{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"07 | City Cemetery | Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape | Halloween | October 2018 Issue","description":"Ghost stories, TV horror hosts, and cemeteries are visited in this Halloween-themed episode. Host Allen Forkum (editor of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper) interviews historian Fletch Coke about the history of Nashville City Cemetery and about the stories of people interred there, including Confederate generals, a mysterious woman buried under a boulder, a U.S. president, the man who named Old Glory, and notable Nashville historical figures. The cemetery is the city's oldest public grave yard, established in 1822. (Segment begins at 04:50) The Captain William Driver monument is pictured in 1959. Driver is known for originating the name \u201cOld Glory\u201d for the American flag. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room) This Nashville Banner photo shows the neglected state of City Cemetery in 1937. It accompanied an article headlined \u201cPatriots Rest in Weeds\u201d (see the July 2015 Nashville Retrospect). (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by John E. Hood) In 1959, Mayor Ben West headed a major restoration of Nashville City Cemetery. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bill Goodman) The Steele boulder monument is pictured in 1984. (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room) The 1908 survey map of Nashville City Cemetery has been crucial for locating graves at the site. Burial records up to 1846 were lost during the Civil War. (Image: Nashville City Cemetery Association, Metro Archives) Also hear audio clips of Nashville\u2019s legendary TV horror hosts, Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape. Experts Jeff Thompson and Larry Underwood (Dr. Gangrene) relate the history of these local TV personalities who, from the \u201850s to the \u201880s, hosted late-night showings of monster movies. (Segment begins at 40:10) Dr. Lucifur (Ken Bramming) as he appeared in the intro to his TV program \u201cShock Theater\u201d of the 1950s and \u201960s. Notice the \u201cmystic circle\u201d effect. (Image: Jeff Thompson) Ken Bramming on the \u201cShock Theater\u201d set called the Purple Grotto, which featured a door stained with bloody handprints. (Image: Jeff Thompson) Original caption from the Nov. 1, 1976, Nashville Banner: \u201cResident Opryland spook Sir Cecil Creape greets 4-year-old twins Keith and Kevin Tidwell.\u201d (Image: Nashville Public Library, Nashville Room, photo by Bob Ray) This cut-out mask of Sir Cecil Creape\u2019s face was used to promote the Channel 4 show \u201cCreature Feature\u201d in the early '70s. The show was hosted by the ghoulish Sir Cecil, played Russ McCown. (Image: Stanley Hime) Dr. Gangrene (Larry Underwood) is an award-winning Nashville horror host who has been performing for almost 20 years, carrying on the tradition of Dr. Lucifur and Sir Cecil Creape. (Image: Larry Underwood) Larry Underwood (right) and his brother, Jimmy, are pictured in Ben Cooper brand Halloween costumes in 1972. (Image: Larry Underwood) And finally, Allen Forkum reviews some of the \u201ccreepier\u201d stories in the October 2018 issue of The Nashville Retrospect newspaper, including: the auction of Jacob Schnell\u2019s \u201chaunted house\u201d in 1974; the 1926 Nashville Banner editorial about Halloween vandalism; a 1976 Banner story about Morris Levine and his popular Halloween parties; and an 1868 article about the strange fate of a young woman buried with a valuable diamond ring. (Segment begins at 01:50)   SHOW NOTES A list of articles relating to this episode contained in archive issues of The Nashville Retrospect (archive issues can be ordered by clicking here or on the issue links