Does anyone remember Creature Features on WGN in the 1970s

[Beringia]

It opened with this poem

Gruesome ghouls and grisly ghosts,
Wretched souls and cursed hosts,
Vampires bite and villains creep,
Demons scream and shadows sleep.
Blood runs cold in every man,
Fog rolls in and coffins slam,
Mortals quake and full moon rise,
Creatures haunt and terrorize

WGN-TV Channel 9's Creature Features was a beloved, non-hosted Chicago horror movie program that aired on Saturday nights from September 1970 to August 1973 (with a full run until 1976). It featured a famous opening with a chilling poem over Henry Mancini’s "Experiment in Terror", showcasing classic Universal monsters, mummies, and B-grade flicks.

https://professors-horror-host-tome.com/Hosts/USA/USA-Hosts-Creature_Features-The_Creature.htm

[wcmagumba]

1. We had one of those here in the Wichita, KS area but I think it was on Sunday afternoon...I don't remember the host...

and Saturday morning was all cartoons hosted by a goofy dude called Freddy Fudd and it seems like American Bandstand with Dick Clark was Saturday afternoons...
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10058549/bio/

[Keepthesoulalive]

3. We had zacherley the cool ghoul

WPIX. One of my kids favorites was Gigglesnort Hotel . The puppets were bizarre looking.

[BigmanPigman]

2. No, but I remember Creature Double Feature.....

Creature Double Feature....

"Creature Double Feature was a popular syndicated television show in the 1970s and 1980s, known for airing two classic horror and sci-fi movies back-to-back on weekend afternoons, often featuring monster films from Universal, Hammer, and Japanese studios like Toho (Godzilla). It was famous for its memorable opening credits, which used clips from the films set to music like Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Toccata," and for its creepy voice-over hosts like Dale Dorman ("Uncle Dale&quot in Boston. The show was a staple for introducing a generation to monster movies, airing on local stations like WLVI-TV in Boston and WKBS-TV in Philadelphia."

[yellow dahlia]

4. We had Creature Double Feature on Saturdays.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Yes, that's when it was on TV in Phila.too.

I don't like horror films but in Phila there were only 4 channels so there wasn't much of a choice at the time.

[yellow dahlia]

11. I liked SciFi and horror films when I was young.

And now - some of the plot lines are our reality.

[BigmanPigman]

14. The films shown at my art school film class

in 1983 "Horror Films" had many films that would not even be in the same class of films today.

We saw The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Nosferatu, Sisters, Freaks, Night of the Living Dead, Metropolis, etc. Some are really wonderful examples of the silent era "horror" films from various countries.

[yellow dahlia]

15. Indeed. So many classic works of art.

So many of them seem so "tame" now.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Psycho
Night of the Living Dead

I always like the creepy and corny monster themed "B movies" - The Blob. THEM, Creature from the Black Lagoon.

[luv2fly]

5. Had not thought of that in many decades

Grew up as a kid in the Chicago 'burbs and remember WGN and Creature Features fondly. Thanks for the memory!

[Beringia]

16. You're welcome, I loved those scary shows

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Did this compete with "Svengoolie," or is this the show that turned into "Svengoolie"? NT

Last edited Mon Apr 13, 2026, 08:50 PM - Edit history (1)

[ChicagoTeamster]

7. Yes. And Son of Svenghoulie.

[Americanme]

9. I remember.

Creature Features on the Chicago station, I think The Ghoul was on the Detroit channel, and our local ABC station had Shock Theater. Used to stay up late friday and saturday nights, watching scary movies.

[chicoescuela]

10. Northern California had Creature Features hosted by Bob Wilkins every Saturday at 11:30 in the

60s and 70s. It was good stuff back in the day.

[Harker]

12. Sister station KWGN Channel 2 in Denver ran Creature Features on Saturday night...

and Sci-Fi Flix on Friday night.

What fun. I was a regular viewer until I bought a car.

[Maninacan]

13. A big deal

We would stay up with parents and have popcorn. WGN is a great station.

[BunnyMcGee]

17. I remember

South side Chicago until June 1976. And Family Classics with Frazier Thomas. I think a separate program had Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, and another detective type series on Sundays.
Marty McNeely with the late-night news, which my dad loved to watch.

[Beringia]

18. Yes, Family Classics was good