Count Gore de Vol
Encyclopedia
Count Gore De Vol is a television horror host
who originally appeared on Washington, DC's WDCA
from 1973 to 1987.
Originally named M. T. Graves, the character was played by announcer Dick Dyszel
, and originated on the WDCA's version of the Bozo the Clown
program. When the character got a positive reaction, he was given his own program called Creature Feature. The character's name is either a play on the name of acerbic author Gore Vidal
or the name of a prominent Washington D.C. funeral home, "De Vol." Gore De Vol was the Washington/Baltimore area's longest running horror host. He returned to DC airwaves for a one-time special, Countdown with the Count, on New Year's Eve 1999/2000.
Count Gore De Vol's contribution to the American horror
host tradition is significant in a number of ways. As Washington D.C.'s horror host throughout most of the 1970s and 1980s, Gore used the platform to satirize national politics from a local perspective. In the era of Watergate and Iran-Contra, Count Gore took frequent shots at the political folly with an ad lib, shoot-from-the-hip style that led local audiences to feel they were part of an Inside the Beltway
private joke even when the subject was high profile.
Count Gore's Creature Feature also embraced the sexual revolution
of the 1970s, and his guests for the show included several Penthouse pets. Though he never had an official sidekick, he frequently employed the talents of writer and actress Eleanor Herman in the role of Countess von Stauffenberger. The two played off each other with a series of romantic near misses and sexual innuendos that made the show a success even when many horror hosts were losing their shows in the wake of the original Saturday Night Live
.
Gore's iconoclastic style surfaced in a number of other ways. He was the first host in America to broadcast an unedited version of Night of the Living Dead
. He also secretly began transmitting his own show in stereo
a week before his station officially made the announcement, making Creature Feature Washington's first stereo broadcast.
After a five year hiatus from the air, Count Gore returned to WDCA 20 in 1984 and a second wave of popularity kept the show a local fixture until new owners canceled all local programing in 1987. During this time, Gore made numerous public appearances with live shows and Halloween
events and received thousands of fan correspondences, making Count Gore one of the most popular figures in the history of D.C. media.
In 1998, Count Gore De Vol became the first horror host to present a weekly show on the Internet, featuring streaming video of movies and shorts hosted by The Count, and interviews with celebrities. Other hosts from around the country also contribute to the program, providing reviews, contests, and other "strange and evil creations." There are also several regular features on the site, from movie and book reviews to monster model building and horror inspired music and video games.
Count Gore remains busy, as he approaches his 35th year. He is a regular convention guest at Balticon
and the Horrorfind Weekend in Baltimore
, Maryland
and Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2004 he wrote the introduction to the Steve Niles
' graphic Novel Aleister Arcane. In 2006, 2007, and 2008, the Count made appearances in Northern Virginia on the new live television and Internet program Monster Madhouse Live
, starring Karlos Borloff (aka Jerry Moore). In October 2006 and 2007 hosted the opening nights for the horror film fest The Spooky Movie Film Festival
in Fairfax, Virginia
. He is featured alongside fellow horror hosts in the documentary, American Scary
(2006), which screened at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con.
Horror host
Horror hosts are a particular type of television presenter, often tasked with presenting low-grade films to television audiences. This tradition is primarily American, though there have been a few international hosts over the years.-Film Packages:...
who originally appeared on Washington, DC's WDCA
WDCA
WDCA, virtual channel 20, is a television station in Washington, D.C.. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, WDCA is a sister station to Fox network outlet WTTG , and is affiliated with the co-owned MyNetworkTV programming service...
from 1973 to 1987.
Originally named M. T. Graves, the character was played by announcer Dick Dyszel
Dick Dyszel
Richard E. Dyszel, known professionally as Dick Dyszel is an American television personality, best known for Count Gore De Vol, his television horror host alter-ego....
