Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown

On Halloween night, 1992, Britain’s BBC 1 presented one of the most talked about programs in television history. The program was called "Ghostwatch" and it would eventually become one of the great “do you remember” moments of British television. The controversial airing left the public terrified and allegedly contributed to the suicide of an 18-year-old boy and PTSD in other children and adults. T...

This case is BANANAS, Misfits. When character actor Albert Dekker failed to show up for a planned date with his fiancée, she grew concerned. When she went to his apartment to see if he was okay, she fainted at what she saw. No one could have imagined his life would end the way it did, but did detectives make the right call? Or did they rush the investigation in order to quickly close the case? Let...

Known as the Merry Widow, Los Angeles socialite Mimi Boomhower was the toast of the town. Her husband passed away in 1943, leaving Mimi a large sum of money from a linoleum fortune and a vast collection of animal heads...from big game hunting. But the money didn't last long and Mimi could no longer keep up with her lavish lifestyle. On August 18, 1949, Boomhower vanished and was never seen again....

CW: This episode contains discussion of suicide, sexual assault and domestic assault. Here it is! We wanted to make sure you got the conclusion of the Gig Young story before the Oscars aired. We left off in Part 1 with Gig's marriage to Elizabeth Montgomery coming to a hostile end. Well misfits, things don't get any better from here. In this episode we'll get to Gig's final two marriages. When he...

Ahhh...the Academy Awards - a night of fashion, festivity and future murderers. Wait, what? Gig Young was quite the hottie back in his day (think George Clooney but in the mid-1900s). He had Hollywood starlets falling at his feet and a career many actors could only dream of. But he also had a lot of inner demons stemming from an abusive and traumatic childhood, and left untreated (or mistreated, a...

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, located in London's West End, has a storied history dating back to its opening in 1663. It has been a significant venue for theatrical performances, witnessing numerous iconic productions and hosting renowned figures in English theatre. Theatre Royal Drury Lane is not only celebrated for its contributions to the arts but is also associated with various ghostly tales a...

CW: This episode discusses domestic assault. She was a Playboy model who loved playing football and riding motorcycles; he was a reality TV star boasting a $2.5 million net worth. By the end of the summer in 2009, both of them were dead. National Domestic Violence Hotline   Episode Sources: “True crime: The murder that changed reality TV” by Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly, Jan. 30, 2020 “Ja...

Alfred Hitchcock was a legendary filmmaker celebrated as the Master of Suspense. His six-decade career produced iconic films, innovative techniques and enduring contributions to the thriller and horror genres. He directed actors with a demanding and unconventional style, aiming for "authenticity." We’re covering Hitchcock’s life, his break into the movie business and his directing style…which was...

We're embarking on a turbulent journey through the life of one of the most influential figures in entertainment history – the man behind the magic, Walt Disney (1901-1966). Walt was a pioneering American entrepreneur, animator, film producer, and creator of one of the most renowned entertainment companies in the world. But the beloved creator of Mickey Mouse faced a slew of criticism around accusa...

Larry Austin had three loves: "Murder She Wrote", his cat (Sir Purity) and silent films. The idea that anyone could have anything against the 74-year-old theatre owner seemed unfathomable. So the community was shocked when he was gunned down in the lobby of his own theatre in what appeared to be a robbery gone wrong. Detectives found the whole situation odd. For one thing, Larry didn't put up any...

CW: This episode contains heavy discussion of rape and sexual assault. 18-year-old Sally Anne Bowman had two main goals in life: appear on the cover of Vogue Magazine and perform at the Royal Albert Hall with famed actor/singer Michael Ball. As a student at the BRIT School - which boasted such alumni as Adele, Tom Holland and Jessie J - along with winning a modeling contest to become the face of S...

CW: This episode discusses the sexual assault of a child. Happy New Year, Misfits! We're back after a much needed holiday break, and we have a doozy of a case for you. Roman Polanski, a French and Polish movie director, producer, screenwriter and actor, is a huge name in Hollywood. He has received several of the movie industry's top accolades for his original and popular films, but his ultimate do...

We're back with the conclusion of our Phil Hartman two-parter. When we left off in Part 1, Phil was at a low point both personally and professionally. But all of that was about to change. Phil's career is about to get a HUGE boost, and his relationship status is going to take a dramatic turn, to put it lightly. All we can say is when Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, gives you advice - TAKE IT.   Epis...

