everyday is halloween

vampira is, i believe, the very first TV Horror Host in the U.S.   she was the creation of maila nurmi who performed as vampira in 1953 & was later recruited to host a package of older scary movies for TV station KABC-TV in l.a. in 1954.  the show lasted until 1955.  but nurmi retained the rights of vampira.  however, her eponymous TV show became a thing of legend.  a few clips of her show have survived the years like the piece below.  but in the early days of television video tape was expensive & TV stations often recorded over older programming to reuse the tape for new broadcasts.  that's a real bummer because you can see vampira has got that I DON'T KNOW WHAT quality.  the set is spooky.  the soundtrack appropriately creepy & vampira's banter with the audience is possesssed of a dark wit.  'you like my cocktail?  it hates you!'  fucking love it.  vampira set the starge, & often the tone, of the TV Horror Movie Host.  later, nurmi played vampira in ed wood's classic PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE [1957] as a zombie as well as a few other films & TV guest appearances.  so, here she is, maila nurmi as vampira, in her eponymous TV show just right for the Spooky Season.

boo!