User Reviews

Red Skelton's third season finale from June 15, 1954 (repeated in time for Halloween four months later), Bela Lugosi coming off his recent success at the Silver Slipper Saloon in Las Vegas in THE BELA LUGOSI REVUE (Feb. 19-Mar. 27), while Maila Nurmi only debuted as Vampira on KABC-TV in Los Angeles on April 30, an instant hit with viewers as the small screen's first horror movie hostess. Red's opening monologue is his version of a local weatherman before launching into a horror sequel to his 1948 feature "The Fuller Brush Man," titled "Dial 'B' for Brush" as a current spoof of the new Alfred Hitchcock release "Dial M for Murder." Bela is the star as Prof. Lugosi, a mad scientist with dark makeup around the eyes and a 'half brother/half wolf' named George, played by Lon Chaney, expertly reprising his familiar Lennie from "Of Mice and Men" with only oversized fangs from the dentist, hairy paws, and a frequent habit of baying at the moon (Red: "didn't I meet you at the city dog pound?"). Red's dimwitted Clem Kadiddlehopper is assigned as fuller brush salesman, making a house call at an opportune moment for Prof. Lugosi: "if I could only find the man with a brain that has never been used!" Ad libs aren't so frequent as one might expect, but Lon gets a good one when he takes out his fangs and looks off camera: "this brush is on sale..." Red: "please, one idiot on the board at a time!" Clem is convinced he has an easy sale: "you know, I never say die" (Bela and Lon: "but we do!"). One injection and Bela scampers off stage with great enthusiasm: "it's so peaceful in the graveyard!" (Lon's George enjoys this early exchange: "didn't I go to the blood bank and get your lunch?"). Once Clem comes to in the graveyard he immediately notices Lon baying at the moon as someone approaches: "here, get away from that tree...stop it will ya, you'll have every dog in the neighborhood over here!" Maila Nurmi makes her sultry entrance to Bela's introduction, complete with piercing scream: "my sister, the Vampira!" While Prof. Lugosi readies his lab equipment for the operation, Vampira effortlessly flirts in her own unique way: "why don't you invite me over some time when you cut yourself shaving?" The experiment is ready as Lugosi exults: "just what I've always wanted, genuine early American idiot!" Clem calls Bela 'mother' which earns an embarrassing "yes?" then chaos descends as Vampira pops out from a slab for one last contribution: "please, you're making enough noise to wake the living!" The plot serves as an interesting precursor to Lugosi's "Bride of the Monster," the writing mostly on the mark, the participants all enjoying themselves immensely, a real treasure only fully restored in 2014. This was the only appearance on Red's show for Bela and Vampira, but the second of six for Lon Chaney, featuring a special presentation of Red's skeletons dancing in the graveyard!