Witch's Night Out

There was a time when Halloween specials were unknown on American television, even though Halloween episodes of television shows were common even in the Fifties and Sixties. Even after the success of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Halloween specials would be relatively rare. This began to change in the mid to late Seventies when several Halloween specials debuted. Among this specials was the Canadian special Witch's Night Out.

Witch's Night Out begins with a witch (Gilda Radner) who finds herself feeling lonely on Halloween. Meanwhile, Goodly (John Leach) decides to hold a Halloween party for both children and adults. As it turns out, the abandoned house Goodly selects turns out to be that of the with. Also on that Halloween, two children, Small (Tony Molesworth) and Tender (Naomi Leach) are disappointed that their costumes (a werewolf and a ghost) scared no one and wish to become an actual werewolf and a ghost. Of course, all of this leads to a number of complications.

Witch's Night Out was a sequel to the 1974 Canadian special The Gift of Winter, and was directed, written, and produced by the creator of The Gift of Winter, John Leach. It used the same characters, although they were voiced by different actors. In addition to The Gift of Winter and Witch's Night Out, John Leach had earlier provided animated Spanish inserts for Sesame Street and worked on the Canadian children's show Readalong. 

A few well-known actors provided voices for Witch's Night Out. Gilda Radner had voiced the characters Nicely and Malicious in The Gift of Winter, and was also its narrator. For Witch's Night Out, she was the voice of the witch. Cathrine O' Hara voiced Malicious, while Fiona Reid voiced Nicely. While Dan Akroyd had originated the voice of Goodly in The Gift of Winter, animator John Leach took over the role of Goodly in Witch's Night Out.

Witch's Night Out debuted on both CBC in Canada and NBC in the United States on October 27, 1978. It would air again on NBC in 1979 and 1980. It entered syndication in 1982 and continued to air in syndication for years to come. It was in 1987 that it began airing on the Disney Channel, multiple times each October. It continued to air on the Disney Channel well into the Nineties.

Witch's Night Out would see a revival in the Teens. John Leach and animation director Jimmy Cross of the animation studio Uncle Porkchop Productions remastered Witch's Night Out. It was released on DVD though Mill Creek Entertainment along with other Halloween specials. It aired on This TV and in 2016 was available for streaming on Hulu. It is currently available on several streaming services, including Fawesome, Hoopla, Prime Video, and Tubi.

While Witch's Night Out never became a yearly broadcast network tradition the way that It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and some Christmas specials have, it remains a fondly remembered special from the years it spent in syndication and on the Disney Channel. Given how common it is on streaming services, it seems likely it will be around for many Halloweens to come. 

"Bouncing Babies" (1929): Our Gang at Halloween

The Our Gang theatrical shorts, retitled The Little Rascals for rerelease in theatres and on television, were among the most successful theatrical shorts in cinema history. The series of shorts began in 1922 and lasted until 1944 when the final one, "Dancing Romeo," was released. The shorts centred on a gang of neighbourhood children and was known for portraying children materialistically and realistically. The shorts were also unique for the era in showing black and white children interacting as equals.

As might be expected of a series of shorts centred in children, the Our Gang shorts would touch upon Halloween from time to time. Among these shorts is "Bouncing Babies" (1929), which takes place on Halloween. In "Bouncing Babies" (1929), Wheezer (Bobby Hutchins) resents his family's new baby. Farina (Allen Hoskins) spins a yarn to Wheezer about exchanging an unwanted baby at the hospital for a goat. Of course, Wheezer believes him and then plots how he can get rid of his unwanted baby brother. 

Although set at Halloween, the holiday is not at the centre of "Bouncing Babies" (1929), with the plot primarily focused on Wheezer's resentment of his baby brother. That isn't to say that Halloween doesn't occupy a large part in the short. At one point, Wheezer's mother tells him that it is Halloween and the bogeyman might get him if he doesn't behave. The rest of the gang are out and about in their costumes (Chubby as a devil, Harry as a skeleton, and Jean as a Clown). Chubby has learned to distort his voice so that it sounds deep and out-of-this world, and uses this to scare Wheezer and Farina as a prank. The short was released on October 12, 1929, so that the references to Halloween were timely.

