Sir Graves Ghastly, Vampire by Day (Horror Show Host #2)
When I was eight years old, I talked my parents into letting me stay up late so I could watch Shock! Theater on WXYZ-Channel 7. The movie was the 1931 Dracula starring Bela Lugosi.
So I’m up, all alone, downstairs where there are dark shadows everywhere, filled with witches and monsters. Shock! was hosted by an unknown being named “Mr. X”. After he introduced the movie and his head turned into a skull, the movie started.
All was fine for the first ten minutes. Then, the scene shifted to the dungeon inside Dracula’s castle where Dracula and his wives slept in their coffins. The camera slowly moved in close to one of the coffins. It opened and up sat one of the creepy-looking vampire brides. OKAY, THAT’S IT FOR ME. It scared me so bad I never got to see what Dracula himself even looked like.
This was my introduction to horror movies...and in particular, horror movie hosts.
A few years later, along came Sir Graves Ghastly, the creation of Lawson J. Deming and his wife Mary Rita. The need for a Horror Host came about for WJBK-TV2 when the station dumped an earlier Horror Host, Morgus. TV execs approached Lawson, who had been working on a children’s show, “Woodrow The Woodsman,” and asked if he was interested in hosting a horror movie program. Oh, you betcha he was!
Lawson became Sir Graves Ghastly, a parody of Count Dracula. He would open each show, sitting up in his coffin, and speaking to the audience. He would end his opening monologue with “turn out the lights…pull down your shades…draw the curtains…cuddle up in your favorite place by the telly…and enjoy today’s tale…of TERR-OR! NYAAAH-H-H-H-HHH!”
Instead of coming on during the dark late night hours, Sir Graves came on during Saturday afternoons while it was still daylight and not creeping out the kids as much.
Not only did the show attract kids, but adults were drawn to the show as well. Lawson played just about all the other characters on the show: The Glob, Tillie Trollhouse, Reel McCoy, Baron Boogalof, and others. Some characters, like his hooded-figured assistants Baruba and Abura, were portrayed by several people.
Sir Graves ruled weekend TV for fifteen years: 1967-1982. His show was yanked when WJBK big shots decided to turn their attentions to sports shows and games. That didn’t stop him, though. For many years up until his death, he continued to appear as Sir Graves at events and fundraisers to the delight of his thousands of fans throughout Michigan.
Lawson J. Deming passed away at age 94 in 2007 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brook Park, Ohio.
Or is he?
"NYAAAH-H-H-H-HHH!”
Sir Graves Ghastly! Vintage Detroit TV Horror Host Highlights & 1989 WXYZ TV Interview!
