Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt (1989)

I don't remember reading or even hearing of the Nate the Great books when I was a child, even though the first in the series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was published in 1972, almost a decade before I entered kindergarten.

But I discovered and came to enjoy the character through my eldest son, who has enjoyed checking out these stories from the library and even adding some to his own book collection.

Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt is, naturally, one we enjoy reading together this time of year.

For those not familiar with the books, Nate is a nine-year-old detective whose friends enlist him to solve various problems—typically a lost item or pet. Nate interviews people and, with his dog Sludge, follows their leads from location to location, gathering clues along the way that eventually reveal where the missing object is.

In Halloween Hunt, a cat belonging to Nate's eccentric friend Rosamond goes missing, and instead of trick-or-treating, Nate spends his evening following the trail of clues—even sneaking into the neighborhood's "old haunted house," where the cat ventures every Halloween.

My favorite part of this short book is Marc Simont's artwork, which is wonderfully atmospheric.

Ghoulash for the Ghouls (1991)

Happy Halloween!

Well, it's finally here. It didn't exactly sneak up on me, but when you have small kids and family priorities, plus work to think about, festivities sometimes take a back seat. We put up some fall decorations indoors, but didn't get out all the ones specifically for Halloween. I'll assemble our harvest figure this afternoon. With other stuff going on earlier in the week, we haven't even carved our pumpkin yet—though we plan to do so after lunch.

However, I dug out a circa 1991 cassette tape recording that my sister and I made—a radio show we wrote and performed, titled "Ghoulash for the Ghouls."

In Scene 1, Dr. Gazinta and Igor try to figure out who (or what) left a large scratch on a piece of glass in the laboratory. Igor tells the doctor that perhaps The Brain did it. This turns out to be a red herring, though, because later—after the pair search the entire house—Igor finally admits to seeing the doctor himself accidentally scratch the glass.

Scene 2 is a sound-effect-heavy description of a woman's terrifying experiences inside a haunted house—though with an unexpectedly happy ending.

Scene 3 is an episode of "Freaky Family Game Show," a Double Dare-type game hosted by a character who sounds like Dracula, and with The Bride and The Mummy as featured contestants.

In Scene 4, The Wolfman observes Dr. Jekyll drinking a potion and transforming into Mr. Hyde. But somehow, this is less of a plot point than the fact that The Brain (the same one from Scene 1?) is growing larger and larger. In a slapped-on ending, the narrator announces: "It did get bigger. And soon it was big enough to conquer the whole world!" A cover version of "Monster Mash" serves as the lengthy outro.

After the recording cuts off, there is a second, though unfinished, episode of "Ghoulash for the Ghouls," written and recorded by my sister and her friend. The short skit describes the experiences of a boy alone in a haunted house. 

The first episode makes a little use of a Halloween tape titled "Horror Sounds of the Night," which I mention in this post, but most of the music and sound effects are from a later cassette, "Monster Mash Party," released by Parade Records in 1988. Here are sides 1 and 2 showing the track listings:

Most of "Monster Mash Party" was later re-released, with a few different tracks, as the 1996 cassette "Shivers! Monster Mash Party," which can be heard here:

Disney Wonderful World of Reading: The Haunted House (1975)

Along with the Robert Bright book "Georgie," one of the first books I ever read about a haunted house was one I received around Christmas 1981. It was a Disney read-along book and cassette titled, simply enough, "The Haunted House." 

The story begins as many other haunted house stories do—with travelers driving along a dark country road. When their car runs out of gas, the travelers walk to an old, dilapidated house nearby, hoping someone lives there who can help. ("The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion" opens with another variation: two travelers are walking home from a dance, when a rain storm, not an empty fuel tank, prompts them to approach the house.)

In this case, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto are the travelers. Through the house's windows, they see lights and shadows inside, and decide to ring the doorbell. 

That's when things get mysterious. The front door opens and immediately slams shut by itself. When the trio enters the house, a portrait hanging in the hall seems to be watching their every move, then whirls around, pulling the trio into a secret passage. Three ghosts appear there, and Mickey, Donald, and Pluto quickly escape through a laundry chute into the basement. Finding some steps that they hope will lead to an exit, they make their way back upstairs, only to encounter bats and a dancing skeleton. However, the bats prove to be fake, and Mickey begins to suspect that someone doesn't want them there and is playing tricks. 

