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The Opening Bump:
Bill Takes A Job in the Sunny South

While most of Bill Bowman's fans think of him as a Virginia television personality, he actually grew up in Pennsylvania and began his career in radio.  He was a disc jockey at an FM station in Pennsylvania, but after a couple years, the station went belly up.  As Bowman says, FM was just not that big in 1951. 

On the last day, Bowman's boss called him into the office and said he had a lot of solid qualities as an employee, but he just did not sound good on the radio.  He was then given the advice to get into television where he could hide behind a camera.

For several years, Bowman cut his teeth in the production end of television and by 1962 was working as a director for WTPA in the Harrisonburg, PA market.   According to Bowman, by that point in his career, he had had enough of snow and ice.  "And I decided that I wanted to go down south where I had always heard that it was warm and sunny and when you crossed the Mason/Dixon line, everywhere you went they had Mint Juleps and palm trees," Bowman said in an interview in 2008.  "That was not exactly accurate," he admitted, but it still inspired a road tour through the south in the summer of 62. 

During that vacation, Bill took copies of his resume and stopped by every TV station he could locate, including WXEX.  Not expecting much, he returned to Pennsylvania.  Then, in November, he got a call from the production manager at WXEX, the ABC affiliate in the Richmond market called Bowman and said they had an opening for a director if he was still interested.  With the ice and snow closing in fast, Bill Bowman made the decision to pull up his roots, beginning a broadcast career in the Old Dominion.

Act One of Our Exciting Movie!
Shock Theatre on the BIG 8!

DEBUT: The first time Bill Bowman played the role of the Bowman Body was on Monday, June 22, 1970 when he hosted the classic 1935 Universal horror film, The Raven, staring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi at 11:30 pm.   The station had recently acquired the famous Shock! and Son of Shock! packages licensed through Screen Gems for television broadcast across the country and featured a total of 72 horror, suspense and science-fiction movies. 

The Shock! package had played before in Richmond . . . in fact, channel 12 (then known as WRVA) had its own hosted version of Shock Theater from 1958 through 1961, beginning just a few months after the package was initially released.  (To learn more about that show, and it's hosts, Ghoulda and Hazel Witch, please see www.virginiacreepersmovie.com).

It was not Bill's idea to host the horror movies.  The station had been sold to Nationwide Communications and the new station manager, Jack Weideman, thought Bowman would make a good on air personality.    After proposing that Bill take over weather or sports, neither of which he felt particularly qualified to do, Wiedeman told Bowman that he would be hosting the new horror film package.

Bowman did not think anything would ever come of the idea until one day a pair of carpenters from the production shop came in with a coffin lid and told him to stand up so they could make sure it would fit.  Soon after, he got a notice to report for taping of the Shock Theatre show and was given little direction on exactly what he was supposed to be doing.  It was supposed to be a summer replacement.

The event was a hit, even though Bill unintentionally lit his cape on fire at one point. They ran five films, most benefiting from Boris Karloff, and each succeeding the other in intensity. In fact, even for 1970, each of the films--THE RAVEN, THE BLACK CAT, THE MUMMY, THE INVISIBLE MAN and FRANKENSTEIN--have moments of horror for the average viewer when the lights are off and it is after midnight.

For Bill's part, however, comic relief was the order of the day.  Never bothering to fake an accent or invent a history, Bill and his tennis shoe came out of the coffin to have a little fun. It was all ad lib, but full of campy, corny humor that set the audience at ease and set the tone for the show to come.  Though he had never intended to work in front of the camera, this twist of fate brought out talents people still revere today.

"BY POPULAR DEMAND":  A few weeks later, starting on the 20th of July, the Bowman Body returned "By Popular Demand," according to the advertisement in the Richmond Times Dispatch for two straight weeks.  His next string of films featured some of the best Universal horror films, though there were a few clunkers along the way.

At this point, it is difficult to tell from the local TV listings alone whether or not Bowman did any hosting at all in August, and Bill does not personally remember.  There were certainly no weeks of mini-horror film festivals, but on three occasions, films were aired that might have been hosted.  On August 14, WXEX ran GODZILLA and on August 28, they ran THEM!  Additionally, X FROM OUTER SPACE made an appearance on August 31, a Monday.

