Circle of Fear (a childhood memory)

This is the Whacky Shack at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA, a haunted house ride that's now showing its age, but is a fun throwback to the 70s.

I've always loved a good scare, ever since I was a kid, from the Whacky Shack at Waldameer Park to Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and imitators trying to recreate Rod Serling's magic. One of the better imitations was Circle of Fear, which lasted one season, 1972-1973.

I recall one night secreting myself away in sister Linda's bedroom and clandestinely settling down to watch Circle of Fear on a 12" Black and White TV. Someone (who shall remain nameless) tattled on me. Mom had company (Aunt Bernice and cousin Barbie) and couldn't attend to me herself, so Mom dispatched the tattler to her bedroom to notify me to turn it off at once.

Which I did.

I had only time to be dazzled by the rotating spiral, then the delicate notes that usually introduce scary stories wherein everything is clear and bright and waiting for a boy once tormented at summer camp to begin his gory rampage.

Well, that was the movies. TV was tamer. Here's a whole episode of Circle of Fear:

Circle Of Fear (TV 1973) - Graveyard Shift

[2014-10-15]

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