Our First BOO-Nanza Double Feature: The Monster and... a Monster?

Tonight on MeTV- for the third year we begin a series of Saturday night double-features as part of my 45th anniversary version of “Svengoolie’s Halloween BOO-Nanza”! Our two features range from a 1939 classic- “Son of Frankenstein”- to a1950s science fiction creature feature “Monster That Challenged the World”!

In our first feature, Dr. Frankenstein’s son Wolf and his family head back to his father’s estate, in the town named after him. He gets a cold reception from the locals, who have lived through the horrors of his father’s creation. He soon discovers a intruder in the ruins of his father’s laboratory, the wily hunchback Ygor-who was hanged for his crimes, yet somehow survived. Realizing Wolf is a doctor, Ygor begs him to help “his friend” who turns out to be the comatose Frankenstein Monster!

Wolf is amazed by seeing his father’s creation, and is spurred to try to restore him to full power- which Ygor desires, with his own agenda to get revenge on those who sent him to the gallows. When the locals get wind of his new experiments, the local constable, whose arm was ripped off his body by the Monster, tries to reason with Wolf for his and his family’s protection. Meanwhile, Ygor continues working on his own agenda- and the villagers get those torches and pitchforks ready for a final confrontation!

This is the film that was the third and last time Boris Karloff played the Monster- and the film that introduced Ygor- played so well by Bela Lugosi. The illustrious Basil Rathbone portrays Wolf, and Lionel Atwill stars as the unforgettable one-armed policeman Krogh. We’ll have more info about the cast members, including one character that Mel Brooks appropriated so well- plus visits from Nostalgiaferatoo, Gwen, Tombstone and Kerwyn- and more!

Our second feature begins with a training parachute jump over the Salton Sea- when the jumper suddenly disappears! A search boat finds his body in a strange terrifying condition- but soon- that boat’s crew vanishes- leaving only a bit of odd slime on board. Tough and blunt Lt. Cmdr. John "Twill" Twillinger has it analyzed – and shows a little softer side of his personality when he encounters a young woman and her daughter in the office.

After another odd disappearance of a young couple- and the discovery of more slime- the Navy heads out to sea and divers make some shocking discoveries-including what may be a giant egg near a previously uncharted rift on the ocean floor. Suddenly, the divers are attacked by some kind of giant mollusk (which looks more like a caterpillar, but whatever)! Twill manages to drive off the mollusk, and the so-called egg is taken to the U.S. Navy lab for study. It will be kept under constant temperature control, so that it does not get warm enough to hatch. It is realized that there was an undersea earthquake which opened a chasm in the sea bed, from which emerged these strange prehistoric mollusks, and the authorities plan a way to close up the rift.

Unfortunately, more attacks occur to livestock and humans, indicating that the mollusks have found an escape route further inland. and others. The Navy goes on an inland search-and-destroy mission to eliminate the mollusk menace before there are more deaths- but- what of the mollusk egg back in the laboratory?!

This film features some familiar faces like Audrey Dalton, Max Showalter, our old “Dr. T” favorite (minus the 5000 fingers) Hans Conried, and more- as well as longtime cowboy star Tim Holt as the tough but tender Lt. Commander Twillinger. Besides our cast rundown, we get to see what appears to be a lost (maybe on purpose) BBC nature documentary, endure another Sven Squad visit, and- not to be confused with my visit last week with the DeLorean -I may take a test drive in the deadly movie car Christine!

The double feature begins at 8 pm eastern/ pacific, & central time (Make sure you stay up late after the double feature for a marathon of Sventoonie episodes)! During the double feature, you can join the many fans live-Tweeting on Twitter- make sure to use the hashtag #svengoolie . This morning on Chicago’s WCIU the U, viewers can get an encore of the Dan Curtis anthology “Dead of Night” at 11 am.

While you’re watching the show tonight, I will be on stage with Joe Bob Briggs at his Jamboree at Las Vegas’ West Wind Drive-In ! We hope to get some footage of the event to show you at a later date. More public appearances are coming up this month and next- make sure to check the “appearances” tab on this website for updated events! You also should keep an eye on our MeTV Mall store- where more and more Sven anniversary items are coming up!

Join us for the Monster and mollusks in our first October double feature tonight!

Click here to see the full schedule of Svengoolie's Halloween BOO-Nanaza!