THE UNKNOWN

STERLING BREWER - "?"

The above poster is AI genrated, based on an image of Sterling Brewer. "The Unknown" was a hosted horror movie show with Sterling Brewer presenting movies on Saturdays at 4 pm on WAPI-TV, Channel 13 Birmingham, Alabama during the Fall of 1958 till the Fall of 1960. It is not known if the host had a character name. From Egor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts: "The costume was a robe with a hood which covered all but the nose and mouth, and the lighting was a candle on a table which caused the shadows to run upward, the effect was very chilling. The show would start with creepy music, wind, thunder and lightning as the camera shot faded to the 'Host' room. There seated behind a table the host would explain how today's show was the scariest they had shown and how we had better be ready as we were getting ready to enter the Unknown". STERLING BREWER Sterling N. Brewer (15 December 1925 – 30 September 2016) was an American radio and television broadcaster, news anchor, sportscaster, television host and advertising executive best remembered in Birmingham, Alabama, for his work at WAPI-TV and WBMG-TV. Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Brewer was drafted into the United States Army shortly after his eighteenth birthday during World War II. Trained as a surgical technician, he served in New Guinea and the Philippines and later in Japan following the Japanese surrender. After returning to civilian life, Brewer entered broadcasting. By 1953 he was general manager and program director of radio station WJBY in Gadsden, Alabama. He subsequently became a familiar Birmingham radio and television personality, working in a variety of positions including reporter, news anchor, weatherman, salesman and sports director. In 1956 Brewer briefly hosted the Birmingham children's television program The Balloon Goon on Channel 13. The program featured Brewer and visiting children on a set filled with balloons; popping a balloon provided the cue to begin a cartoon. From 1958 to 1960 Brewer hosted The Unknown, WAPI-TV Channel 13's Saturday afternoon horror and science-fiction movie presentation. For the program he appeared as a mysterious hooded figure whose face was largely concealed. Candlelight cast shadows upward across the host while eerie music and sound effects including wind, thunder and lightning contributed to the program's atmosphere. No separate character name for Brewer's host has been firmly established. Brewer also became widely known as a professional-wrestling announcer. He called Birmingham studio wrestling on WAPI-TV and later became closely associated with the wrestling broadcasts of WBMG-TV Channel 42. He also worked as a live wrestling announcer at Birmingham's Boutwell Auditorium. After leaving broadcasting, Brewer owned Sterling Advertising, an advertising agency in Birmingham. He later worked for approximately two decades as a school-bus driver for the Hoover school system and operated AAA Clock Repair. In retirement he remained active in community and veterans' organizations and frequently spoke about his experiences as a World War II veteran. Brewer was married to Betty Clark Brewer for 67 years. He died on 30 September 2016, at the age of 90. Below is a trailer for "X-The Unknown" that was shown on "The Unknown".

LINKS

Internet Movie Data Base "The Unknown"

E-gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts "Sterling Brewer"

Internet Movie Data Base "Sterling Brewer"

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