On seeing HoDS in 1970: A blog post

[Midnite]

This is the weirdest account I've read of seeing (or not seeing) HoDS on the big screen:

The Idaho Spud

I don't think anyone actually says, "What is this thing?" in the movie, though the comic book club probably had multiple opportunities to answer back to "What is it?"

With thanks to Kosmo

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Weird is the word.    Although, considering I'm not the biggest fan of much about hoDS, their viewing experience just might have been more enjoyable. 

Thanks for the link. 

[Uncle Roger]

It sounds like the guy was (and quite possibly still is) living in his own private Idaho.

[Gerard]

Odd.  How totally odd.  When I went to our local theater (and stood in line for two hours with hundreds of DS fan kids) to see HoDS, it was, indeed, in the days of double-features (along with previews, cartoons and a documentary) for the cost of 35 cents (he paid a dollar? - what a rip-off to see movies back then!), the first feature was a western.  I think it had the name of "Brewster" in it, but I don't recall.  None of us cared about it.  No one watched it.  While it was splashed on the screen, kids talked, yelled, ignored and ran back and forth to the concession stand.  After it ended, I do remember there was a Baby Huey cartoon and a documentary about swamps (kids went "ewww" when an alligator snapped up a baby chick of some bird that fell out of its nest into the water).  And then there was intermission.  The last of the audience ran to get more popcorn and goobers.  And then the lights dimmed and the MGM lion roared and the Bob Cobert score started and everyone screamed and applauded.  Guess we in Wisconsin were in a totally different dimension than those in Idaho.

Gerard

[Nancy]

Overtly odd.

[Gothick]

I saw it as a single feature showing at a long-dead movie theatre in Aberdeen, Maryland. 

I'm not sure just what that guy was on but I hope he enjoyed it.

G.

[murph]

I was an every day viewer of the original show.  Yes, I was one of the millions of kids that ran home everyday from school to watch the show.  I had just turned 11 when the movie premiered and my mom took me and a few friends to see it.  She allowed me to watch the show everyday but only had a vague idea what it was about.   The movie was 100 times more violent than the television show, my mother did not realize this and forbid me to watch it anymore.  I advised her that the show was not nearly as violent but she would have none of it.  This was early November of 1970.  I remember going to my father and pleading with him that I be allowed to watch the show again.  I told him the show was not as violent as the movie and he said he'd discuss it with my mother.  Later that night they said that my mother would watch it with me and then decide.  She did and I was able to watch the show until it was cancelled approx. 5 months later.

I know the movie was a huge moneymaker but I've always believed that it was at least partially responsible for the demise of the show because there were probably many other parents who watched the movie with their children and then forbid them to watch the show believing it was as violent as the movie.  It's my understanding that the ratings for the show took a steep dive after the release of the movie.  I also understand the ratings did climb back somewhat for the last storyline, 1841 Parallel Time.

 

[Josette]

Later that night they said that my mother would watch it with me and then decide.  She did and I was able to watch the show until it was cancelled approx. 5 months later.

Did she just watch it a few times or from then on, and did she like it?

[murph]

Hi Josette, she watched it for about a week and became satisfied that it wasn't too violent for me to watch.  It just wasn't her cup of tea, she was in her early 50's at this point and had six other kids besides myself and also had grandchildren to spoil.  I'm just glad she allowed me to watch it. 

Last night was my first post in many years and I don't remember how to include Josette's question to me in my response.   Sorry if it seems disjointed.

Murph

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Not disjointed at all, murph. And it's nice to see you posting again. 

Also, you're not the only one to theorize that hoDS and parents' backlash to its violence helped to speed the demise of the daytime show. There was actually quite a bit of an uproar from parents - and not all of them were as understanding as yours.

[Josette]

Very interesting, Murph - glad to have you back!

[Uncle Roger]

Yes, Murph, welcome back! I hope you'll continue to post.

[Gothick]

That's a fascinating story, Murph.  My Mom banned DS after she saw an episode with me when we were taking one of our trips in this trailer my Dad would hitch to the back of the car.  The trailer was called a "Frolic" and it had all these typical late Sixties fittings with a lot of fabrics never found in nature.  Anyway on one of the trips we took a little black and white TV set and I was able to watch DS.  It was during 1897 and it was the episode where Judith is attacked by the werewolf and Beth saves her because she has the pentagram and knows how to use it.  My Mom was shocked which seems funny in retrospect, but Mom hates violent films and shows.  So she told me I had to stop watching it.  For some months I watched in secret.  DS was responsible for my first act of defiance against parental authority.  I still get a giggle out of that.  After some time had passed, she no longer cared whether I watched it or not because she was too busy with her job and other things.

G.

[Uncle Roger]

My mom never gave me a hard time about DS. I think that she was just thrilled that I wasn't watching Soupy Sales any more. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And I've mentioned this before, but more often than not my mom watched the show with me. Though she was also not a fan of hoDS - but she didn't see it until it played on a double-bill with NoDS when it came out, so the daytime show was already gone by then.