Classic Horrors Club

For a children’s TV special from 1979, The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t is terribly dated; however, it’s not terribly bad. I’m not referring to the disco scene at the end during which Count Dracula (Judd Hirsch) tears off his cape to reveal he’s dressed in a white suit like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. I’m referring to the fact that although it was made at the end of the monster kid craze (thanks, Star Wars), it featured iconic characters like Frankenstein’s Monster, a wolf man, a mummy, and a zombie.

They can be tied directly to familiarity with the Universal Monsters; however, the more generic witch is likely the only one kids would recognize today. Played by Marietta Hartley, she’s tired of being a witch because nobody likes a witch. She refuses to take part in Halloween, and if she doesn’t fly in front of the full moon at midnight, there won’t be a Halloween. The potential threat worries families all over the world (or in the one household we see) as television keeps them abreast of this “breaking news.”

The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t was written by someone familiar with TV variety series and specials, Coleman Jacoby. It was directed by someone who was not, Bruce Bilson. However, he was a veteran TV director known for episodes of Get Smart and The Odd Couple. They do an adequate job here, one that, again, was probably more effective in 1979 than it is in 2023. For fear of beating a dead horse, I’ll say one more time that what has potential to be a timeless holiday classic like Rudolph or Frosty is instead very much trapped in its time.

I should also say that I don’t believe I ever saw this when it originally aired on ABC, and especially not when it annually aired on the Disney Channel between 1983 and 1996. If you remember watching it and still have a soft spot for it, good for you. I respect its intent. Having those famous monsters work together to convince the witch to hop on her broom so that Halloween happens, and discovering that they’re not mean but really just lovable goofballs, is the perfect way to introduce children to classic horror.

The most significance this carries for me is that it was filmed at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York, the same estate where the two Dark Shadows movies (House of and Night of) were made. I didn’t recognize it and learned this after watching The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t. It’s a fun fact that would cause me to watch it again, but I’m afraid it would be the only reason. Well, that is unless the end credits didn’t obscure Judd Hirsch and Mariette Hartley doing The Hustle in the background,