below): \u2022 "Beautify Historic Cemetery,\u201d Nashville Banner, Oct. 8, 1959 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2013) \u2022 "Polk\u2019s First Grave In City Cemetery,\u201d Nashville Banner, Nov. 2, 1925 (The Nashville Retrospect, November 2012) \u2022 \u201cThe Forgotten Brave,\u201d Republican Banner, Dec. 11, 1867 (The Nashville Banner, December 2017) \u2022 \u201cArmy Officer Here To Explore \u2018Bob\u2019s Hole\u2019 For Bodies,\u201d Nashville Tennessean and Nashville American, Dec. 4, 1911 (The Nashville Retrospect, December 2017) \u2022 \u201cPatriots Rest In Weeds,\u201d Nashville Banner Magazine, July 18, 1937 (The Nashville Retrospect, July 2015) \u2022 \u201cEditor Shot By Rival Editor,\u201d by Allen Forkum, The Nashville Retrospect, August 2009 \u2022 \u201cThe Monsters & Dr. Lucifur\u201d by Tom Henderson III, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2011 \u2022 \u201cSir Cecil Creape: A Few Memories of Russ McCown\u201d by Stanley E. Hime, The Nashville Retrospect, October 2013 \u2022 \u201cCreapey Greeting\u201d photo of Sir Cecil Creape, Nashville Banner, Nov. 1, 1976 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2015) \u2022 \u201cLocal TV ghoul haunts Opry House \u2018catacombs\u2019,\u201d Nashville Banner, Oct. 30, 1985 (The Nashville Retrospect, October 2015)   Other related articles: \u2022 \u201cNeglected City Cemetery Found Rich In Nashville Lore,\u201d Nashville Banner, Oct. 27, 1958 \u2022 \u201cClean Up The Cemetery!\u201d Nashville Banner, July 19, 1937 \u2022 \u201cCity Cemetery in Bad Odor,\u201d Republican Banner, Nov. 26, 1867 \u2022 \u201cA Pretty Ghoul Is Like A Malady,\u201d regarding Sir Cecil Creape, Nashville Tennessean Showcase, April 23, 1972   Links relating to this episode: Nashville City Cemetery Association 1908 survey map of City Cemetery Grundy Reburial Ceremony at City Cemetery City Cemetery\u2019s 19th Annual Living History Tour Metropolitan Nashville Historical Commission Metro Parks and Recreation \u201cWilliam Driver\u201d by Ophelia Paine \u201cWilliam Carroll\u201d by Jonathan M. Atkins \u201cJames K. Polk\u201d by Wayne Cutler \u201cFelix Grundy\u201d by Jonathan M. Atkins \u201cFelix Kirk Zollicoffer\u201d by Larry Whiteaker \u201cDr. Lucifur: Nashville\u2019s Tasteful Transylvanian\u201d by Jeff Thompson, Filmfax magazine The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker and Other Productions, 1966\u20132006 by Jeff Thompson House of Dan Curtis: The Television Mysteries of the Dark Shadows Auteur by Jeff Thompson Nights of Dan Curtis: The Television Epics of the Dark Shadows Auteur: Horror, Western, and War by Jeff Thompson Dr. Gangrene\u2019s Mad Mad Mad Blog Horror Hootenanny 15 at The End 12 Hours of Terror at Belcourt Theatre "Mr. Ken Bramming: A Remembrance" \u201cCreature Feature\u201d Christmas Special excerpt (1971) \u201cCreature Feature\u201d show excerpt \u201cPhantom of the Opry\u201d launch (1983) \u201cNashEvil: From Sir Cecil Creape to Dr. Gangrene, a history of Nashville horror hosts\u201d by Randy Fox, Nashville Scene \u201cSir Cecil Creape: Nashville\u2019s Hometown Ghoul\u201d by Nashville Public Radio \u201cChiller Cinema #29\u201d Halloween Spooktacular (2000), Sir Cecil Creape tribute \u201cAmerican Scary\u201d Nashville Hosts (deleted sequence)   Audio excerpts from: \u201cFrankenstein\u201d (1931) trailer, \u201cBride of Frankenstein\u201d (1935) trailer, and \u201cCreature from the Black Lagoon\u201d (1954) trailer Music: \u201cNear You\u201d by Francis Craig and His Orchestra (Bullet, 1947); \u201cQuiet Outro\u201d by ROZKOL (2018); \u201cCovered Wagon Days\u201d by Ted Weems and His Orchestra; and \u201cThe Buffalo Rag\u201d by Vess L. Ossman ","author_name":"Nashville Retrospect","author_url":"http:\/\/nashretro.libsyn.com\/website","html":"