MURDER BEFORE MIDNIGHT

ALLEN HARVEY - "DRANA BADOUR THE SWAMI"
ART HERN - "DRANA BADOUR THE SWAMI"

"Murder Before Midnight" was a hosted horror and thriller movie show with Allen Harvey and later Art Hern as "Drana Badour the Swami" who presented movies on WBKB-4, Chicago, Illinois from 23 January 1950 till 24 August 1953. The strange mystic spoke in an eerie voice and wore the appropriate attire and turban. The show's macabre theme music would play as the time grew nearer for the film to begin. Captivated television viewers would then be lured into Drana Badour's crystal ball where the week's mystery or horror thriller would start. Murder Before Midnight was unique in that it not only had a creepy host as the master of ceremonies, the first of his kind in television history, but the show also featured a movie thriller in nightly installments, Monday through Saturday from 11:30 pm - 12:00 midnight. The half hour program would then usually be followed by the Nite Owl Movie, which showcased a random mix of full-length movies from various genres. Beginning on June 17, 1951, however, the WBKB studio began to do something special with Murder. On Monday nights, the local TV station started showing the entire length of the week's feature from 11:30 pm until 1:30 am. On these nights, Murder would be followed by the Ulmer Turner News prior to the station going off the air until later that morning. Movies screened included: The Accused (1949) The Ace of Spades (1935) The Ape Man (1943) Below the Deadline (1936) Blake of Scotland Yard (1937) The Case of Charles Peace (1949) Charlie Chan in the Secret Service (1944) The Corpse Vanishes (1942) Dark Alibi (1946) Detective Kitty O'Day (1944) The Face of Marble (1946) Hammer the Toff (1952) The Important Witness (1933) The Intruder (1933) Lord Edgware Dies (1934) Meet Sexton Blake (1945) The Night Comes Too Soon (1947) The Night Has Eyes (1942) The Panther's Claw (1942) Paul Temple's Triumph (1950) The Phantom Shot (1947) Red Dragon (1945) Return of the Ape Man (1944) Revenge of the Zombies (1943) Salute the Toff (1952) Shadows Over Chinatown (1946) A Shot in the Dark (1935) Someone at the Door (1936) Tangled Evidence (1934) There Goes Kelly (1945) The Thirteenth Guest (1932) Three Witnesses (1935) White Zombie (1932) Woman in the Shadows (1934). There are no known clips from the show.

LINKS

Internet Movie Data Base "Murder Before Midnight"	Shock Theater 1 Blogspot "Swami Drana Badour"	Internet Movie Data Base "Allen Harvey"
Horror Host EnPSYCHOpedia "Drana Badour the Swami"		Internet Movie Data Base "Art Hern"

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