 |
Frederick C. Peerenboom, better known as Fritz the Nite Owl (born December 27, 1934 in Nekoosa, Wisconsin), is a radio and television personality in Columbus, Ohio. [1]
|
Frederick C. Peerenboom, better known as Fritz the Nite Owl (born December 27, 1934 in Nekoosa, Wisconsin), is a radio and television personality in Columbus, Ohio. [1]
Peerenboom's professional radio career began in 1959 after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army Signal Corps. While in the Army, he was stationed at the Signal Corps Pictorial Center (formerly the Paramount Studios New York facility). Here he narrated, acted in, and wrote numerous army promotional and training films. He expanded his knowledge of the visual techniques and effects that could be created on TV, which he subsequently used on his TV show. [2]
He made a few visual appearances in the DC comic book, "The Power Of Shazam!", in which he helped Captain Marvel and Superman save the universe. Among his many freelance narrations and acting performances, he was the voice of "Green Lantern" in the short-lived Warner Video Comics series. [3]
Fritz is best known for hosting "Nite Owl Theatre" on WBNS-TV from 1974–1991. He would add improvised humorous commentaries over jazz music between segments of the film and the commercial breaks. Along with these commentaries, his unique visual introductions, mid-breaks, and closes helped him win five Emmy Awards for his TV performances. [1]
His show, "Nite Owl Jazz: What's New in Jazz for the 21st Century," ran for seventeen years. [4]
Fritz resumed hosting movies in October 2010 with a showing of Night of the Living Dead at Grandview Theatre in Columbus. [5] The new series is a reboot of the original Nite Owl Theatre and is written by Peerenboom and directed, produced and edited by filmmaker Mike McGraner. [6] He currently records one movie with host bumper segments and vintage commercials per month. The movies premiere at Grandview Theatre, usually on the last Saturday of the month.
In January 2012, the live showing of his monthly internet version of Nite Owl Theatre moved from the Grandview Theatre to Studio 35 on Indianola Avenue in Columbus, OH, and in 2014 moved to the Gateway Film Center and has been showing episodes there since.
In March 2012, Fritz was inducted into the Horror Host Hall of Fame along with Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs and a few other nationally known horror hosts at HorrorHound Weekend in Columbus.
Fritz is also featured in a book titled, American Scary recently written by Michael Monahan, released in December 2011.
In his book "From the Black Chair: 365 Horror Movie Reviews", author Joshua P. Mogan credits Fritz and Nite Owl Theatre for helping introduce him to horror films. [7]
Fritz has earned five regional Emmys for his performance on the original show through 1974 to 1991. He received a 6th Emmy in 2013 for his work on the reboot of the series that began in 2010. [8]
Timothy James Curry is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London and 1974 Los Angeles musical stage productions of The Rocky Horror Show.
Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress. She is the 13th actress to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having received a Tony Award, two Academy Awards, and three Primetime Emmy Awards. Additionally, she is the second actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the third actress and first performer since 1943 to receive two Oscar nominations in the same year, the fifth actress and ninth performer to win Oscars in both the lead and supporting acting categories, and tied for the sixth most Oscar-nominated actress.
Gregory Oliver Hines was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated tap dancers of all time. As an actor, he is best known for Wolfen (1981), The Cotton Club (1984), White Nights (1985), Running Scared (1986), The Gregory Hines Show (1997–1998), playing Ben on Will & Grace (1999–2000), and for voicing Big Bill on the Nick Jr. animated children's television program Little Bill (1999–2004).
Martin John Christopher Freeman is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Nathan Fillion is a Canadian-American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on Firefly and its film continuation Serenity, and Richard Castle on Castle. As of 2018, he stars as John Nolan on The Rookie.
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from June 10, 1989, to July 19, 1996, on the premium cable channel HBO for seven seasons with a total of 93 episodes. It was executive produced by Joel Silver, Richard Donner, Robert Zemeckis, Walter Hill and David Giler. The first two seasons were produced by William Teitler. Beginning the show's third season, HBO and the Crypt Partners hired Gilbert Adler and A L Katz to take over the show. Adler and Katz ran Crypt through to its conclusion five seasons and 69 episodes later.
Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor, comedian, and producer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained acclaim for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for six Golden Globe Awards.
