Reviews
Brings back a whole era of Cleveland television as it sets the historical stage for Ghoulardi's triumph . . . An intelligent media history. . . Enough Ghoulardi trivia to satisfy the most fervent cultist., Anderson wasn't afraid to tell viewers up front that the movie was bad, but could still assure them 'Hey, groups, we're gonna have fun tonight.' . . . Thanks to Feran and Heldenfels, readers can still have fun with "Ghoulardi" on those cold northeast Ohio winter nights, Takes a zoom-lens look at Ghoulardi's creator, both on and off camera . . . chock full of rare photos and extensive interviews with people who knew Anderson best, including Tim Conway, Drew Carey and Cleveland television personality 'Big Chuck' Schodowski, Anderson's successor and one of his closest friends., Laid out like a pop scrapbook with dozens of photographs, many taken from broadcasts . . . captures a hint of the mania that made Ghoulardi a Cleveland idol in a sleepy era before long hair, drugs, assassinations, war and protests., A scrapbook of trivia for the boom-boomers who lived through it, a revelation for the next generation of tube-tethered America . . . Feran and Hendenfels patch together the G catechism, supplementing their tale with sidelong glances of Cleveland culture circa 1963.
Synopsis
The behind-the-scenes story of the outrageous Ghoulardi show and its unusual creator, Ernie Anderson. The groundbreaking late-night TV horror host shocked and delighted Northeast Ohio in the mid-1960s on Friday nights with strange beatnik humor, bad movies, and innovative sight gags. Includes rare photos, interviews, transcripts, and trivia., "Captures a hint of the mania that made Ghoulardi a Cleveland idol in a sleepy era before long hair, drugs, assassinations, war and protests." -- Columbus Dispatch The definitive story of the outrageous Ghoulardi TV show and its unusual creator--on screen and behind the scenes, with rare photos, interviews, original scripts, and trivia. Ernie Anderson shocked and delighted Northeast Ohio in the mid-1960s, when his Ghoulardi show was not to be missed on Friday nights. More than 30 years later, the Ghoulardi legend is still firmly rooted in the minds of the people who watched and in the pop culture of an entire city. In early 1963, months before the Beatles arrived in America and years before Howard Stern hit the radio airwaves, Cleveland TV actor Ernie Anderson pioneered the modern counter-culture media celebrity. His offbeat late-night movie show was so popular locally that it got ratings higher than the Tonight Show, and the Cleveland police department reported a significant decrease in crime during its broadcast. Ghoulardi captured the hearts and minds of Cleveland's first TV generation and inspired other creative talents, including Tim Conway and Drew Carey. A great piece of TV history writing., "Captures a hint of the mania that made Ghoulardi a Cleveland idol in a sleepy era before long hair, drugs, assassinations, war and protests."-- Columbus Dispatch The definitive story of the outrageous Ghoulardi TV show and its unusual creator--on screen and behind the scenes, with rare photos, interviews, original scripts, and trivia. Ernie Anderson shocked and delighted Northeast Ohio in the mid-1960s, when his Ghoulardi show was not to be missed on Friday nights. More than 30 years later, the Ghoulardi legend is still firmly rooted in the minds of the people who watched and in the pop culture of an entire city. In early 1963, months before the Beatles arrived in America and years before Howard Stern hit the radio airwaves, Cleveland TV actor Ernie Anderson pioneered the modern counter-culture media celebrity. His offbeat late-night movie show was so popular locally that it got ratings higher than the Tonight Show, and the Cleveland police department reported a significant decrease in crime during its broadcast. Ghoulardi captured the hearts and minds of Cleveland's first TV generation and inspired other creative talents, including Tim Conway and Drew Carey. A great piece of TV history writing.