Before Ivonna Cadaver, before MST3K, before Elvira, there was Larry "Sinister Seymour" Vincent (1924-1975). Seymour hosted and heckled low-budget horror movies on channel 9 and channel 5 in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s. He also served as the first celebrity host of the first two big Halloween Haunt events at Knott's Berry Farm in 1973 and 1974. The photo above shows Seymour near the exit of Knott's Haunted Shack. (Photo courtesy Orange County Archives.).
Strangely, the not-so-remote history of Knott's Halloween Haunt is fraught with controversy, with various folks claiming credit for its invention. One website which has gathered a lot of information about the Haunt's history is UltimateHaunt.com.
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In the 1980s and 1990s, another Orange County Halloween tradition was the annual Oingo Boingo concert -- usually at Irvine Meadows Amphetheater. Sadly, the band broke up in 1995, and Halloween has never been quite the same. However, a number of the old band members will be playing some favorite Boingo songs at the House of Blues in Anaheim on Oct. 27th. For another reminder of the old days, YouTube has at least two live versions Boingo playing "Dead Man's Party," here and here.
All these things make me miss my childhood/teen years...
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