Famous Ghost Stories (1961)

Famous Ghost Stories (1961)

Year: 1961

Casper the Friendly Ghost is a fictional character who serves as the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. He is a translucent ghost who is pleasant and personable, but often criticized by his three wicked uncles, the Ghostly Trio. The character was featured in 55 theatrical cartoons titled The Friendly Ghost from 1945 to 1959. The character has been featured in comic books published by Harvey Comics since 1952, and Harvey purchased the character outright in 1959. Casper became one of Harvey's most popular characters, headlining several comic book titles. Following Harvey's purchase of the character, he appeared in five television series: Matty's Funday Funnies (1959–1961), The New Casper Cartoon Show (1963–1970), Casper and the Angels (1979), The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper (1996–1998) and Casper's Scare School (2009–2012). The character made his theatrical film debut in a live-action adaptation of the series by Universal Pictures: Casper (1995), to where he became the first computer-generated character to star in a film. He would later appear in four direct-to-video and made-for-TV follow-up films. The Apollo 16 Command and Service Module was given the call sign "Casper", since its pilot Ken Mattingly thought, "there are enough serious things in this flight, so I picked a non-serious name."

Famous Ghost Stories is a pilot for an unproduced supernatural anthology series. It features Vincent Price as the host, who introduces a ghost story about a jazz musician haunted by the spirit of his ex-girlfriend. The story is an edited version of the 1960 film "Tormented," directed by Bert I. Gordon. The film combines elements of horror and mystery, typical of the genre during the early 1960s. It showcases supernatural themes, focusing on passion and regret, as the jazz musician grapples with his past. This pilot remains notable for its unique blend of storytelling and the iconic presence of Vincent Price, a legendary figure in horror cinema.

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