John Dommett was "Professor Macabre" the host of "Frightful Movie" which was broadcast between 20 February 1968 until 18 June 1968 on TVQ-0 Brisbane; presenting some 18 episodes. In 1967 Shane Porteous was "Deadly Earnest", the host of "Aweful Movies With Deadly Earnest". After a few months as "Deadly Earnest", Porteous left the show for other television opportunities in Sydney, NSW. For more information on Porteous as Deadly Earnest, click on the link below: Rather than have a new "Deadly Earnest", the producers decided to have a new character and title - "Professor Macabre" with the title "Frightful Movies". "Frightful Movie" ran for less than twelve months. To add interest, the producers decided to have "Professor Macabre" kill "Deadly Earnest". The only known photograph of "Profssor Macabre" is an enacted shot of him strangling Deadly. John Dommett who was born in 1948, and first appeared on Australia television as the host of Go! In 1967. His role as "Professor Macabre" following in 1968. He continued to appear in movies and television series including "Tomorrow" "King's Men" "Case for the Defence", "The Bit Part" "Hiledarde" "Paradise Beach" "The Sullivans" and "Cybergirl". But he is best remembered as "Doctor Jim Howard" in the television series "The Young Doctors". Dommett also worked in live theatre with one of his last performances being in "Kiss of the Spider Woman". His talents extended past being in front of the camera, to also working in the production side, having written episodes for "The Sullivans", and producing episodes of "The Box", "Matlock Police" and "Division Four".

There is no known footage of Dommett as "Professor Macabre".

Portrait of "Professor Macabre" by Dave Dunlap.

Portrait of "Professor MacAbre" by Bradley Beard.
"Professor MacAbre" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)

A mystery host from the land down under. Tonight I present Professor MacAbre, host of Frightful Movies on TVQ-0 in Brisbane, Australia, which began in 1968. Professor MacAbre was played by the late John Dommett, an original cast member of the acclaimed Young Doctors show on the Nine Network in Sydney, Australia. After only a few months of portraying Deadly Earnest in Brisbane, actor Shane Porteous gave up the role and moved to Sydney to pursue a full-time stage acting career. A new host was needed to replace Porteous and Dommett was chosen for the part. Much in the way that American horror host Dr. Paul Bearer "killed" his counterpart Count Shockula, Professor MacAbre also "killed" Deadly Earnest to usurp his position as the Brisbane horror host. No further information on MacAbre exists and only one known photo exists of him "killing" Shane Porteous.

Sadly, Dommett passed away on 8 January 2004.

John Dommett without the makeup (from "the Young Doctors").

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