He was the man of a thousand voices. Phil Hartman was a comedic dynamo, but he didn't start out with dreams of stardom. If you'd asked him in college what his five year plan was, he probably would have answered "to surf, smoke and make art." In Part 1 of a two-parter, we'll talk about Phil's childhood, his hobbies, relationships and career moves. This episode runs the gamut from Boy Scouts, Disney...

CW: This episode discusses suicide and abortion. "The Comedy Store is a dark temple of fear and pain that to this day I believe is built over one of the gates to Hell.” - Marc Maron It might surprise some to learn that a place meant to bring laughter to audiences every night is the same place hiding some DARK secrets. We're talking MOB secrets. MURDER secrets. Add in some of the funniest people on...

CW: This episode discusses child abuse, domestic abuse and sexual assault. You probably weren't expecting a content warning on an episode about 'Home Alone', but this is Horrorwood, remember? The film might be a holiday treasure, but behind the scenes things weren't so jolly. The cast of the Christmas classic seemed to have it all: Arrests? Check. Drug addiction? Check. A murder-for-hire plot? Yep...

Parents will often say to children, "Don't worry, it isn't real" when it comes to a scary monster in a movie. But the most terrifying monsters walk among us every day. And I can assure you, Misfits, they are VERY real.  Today we’re talking about gruesome serial killer Ed Gein - a.k.a. The Butcher of Plainfield - and the movies his story inspired, including: Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and...

Sixty years ago in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving 1963, 22-year-old Karyn Kupcinet lay dead in her West Hollywood apartment. The daughter of prominent Chicago couple Essee and Irv Kupcinet, Karyn had been living in LA to pursue her dreams of stardom. But Karyn was deeply troubled. Not even her own family knew just how far her depression reached. Addicted to a variety of pills, obsessed wi...

We're back for Part 2 and things just keep getting weirder. In our conclusion of the Tammy Lynn Leppert case we talk more about that friend that Tammy called to pick her up on the morning of July 6th, 1983. But he wasn't the only person raising a red flag regarding her disappearance. At the time there were two monsters lurking in the area, committing sexual assaults and a slew of murders. Yet the...

18-year-old Tammy Lynn Leppert was no stranger to the spotlight. By the time she'd reached high school she'd already competed in hundreds of pageants, winning close to 300 titles. She even graced the cover of Cover Girl Magazine when she was just 13. Her pageant and modeling career opened the door to acting opportunities - Tammy's true passion. She worked her way up from local commercials to bit p...

At 8:45pm on April 22, 1987, Chicago police received a call from Ruthie Mae McCoy, a 52-year-old black woman living on Chicago's South Side in the Grace Abbott Homes, part of the ABLA Housing Project. Ruthie cried for help saying, “They want to come through the bathroom.” Due to police negligence, racism, and a complete failure on the part of the Chicago Housing Authority at the time, Ruthie's cri...

CW: This episode focuses on the death of an innocent Black man at the hands of the LAPD A Beverly Hills mansion, Halloween weekend, a costume party...all the ingredients for what should have been a fun and celebratory evening. And for Anthony Lee, it did start out that way. He was on top of the world having just wrapped an acting role on NBC's "ER" as well as becoming a leader in the Buddhist orga...

"Every horrible day in history has a much happier day before it." --Andy Ostroy On Halloween night in 2006, Adrienne Shelly was having a blast chatting with friends and helping little kids try to bust open the ghost-shaped piñata hanging in her NYC apartment. She and her husband Andy were hosting a party and enjoying the trick-or-treat holiday with their toddler, Sophie. Adrienne was also waiting...

It's all about YOU today, Misfits! It's a Misfit Monday, which means we take a break from the Hollywood/celebrity/entertainment stories and instead focus on YOUR creepy tales. Today's batch of misfit stories involves a ghost who likes to mess with plumbing, a medium with special messages from loved ones, an old-timey shipwreck and a ghost girl in a pub. Hooray for spooky season! That book from the...

Picture it, the early 1900’s: booze, speakeasies, cigarettes, fancy dance clubs and silent films. Hollywood was on the up and up and the movie industry was booming! This era in film history gave birth to the first sex symbol, Rudolph Valentino. Roldolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla was a famous Italian actor who was mainly known by his nickname "The Latin...