NIGHTMARE

TOM LEAHY - "THE HOST"
LEE PARSONS - "RODNEY"
JIM HERRING - "RODNEY"
JAMES D. VALDEZ - "RODNEY"
JIM SALEM - "RODNEY"
GLENNA BARTLETT - "CYTHIA"

"Nightmare" was a hosted horror movie show with Tom Leahy as "The Host", assisted by Rodney. The show first aired on KAKE TV, Wichita, Kansas, USA from 31 January 1958 until 1959. It was screened live on Friday nights and Saturdays (kinescope) after midnight; then moved to Tuesday at 10:30 after several months. Lee Parsons played "Rodney". When Tom Leahy became promotion director of KWCH-TV Channel 12 Wichita, Kansas in 1960, he resurrected his show "Nightmare". Tom Leahy revived his role as "The Host", with Lee Parson appearing again as "Rodney"; presenting old horror movies for about six months or so in 1960. In 1969, the show would return on KSN Channel 3, Witchita, with Tom Leahy as "The Host", and newcomer Jim Herring as "Rodney". Guest appearances included Glenna Bartlett as Cythnia - The Host's girlfriend, who was only able to utter one word - "Blood". Other characters included Agnes, the Abominable Show Girl,and The Internal Residue Man who was there to collect 2000 years worth of back taxes. In 1990, Tom Leahy returned as "The Host" on Nightmare" on KSAS Fox-24. "Rodney" was played by Jim Salem, and from 18 May 1991 by James D. Valdez. The show ended around 1992. "Nightmare" was plagued with very unexciting film package; as none of the original Universal movies were available to KSAS Fox-24; with the station dependent on movies within its own library. The best of these being The Fly, The Fly II, and the Friday The 13th movies. From IMBD: Mr. Leahy moved in 1940 to Wichita, where he attended the University of Wichita, now Wichita State University. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in the Philippines. Following the war, he returned to Wichita and began a 60-year career at local radio and television stations. In the late 1940s, Mr. Leahy became a booth announcer at KAKE. It was there that he created the show "The Host and Rodney" to introduce movies. KAKE anchor Larry Hatteberg was going to high school in Winfield when he first saw Mr. Leahy on "The Host and Rodney." "I remember sitting at home and loving the show," Hatteberg said. "I thought it was the greatest thing. It wasn't that they were so scary, he was just so interesting to watch. He would ad-lib whatever came to his mind." In the early 1960s when the nation's attention was focused on outer space and astronauts, Mr. Leahy created Major Astro. The afternoon show first ran from 1960 to 1973 on KARD, now KSN. Mr. Leahy reprised the character for a short time in 1985 for KSAS. In 1985, Mr. Leahy told then-Wichita Eagle film and movie critic Bob Curtright that he created the Major as a father figure. During the 11 years the show ran on Channel 3, Mr. Leahy "moved" Major Astro from a space station orbiting Earth to a moon base. Then, he took the major to Venus and finally to a base on Mars. On Sunday, Curtright called Leahy a local icon. "Every kid from a certain generation knows him," Curtright said. Fans were often card-carrying members of the Major Astro Club. Members would receive a space newsletter. One fan reportedly cut a hole in the family's carpet to hide and insure her card's safety, said Mr. Leahy's wife, Wilma. In 1986 when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, some of the Major's youngest fans worried he was on it. This weekend, as word spread of Leahy's death, his fans took to the internet to wish him their thoughts and prayers. "RIP, Major Astro!" wrote Linda Baughman the guestbook created in Mr. Leahy's memory on Legacy.com. In an interview with The Eagle on Sunday, Baughman said she remembered as a child running home after school each day to watch Major Astro episodes. "He was always so kind and positive," Baughman said. Mr. Leahy is preceded in death by first wife, Billye Leahy, son; Tommy B. Leahy and parents; Thomas B. and Marcelle Leahy. Survivors include wife Wilma, children Lisa (David) Navarro of Wichita, Rodney (Wendy) Mumaw of Mansfield, Texas, Ryan Edward Leahy of Wichita; and five grandchildren. In 1986, a documentary was released "The Host: Tom Leahy, TV Horror Host Pioneer". Below is that documentary. "Tom Leahy" - interview from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo. Other ventures: In 1965, Tom Leahy wrote, produced and directed the horror movie "The Beast from the Beginning of Time". Leahy also played the part of "The Beast" credited as Nelson Strong. Below is an introduction for the movie that Leahy did a number of years ago. "The Beast from the Beginning of Time" - Introduction from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo. 1969 saw Leahy again wrote, produced and directed a pilot show - "Green Hell From The Void". He also played the part of Jim Smith. Below is the pilot. "Green Hell From The Void" from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo. Leahy's other major television role was as the children's show "Major Astro". For more information om the show click on the below link. Portraits of the "The Host and Rodney" by Dave Dunlap.

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

The hour for nightmare is once again at hand. Tonight I present The Host played by Tom Leahy, host of Nightmare on KAKE-TV Channel 10 from 1958 to 1959, then continued on KWCH-TV Channel 12 in Wichita, KS another year. The show was resurrected in color in 1969 on KSNW-TV Channel 3 in Wichita, KS and ran until 1971. The Host was joined by his mute miscreant sidekick Rodney who was played by Lee Parsons in the original show; Jim Herring took over the role of Rodney in the 1969 in the revamped color version. Leahy revisited the role for one last run in the 1990's with John Salem playing Rodney. Known for his verbose ramblings, Leahy created a uniquely stylized and effectively creepy vocal tonality that emphasized his alliteration laden discourses. Nightmare was an extremely well written and flawlessly executed show, due in no small part to the tremendous talent of Leahy. In 2012, Tom Leahy - "The Host" for "Nightmare", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame". Below in Tom Leahy's induction video. "The Horror Host Hall of Fame" - Tom Leahy from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo. In 1959, Lee Parsons appeared in an episode of "To Tell the Truth", where the judges had to decide who of the three contestants was the real horror host Lee Parsons. Below is that segment. "To Tell The Truth" - segment 1959 from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo. The following are some clips from the "Nightmare" shows: "Nightmar" - clips from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.

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