The trio finally learns the truth when they stumble into a room and discover bags filled with money. All the ghostly happenings are the work of three bank robbers, who tie up Donald and Mickey, but aren't able to catch Pluto before he escapes with a bag of money and runs to alert the police.

One fun thing about this storybook: the Fisher Price tape that came with it was blank on side B, so that you could create your own recording.

Other stories where the hauntings are the work of individuals trying to scare away unwanted visitors include "The Haunted House," a 1963 episode of Andy Griffith; the 1966 Don Knotts film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken; and "A Haunting We Will Go," a 1984 episode of Diff'rent Strokes.

The Story and Song from the Haunted Mansion (1969)

In 1969, this Disneyland Records Storyteller album was released to commemorate the opening of Haunted Mansion. Intended as a simple promotional album, this recording has become a cherished childhood memory for many a Disneyland guest. "The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion" includes original scenes and effects that never made it into the final attraction as it follows the story of two teenagers (voiced by Robie Lester and a young Ron Howard) who take refuge inside the eerie mansion during a rainstorm. (Synopsis from DisneyStore.com) The picture above shows Ron Howard in the Happy Days episode "Haunted", made about 5 years after the album.

Laverne and Shirley: The Haunted House (1977)

The gang heads to an old abandoned house in which Carmine informs the girls they could pick up a couch for free. But their friends seem to disappear one by one while inside the haunted mansion. (Synopsis from ShareTV.org) Originally aired March 22, 1977.

The episode isn't readily available online, but here's a recap and analysis from the Night After Night Podcast:

Andy Griffith Show: The Haunted House (1963)

After Opie and his friend Arnold hit a baseball into the window of the old Rimshaw house, they hear noises and run to Andy and Barney for help. Andy sends Barney up to the house to get the ball with Gomer. They also hear noises and run away. Andy decides for all three of them to go together. The ghosts turn out to be Otis and his moonshiner friend. (Synopsis from TV.com) Originally aired October 7, 1963.

The Screaming Skull (1958)

A newlywed couple arrives at the home of the husband's late wife, where the gardens have been maintained by a gardener faithful to the dead woman's memory. Soon eerie events lead the new wife to think she is going out of her mind. (Synopsis from IMDB.com)

Little Rascals: Hide and Shriek (1938)

Here is a silent 8mm version of the 1938 Rascals short, "Hide and Shriek". It has been retitled "The Haunted House" for this version. Alfalfa is a private eye, and with the help of Buckwheat and Porky, tracks a couple of suspects, Leonard and Junior, who are accused of stealing Darla's box of candy. The two little kids get into the cab of a flatbed truck, so the three sleuths climb in back and hide in a box. Leonard and Junior, however, simply exit the opposite side, unknown to the older boys. It turns out the truck is taking supplies to a haunted house carnival ride, which is where the boys find themselves, but they think they are encountering actual spooks. (Synopsis from TV.com)

Mr. Boogedy (1986)

ABC Weekend Special: Red Room Riddle (1983)

Originally aired February 5, 1983. As part of a club initiation, Bill and Todd have to enter an old house haunted by the ghost of Jamie Bly. Soon the boys encounter a slew of ghosts, and they get trapped inside of a red, glowing room. (Synopsis from Retrojunk.com)

Disneyland Haunted Mansion 8mm Souvenir Film (c. 1974)

Edited from souvenir films that were sold at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the 1970s.

Mickey Mouse: Haunted House (1929)

Roseanne: BOO! (1989)

Originally aired October 31, 1989. Halloween is the Connors' favorite holiday and they go all out to make it the scariest, most gruesome holiday they can. Roseanne puts one over on Dan who is waiting to learn the outcome of a business deal.

Disneyland Showtime (1970)

Here is an excerpt from a program called "Disneyland Showtime" that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on March 22, 1970. It features a behind-the-scenes look at the newly-opened Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, and the segment is narrated by Kurt Russell.

