From Transylvania, it's the The
Uncanny Film Festival & Camp Meeting, starring the incredible Dr.
Mazeppa Pompazoidi!
You can now order Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of the Lost Tapes
of Mazeppa fromMazeppa.com
(now on DVD). Here's a review of Volume
3.
Gailard Sartain, Jr., an art student at the University of Tulsa, started
at KOTV as a cameraman, working on Gary Chew's
"Go For Dough On the Early Show" at 3:30 p.m., which featured such
classic(?) movies as "Billy The Kid vs. Dracula" (read Gary Chew's recent
comments on the next page). His clowning around the set ultimately led
to the creation of the show. Sartain was 26 years old at the time.
See another Gailard Sartain TU yearbook picture.
At KOTV: Gailard Sartain, ?, Charles Kuralt, Mike Flynn, ? (courtesy
of Mike Flynn)
(from Guestbook 11) Gailard Sartain said:
Regarding the name "Mazeppa Pompazoidi": It was the night before the first
broadcast and I hadn't come up with what I considered a suitable title. I
was at a friend's house and he was going through some old newspapers
(1902) that he had discovered in a wall in a cabin in Colorado where
they had been used for insulation. One comic strip caught my eye: its title
was "The Flip Boys try in vain to play Mazeppa with Fatty Felix" Well,
there you have it. The drawing was of a fat kid tied to a donkey. Intriguing
and I loved the name Mazeppa. I found out afterwards that Mazeppa is a figure
in a classic poem by either Shelley or Keats. In the poem, Mazeppa is tied
to his horse and driven from civilization. In the 1880's a stripper used
this theme in her act by being bound to a horse and riding across the stage,
naked. She called the act "Mazeppa." Pompazoidi ... I just made up
out of thin air.
How I came to be to KOTV: I was working on my masters at TU endeavoring to
become an art professor (with not much luck). I used to go down to KOTV and
fool around with my friend Doug McAllister who was a camera operator
on "Go for Dough" (hear an MP3
of the show at the link). Through Doug, I met Gary Chew who was
the host and being semi-insane himself, he allowed me to do skits with him
on the show. It was pretty free form and Gary was agreeable. Doug vacated
his position and I applied for and got the job.
...P.S. Yes, I did work for Hallmark in the Contemporary Card department
before going back to school.
The show consisted of 45 minutes of loosely-written material and unpredictable
happenings during the breaks in "uncanny" films---horror movies.
uncanny - 1 a: arousing feelings of dread or of inexplicable
strangeness: seeming to have a supernatural character, cause, or
origin: EERIE, MYSTERIOUS, WEIRD
(from Guestbook 46) Joe Langley said:
Not that I am under delusions that I was the source of Mazeppa's big break
(he was plenty talented on his own). But here's a story.
I was on the Tulsa World Youth Board my senior year at Will Rogers. As KOTV
was putting together the idea for "Generation
Rap" I, and others from the Youth Board, were asked to visit KOTV as
advisors for the development of the show. (I was in the taping of the pilot--the
first guest was Rev. Ben Hill, a black clergyman and community leader.)
After we had concluded conversation about the development of "Generation
Rap", I happened to make the comment that I was a regular viewer of "Go for
Dough on the Early Show", not because I liked the movies or that I wanted
to know "the count and the amount" in case Gary Chew called, but because
of the crazy antics of the camera operator. Other employees and executives
in the room turned to the station manager and said, "See. I told you." Shortly
thereafter the "Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting" premiered.
Coincidence?
Former KOTV Director Clyde Parker quoted in Betty
Boyd's book, "If I Could Sing, I'd Be Dangerous":
Seems this strange person kept appearing, unannounced, on our afternoon show.
He'd walk across our set in some outlandish get-up, do a pratfall, or pretend
to be descending invisible stair steps behind the on-camera personality.
Finally, Program Director Art Elliott called Gailard in to say if
he was going to occupy that much station air time, he should probably be
on the payroll.
Showcase by Bill Donaldson
(Announcement of the show's debut from The Tulsa Tribune, Saturday, May
2, 1970)
Howzat again?
KOTV, Channel 6, has reincarnated its late, late show on Saturday night for
the nonce. The first offering is the classic horror flick, "Dracula." Presumably
the show will continue in this genre.
The unlikely title they've bestowed on the affair, as it was given to me
on the telephone, is "The Incredible Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoid's (sic)
Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting."
Festival? Who knows? Camp? Absolutely.
What's more, stupid, it took you so long to read that title that you've already
missed half the movie.