In the meantime, someone must have been paying attention to the reaction Bill was getting from fans because he was once again pressed into service on Labor Day week.

It is at this point that Bill Bowman remembers making a general appeal to his audience:  “If you like what you see, write the station because otherwise I will be selling hot dogs on Virginia Beach.” 

The response was tremendous, especially among college students who were enjoying the Bowman Body in both unadulterated and ahem . . . enhanced . . . forms. Letters came in by the hundreds and one petition came in from the College of William and Mary with over 400 signatures on it.

But still, the management had not made the decision to go weekly . .  if they even saw the potential yet.  However, during Thanksgiving week of that tumultuous year, horror movie fans were able to get a taste of things to come . . . with some movies more horrible than horrifying.

WEEKLY TRIPS INTO TERROR:  How long would Richmond have to wait for weekly "trips into terror"?  Newspaper records indicate that Shock Theatre hit the Richmond market on a weekly basis on Friday night, February 19, 1971 with a showing of THE MUMMY'S TOMB. Shock Theatre with Bill Bowman remained on Friday nights for nearly two years and according to Reed Wolliver, station artist and assistant on the show, the Bowman Body was beating out Johnny Carson with slightly more than a 50 percent share . . . meaning over half the households watching TV at 11:30 in the Richmond area were tuned in to THE BIG 8!

BONUS:   Bowman's filmography click here!

The reasons people were tuning in to Bowman were actually similar to their reasons for watching Carson, only on a local scale.  Shock Theatre was planned, though never scripted . . . and much of the planning happened on cocktail napkins.  Additionally, Bill would invite guests from all walks of life, especially musicians.  True, Carson might have Buddy Rich or Tiny Tim, but Bowman would pull in a red hot comb player, or local kids and their monster models, or just anyone who wanted to be a part of the show.  The key was that they were local and Bowman understood that people wanted to see themselves on TV and were thus anxious to involve themselves in the fun.  This lead to more and more viewers because word would spread.

Another factor in the Bowman Body's popularity was his numerous public appearances.  Some of these appearances were tied directly to his show sponsors, so he visited Liberty Grocery and local Arby's restaurants on a frequent basis.  He was also asked to be the Grand Marshal of Christmas parades (though even Bill thought the connection was odd) and college parties.  He was invited to appear at Randolph Macon, UVA, VCU, and William and Mary at various points.

This is one of the most unique aspects of Bill's career as a horror host. In a time when the rally cry was "never trust anyone over 30," Bill Bowman was accepted and beloved by a large segment of the college crowd and they routinely turned on and tuned in . . . in all senses of the phrase.  As one VCU student said for a Commonwealth Times article while attending a mobbed Record Rack store event in January of 1974, "Oh yeah, sure he's corny but everybody gets stoned and stays up late and watches 'im!"

The Bowman Body performing with a band at the Hoi Polloi club on William and Mary campus in 1974. (Courtesy: Jim Mitchell)

Debbie Jones on right of Bowman at Lawrenceville VA, 1975 Holiday parade. (Courtesy: Ed Jones)

But there was more to it than that. Unlike most adults, Bill Bowman was clearly having fun in his job, something that appealed to the new generation. He was also well known for treating everyone well in studio and at events.  He took the time to talk to people and never talked down to kids.

 

HIATUS:  Between January 12, 1973 (when Bowman showed THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD) and May 19 when Shock Theater returned with THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, Shock Theatre was on hiatus.

During that time, Bill left WXEX to help set up a new station in Charlottesville, VA, WVIR 29.  Harold Wright, WVIR's station manager recalls that Bill was really the only person involved who had real television experience.  The rest of the folks involved were radio people and Wright said they would never have made it on air without him. (Incidentally, one of the first shows on WVIR was "Slime Theater," hosted initially by Howard Meagle.)

Bill does not recall returning to the show itself however until August of 1973.  During the summer months, the show may have been hosted by Reed Wolliver, who did a short stint as "Count Drac."  Wolliver said in an interview for the documentary that he had no desire to be in front of the camera.  However, there was a moment that he was remembered for.  They had set up a gag for the show in which he would ease back into a rickety old chair and it would collapse . . . only it did not collapse.  After several attempts and tampering with the chair, it still would not go apart so Wolliver gave it a kick and released a couple of colorful phrases in the process.  Unfortunately, this part was never cut from the tape and viewers got to hear words rarely spoken on TV before.

