Ohio Halloween Mugs
Description: “Shock” on WCPO-TV brought Cincinnati viewers a weekly dose of chills in the 1960s with Shock Theatre, a late-night showcase of classic horror films. Hosted by Hy Ullner in his quirky persona “The Bargain City Kid,” the program blended campy humor with eerie atmosphere, making monster movies feel both thrilling and mischievous. Ullner’s playful introductions, delivered with a wink and a grin, set the stage for Dracula, Frankenstein, and other cinematic ghouls to haunt local living rooms. Equal parts fright and fun, “Shock” became a cult favorite, embodying the era’s fascination with televised horror and hometown showmanship.
Description: “Shock” on WCPO-TV brought Cincinnati viewers a weekly dose of chills in the 1960s with Shock Theatre, a late-night showcase of classic horror films. Hosted by Hy Ullner in his quirky persona “The Bargain City Kid,” the program blended campy humor with eerie atmosphere, making monster movies feel both thrilling and mischievous. Ullner’s playful introductions, delivered with a wink and a grin, set the stage for Dracula, Frankenstein, and other cinematic ghouls to haunt local living rooms. Equal parts fright and fun, “Shock” became a cult favorite, embodying the era’s fascination with televised horror and hometown showmanship.
Description: Ghoulardi was a fictional character created and portrayed by voice announcer, actor and disc jockey Ernie Anderson as the horror host of Shock Theater at WJW TV in Cleveland, Ohio, from January 13, 1963, through December 16, 1966. Shock Theater featured B-grade science fiction and horror films and aired in a Friday late-night time slot.At his show's peak, Ghoulardi scored 70 percent of Cleveland's late-night audience, outperforming national programming. Fans sent up to 1,000 pieces of mail a day and the Cleveland Police Department even attributed a 35 percent decline in juvenile crime on Friday nights as kids were all home to catch Ghoulardi on Shock Theater.
