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ASHLEY GHASTLY – Cyrus Newitt played the phantom Ashley Ghastly, host of the Bad Movie Show Scream Theatre from 1977 or 1978 to 1982. The program aired on Saturday nights/ Sunday mornings at 12:30am on WCSC in Charleston, SC.
Ashley’s name came from West Ashley, the area of Charleston where the WCSC studios were. And that part of the city was named for the nearby Ashley River. Each episode of Scream Theatre began with black & white footage of an actual graveyard while howls and screams were heard. At length the show’s title would appear in dripping blood-red letters.
Then, viewers would be greeted by Ashley Ghastly, who spoke with a British accent that sounded a lot like Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank N. Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As usual, a witty host or hostess showing bad old movies became a hit and Ashley soon had a Phantom “Phan” Club his devotees could join.
Despite some confusion online, Ashley Ghastly wasn’t a vampire, but rather a phantom who could even teleport via camera trickery. Ashley’s “Supporting Fiend” and Cue Card holder was retired Colonel Flash Ghastley (not Ghastly). The Colonel was off the night of the only surviving episode of Scream Theatre and as of this writing no fans remember what the character’s schtick was. Continue reading
