Grandma ordered pizza and Italian beef sandwiches from Italian Fiesta off Stony Island.....CHICAGO...I LOVE YOU!

[Godzie1]

@Abdurazz

Unfornately Chicago is not the same like it was in the early 70s?

Took a trip 2 back to my hometown 2 years ago?

Well remember the song "the night Chicago died?" It did! :(

[godadameve]

Saaay...Wait a minute! Did Rod Temperton rip this off when he wrote "Thriller" for Micheal Jackson??

Hhhmmmm.....

[benthemiester]

In LA we had Fright Night. A character named Seymour played by Larry Vincent, would do B grade slapstick jokes and complained how bad the movie was during intermissions. Loved it. He's the guy who did the song, Freckles on Her Butt.

[huzoomnhu]

Today in Chicago we have Svengoolie who does songs and jokes during breaks of the movies. You can check him out on the WCIU web site.

[benthemiester]

Cool name.

[speeddammit]

@huzoomnhu I was fortunate enough to get to see the first year of Son of Svengoolie before my family moved from the area. Chicago television from the late 60's through the 70's was just awesome! Thanks for posting these vids!

[wunnerfulwarren]

The voice of the intro was provided by Carl Grayson, long time WGN News Anchor. I sent in to WGN and got an oversized postcard with the creature's image with the words to the intro printed on it. Circia 1971

[anigz]

I was scared to death by this show. I was in grade school when it come out. no parental guidance. lol

[raivan354]

I LOVE that music!

[believer06]

Very haunting tune from a favorite composer of mine, Henry Mancini. You can find the complete tune by running a search for it here on youtube. Just search for... Henry Mancini - Experiment In Terror

[StevesWifeCharlo]

OOOOOOHHHHH, makes me so scarry still...remember we used to watch this and talk about it all week long at school!

[TheOldschoollover]

Man, this is what I'm talking about. I miss creature features.

[Shawnster65]

I miss the one I grew up with in the Tri-State Area (NY NJ LI) that played on WNEW 5 (now Fox 5) in the very early 70's.

It was hosted by "The Creep" aka Lou Steele, but also had a hostless opening with a horrible face that glowed on and off to "Vistors From Space" by Dick Jacobs' Orchestra.

That and I miss WPIX 11's Chiller Theatre too. Hell I miss those days, PERIOD.

[haileysmom728]

WOW - I LOVED creature features!

[acdeucee]

OOoooh Takes me to being a kid curled up on the couch ready for creature feature's...Thanks

[cosmicku]

I love to know the music for this

[huzoomnhu]

The music is from the 1962 movie Experiment In Terror starring Lee Remick and Glenn Ford.

[jdc1940]

@huzoomnhu henry mancini

[zuzulo56]

@huzoomnhu You can have Glen...I'll gratefully accept Lee! AND my wife agrees...

[gtpluvr]

Experiment in Terror by Henry Mancini

[PMD1124]

OMG I feel like a kid again... staying up late, getting spooked out of my mind... that music, that poem, and those clips... WOW

[TheGringoLoco]

You're RIGHT ON THE MONEY, judy. lol ; )

[TheGringoLoco]

Good 'ole WGN Channel 9 and WFLD Channel 32 out of Chicago. Every kid up here in Kenosha, Wisconsin who grew up between 1965 and 1975 remembers the days of watching late night horror hosts show their horror and sci-fi movies from the 1930's, 40's, 50's and 60's every Friday and Saturday night, well into the wee hours, while working on or playing with some Aurora Monster Model kit. lol Man, what I wouldn't give to go back to those days. *sigh* : )

[judykito63]

frankenstein frozen in a half step in front of a tombstone with his name on it. The aurora model with Outstretched glow in the dark hands and glowing head. Creature features in TV guide, " Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man" and "The Mummy's hand". Circa 1974....wow.

[MGR1900]

Same here from South Bend on the other side of the lake. Local creativity is sorely missing from the mass produced crap they have today. More choices with less things to watch. It was also cool watching the WLS Channel 7 3:30 movie. They were always showing Charlton Heston type science fiction movies. I miss those days.

[judykito63]

the channel 7 3:30 movie...thats at least 1974. Wow.

[MGR1900]

You remember that?

[judykito63]

The 3:30 movie right after dark shadows or was it "The edge of Night'. The ABC movie of the week The CBS friday night movie...oh yea.

[MGR1900]

I don't recall Dark Shadows being on but I do seem to recall "The Edge of Night" being on before the start of the 3:30 movie.

