As with James Arena’s recent FRIGHT NIGHT OF CHANNEL 9, I have never seen the local TV series to which Donald F. Glut’s book (and fellow McFarland & Company offering), SHOCK THEATRE CHICAGO STYLE, is devoted. As expected, I didn’t need to in order to surf right along on its wavelength, for I, too, have fond childhood memories of watching my own hometown’s horror host (Oklahoma City’s Count Gregore, for the record).

For Glut, the two years that SHOCK THEATRE was on the air in the late 1950s was a magical time that spoke directly to him, while shaping the life he would go on to lead. I know that sounds overly important — all that, from goofy puns delivered by some dude in a two-bit costume? — but it’s true; the author’s sizable bibliography proves it.

In tackling his subject both to tell its history and serve as a remarkably thorough episode guide, Glut kills the proverbial two birds. Rather than chopping the paperback into distinct halves, he smartly uses his week-by-week structure to weave in the complete story of the weekend showcase of Universal horror films and the demented genius hosting it, Marvin, aka family man, puppeteer and all-around good guy Terry Bennett.

The author’s reverence for the man is so great, readers may be missing an alternate viewpoint for the sake of perspective, but Bennett hardly seems like the kind of local celebrity to have let “fame” go to his head and commit public blunders. The most scandalous thing he appears to have done is to have passed away so young, at age 47.

With no shortage of on-set photographs or vintage advertisements from Chi-Town’s TV guide pages, SHOCK THEATRE CHICAGO STYLE pays loving tribute to the macabre mad scientist in front of the camera, his private-life polar opposite, and the short-lived Saturday-night fun that became the highlight of many a Windy City kid’s week. Anyone who remembers the pre-VHS days when commercial breaks during fright flicks weren’t necessarily a bad thing will find the book infectious. —Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.