Friday Flashback: Deadly Earnest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANs8SWww2mU

This is floor manager Ralph Baker as Deadly Earnest, a wonderfully ghoulish character who introduced late night horror movies for Channel 0 in Melbourne, first appearing in 1966. He became so popular with teens and uni students that he caught the channel management off guard.

Deadly Earnest was was originated by TVW-7 Perth musical director Max Bostock in 1961 but was also portrayed by Ian Bannerman in Sydney, Shane Porteous in Brisbane, and Hedley Cullen in Adelaide.

He aired at various times between 1961–78, years before Elvira in the USA.

In 2011 Baker took to the stage of the Astor Theatre as part of the St. Kilda Film Festival to introduce the Horrorpalooza! session.