Bill Donaldson and Granny Clampett
Dr. Mazeppa was a wizard
with a manic laugh (78K .wav or RealAudio at
left). When the show began, his costume consisted of boxing gloves, a fur
neckpiece, a sheet, and a pointed hat with a picture of a bat stapled on.
Later, he switched to a red suit with a blue wizard's cap.
Mazeppa with future ABC "20/20" reporter Bob Brown, Mike Flynn
and Dino Economos (courtesy of Mike Flynn)
(from Guestbook 91) Rodney Echohawk said:
I was always a late night horror film fan as a
kid going back to "talking head" host Forrest Lawn and KOTV's Late, Late
Show. So imagine my thrill at finding "Dracula" showing on Channel 6 the
evening of Saturday, May 2, 1970.
I was drawing campaign posters for my brother's senior class president run
at Charles Page High School. But when this guy Mazeppa,
the nut from Go For Dough on the Early Show,
comes on asking folks to send him letters telling him what they thought of
his debut show, I was hooked! I wrote a seven page letter and watched with
awe the next Saturday when he pulled my letter out of a hopper and announced
I'd won an original painting of his movie monster that night, the Wolf Man!
Sure enough, it arrived signed merely "Pompazoidi". For about five more weeks
he kept giving his artwork away to entities like Intergalactic Thunderbanana
but had to stop when he fell behind on the art with the show's growing success.
I was incredibly fortunate to be able to write Mazeppa one of his first fan
letters and to win the painting.
(from Guestbook 96) Gailard Sartain said:
I want to thank Rodney Echohawk for sharing his memories of the embryonic
Mazeppa! I remember that first painting on the show - I think we did it in
stop-action so it looked like I painted it in ten seconds when in reality
it took a couple of hours or so. I'm glad someone like Rodney, who appreciates
it, got it. I think I did two or three or more of them - maybe someone out
there remembers.
(from Guestbook 118) Mitch Schauer (creator of the cartoon show
"Angry Beavers") said:
Sitting here in Deutschland, I was listening to the Mazeppa theme on your
great website and realized the movie being introduced is 1931's "The Mad
Genius." John Barrymore starred and Karloff had a bit in the opening.
(from Guestbook 11) Gailard Sartain said:
Regarding the Mazeppa theme: Having eclectic musical taste. I purchased a
re-release of "Coon-Sanders Nighthawks" circa 1966 and it has been
part of my music library ever since. In fact, just three weeks ago, I bought
4 new CD's of theirs off the internet since I had long since worn out the
LP. So, you are right it is the first few bars of "Alone in the Rain."
The second half is from an LP I found in KOTV's record library. It's from
a sound effects record that radio and television stations used for commercials,
promotions, etc. The selection on the Mazeppa theme was called "Chase
Music." And, yes, Gary Chew did splice it together for me. In fact, if
it weren't for Gary Chew's encouragement there
wouldn't have been a Mazeppa Show.
"Alone in the Rain" is on the Coon-Sanders Nighthawks'
"Everything
is Hotsy-Totsy Now" album (listen at the Amazon.com link).
The earliest documented after-midnight radio show was their "Nighthawk
Frolic" on WDAF-Kansas City in 1923. Listeners could join the Nighthawk Club
and receive a membership card...much like Mazeppa's
Uncola Underground card almost 50 years later.
Here is a discography of known Mazeppa music in
Guestbook 89 from
Stevo Wolfson.
(from GroupBlog 214) Bill Groves said:
I was doing some "homework" for an upcoming edition
(of the new online incarnation of
TelevisionChronicles.com),
watching an old western called
"Stories
of the Century" (Amazon.com link).
In the episode (fittingly enough) about Oklahoma's Dalton Gang, the soundtrack
suddenly burst forth with what we tend to remember as the opening theme to
Mazeppa's Uncanny Film Festival, during a scene involving a runaway stagecoach.
High-speed connection required for YouTube
Webmaster: I wonder if the Mazeppa "chase music" wasn't already
library music even then (1954), possibly recycled from old
Republic
B Westerns. I see that the director of the Dalton Gang episode, William
Witney, was previously a Republic director.
Incidentally, Witney (born in Lawton, OK, according to the
IMDb) directed episodes of
"Branded", "Zorro", "Wild, Wild West", "Bonanza", and "Sky King".
