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Monster Chiller Horror Theatre: Death Motel
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.
The setup
Watch on YouTube
Watch onYouTube
The premise
Here’s the bit.
Count Floyd explains that Death Motel once came with a theatre bell to warn audiences before the frightening parts, and plugs his mail-order 3-D glasses, certified cheques only. In the film, newlyweds Wayne and his bride check into a candlelit honeymoon suite oddly decorated with crosses, where the motel's hunchbacked bellboy Bruno keeps creeping in and terrifying the wife. When Wayne finally leaves to complain to the manager, he asks Bruno to look after her, and she ends up stuck playing cards with him. Floyd, unable to say quite what was scary, then interviews Woody Tobias Jr., who recalls following his hunchback father into the business, his father's stunt work for Lon Chaney, and a career he insists was too charismatic for anything but horror.
The funny people
Meet the cast. 6
Say it with us
Highly quotable.
Then why all the crosses? / Hey, why all the questions?
He had little stumpy feet, didn't he?
Woody, you're a scene stealer. My stars don't like it. You're too charismatic.
Behind the scenes
The people who made it.
John Blanchard
Director
A little extra
Notes from the archive.
This instalment has the unusual feature of an after-film interview, in which Count Floyd talks with the movie's star Woody Tobias Jr. In his introduction Floyd describes a theatre bell that warned audiences before the scary parts; SCTV Guide points out that the same gimmick was used by Cannibal Girls (1973), the Ivan Reitman film starring Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin.
Script
Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.
- 00:05
It's 11 o'clock, kids, and time for Kyle Floyd and Monster Chiller Horror Theater.
- 00:11
Count Floyd
Saturday night, kids. Time for another Monster Chiller Horror Theater. Tonight, we have that 3D classic, Death Motel. It's a classic horror film. And this film, when it first came out in the 50s, they had a bell that went off in the theater whenever a scary part would come on so people could hide their eyes. It was kind of like a warning system because the film was so scary Now in this movie death motel it stars woody tobias jr. As the hunchback and who is he a scary? Hunchback And guess what kids we got a special treat for you tonight Woody tobias jr. Is going to drop by that's right Comfort is going to chat with him after the movie be a special guest so don't you miss it? So now, kids, get out your 3-D glasses and get ready for death motel. Incidentally, if you don't have your 3-D glasses, just send away to me, Count Floyd. Send $15.95 to me just to cover the postage and handling. And by the way, kids, send a check, a certified check. Make sure your mother has that check certified because come Floyd's getting tired of dribbling your checks to the bank for our scary 3d classic death motel
- 02:12
Motel Manager
this of course is the honeymoon suite I'm sure you'll enjoy it we've had some young couples leave here raving about it it's a little hot in here though I'll just open a window for you
- 02:43
Wife ?
that would be nice
- 02:44
Wife ?
it's very attractive
- 03:00
Wayne ?
it'll do just fine
- 03:03
Motel Manager
oh good I'll have Bruno show you around where is that guy just here a second
- 03:06
Motel Manager ?
man could scare a fly you should be ashamed of you
- 03:18
I'm sorry no thanks to you
- 03:22
Motel Manager
have a pleasant day Bruno don't forget to leave some things
- 03:31
Bruno
- 03:40
Wayne ?
that'll be all thank Thank you.
- 03:45
Wife
Oh, Wayne, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps.
- 03:54
Wayne
Honey, there isn't another motel for at least a thousand miles. Now, come on, we'll just stay here the night. We'll make the best of it, and then we'll get up and leave first thing in the morning.
- 04:03
Wife
Oh, Wayne, why all the candles?
- 04:05
Wayne
Well, the manager said there was something wrong with the electricity. I mean, that's got to be the answer.
- 04:09
Wife
Then why all the crosses?
- 04:12
Wayne
Hey, why all the questions? Come on. You just get ready for bed, And I'm going to go into the washroom and slip into something a little more comfortable. Would you get it, pumpkin? I'm kind of busy in here.
- 05:06
Wife
Who is it?
- 05:19
Wayne
It's just Bruno. He was only turning down the bit. You've got to get a grip on yourself. Thank you, Bruno. Oh, all right. Here we go. There you go, Bruno. Thank you. Oh, Bruno, one more thing. We're having a little problem with this window here, and we'd like to get it open for some fresh air. Would you mind? Snap out of it, will you? Honey! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you that hard. I'm sorry, honey.
- 06:28
Wife
Wayne, you've got to get me out of here. I can't stay here a minute longer.
- 06:32
Wayne
All right. All right. Here. I'll go talk to the manager, and I'll get him to give us another room.