An early publicity photo for the Charlottesville paper, The Daily Progress, features General Manager Harold Wright (left), Bill Bowman (center) unspooling a roll of film, and Charles Bell.

"EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT UPON YOUR TV SCREEN":  Many people remember seeing Shock Theater on Saturday nights at midnight, which was the case from May 19, 1973 to January 12, 1976, meaning the show actually spent more time on Friday nights.  However, people probably recall the Saturday night time slot (right after "Soul Train," by the way), largely because of the famous theme song from Don Harmon and Kattail Grass, a blue grass band which created the song from the traditional tune, "Dooley." 

Harmon was working on the railroad (literally) when he and a band mate, Richard Mann, came up with lyrics for the "Bowman Body Theme Song" as it was officially known. He contacted Bill Bowman, who loved it, and invited him to perform it on the show.  However, the night before they were set to record, a fight broke out between Harmon's wife and the guitar player's wife during a performance and all hell broke lose, dissolving the band just hours before they were set to appear on the show.  Harmon quickly made phone calls, however, and got a band together for the taping.

 
From the parent documentary, VIRGINIA CREEPERS:  THE HORROR HOST TRADITION OF THE OLD DOMINION.

The song was a big hit with the fans and Kattail grass reformed to make an official recording at Eastern Records in Richmond in late 1973.  They sold and distributed 4000 copies in record stores, department stores and juke boxes around the city.  He said he once walked into a Roses department store and the record was playing over and over again on a repeating turn table.  He asked a lady working in the store, who had probably heard it 100 times in a row, if she knew who recorded the song.  She said, "I don't know, but if I ever find out I'm gonna kill him."

The recording only lasted 2 minutes and 13 seconds and the lyrics were catchy though over the years there has been debate on what they were.  So, they are printed here to the right, transcribed directly from the record.

RETURN TO FRIDAY: The Saturday night run competed directly with Saturday night live in 1975, but Shock Theatre went back to Friday nights for the rest of its run beginning on January 9, 1976 with a broadcast of THE INVISIBLE WOMAN.  SNL began on October 11, 1975, but it really did not gain its overwhelming popularity until the following year, so it is hard to know if this was a motivation for changing the time slot or not and Bill does not remember.

It is interesting to note that many people, myself included, recall switching back and forth between Bowman Body and Dr. Madblood, whose show ran on WAVY 10, the NBC affiliate in Norfolk, VA.  In those days, it was very possible to pick up signals from other markets if you lived in the right spot and had a good antenna.

However, Dr. Madblood's was on after SNL starting in November of 1975.  In other words, there was only a period of two months and two weeks when it would have been possible to switch channels back and forth.

Just goes to show you, even the strongest memories may not match up with the historical facts.

Another interesting thing is that when Bowman switched back to Friday night, the station purchased four basic ads, beginning with an ad for "THE ORIGINAL KING KONG" on February 6, 1976.  Other ads would appear for the next few months intermittently for his broad casts of DINOSAURUS, THE PHAROH'S CURSE, THESE ARE THE DAMNED and THE THING.

What is of interest here is that this is the first time since the origins of the show that WXEX saw fit to advertise the program in the news paper.  A study of the paper reveals that WXEX rarely advertised any of its programs and while Bowman got the bulk of that advertising, it was most prevalent in his final year.

END OF AN ERA: The show continued to run on Friday night at 11:30 until September 10, 1976 when the Bowman Body ran his final movie on WXEX, appropriately titled, I BURY THE LIVING.  The station's film package lease had run out and Bill felt it was time to move on.  But he would soon return on a different station, in a different town . . .

BONUS:   Bowman's filmography
 click here!

Now for the Next Exciting Act:
Cobweb Theatre on WVIR 29 in Charlottesville!