(from Guestbook 107) The webmaster said:
"Shy King" was a bit on the Mazeppa show (taking off from the
syndicated series, "Sky King"). You saw a toy plane being "flown" by hand
while Mazeppa supplied voices off camera. When Shy issued a command to "Fire
up the Songbird, Penny", an off-camera blowtorch melted down the plane while
Shy complained frantically.
The interviewer mentioned his R. Crumb-like painting
of popsicles emerging from an ice cream truck. I added an audio loop
of the Mel-O-Dee ice cream truck music ("And The Band Played On"), which
Tulsans will remember.
The film offered on June 7, 1970 was "The Bride of
Frankenstein"
Sartain had a gift for creating memorable characters, often based on
his observations of the mannerisms of local people. A sample of his characters
seen on the show: Bennie the Crusher, a tough-talking pro wrestler,
Johnny Donut, the hippest, fastest-talking DJ in town, Coach
Chuck, a discipline-oriented high school football coach ("On your belly,
on your back, belly, back, back, belly, back...!"), and Hoss
Chopwright. Hoss achieved his distinctive look and sound with the aid
of a weird half-mask that included horn-rim glasses, and some false-teeth
uppers.
(from Guestbook 16) Darrell S. said:
Hoss Chopright was blabbing away about Greer's when all of a sudden his big
old choppers go flying right out of his mouth. He mumbles something like
"OH DARN, WAIT JUST A MINUTE" or something like that. Next, you see a shot
of the teeth sitting in the bottom of a toilet. A hand reaches in from off
camera and grabs the teeth. Next, you see Hoss wearing a long sleeve shirt
wet to the elbow stick his teeth back in and go on as if nothing happened.
With the aid of a vial of concentrated personality,
Mazeppa became John Wayne, Marlon Brando and Ike
Horn, a well-known local furniture store owner. Ike also hosted the
"Longhorn Wingding", a country music TV show. One applause shot of Ike's
audience was repeatedly seen on the Mazeppa show after some particularly
ludicrous or bizarre piece of business.
One of the half-masks became the head of Sherman Oaks (Jim
Millaway), who conducted the public service program "Teen Town Topics".
TTT usually featured some outlandish guest, such as Toby the Toe-Headed
Boy, or R.B. ("Bob") Beavis. Oaks was never ruffled and frequently
chuckled somewhat insincerely at the comments of his guests.
Sherman Oaks (Jim Millaway) on 'Creature Feature', 1983
In the fall of 1971, Millaway also appeared as Mr. Mystery, an Oklahoma
political candidate. Mr. Mystery wore a ski mask over his head and challenged
any other candidate to come on the show and try and take off the mask. His
idea was that, with the mask, people could be voting for him and not even
know it. A real Oklahoma patriot, he disliked "Yankee carpetbaggers" and
pledged to make every turnpike one-way---out of the state.
Another challenge he offered his fellow politicians was to make the race
"winner take all"---one elected official in the state of Oklahoma. He sought
the support of a minority group in Oklahoma: "you voters out there with an
IQ over 95". Slogan: "White space increases readership".
It's amazing...Oklahoma politics haven't changed that much in 35 years!
Mr. Mystery's appearances on the Mazeppa show:
A sad tale of addiction with Millaway and Mazeppa:
Other characters seen on the show were Laslo
Mimne (John Baker), Judy Judy (Judy Owen), and a wandering
violin player, Yahootee Menu (Armin Sebran). Later in the run, we
saw a waitress (Janey Jackson) and Teddy Jack Eddy (Gary
Busey), an edgy, energetic fellow. The unseen announcer was Delmo
Gillette (Gary Chew). During the show's tenure on KOTV, these
characters lurked around as oddball foils for Mazeppa's japes. There was
a live studio audience for the show in the first year, but this was discontinued.
According to Betty Boyd, "the show was such a success that its taping
time had to be kept secret to allay mobs of fans who wanted to be part of
the action".
Yahootee Menu now
has his own page, with a RealAudio clip!
(from Guestbook 95) Rick Vivion said:
"L'il Darleeng", aka Gwen Taylor. Interests: art, music and drama
(from the 1968 Hale HS yearbook, courtesy of Lowell Burch)
Way back in the late 60s, I had an English teacher at Nathan Hale H.S. named
Gwen Taylor. She was very easy on the eye (like I was picky back then,
or now). She was very interesting to say the least. Most days in class she
dressed in solid black and played the part of a witch. To my surprise she
started appearing on Mazeppa's Uncanny Film Festival, playing a witch. After
school was out, she disappeared. I've heard that one of her characters on
Mazeppa was Little Dar-ling. Does anyone know what became of her?
