Television to Terror (1960-1969)
‘Be wary then: best safety lies in fear.” Shakespeare, Hamlet.
In the 1960’s the concept of the “Spook House” or “Haunted House” began to gain wider popularity. Communities, schools, clubs, and churches were soon sponsoring them. Workers transformed empty buildings, houses, halls, and even stores were soon a popular rage. Despite some early day tragedies in such community haunted houses they persisted as popular attractions.
In the wider society it was a time of revolution as Civil Rights, Vietnam, student protests, increased drug use, and the sexual revolution were creating earthquakes of change. The attempt to totally control childhood continued as the teen years continued to reshape themselves.
Safety was a watchword of the decade as youth were trained in proper street safety, stranger danger, and not getting in with the wrong crowd.
Social pressures, urban overcrowding, poverty and other issues created a sometimes dangerous environment at the best of times in some areas.
Idealistically advisors envisioned a new Halloween based on giving and social responsibility, while news accounts often provided examples of just the opposite. The delinquent to deputy route was re-employed to train younger kids to avoid the risky behaviors of the season.
The idealism was a little tarnished as the end of the decade neared. Unsettling stories reared their heads; stories of apple treats that hid needles, razor blades and similar dire surprises began to circulate and dampen the holiday excitement.
Costumes once more celebrated the hand made touch, often with accessories purchased from the local store. The selection of costumes was now a major process as children mulled their choices of cartoon figures, comic book characters, television and movie themed outfits against the old standbys of hobo, princess, or cowboy.
Costumed marches around local schools became popular, with parents, neighbors and friends coming to see the show as school children, straining at the leash to get home to really prepare for Halloween, went on parade.
Sources:
Wallace, Edyth Thomas. “New Halloween Practice Stresses Pleasure in Giving.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 30, 1960): 42.
German, Hugh. “Prank suspected in State Tragedy.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 13, 1960):162.
“Quiz Slated in Halloween Fatal Beating.” The Oklahoman (April 13, 1961):30.
“3,200 Spooks to get Badges for Halloween.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 28, 1961): 13.
Wallace, Edyth Thomas. “Safety First on Halloween is Important.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 30, 1966):64.
“Goblins Ready for Halloween”. The Oklahoman (Oct. 26, 1969):146.
“Halloween Tricks Turn Out Vicious.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 1, 1969):7.
“Razor-in-Apple Tale False: Trick Boomerangs.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 6, 1969):29.
The Goblins Will Get You (1970-1979)
Mid-decade many audiences clustered around the television to see comedy sketches and the ABC television debut of the spandex and face paint rock group KISS on the “Paul Lynd Halloween Special” (1976). This should have been a clear signal that the holiday was a changing and not necessarily for the better as the holiday moved center stage into profit columns.
Deep seated suspicions and fears regarding the holiday continued as the urban legends of horrific deaths by candy were repeated each season.
These “Contamination tales”, according to Nicholas Rogers, arose in the 1960’s but peaked in the 1970’s.
There is a little evidence, however, that any true random Halloween candy tampering has ever occurred resulting in the death of a child. This, despite decades of urban legends stating that very “fact.” There have been no Halloween multiple deaths by drug, poison, or sharp object. News articles cried not warning each year, but no hard information was ever included to verify the dire details they listed.
Real life tragedies, however, do exist from that time.
A Pasadena, Texas boy died after eating cyanide laced candy gathered on Halloween. The poison, however, came from his own father after the man had acquired a large insurance policy on his son. Originally sentenced to die on Halloween, the Supreme Court granted a stay. The original “Candyman” finally went to his death, one of the first by lethal injection, in March 1982.
Other stories turned out to be either clear hoaxes spread by children or attempts to cover family drug use. The ‘razor blade in the apple’ appears to be nothing but a fraud.
A review of “Halloween Poisonings” at Snopes.com can be compared to an academic article by Bajwa, “Needle Ingestion via Halloween Carmel Apples” in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Oct. 2003). It seriously begs the question which came first: The story of the contamination or the contaminations? Did the early urban legends become self-fulfilling prophecy by century’s end?
The classic horror films were castrated as they moved to television and transformed into such offerings as the inane “Munsters”. In time, regular “Halloween” themed episodes of popular weekly programs and specials would, like a modern day Frankenstein’s monster, take on a life of their own.
The general social and political upheaval of the 1960’s was reflected in the changes in how Halloween was celebrated in the 1970’s. In just as strong a manner as the revolutionary minded of the “hippies” years assaulted the traditions, values, and religions of main stream America, the 1970’s saw just a forceful a movement as those elements attempted to reassert themselves.
This was also the decade of the Bicentennial and a return, or a rediscovery of traditional costumes, customs, and manners.
Values criticized and derided by the communes, free love, and other social constructions of the counter-culture, now gave rise to mainstream entertainments such as All in the Family and MASH. Affirmations of traditional values of home, friends, and family were seen in popular series such as The Little House on the Prairie (1976), The Brady Bunch (1969-), Happy Days (1974), Good Times (1974) The Waltons (1972) and Laverne and Shirley (1976).
This was also a time when the established religions, especially evangelical Christianity responded to the more worrying aspects of the new “liberality” of society. The loss of social control in general meant a loss of influence by the components of society: education, local government and religion.
Suddenly, the familiar rules of social control were, like the buggy at the turn of the century, being torn apart and reassembled on the slippery slope of a steep barn. Many were at a loss as to how to cope with these social changes happening all around them.
Attempts to assert local values, curb behavior, and re-establish the ‘traditional’ activities did occur, however, and more community and home based events were planned.
Seen as a contributing factor in the overall devolution of society, Halloween for many heralded a submission to paganism and an invitation to rampant demonic activity within a community.
As a result, “Fall Festivals”, “Reformation Day Fetes” and “Autumn Activities” were substitutes for local families and children. Civic centers, church halls, and school gyms celebrated the changing season without any of the traditional “Halloween” décor of ghosts, bats, spider webs, or simmering cauldrons. Door-to-door visits were replaced by strolls down mall storefronts and past officially sanctioned parking lots where car trunks held goodies and games
Sources
“Halloween Approaching.” The Oklahoma (Oct. 22, 1971): 34.
“Treat Kills Texas Boy: Cyanide Found in Candy.” The Oklahoman (Nov. 2, 1974):1.
“Halt Halloween (Letter to the Editor)”. The Oklahoman ( (Nov. 10, 1974):26.
Winter, Christine. “Halloween Childish Fun or Terror?” The Oklahoman (Oct. 26, 1975):102.
“Cancellation of Halloween Uncalled For.” The Oklahoman (Oct. 31 1977): 17
“Ghost Hunt Good Sport: Take a Haunting Tour.” The Oklahoman (May 28, 1978):102..
----Marilyn A. Hudson, 2009