After Bowman's show went off the air, Bill Bowman stayed at WXEX for a few months before going on to do freelance work in local broadcasting.  Between late 1976 and early 1981, Bowman did work for WHAP radio, BES Productions and was technical director for Kepler Productions which covered University of Richmond football games.  He also did work at the state capital as a production manager and at WNVT 56 in Fairfax beginning in 1981.

In the meantime, Bill stayed in touch with Harold Wright and Howard Meagle at WVIR.  Meagle had been doing a show called Slime Theatre, hosting horror movies, but simply as himself, but earned the name "Mr. Slime."  Slime Theatre was a big hit, but when Meagle had other professional opportunities, the show went to Pat Bauley who became "Dr. Sludge."  (Incidentally, Bauley had worked on the Madblood show at one point too).  Dr. Sludge moved on in mid 1977, leaving a monster movie package with no host.

Michele Will Tell" was a VERY pre-Google way of getting the latest info on the stars that ran with weekly TV listings.  Clearly R. Venning was a fan and Michele could tell the future as well.  Incidentally, this was taken from a North Carolina newspaper.

Enter the Bowman Body.

Neither Bowman nor Wright can remember who first suggested doing the Bowman act in Charlottesville, but Wright recalled that he knew it was a great opportunity because of Bowman's legendary reputation in Richmond.  This time, however, there were going to be a few changes and improved production values, starting with the set which was was much more elaborate than the plywood coffin, a carpeted riser and an 8 X 8 backdrop at WXEX.

The new set was, ironically, actually well worn.  Bowman refers to it as "The Traveling Set," and it was used when he made appearances at state and local fairs and occasionally grand openings and the like.  It was a pair of folding panels and had been a employed for people to get photos with the Bowman Body.  When the show moved to Charlottesville, they upgraded the coffin and added back panel access through a doorway and an upright box.

As a side note, getting the set from Bill's garage near Petersburg to Richmond require the use of the company van and a trip of approximately two hours.  Unfortunately the truck was not up to it and Bowman and Wirght had to hitchhike back to the station . . . these were the days before cell phones of course.  All ended up well, but it caused a little anxiety for Bill who worried about what might happen if a police officer stopped to check out the scene and found a coffin sitting in the back . . .

Another new addition, which was now being called Cobweb Theatre, was the character of the Mummy was played by the station artist, Tom Blalock, who spent much of his time in the box with just his eyes and a pair of bandaged hands protruding from a paper mache body.  However, on occasion, he'd come out and interact as seen in the video to the right in which he tries to teach Bowman how to disco dance.

The Mummy's dialog was composed entirely of ad libbed grunts and muffled expressions, but the two characters interacted with a clear sense of communication despite having no script.  His recurring theme was to present himself as the star of the show and try to displace Bowman.  In some episodes featuring magician Curtis Crawford, he even plotted to dispatch Bowman for good, but somehow the Body managed to elude the swords and guillotines.

Not surprisingly, the Mummy was nearly as popular with fans, especially kids, as Bowman was.

Bill made numerous public appearances in Charlottesville and beyond during this period and  was seen in the surrounding markets as far west as Staunton and Harrisonburg. Also, right near the end of the Cobweb Theatre run, artists Keith Van Allen and writer Ed Vance produced a comic strip that they presented to Bill for approval.  Twelve panels were done in all and they were briefly published in the Charlottesville paper, the Daily Progress. Naturally, when the show ended, there was no local tie in so it did not go much further.

However, the simple fact that this happened at all tells us a tremendous amount about Bill Bowman and the popularity of his character and the kind of world it was at that time.  It is difficult to imagine a local paper running a local strip about a local TV character today.

The show ran from October 15, 1977 through December 30, 1978.  It originally started at 4 pm on Saturdays but after two weeks, it moved to 6 pm Saturdays where it stayed until it's final broadcast. Bill did make one more appearance on WVIR as the Bowman Body on October 29, 1979 when he hosted the Boris Karloff film, Bedlam, for a Halloween Special on that Saturday afternoon.

However, Cobweb Theatre would soon be reborn in the hands of Mike Moore, a Richmond area video pioneer who is a major figure in the evolution of the home video direct order market and collector of odd films. 

NEXT UP:  COBWEB THEATRE AT MOORE PRODUCTIONS.

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