Little Darling
(from Guestbook 96) Richard Wilson said:
If the person in question (Little Dar-ling) is the same Gwen Taylor....she
was for a time married to Tommy Loki....local Tussa
musician.....aka...Gwen Taylor Loki.... it is my understanding that she has
passed....... she and I were very close friends......
(from Guestbook 96) Roy Byram said:
Sorry, I don't remember the lady's name, but she was not a school teacher
at Hale. She worked with the sales department as a continuity person. She
was there from 9-5 M-F and sometimes on Thursday late, because Thursday was
the day we taped Mazeppa. She got to be good friends with the ad agency that
repped 7-up, Frosty Mug Root Beer and Greer's Stereo.
(from Guestbook 96) Lowell Burch said:
The pic I sent of the Hale school teacher did not look like the Lil' Dar-lin'
I remembered, but, hey, 30 years has been a while. My memory and the yearbook
picture are both a little fuzzy, not to mention my TV back in '70.
I mentioned in a earlier guestbook that I thought she did work at the station.
Roy seems to have confirmed that understanding.
Well, I bet the old Doctor knows the answer. Lawzee!
Little Darling
(from Guestbook 96) Dr. Mazeppa settled the question:
Gwen Taylor was working at Channel 6 in the continuity department when I
arrived there in 1970. She was a mysterious person with a strange beauty.
Perfect for "L'il Darleeng" which she did wonderfully. The information about
her marriage to Tommy Loki is correct, and prior to being at Channel 6, she
did teach at Nathan Hale High School.
Sputnik Monroe, a pro wrestler,
once appeared as a guest on the show.
(from Guestbook 13) Gailard Sartain said:
In a bit I was trying to construct with him, he was supposed to 'fake slap'
me ... apparently at that point in Professional Wrestling 'fake' was not
in the vocabulary! So when it came time for the pay off...KERBOPPO!%*&^)$#.
My magician's hat turned into a rocket!!! And the side of my face throbbed
for weeks! Sputnik was very apologetic and said 'that's the way we
do it'. I've avoided watching or participating in professional wrestling
since then.
(Trivial facts: Sputnik used that name, he boasted, because he possessed
a "heavenly body". He began his career as Pretty Boy Rocque, taking on all
comers in carnival athletic shows. Sputnik was also an unlikely champion
of civil rights. Read more about him at
NPR's
site.)
(from Guestbook 13) Gailard Sartain said:
As to the Mack Creager incident that I have been blamed for all these
years: I had nothing to do with it. I was at home watching Mannix
myself. Everyone thought it was very funny but my heart sank when I saw
it happening because I knew the repercussions would be devastating to Mack.
He is a wonderful guy and we had a lot of fun together like the time we drove
mopeds through the new, channel 6, $20,000 blue screen cyclorama! At least
that's what they told us it cost. Some advertiser had left the mopeds there
for a spot so Mack and I saw the opportunity and couldn't resist! This was
before the 'incident'.
My Dad and I used to watch Mazeppa, and I especially remember that someone
(from Fort Smith, I think) built an elaborate torture chamber model, complete
with trap door onto knives, a rack, a gallows, etc. They sent it in to Mazeppa,
and each "feature" was demonstrated on the air.
(from Guestbook 2) Mike Bruchas said:
Delmo Gillette - heard this name on the air in Tulsa before Gailard
and always loved it for it's "okieness". May have come from
Chuck Adams but also may have been the real
name of a KOTV translator engineer in Coffeyville, KS. Am not sure now.....
2/5/2004, Anonymous: "The name of the KGGF (Coffeyville) engineer
that Gary Chew used was Delano Gillette. He was with the station for many
years. The only one that would remember him that worked with him would be
Bill Miller (Wax Works) out of Wichita,
Ks.
(from Guestbook 178) Gary ("Delmo Gillette") Chew said:
I didn't conjure up the Gillette handle for KOTV's cutting edge late night
programming. If my memory serves me on this, it was His Eminence and Great
Nurturer of All Things Spiritual, Mazeppa Pompazoidi.
From Transylvania, it's the The
Uncanny Film Festival & Camp Meeting, starring the incredible Dr.
Mazeppa Pompazoidi!
(from GroupBlog 214) Bill Groves said:
(from Guestbook 16) Darrell S. said:
With the aid of a vial of concentrated personality,
Mazeppa became John Wayne, Marlon Brando and 
Sputnik Monroe, a pro wrestler,
once appeared as a guest on the show.