"Bouncing Babies" (1929) would be the last short in which Jean Darling and Harry Spear would appear. Jean Darling left the series for a tour of the RKO vaudeville circuit. As to Harry Spear, having more or less been the leader of the gang during the Silent Era, after the advent of talkies he was phased out and replaced by Jackie Cooper. Some sources include Joe Cobb in the cast, but his last Our Gang short was "Lazy Days" (1929) and he does not appear in "Bouncing Babies" (1929).

"Bouncing Babies" (1929) was the only Our Gang short explicitly set at Halloween, although other shorts, such as "Spook Spoofing" (1928) and "Spooky Hooky" (1935) dealt with spooky themes. For many Our Gang fans this might seem like a missed opportunity, as it would have been fun to see the gang pulling pranks and later trick-or-treating (which wasn't really established until the Thirties). Regardless, as the only Our Gang short set at Halloween, "Bouncing Babies" (1929) is a lot of fun. 

The Late Great Walter Koenig

Walter Koenig, best known for playing Ensign Pavel Chekov on Star Trek, died yesterday, October 25, 2026, at the age of 90. He also played Psi Cop Alfred Bester on Babylon 5.

Walter Koenig was born on September 14, 1936 in Chicago. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union. His father was  a translator for RCA Victor. The family moved to Manhattan in New York City when Walter Koenig was young. He acted in school plays at Fieldston High School in New York. He attended Grinnell College in Iowa, majoring in pre-med, then transferred after a year to UCLA, where he received a BA in psychology. It was a professor who suggested to Walter Koenig that he become an actor. He attended Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, studying alongside James Caan, Dabney Coleman, and Christopher Lloyd. 

He moved to Los Angeles, where he made his television debut in an uncredited role in an episode of Combat! in 1962. He made his feature film debut in one of the segments of the movie Strange Lovers in 1963. He guest starred on the shows The Untouchables, General Hospital, The Great Adventure, The Lieutenant., The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Ben Casey. Mr. Novak, Gidget, I Spy, and Jericho. He joined the cast of Star Trek in its second season as Ensign Pavel Chekov. Star Trek Gene Roddenberry wanted a character to appeal to young people, and Chekov's appearance was patterned after Davy Jones on The Monkees. In the Sixties, Walter Koenig also guest starred on Mannix, Medical Center, and The Virginian. 

In the Seventies, he guest starred on the shows Ironside, The Starlost, and Columbo. He appeared in the TV movie Goodbye, Raggedy Ann and the unsold pilot The Questor Tapes. He appeared in the movies Nightmare Honeymoon (1974) and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), in which he reprised his role as Chekov. 

In the Eighties, Walter Koenig guest starred on Bring Back 'Em Live. He was a guest voice on the animated series The Real Ghost Busters. He appeared in the movie Antony and Cleopatra. He appeared in the movie Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Moontrap (1988), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989). 

In the Nineties, Walter Koenig appeared as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. He guest starred on the TV shows Viva Variety, Almost Perfect, and Diagnosis Murder. He appeared in the TV movie The Privateers. He appeared in the movies Star Trek VI:The Undiscovered Country (1991), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Sworn to Justice (1996), and Drawing Down the Moon (1997).

In the Naughts, he guest starred on the shows Futurama, Star Trek: The New Voyages, and Star Trek: Renegades. He appeared in the movies Mad Cowgirl (2006), InAlienable (2007), and Scream of the Binkini (2009). In the Teens, he appeared in the movies Blue Dream (2013), Star Trek: Captain Pike, Neil Stryker and the Tyrant of Time (2017), Nobility (2018), Diminuendo (2018), and Unbelievable!!!!! (2020). In the 2020s, he guest starred on the show Star Trek: Picard and appeared in the movie Raging Midwife (2025).

