DOOLEY & CO
FRIGHT NIGHT FRIGHT
THE BIG MOVIE SHOCKER

GEORGE ELLIS - "BESTOINK DOOLEY"

Ellis was born on 6 September 1919 as George Albert Ellis Jr., in Newport News, Virginia, USA and passed away on 2 June 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. His parents parents had immigrated from war-torn Syria and Lebanon. Ellis worked as an apprentice draftsman at a shipyard. He later moved to Richmond, where he meet and married Gwen and had a son, Michael. The family relocated to Atlanta in the early 1950s. Not long after they arrived, he and his wife began to establish themselves in the local theater community. But the relationship was strained, and by the end of the decade, the couple had divorced. Gwen soon left the country for the Philippines, taking their son. Around this time, the character of "Bestoink Dooley" was born. From 1962, Ellis began to host horror movie shows as the character "Bestoink Dooley", as well as a children's cartoon show. In 1965, he started in the horror movie "The Legend of Blood Mountain" as the character "Bestoink Dooley". After his run as a horror host came to an end, he ran the Film Forum Theatre in Atlanta between 1971 and 1974. The shows: "Friday Night Fright" - a hosted horror movie show with George Ellis as "Bestoink Dooley" presenting movies on WAGA-TV, Channel 5, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, likely around the early 1960's. Ellis worked at a design firm named Dimension Incorporated during the day, and on Friday nights, he hosted the show. "The Big Movie Shocker" was a hosted horror movie show with George Ellis as "Bestoink Dooley" presenting movies on WAGA-TV, Channel 5, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, likely between the early 1960's until the early 1970's. The show was screened on Friday nights at 11:20pm or 11:30pm; and for a short time, repeats screened on Saturday mornings. "Dooley & Co." was a hosted cartoon show with George Ellis as "Bestoink Dooley" presenting cartoons on WAGA-TV, Channel 5, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, around the mid 1960's. The 30 minute show aired at 4:30pm weekdays, showing "The New 3 Stooges" cartoons. "The Big Movie Shocker" was a hosted horror movie show with George Ellis as "Bestoink Dooley" presenting movies on WAGA-TV, Channel 5, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, around 1975. The show was a 13 week retrospective from the original series that ran from the early 1960's until probably the early 1970's. "The Legend of Blood Mountain" in a 1965 movie that tells the tale of a small-town newspaperman begins to suspect that a wave of murders committed in the area may not be the work of a serial killer but a monster. The main character is "Bestoink Dooley" played by George Ellis. Portrait of "Bestoink Dooley" by Dave Dunlap.

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

He's a very unlikely horror host who endeared himself to Atlanta. Tonight I present Bestoink Dooley, host of The Big Movie Shocker on WAGA-TV Channel 5 in Atlanta, GA, which began in the late 1950's. Dooley also hosted Friday Night Fright on WAGA as well as Dooley & Co. where he would host Three Stooges shorts. Bestoink was played by a local actor named George Ellis. Ellis acted in several low budget movies over the years, most notably was his role in the 1965 The Legend of Blood Mountain in which he actually played the role as Bestoink Dooley. After his tenure as a horror host, Ellis ran the Film Forum Theatre in Atlanta, a cutting-edge theatre known for showing the best in European films. Ellis ran the theatre between 1971 and 1974 and was removed from his position when a new owner purchased the theatre. Ellis continued his passion in bringing cinematic culture to Atlanta for many years thereafter. In 2013, George Ellis - "Bestoink Dooley" for "Big Movie Shocker", was inducted into "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame". The following are some clips from the movie "The Legend of Blood Mountain": "The Legend of Blood Mountain" - clips from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.

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