NIGHTMARE THEATRE

JOE TOWEY - "THE COUNT"



"Nightmare Theatre" was a hosted horror movie show with Joe Towey as "The Count" (1968-1975 and 1978) screening double features on Fridays at 11:30 pm (1968-1975) and single features on Saturdays at 5:00 - 7:00 pm during 1975, for KIRO-TV, Channel 7, Seattle, Washington. The Count did not appear in front of the camera until Halloween of 1968, and ceased in 1975. He returned for the final show - Halloween 1978.



From IMDB:

Joe Towey, who hosted KIRO-TV's Saturday-night "Nightmare Theater" as "The Count" from 1965 to 1977, died on Sunday 9 April 1989, in Seattle, King County, Washington, USA; following an illness of more than a year. He was 55.

Towey, who was employed at Channel 7 for 30 years, directed "J.P. Patches," a popular children's program, for 22 years until the show was retired in 1981. He also designed the set for "Nightmare Theater." After the program was replaced on KIRO-TV's schedule, Towey continued to bring "The Count" back to life on special occasions, such as Halloween. He also donned a Santa Claus suit every Christmas for special events at the station.

He was born on 18 May 1933, in Washington, USA and married to Sally Ann Fox. Together they had four sons.



Portrait of "The Count" by Bradley Beard.
"The Count" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)"
The show's opening sequence utilized a lap dissolve which transformed a skeleton lying in a coffin into Seattle's most beloved horror host. Today I present The Count, host of Nightmare Theatre on KIRO-TV Channel 7 in Seattle, Washington, which debuted on September 25, 1964 and ran until 1975; The Count returned in 1978 to host one last Halloween Special. The Count first appeared in front of the camera in 1968 and his character became an instant hit. Nightmare Theatre was the brainchild of Joe Towey who portrayed The Count; his involvement won him an Emmy as set designer on the show. It seems that the station tried to phase out the show several times in the 1970's but the fan's insistence kept the show alive. Unfortunately, as with most horror hosts of this era, very little footage exists of the show. The Count is a horror hosting legend whose legacy won't soon be forgotten. Fangs for the memories, Count.


"Nightmare Theatre"- clips from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.

LINKS


Internet Movie Data Base
"Nightmare Theatre"

Wikipedia
"Nightmare Theatre"

Internet Movie Data Base
"Joe Towey"

Facebook: Bradley Beard - Horror Host Artist
"The Count"

E-gors Chamber of TV Horror Hosts
"The Count"

The Trash Collector
"Nightmare Theatre"


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