Walter Koenig also wrote episodes of the shows Star Trek: The Animated Series, Land of the Lost What Really Happened to the Class of '65?, Family, The Powers of Matthew Star, and Renegades. He also wrote the books Chekov's Enterprise (1980), Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot (1988), Warped Factors: A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe (1998), Walter Koenig's Things to Come (2012), and Walter Koenig's Raver (2015). 

He provided the voice of Pavel Chekov in several Star Trek video games. 

I think it is safe to say that Walter Koenig will always be remembered as Pavel Chekov, the youthful, optimistic, and sometimes brash ensign who was overly proud of his Russian heritage. Many will also remember him well as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5, the charismatic yet bigoted telepath who was a far from Chekov as one could get. That Walter Koenig's two best known roles were so different demonstrated his versatility as an actor. He played a police sergeant on an episode of Columbo, a gang member on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,.a member of a drug rehaab cult on Mannix, and a young Russian defector on Mr. Novak. While he will always be best remembered as Chekov. throughout his career Walter Koenig played a wide variety of roles and played them well.

Conrack (1974)

Today many people probably have not heard of the movie Conrack (1974), directed by Martin Ritt. It received mixed to positive reviews upon its release, and it did somewhat poorly at the box office. Regardless, it is significant for its portrayal of life on Daufuskie Island (fictionalized in the film as Yamacraw Island), as well as one of the earlier portrayals of trick-or-treating in a feature film.

Conrack (1974) was based on the book The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy, which was based on his experience as  teacher on Daufauskie Island in the late Sixties. Daufuskie Island  is an island located between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, George, and is part of the state of South Carolina. At the time that Pat Conroy taught school there and even now, it is only assessable by ferry. In the late Sixties, most of the inhabitants were descended from slaves and spoke the Gullah language. Most had little to no contact with the mainland, and many knew very little about the outside world.

Like the book, Pat Conroy (Jon Voight) is assigned to teach grades five through eight on Yamacraw Island. Initially he has difficulty getting through to his students, many of who cannot read or even count. Unable to pronounce his name, the children refer to him as "Conrack." Conrack's teaching methods are unconventional, which brings him into conflict with the principal Mrs. Scott (Madge Sinclair), who was called Mrs. Brown in the book. It also puts him into conflict with the superintendent Mr. Skeffington (Hume Cronyn). The children Conrack teaches no little about the outside world, and have never even heard of Halloween, let alone celebrated it. Conrack then decides to take the children trick-or-treating in Beaufort, South Carolina, which proves to be a source of controversy. 

As a director Martin Ritt was well-established at directing literary adaptations and socially aware dramas. He had already directed such films as Edge of the City (1957), The Long Hot Summer (1958), Hud (1963), and Sounder(1972). It was written by wife and husband team Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch, who had already written the screenplays for Martin Ritt's movies The Long Hot Summer (1958), The Sound and the Fury (1959), Hud (1963), and  Hombre (1967). 

In the mid-Seventies, John Voight was at the top of his career, having appeared in such movies as Midnight Cowboy (1969), Catch-22 (1970), and Deliverance (1972), and had been nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor for Midnight Cowboy (1969). Paul Winfield, who played Mad Billy (one of the adults on the island) had already worked with Martin Ritt before, playing Nathan Lee Morgan in Sounder. In her role as principal Mrs. Scott, Madge Sinclair made her feature film debut, having previously on stage. Of course, Hume Cronyn had a career in stage and screen going back to the 1930s. Conrack's pupils were mostly drawn from students at C.B. Greer Elementary School in Brunswick, Georgia.

Although set on a fictionalized version of Daufuskie Island, Conrack was mostly filmed on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Similarly, Brunswick, Georgia doubled for Beaufort, South Carolina. Although the plot was filmed throughout the year, the film was shot from May 8, 1973, to July 23, 1973. This means the trick-or-treating scenes were shot during the summer.