The Brady Bunch: To Move or Not To Move (1970)

While technically not a Halloween episode, this Brady Bunch story involves the kids trying to keep their parents from selling the house by scaring away the potential buyer. "To Move or Not To Move" will satisfy your cravings to see children posing as ghosts under bedsheets, to hear strange creaking noises throughout the house, and to see Alice holding up an amulet to protect herself from evil spirits. From the show's first season, the episode originally aired 6 March 1970, which is why the character Mrs. Hunsaker quips, "I must say, you people celebrate Halloween at a strange time of year." Here is the episode's key scene:


Other Brady Bunch episodes that could be categorized as Halloween-related are "The Slumber Caper" (1970), "Fright Night" (1972), "Two Petes in a Pod" (1974), and "Out of This World" (1974), which is similar to "Fright Night" but involves a UFO instead of a ghost.

Porky & Sylvester: Scaredy Cat (1948) and Claws for Alarm (1954)

"Scaredy Cat" (1948) and "Claws for Alarm" (1954) are two cartoons that I saw as a child, and I remember being creeped out by them. They both feature Porky Pig and Sylvester spending the night in an ominous old house, with Sylvester constantly waking Porky to report the sight of something horrible. The cartoons are very successful at creating a sense of dread, particularly as we see Sylvester growing more and more anxious. As a kid, I liked when Porky let Sylvester climb into bed with him; I could identify with that feeling of safety that Sylvester longed for.



Both of these cartoons appeared in the 1977 anthology program Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special, which can be found here.

Whaley House hauntings (1991)

The Whaley House, located in Old Town San Diego, is one of the most important historic buildings in the area. Built in 1857, it was at that time the first two-story brick building in San Diego. For a time, the structure served not only as the Whaley residence, but as the county courthouse, San Diego's first commercial theater, and the Whaley and Crosthwaite General Store.

KNSD News played this segment on Halloween 1991. The director of the Whaley House recounts strange occurrences and speculates about who the spirits are that haunt the property.

PM Magazine: Haunted house (1985)

PM Magazine aired this program on 29 October 1985, as part of their "Ghoulies and Ghosts" week leading up to Halloween, with the hosts visiting a haunted attraction aboard the Star of India in San Diego. This segment is about a family living in a house they believe to be haunted. A psychic visits each room in the house, trying to discover who, or what, is causing the disturbances. I videotaped this as a kid and remember being spooked out by it, especially by the point-of-view shot walking down the steps to the basement. The background music, which is spooky in itself, is from the soundtrack to the original Halloween movie.

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)

This movie was shown on TV a couple of times that I remember during the late 1980s near Halloween. The part I looked forward to was the scene where Luther Heggs, played by Don Knotts, spends the night inside the mysterious Simmons mansion and gets spooked by the sight of the old pipe organ playing itself. No one was better than Don Knotts at playing nervous, excitable characters.

Here's a trailer for the movie:

I remember making a "haunted house" in my bedroom after seeing this movie. Inspired by the painting that hung in the Simmons house, I made a watercolor portrait of a woman. Luther Heggs had reported seeing the portrait with a knife stuck in the woman's throat and blood flowing from the puncture. I simulated this effect for my haunted house by hanging my picture on my bookcase and sticking a steak knife through it.

The Brady Bunch: Fright Night (1972)

"Fright Night" is another one of my favorite Halloween episodes. The Brady boys and girls take turns scaring each other with Halloween pranks, and after the parents are awakened in the middle of the night for the second time, they make the kids promise not to scare each other anymore. Taking advantage of the oath's loophole, the kids conspire to scare Alice, who has made it known that she isn't scared by characters like Dracula and the Wolfman. The kids plan to surprise her one night when Alice returns home, expecting her to arrive well before Mr. and Mrs. Brady come back from a sculpture competition. Needless to say, things don't go quite as planned, and poor Mr. Brady's head ends up in pieces. This episode from Season 4 originally aired 27 October 1972.


Other Brady Bunch episodes that involve the kids planning to scare someone are "To Move or Not To Move" and "The Slumber Caper," both from 1970.

See a scene-by-scene breakdown of these three episodes at The Haunted Closet