, and originated on the WDCA's version of the Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown is a clown character very popular in the United States, peaking in the 1960s as a result of widespread franchising in early television.Originally created by Alan W...
program. When the character got a positive reaction, he was given his own program called Creature Feature. The character's name is either a play on the name of acerbic author Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
or the name of a prominent Washington D.C. funeral home, "De Vol." Gore De Vol was the Washington/Baltimore area's longest running horror host. He returned to DC airwaves for a one-time special, Countdown with the Count, on New Year's Eve 1999/2000.
Count Gore De Vol's contribution to the American horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
host tradition is significant in a number of ways. As Washington D.C.'s horror host throughout most of the 1970s and 1980s, Gore used the platform to satirize national politics from a local perspective. In the era of Watergate and Iran-Contra, Count Gore took frequent shots at the political folly with an ad lib, shoot-from-the-hip style that led local audiences to feel they were part of an Inside the Beltway
Inside the Beltway
"Inside the Beltway" is a phrase used to characterize parts of the real or imagined American political system. The name refers to the Capital Beltway , a circumferential highway , completed in 1964, that encircles Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.The phrase is commonly used to...
private joke even when the subject was high profile.
Count Gore's Creature Feature also embraced the sexual revolution
Sexual revolution
The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the 1960s into the 1980s...
of the 1970s, and his guests for the show included several Penthouse pets. Though he never had an official sidekick, he frequently employed the talents of writer and actress Eleanor Herman in the role of Countess von Stauffenberger. The two played off each other with a series of romantic near misses and sexual innuendos that made the show a success even when many horror hosts were losing their shows in the wake of the original Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Gore's iconoclastic style surfaced in a number of other ways. He was the first host in America to broadcast an unedited version of Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
. He also secretly began transmitting his own show in stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
a week before his station officially made the announcement, making Creature Feature Washington's first stereo broadcast.
After a five year hiatus from the air, Count Gore returned to WDCA 20 in 1984 and a second wave of popularity kept the show a local fixture until new owners canceled all local programing in 1987. During this time, Gore made numerous public appearances with live shows and Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
events and received thousands of fan correspondences, making Count Gore one of the most popular figures in the history of D.C. media.
In 1998, Count Gore De Vol became the first horror host to present a weekly show on the Internet, featuring streaming video of movies and shorts hosted by The Count, and interviews with celebrities. Other hosts from around the country also contribute to the program, providing reviews, contests, and other "strange and evil creations." There are also several regular features on the site, from movie and book reviews to monster model building and horror inspired music and video games.
Count Gore remains busy, as he approaches his 35th year. He is a regular convention guest at Balticon
Balticon
Balticon is the Maryland Regional science fiction convention, sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society . It has been held annually since 1966...
and the Horrorfind Weekend in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2004 he wrote the introduction to the Steve Niles
Steve Niles
Steve Niles is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as 30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre, Simon Dark, Mystery Society and Batman: Gotham County Line....
' graphic Novel Aleister Arcane. In 2006, 2007, and 2008, the Count made appearances in Northern Virginia on the new live television and Internet program Monster Madhouse Live
Monster Madhouse Live
Monster Madhouse is an American public-access television cable TV and Internet horror movie program. The show is hosted by horror host Karlos Borloff, played by Washington DC native Jerry Moore.-History:...
, starring Karlos Borloff (aka Jerry Moore). In October 2006 and 2007 hosted the opening nights for the horror film fest The Spooky Movie Film Festival
The Spooky Movie Film Festival
Spooky Movie - The Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival is an internationally recognized showcase for independent and underground filmmakers of the horror, science fiction and fantasy genres.- History :...
in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
. He is featured alongside fellow horror hosts in the documentary, American Scary
American Scary
American Scary is a 2006 documentary film about the history and legacy of classic television horror hosts, written and directed by American independent filmmakers John E...
(2006), which screened at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con.
External links
- Official website of Dick Dyszel and Count Gore De Vol
- Virginia Creepers Documentary film site dedicated to 50 years of horror hosting in Virginia
- Interview with Dick Dyszel where he talks about Count Gore De Vol, including his beginnings as "M.T. Graves."
- Official website of The Spooky Movie Film Festival- Washington, D.C.'s International Horror Film Festival
- The Horror Host Underground- Count Gore's listing.