Conrack (1974) premiered on March 15, 1974 in Los Angeles. It did not do well at the box office. With a budget of $2.37 million, it only made $2 million. Its reviews were also mixed to positive. Cora Sayre in The New York Times as "...relentlessly idealistic in tone and uplifting in intent...," but also criticized it as overly sentimental. John Raisbeck in The Monthly Film Bulletin gave Conrack (1974) a largely positive review, but described it as seemingly like, "... conscious turning aside from the complexities of modern cinema to the simpler alternatives of yesteryear. Indeed, with underprivileged white children instead of black and Greer Garson substituting for Jon Voight, the film might have been made all of thirty years ago." Gene Siskel of The Chicago Tribune truly liked the film and gave it three-and-a-half stars. He described it as "...a nice family picture."

As to the inhabitants of Daufuskie Island, their reactions to Conrack (1974) were mixed. Some of the inhabitants saw the reality of their situation in the movie, while others criticized it for the usual Hollywood embellishment of the truth. Dr. Walter Trammell, the real-life school superintendent under whom Pat Conroy worked, criticized the film as a misleading "Hollywood stereotype." Following the publication of The Water is Wide and the release of Conrack (1974), Dr. Trammell faced increased scrutiny and the school board ultimately fired him.

Criticisms that Conrack (1974) is overly sentimental are to a degree justified. Indeed, in many ways the film plays out like a Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation. It should then come as no surprise that The Water is Wide would be adapted by Hallmark Hall of Fame under its original title in 2006 with Jeff Hephner as Pat Conroy and Alfre Woodward as Mrs. Brown.

Sentimental through Conrack (1974) may be, it is still an enjoyable film. It is largely powered by its cast, who give strong performances that easily overcome any weakness in the script. In some respects, it is hard to disagree with John Raisbeck's review mentioned earlier. In some ways Conrack (1974) seems less than a product of the 1970s than a product of an earlier time. And for those of us who love Halloween, it is a good look at trick-or-treating as it was observed in 1969 (or at least 1969 as seen through the lens of movie shot in 1973).

Love and Halloween

When people think of romance and holidays today, Valentine's Day or even Christmas probably come to mind. They probably do not think of Halloween. In the days of yore, however, this was not the case. There were several romantic superstitions associated with the holiday in which one could divine who they would marry, when they might marry, and so on. 

For those familiar with the customs associated with Halloween, it might come as no surprise that one of these divination rituals involved cabbages. The cabbage has long been associated with Halloween. One of the many names of Mischief Night, the night before, on, or around Halloween when boys would play pranks was "Cabbage Night." The name apparently came from the custom of young boys raiding cabbage patches and then hurling them at houses or doorways. Regardless of what young boys did with cabbages, young women had other uses for them. The October 25, 1902 edition of The Democratic Advocate from Westminster, Maryland lists various romantic superstitions dealing with the cabbage. The first was that if a young woman went to a cabbage patch at midnight on Halloween and steals a cabbage, on her way home she would meet the man she was to marry. A more complicated version of this superstition was that if a young woman walked backwards to a cabbage patch in her nightgown and pulled up a cabbage, then she would see the man she will marry over her shoulder. Another romantic superstition commonly mentioned in old newspapers and books was that both young women and men could determine the physique and finances of whom they would marry. A long, straight stalk would indicate that their spouse would be tall. A short stalk indicated the opposite. The amount of dirt clinging to the roots indicated how wealthy they would be. A lot of dirt meant they would be very wealthy, only a little meant they would be poor. The stalk could indicate everything from the age to the temperament of one's future spouse.

Cabbages weren't the only plants use in romantic divination. Apples, long associated with Halloween, were also used. Apple bobbing is a game strongly associated with Halloween and autumn in general. Among the variations on the game is one that also doubles as a form of romantic divination. According to the  October 8, 1905 edition of the Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois, initials would be carved into apples, which were then placed in a tub of water. The guests would then bob for the apples, and the initials carved in the apple would be that of their future mate. Another superstition mentioned in the same source involved apple paring. Each guest was given an apple and a knife. The apple was to be pared in one continuous strip. The paring would then be swung above one's head and the following lines would be repeated: "Apple I pare and swing to know whom I soon shall marry. From my hand I now thee throw, mystic letter carry." The paring was then thrown to the floor and whatever initials it formed would be those of one's future spouse. Another superstition associated with apples at Halloween was that if one placed an apple under their pillow on Halloween, then one would dream of their future spouse. 

