The Hilarious House of Frightenstein

Hilarious House of Frightenstein was a perfect show!

I love classic low budget Canadian shows that were still great. Even though they had little money to spend on their productions they made great shows because they obviously really cared, and this show for kids is maybe the best example of that.

Billy Van was a true talent who played most of the characters himself but it played them differently enough that it wasn't annoying and they actually seemed like different people. The characters and skits were very creative and fun and also educational pieces were shown for the value of the children.

I am lucky to have found some DVDs of this show at the pawn shop this summer and the shows are just as great as I remember them.

Great, campy fun! That's how I would describe it. To think it was made right in my home town of Hamilton at CHCH where so many other great shows (Smith and Smith Comedy Mill) were made and they continue making good shows today (This Movie Sucks) that are Canadian and proudly low budget despite their good quality. I still can't believe they had Vincent Price! That is so awesome.

Holy boiled condor eggs, I was NUTS for this show as a kid in New Jersey! I always thought it was produced in NYC, not Canada ... but given the creativity of SCTV and other Canadian TV shows, I'm not so surprised. Billy Van was awesome as Count Frightenstein, but I really thought The Librarian was the best part of the show. Oddly enough, I don't remember Vincent Price being in this -- but I do remember the theme song! (To the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") "Glory, glory Transylvania / The werewolves and bats will always maim ya / The murky moors will likely claim ya --" ... OK, so I DON'T remember that last line! Anyone who does can e-mail me with it.

How to best describe this unique Canadian children's show... hmmm....

Well, it's kind of a children's educational haunted house, horror movie satire show chock full 'o great adult gags. It's all about bein' "groovy", hangin' with the "Pet Vet" and learning about animals, dancing to the Wolfman's groovy wax, laughing at Paul the gorilla's slapstick humor, reciting poems with Vincent, and all that year-'round Hallowe'enie goodness! I imagine mostly Canadians will remember this Saturday morning classic, whether when it originally aired in the 70's or in its ongoing reruns.

This was one of my fave staple Saturday morning shows in the early 70's that I watched right after the really bad animated "Spiderman" cartoon that came on at 9:30 AM! I loved the many characters that the incredibly (and unfortunately largely unrecognized) talented Billy Van created. It was off-beat, bizarre as all heck, and a great parody of horror films.

Well, I hadn't thought of this groovy lil' show in ages, so when I did (near Hallowe'en, naturally) I ventured into a google search, and I found a tribute site dedicated to the show! The site has images, wav files with all the characters being kooky, video and more! This weird and wacky show always began with Vincent Price's on screen intro monologue with the castle in the background and super-low-tech lightning superimposed over the image, then jumped into the castle with the Count, Igor, Paul the Gorilla, the Wolfman (a DJ), Super Hippie, the Oracle, the Librarian (one of my faves!, the Wolfman Jack inspired DJ the Wolfman who played psychedelic music as Igor & the Grammar Slammer dancer before a swirling psychotropic backdrop, and more freaky characters.

Most of the characters were played by Canadian actor Billy Van (also seen on "The Sonny and Cher Show", "The Bobby Vinton Show", "Bizarre" , "The Party Game", "The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show" and more!). The show was shot in Hamilton, Ontario at CHCH TV back in 1971. It has since gained cult status as it's been translated into many languages and re-broadcast in different parts of the world.

I truly hope that the series comes to DVD, as I'll be first in line for the release! ~ T.Paul

Produced all in one shot at the CHCH-TV studios in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1971, this show elevates low budgets as the mother of creative invention to deity-status. Character actor Billy Van reaches his zenith with his portrayal of not only the self-important Count, but also a plethora of others, all of to whom he breathes life and very distinct personalities.

The groovy, record-spinning Wolfman. The Animal-loving Dr. Pet-vet. The crazed Julia Childs of Transylvania, Grizelda (who always added a pinch of Walt to every recipe...Walt was of course a large jug of her late husband's ashes). The Oracle. Bwana Clyde Batty. The list goes on.

And not to be outdone, the spooky environs of the Count's castle were shared by Fishka Rais' lovable oaf, Igor. Whether he was catching heck from the Count, dancing up a storm to a soul record with the Wolfman or begging the Three-Toed Sloth to finally let him keep one the animals Dr. Pet-vet offered him...you couldn't help but love the big green-skinned under-dog.

Oh, and nostalgia buffs be alert!!! During a huge lull in his career, horror icon Vincent Price accepted the role of the Narrator, wise sage and "host" of the show. Spouting playful rhymes that served to introduce each new segment, Price lent a certain credibility to the castle's proceedings.

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein was and still is just that, hilarious. Here's the best way to look at the show...SCTV for kids.

Honestly this was one of the best shows from when I was a kid. I remember watching it in the early morning before school. I really wish I could find it on DVD or video, because it was awesome! My daughter saw Vincent Price on "Edward Scissorhands" and I started to tell her about this really cool show that I used to watch as a child. She thought it sounded weird but was still interested, so I had my sister do a search but it's hard to find any info on this show. Makes me a little sad because it was so funny. Dr. Pet Vet, Igor, the Mosquito and the Wolfman. Priceless. Hee hee. Bring back the laughs!! And if anyone finds out how to get copies of the show, please post!