Here's a tasty holiday treat, boils and ghouls...especially for Lon Chaney, Jr., fans...
Fans of Lon Chaney, Jr., and of horror films in general, can revel in a very special Christmas present: All the episodes of "13 Demon Street," the very obscure, short-lined horror television anthology hosted by Lon Chaney, Jr., produced in 1961, have been unearthed.
Mike Vraney, owner of Something Weird Video, made the announcement at the November 1998 Chiller Convention in Crystal City, Virginia.
According to Vraney, he discovered the original 35mm films of the television horror anthology while on a trip to Sweden. He said the films are in good condition and will please fans with the quality of the transfers he will make to videotape.
He plans to issue a collector's edition of four tapes in all--the first three tapes will contain three episodes apiece, and the fourth will contain the final four episodes, accounting for all 13 original episodes of "13 Demon Street." Lon Chaney, Jr., appears in the episodes' prologues, according to Vraney.
Although quite obscure, the existence of "13 Demon Street" has been known to fright fans for years. Sinister Cinema has carried a film entitled The Devil's Messenger, made up of three episodes of "13 Demon Street." In the compilation film version, Lon, portraying Satan, sends a "messenger" to Earth to trigger a nuclear holocaust that will blow the world's population to hell. Thus, the other long-unseen episodes promise to be interesting, at least.
Vraney said he hopes to announce the sale of the "13 Demon Street" video collection during mid- to late December. Stay tuned!