Various sorts of nuts also played a role in romantic divination on Halloween. According to various sources, young women would name hazelnuts after various suitors and then place them on the fire grate. If a nut burned brightly, it meant his heart was true. If it cracked or jumped, it meant his heart was untrue. Chestnuts also played a role in Halloween superstitions. Finding a burr on a chestnut while hunting for the nuts in a group meant that one would be the next to marry.

Not every means of romantic divination at Halloween involved only plants. One superstition was that if one ate an apple while looking in a mirror on Halloween, then a vision of one's future spouse would appear in the glass. A similar superstition involved no apples. If a young woman stood in a dark room holding a candle and gazing into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, then she might catch the reflection of her future husband looking over her shoulder. 

Baked goods also played a role in Halloween superstitions. Brambrack is a bread with added sultanas and raisins made in Ireland. It is associated with both Halloween and New Year's Eve. In the case of Halloween, Bramback contained various objects inside. If one received a piece with a ring, it meant one would marry in the coming year. If one got a piece with a stick or a thimble, then one would never marry. If one got a piece with a silver sixpence, then they would be wealthy. A similar custom involved what is known as a "dumb cake" and was practised in Scotland and England. Young women would bake the cake in total silence, hence its name. It was believed one spoken word would ruin the cake. If the young women successfully baked the cake while saying nothing, then they would see visions of their future husbands.

Today it might seem surprising to some that divination about one's love life played such a large role in Halloween, but then Halloween marked a transition when nights were growing longer and the weather was becoming cooler. The veils between worlds was believed by many to be at its thinnest. This made it an ideal time to foretell the future. Of course, young people would naturally want to know if love was in their future and whom they would marry. Many today, largely became of the Hallmark Channel's many movies, might tend to think of Christmas when they think of romance, but there was a time when it seemed romance was on the minds of many at Halloween.

The Late Great Tom Skerritt

 

Actor Tom Skerritt died on October 21, 2026, at the age of 93. He appeared in such movies as MASH (1970), Alien (1979), Steel Magnolias (1989), and A River Runs Through It (1992). On television, he starred on the show Picket Fences and guest starred on shows from Gunsmoke to Chicago Hope.

Tom Skerritt was born on August 25, 1933 in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Mackenzie High School in Detroit, then enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served as a classifications specialist. Following his service, he attended Wayne State University in Detroit where he studied English. He transferred to UCLA where he acted in school productions. It was because of his appearance in a production of The Rainmaker that he was cast in the low budget Korean War movie War Hunt (1962). He left UCLA to pursue a career in acting.

In the Sixties, Tom Skerritt appeared in the movies One Man's Way (1964), Those Calloways (1965), MASH (1970),  and The Moonshine War (1970).. He made his television debut in an episode of The Virginian in 1962. During the decade, he guest starred on the shows Laramie, The Real McCoys, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Temple Houston, My Three Sons, Bonanza, Wagon Train, My Favorite Martian, Gunsmoke, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, The Fugitive, The Time Tunnel, 12 O' Clock High, Combat!, The FBI, Mannix, Cimarron Strip, Run for Your Life, The Felony Squad, The Outsider, Lancer, Hawaii Five-O, Medical Center, The Name of the Game, and Bracken's World. 