[qtips3]

wow do i remember this big time i grew up in bridgeport me and my friends stood up at 1030 pm just to watch great post

[bjc19199]

the music is a tune called "Experiment

in Terror", by Henry Mancini. the movie

that the music came from is also

called "Experiment in Terror". i always

loved this music. it went soooo well

with creature features.

[bjc19199]

every saturday night, my whole family

would make our pallets in my parents

bedroom, with snacks, and watch

this program. thanx :-) this was some

of the best music and beginning.

[Howiesangel45]

Oh I remember Creature Features VERY well! I never missed it!! Thanks for the lovely trip down goulish memory lane!! Bwaaaahahaaa!

[whatlifeisabout22]

This is so awesome, thank you for uploading this! I haven't heard this tune in over 30 years. I watched this show all the time even though it gave me nightmares, but I still loved it!

[namor828]

thanx for posting reminds me sleeping over with my cousins at my aunts house in chi town odering pizza in the summer time good times!!!!!!!!!!!

[iluvrachellef]

I am speechless!!!! I grew up in Gary,In & have had internet 4 about 5 months & never thought to type this in til now! I havent seen or heard this theme for more than 30yrs but its ingrained on mine & my bros consciences permanently!!Yiutube & GPS devices are the best inventions of the past century!Ok AC also! LOL

[Godzie1]

Oh what memories this creature feature holds for me in the 70's growing up in Chicago! Call for a tasty chicago pizza & Creature Features! I loved those old classic films!

[acdeucee]

I to grew up in Chi-town in the 70's as well. Creature feature was what we lived for come Saturday night. We had the whole family crammed on the couch with the lights out. Good memories

[Godzie1]

I grew up on the Northwest side of Chicago. Class of 76. Between Creature Features & Svengoolie/Son of Svengoolie. They all give me Happy memories. ϋ Now Chicago is not the same as it was then!:(

[acdeucee]

I loved that creature feature opening theme music. Do you remember Jerry G Bishop hosting a movie show where people called in to win money ? And I think He spinned a wheel

[tinanjohn1]

get the popcorn and the eight pack of pepsi bottles

[judykito63]

GLASS pepsi bottles with the strong acid..

[mnmn59]

sat nights at 11 right, my older bro used to be allowed to stay up and i would sneak

[KatrinaRagozy]

This definately brings back many happy memories for me. Thanx for posting it!

[braidedjeans]

i sat up late at night with all the lights off while everyone else was asleep and watched the creature features; neat stuff

[directorofmusc]

Wow! This bring back memories from when I was a child. The combination of Henry Manicini's music, "Journey Into Terror", the recited poem and the video use to send chills down my back. I wish they would bring back these classics.

[williwa255]

I think the original (full) intro started out with a creepy coffin opening...I saw the whole version on Utube about a year ago, but can't seem to find it now. thanks for posting yours, though!

[VinBad007]

I grew up in Chicagoland back in the 60's and 70's. Saturday night was the night we all looked forward to because we new "Creature Features" was on. "Svengoolie" on Friday night, then "Creature Features" on Saturday night. Great, fun stuff! Things seemed so much more innocent then, yes? Great job bringing back some very cool memories! Even as a kind I always loved this intro. Love the music! Nice job on the narration too!

[mnmn59]

more innocent -no - we were just more ignorant.

[VinBad007]

I like to think more innocent. : )

[Godzie1]

@VinBad007 They were innocent & fun days & nights w/Creature Features. Don't listen to that ignoranus! They were fun!

[ccarrier737]

I grew up watching Creature Features. That music always scared the hell out me as well as the ghoulish image at the end! Very Cool!! Thanks for the memories!

[beateherman]

I was just a kid and always shit myself when the musik started.

Awesome video

[blacqwolff]

lol,please!this the music that made me want to shout "MORE,MORE,MORE!"this is the music that makes horror movie watching all the more fun.

[golgothika]

Brings back memories.Came out pretty cool.

[tonnyosmond]

greatttttttttt

[huzoomnhu]

Glad you liked it. Ii was one of my favorite shows. I don't think a copy of the original opening exists so I made my own crude version.

[preo2]

Man that was pretty cool! Can you send me a copy of this on a DVD? I even contacted WGN about getting a copy and they told me that the original was accidently erased by a technician in the early 80's. They don't even have it anymore and man I gotta have this!

[shihanUKS]

WHAT! Erased by a who? There are always vault copies. Somebody is LAZZZEEE.

[opolo2112]

I LOVED Creature Features!!!