- 06:39
Wife
Wayne! Wayne! Don't leave me!
- 06:45
Wayne
Honey, it'll be all right. Believe me. I'll be right back. I'm glad you're here. Listen, I have to go to the manager's office for a moment, and my wife is worried about being left alone. Would you look after her for me? He says you'll be in good hands, honey. Thank you, Bruno.
- 07:19
Wife ?
Jess, stay away!
- 07:20
You don't want to play cards?
- 07:28
Wife ?
I don't want to play, really.
- 07:55
Count Floyd
Did you see that, kids? Oh, he was looking out that window. There was something scary out there. Oh, it was chilling. I couldn't quite make it out what it was, But, oh, it was real scary. Woo! In fact, that was... Who booked that film? Last time I got a low budget. Oh! Oh, that Bruno was scary, though, wasn't he, kids? Ooh, that hunchback. He really, and guess what? We've got him here tonight as a special guest. That's right, we have Bruno the Hunchback, better known as Woody Tobias Jr. Junior.
- 08:55
Woody Tobias Jr.
How are you, Count Floyd? Good to be here. Hi, boys and girls.
- 09:00
Count Floyd
Woody, I want to tell you, the whole studio is excited when they found out that you were going to drop by, because I'll tell you, you're one scary hunchback.
- 09:08
Woody Tobias Jr.
Well, it's a living.
- 09:11
Count Floyd
Well, you know, you look so different in person.
- 09:14
Woody Tobias Jr.
Well, it's the camera makeup and so forth when you're doing films count floyd i don't make too many personal appearances anymore
- 09:21
Count Floyd
no no well i'll tell you you've been around for a long time
- 09:26
Woody Tobias Jr.
45 years count floyd yeah i uh i followed in my dad's footsteps of course
- 09:31
Count Floyd
well that was uh voody tobias senior
- 09:34
Woody Tobias Jr.
that's right
- 09:36
Count Floyd
yeah i remember him but i'll tell you a lot of you kids out there you're a little too young to remember him that goes back quite some time
- 09:42
Woody Tobias Jr.
yes he was a great hunchback my daddy uh i had big shoes to fill all right
- 09:47
Count Floyd
He had little stumpy feet, didn't he?
- 09:49
Woody Tobias Jr.
He had normal feet. I mean, it's just a figure of speech, Count Floyd.
- 09:54
Count Floyd
Well, that's all right. Well, look, he was in that famous Hunchback movie, wasn't he? That classic film. What was the name of that thing?
- 10:02
Woody Tobias Jr.
It was the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Count Floyd. He was Lon Chaney's stand-in, of course, and did all the stunts. Did all of Chaney's stunts, of course. Climbing the ropes and climbing church steeples and leaping roofs and so forth. I truly believe it was his greatest achievement as an actor.
- 10:23
Count Floyd
He's dead now, isn't he?
- 10:26
Woody Tobias Jr.
Yes, he is.
- 10:27
Count Floyd
Well, let's talk about you, buddy. Now, you know, when people talk about horror films, when they talk of the genre, you know, the milieu of horror films, certain names crop up. For instance, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee, And, of course, Woody Tobias Jr. Now, tell me, Woody, have you ever thought of doing anything else?
- 10:53
Woody Tobias Jr.
Well, I did, Count Floyd. I'm sure the boys and girls don't know this, but in my early career, I tried character roles, of course. I was with the studios. And Sam Goldwyn, of course, you remember Sam. He said to me one time, he says, Woody, you're a scene stealer. My stars don't like it. You're too charismatic
- 11:17
Count Floyd
I'll tell you, you couldn't miss that Puss of yours up there on the screen
- 11:20
Woody Tobias Jr.
Thank you, Count Floyd, you're too kind And then, of course In later years, this would be The late 40s, early 50s I tried light comedy Of course, and, well, I used to Get laughs on my entrances Which I was pleased About, but the films bombed at the box Office, and that was a sign To me that my fans wanted to see me back in horror films
- 11:45
Count Floyd
well now weren't you the romantic lead in one film
- 11:49
Woody Tobias Jr.
oh i don't think so count floyd no
- 11:51
Count Floyd
yeah sure i saw you you were kissing a girl in a romantic film
- 11:56
Woody Tobias Jr.
i don't believe so i was never a romantic lead
- 11:59
Count Floyd ?
i was just kidding
- 12:04
Count Floyd
well we've been chatting with bruno the hunchback better known as woody tobias jr a scary hunchback and you can see him tomorrow night on part two of death motel right here on monster chiller horror theater
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