In the Seventies, Tom Skerritt appeared in the movies The Wild Rovers (1971), Harold and Maude (1971), Fuzz (1972), Thieves Like Us (1974), Run, Run, Joe (1974), Big Bad Mama (1974), The Devil's Rain (1975), La Madama (1976), Plot of Fear (1976), The Turning Point (1978), Up in Smoke (1978), Ice Castles (1978), and Alien (1979). He appeared on the TV shows The Virginian; Storefront Lawyers; Nichols; The FBI; Gunsoke; Bonanza; Get Christie Love!; Kolchak: The Night Stalker; The Manhunter; Cannon; Barnaby Jones; S.W.A.T.; Sara; and Baretta. He appeared in the mini-series Origins of the Mafia. 

In the Eighties, Tom Skerritt had the recurring role of Evan Drake on Cheers and starred in the short-lived show Ryan's Four. He guest starred on the shows The Hitchhiker, The Twilight Zone, Danger Bay, and ABC Afternoon Specials. He appeared in the movies Savage Harvest (1981), Silence of the North (1981), Fighting Back (1982), A Dangerous Summer (1982), The Dead Zone (1983), Top Gun (1986), Spacecamp (1986), Opposing Force (1986), Wisdom (1986), Maid to Order (1987), The Big Town (1987), Poltergeist III (1988), Honor Bound (1988), Big Man on Campus (1989), Steel Magnolias (1989), and The Rookie (1990). 

In the Nineties, he starred as Sheriff Jimmy Brock on Picket Fences. He guest starred on the TV shows Chicago Hope and Hallmark Hall of Fame. He appeared in the movies Wild Orchid II: Two Shades of Blue (1991), Knight Movies (1992), Poison Ivy (1992), Singles (1992), A River Runs Through It (1992), Contact (1997), Smoke Signals (1998), and The Other Sister (1999).

In the Naughts, Tom Skerritt appeared in the movies Texas Rangers (2001), Tuscaloosa (2001), Changing Hearts (2002), Tears of the Sun (2003), Swing (2003), Bonneville (2006), Beer for My Horses (2008), Whiteout (2009), For Sale by Owner (2009), and Redemption Road (2010). On television, he guest starred on the shows Will & Grace, The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Huff, The Dead Zone, Brothers & Sisters, and The Closer. He appeared in the mini-series Category 7: The End of the World, Fallen, Killer Wave, and The Trojan Horse. He made the first two guest appearance on Leverage as Jimmy Ford, father of lead character Nate Ford.

In the Teens, he made a second guest appearance as Jimmy Ford on Leverage and also guest starred on the shows White Collar, The Good Wife, and Madame Secretary. He appeared in the movies Soda Springs (2012), Ted (2012), Redwood Highway (2013), At Middleton (2013), Field of Lost Shoes (2015), A Hologram for the King (2016), Lucy (2017), and Day of Days (2017). In the 2020s, he appeared in the movies East of the Mountains (2021), Catch the Bullet (2021), and Broke (2025).

Tom Skerritt was a remarkable actor. so much so it's hard to remember what role he will be best remembered for. He played many memorable roles in both movies and on television. In MASH, he played the laid-back, amiable surgeon Duke. As dancer Wayne Rodgers in The Turning Point, he was the supportive and grounded anchor in his family. As Captain Dallas in Alien he was world-weary and somewhat detached. Drum in Steel Magnolias was far from Dallas in Alien, displaying a sense of humour and warmth. In A River Runs Through It, he played the strict Reverend McLean, who nonetheless loves fly fishing. His television roles were diverse as well. He is probably best remembered as Sheriff Jimmy Brock on Picket Fences, but he also played the villainous and vengeful Fred Garth in the Gunsmoke episode "The Noose" and appeared as villains on other shows (especially Westerns). Tom Skerritt had a good deal of talent and a great deal of range, and gave many good performances throughout his career. 

"You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes

It was sixty years ago today, on October 22, 1966, that the album The Supremes A Go-Go hit no. 1 on the Billboard album chart. It was historic as the first album by a girl group to hit no. 1 on the chart. Included on the album was the no. 1 single "You Can't Hurry Love." It was written and produced by the team  Holland–Dozier–Holland, who wrote hits for several Motown acts as well as The Supremes.