Balladeer’s Blog’s love of Movie Host Shows is no secret. Recently I thanked Mike Pieper from Spooks Hotel (1985-1993, 1999-2000) for providing corrections and clarifications on that neglected Bad Movie Show hosted by Joan Kelley-Cordt as Angie LaBanshee and later as Mrs. Spooks. Mike also provided the details about Spooks Hotel‘s Elmer Awards episodes, shown once annually in 1991, 1992 and 1993.
The awards were named after one of the show’s supporting characters, Elmer the Mummy Bellboy, played by Pieper for the first three years of this program. The Elmer Awards let the Spooks Hotel team “honor” various categories from that season’s Bad Movies.
*** THE 1991 ELMER AWARDS – The awards were presented as the episode’s Host Segments. The Golden Turkey being shown was Bela Lugosi’s anti-classic The Corpse Vanishes. Hosting the Elmer Awards were Joan as Mrs. Spooks, owner of Spooks Hotel, and her seldom-seen husband, mad scientist Dr. Spooks (at left). Elmer himself accepted on behalf of each winner.
MOST RIDICULOUS LOOKING CREATURE: Nominees – The Sea Creature in The Creature from the Haunted Sea … Zontar in Zontar, the Thing from Venus … The Giant Gumby Rock Creatures from Missile to the Moon … The Giant Brian in The Brain from Planet Arous. WINNER: The Sea Creature.
BEST SCREAM: Presenters – Aunt Hagatha and Uncle Charlie (sort of a proto-Seth Rogan type). Nominees – Bubbles Cash in Mars Needs Women … Lenita Lane in The Bat … Margie Dean in The Quatermass Experiment … Peggy Webber in The Screaming Skull … Candace Hilligoss in Carnival of Souls. WINNER: Peggy Webber.
Tommy Kirk’s Greatest Moment
WORST SPECIAL EFFECTS: Presenter – Chef James. Nominees – The Spaceships from Battle of the Worlds … The Spaceships in Plan 9 from Outer Space … The Laser Gun from Zontar, the Thing from Venus. WINNER: The Spaceships from Plan 9.
WORST ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Presenter – Lumberjack Leclerc. Nominees – Bela Lugosi in Bride of the Monster … Joanna Lee in Plan 9 from Outer Space … John Agar in The Brain from Planet Arous … Patricia DeLaney in Zontar, the Thing from Venus … Anthony Houston in Zontar. WINNER: Patricia DeLaney from Zontar.
WORST MOVIE: Presenters – Mrs. and Dr. Spooks. Nominees: Mars Needs Women … Plan 9 from Outer Space … Zontar, the Thing from Venus … The Brain from Planet Arous. WINNER: Mars Needs Women.
*** THE 1992 ELMER AWARDS – Mrs. Spooks hosted the awards solo this time. Most of the presenters were the same, with new addition Harry while Bambi the Bimbette appeared again to hand off the Elmers. This year the awards were rolls of toilet paper. Last year they were corpses in mummy wrappings. Joan Cordt did double-duty this year, appearing as the show’s original Hostess ANGIE LABANSHEE (above) as well as Mrs. Spooks.
BEST MONSTER: Nominees – The Sun Demon from The Hideous Sun Demon … The Wasp Woman from The Wasp Woman … The Giant Shrews from The Killer Shrews … The Mutated Test Pilot from First Man into Space … The Gigantic Wasps in The Monster from Green Hell. WINNER: The Wasp Woman.
BEST SCREAM: Nominees – Barbara Morris in The Wasp Woman … Patricia Manning in The Hideous Sun Demon … Nan Peterson from The Hideous Sun Demon … Lugene Sanders from Tormented. WINNER: Patricia Manning.
WORST SONG: Nominees – Hooray for Santa Claus from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians … Daddy Bird from Frankenstein’s Daughter … Laugh, Children, Laugh from The Giant Gila Monster … Strange Pursuit from The Hideous Sun Demon. WINNER: Daddy Bird.
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FUTURE T.V. STAR: Nominees – James Best in The Killer Shrews … Joe Flynn from The Indestructible Man … Jim Davis in The Monster from Green Hell … DeForrest Kelly from Fear in the Night. WINNER: DeForrest Kelly.
BEST PICTURE: Nominees – The Hideous Sun Demon … The Wasp Woman … Tormented … Fear in the Night. WINNER: Tormented.
*** Regarding THE 1993 ELMER AWARDS, there has been an obstacle that can hopefully be overcome. A few of the films shown were Devil Girl from Mars, Sound of Horror and Island of Terror. I will let it be known if the obstacle is overcome.
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