B-MOVIE HOST DR. LUCIFER (1957-1959)

DR. LUCIFER (1957-1959) – The actor playing this Movie Host was named Richard Dix, but to be clear he’s NOT the same Richard Dix who starred in old westerns and was jokingly mentioned in Blazing Saddles. This Richard Dix was a legend in Baltimore, MD for his stage and television work with a few movies thrown in.

From November 9th, 1957 to March 21st, 1959 Dix as Dr. Lucifer would emerge from a coffin to host B-Movies on Shock on Friday nights at 11:15PM. The program was broadcast on Baltimore’s WBAL-TV. This eccentric Mad Scientist had a very disorganized laboratory and was noted for carrying out bizarre experiments that often went awry, earning him the nickname “the bumbling bogeyman of Baltimore.”

The doctor hated bill collectors and a memorable booby trap for one involved dropping a marble slab on top of him. An attempt to bring a supposedly beautiful ancient Egyptian princess back to life actually succeeded, but in reality she weighed 350 pounds. An experiment to prove the existence of Santa Claus by catching him in a bear trap ended with Dr. Lucifer’s leg getting caught instead.   

Long before television shows like The Addams Family and The Munsters, Dr. Lucifer made his movie hosting a family affair by having his werewolf wife Grace Lucifer (Dix’s wife Nancylee) and “normal” proto-Marilyn Munster daughter Lucretia Lucifer (Dix’s daughter Landra May) guest star at times. Other members of the Lucifer Family were Baby Borgia Lucifer and Grannie Gruesome.

The show-biz family element was kicked off one Friday night when Nancylee Dix guest-hosted for her flu-stricken husband Richard. The lycanthropic lady was a hit with her dark schtick that included hammering a nail into her own (fake) hand. From there, other Lucifers got into the act.

A Great Dane made appearances as the good doctor’s pet. Since Shock was on so late at night, Dix got away with the macabre joke that the pooch was usually carrying (artificial) arms or legs of “neighborhood children.” The uncontrollable canine often attacked Dr. Lucifer himself. 

As the title of Richard Dix’s show would indicate, he hosted the original Shock package of movies, which included Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and The Mummy. Bottom of the barrel flicks were also part of the package, so Dr. Lucifer and his family could more often be found making do with those leftovers.

The long list of such bad and campy items included: 

SHE-WOLF OF LONDON (1946) – This quasi-werewolf movie starred June Lockhart and Don Porter.

 THE FROZEN GHOST (1945) – Stage hypnotism, a wax museum and murders are featured, but what really strains credibility is having three women fight over Lon Chaney, Jr. Also starring Milburn Stone and Douglass Dumbrille. 

HOUSE OF HORRORS (1946) – Another of Rondo Hatton’s films in which he played his monster character the Creeper. This time a failed sculptor dispatches Rondo to kill critics who trash the frustrated artist. With Alan Napier and Martin Kosleck. 

THE MAD GHOUL (1943) – A mad university professor (George Zucco) uses an ancient Mayan formula to transform a student (David Bruce) into a monster. Evelyn Ankers also stars.

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. Rx (1942) – A crazed vigilante calling himself Dr. Rx is killing a long line of criminals who were found not guilty at their trials. A detective tries to nab the murderer, but winds up captured and about to have his brain transplanted into the body of a gorilla. Starring Lionel Atwill.     

Richard Dix served in the military during World War Two and the Korean War and had a variety of roles on stage and screen. His film work included The Black Marble, Liberty and The Trial of Standing Bear. He performed on stage in The Andersonville Trial with Robert Foxworth, Ronny Cox and Robert Prosky. In 1948 he starred as Scrooge in a live television version of A Christmas Carol. 

Nancylee Dix was in the TV miniseries Vanished. Landra May Dix did no further acting after her role on Shock. 

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