Terrance Quinn, known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He played John Locke on the TV series Lost, the title role in The Stepfather and Stepfather II, and Peter Watts in Millennium, which ran for three seasons (1996–1999). He has also hosted Mysteries of the Missing on The Science Channel. For his role in Lost, he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Beverly Heather D'Angelo is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role as Patsy Cline in Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), and for an Emmy Award for her role as Stella Kowalski in the TV film A Streetcar Named Desire (1984). D'Angelo's other film roles include Sheila Franklin in Hair (1979) and Doris Vinyard in American History X (1998).
Nite Owl is the name of two superheroes in the graphic novel limited series Watchmen, published by DC Comics. Created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the original Nite Owl, Hollis T. Mason, was a member of the crimefighting team the Minutemen, while the second, Daniel "Dan" Dreiberg, became a member of the vigilante team Crimebusters, also known as the titular Watchmen.
Michael Moriarty is an American-Canadian actor and jazz musician. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his first acting role on American television as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 mini-series Holocaust as well as a Tony Award in 1974 for his performance in the play Find Your Way Home. He played Executive Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Stone for the first four seasons (1990–1994) of the television show Law & Order. Moriarty is also known for his roles in films such as Bang the Drum Slowly, Who'll Stop the Rain, Q: The Winged Serpent, The Stuff, Pale Rider, Troll, Courage Under Fire, and Shiloh.
John Zacherle was an American television host, radio personality, singer, and voice actor. He was best known for his long career as a television horror host, often broadcasting horror films in Philadelphia and New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. Best known for his character of "Roland/Zacherley", he also did voice work for films, and recorded the top ten novelty rock and roll song "Dinner With Drac" in 1958. He also edited two collections of horror stories, Zacherley's Vulture Stew and Zacherley's Midnight Snacks.
Patrick Joseph Wilson is an American actor who is best known for playing the role of demonologist Ed Warren in the Conjuring Universe (2013–present). He began his career in 1995, starring in Broadway musicals. He is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his roles in The Full Monty (2000–2001) and Oklahoma! (2002). He co-starred in the acclaimed HBO miniseries Angels in America (2003), which he was nominated for both the Golden Globe Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.
Daniel James Roebuck is an American actor and writer. His best known roles include Deputy Marshal Robert Biggs in The Fugitive and its spinoff film U.S. Marshals, Jay Leno in The Late Shift, and Dr. Leslie Arzt in Lost, as well as numerous Rob Zombie and Don Coscarelli films. He is also known for his role as Cliff Lewis, Ben Matlock's private investigator, on Matlock from 1992 until 1995.
Joseph LoDuca is an American television and film score composer best known for his work writing television scores for the series Spartacus, Leverage, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Young Hercules, The Librarians TV series, American Gothic and Jack of All Trades. Originally an accomplished jazz guitarist in the Detroit area, LoDuca frequently provides music for producer/director Robert Tapert, producer/director Sam Raimi, producer/director Dean Devlin and actor Bruce Campbell's films and series. Prior to his work on The Evil Dead, his first film, he released a jazz LP titled Glisten.
A horror host is a person who acts as the host or presenter of a program where horror films and low-budget B movies are shown on television or the Internet. Usually the host assumes a horror-themed persona, often a campy or humorous one. Generally there are breaks in the film where the host comments on various aspects of the movie. Many horror host shows also include skits involving the hosts themselves, sometimes with a sidekick or other supporting characters.
Jordan Haworth Peele is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his film and television work in the comedy and horror genres. Peele started his career in sketch comedy before transiting his career as a writer and director of psychological horror and satirical films. In 2017, Peele was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world.
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his diverse work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous accolades including six Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Tony Awards. He has also received nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. Lithgow has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001 and he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2005.
Joseph Sargent was an American film director. Though he directed many television movies, his best known feature-length works were arguably the action movie White Lightning starring Burt Reynolds, the biopic MacArthur starring Gregory Peck, and the horror anthology Nightmares. His most popular feature film was the subway thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Sargent won four Emmy Awards over his career.
Peter L. Wittrock Jr., known as Finn Wittrock, is an American actor and screenwriter who began his career in guest roles on several television shows. He made his film debut in 2004, in Halloweentown High before returning to films in the 2010 film Twelve. After studying theater at The Juilliard School, he was a regular in the soap opera All My Children from 2009 to 2011, while performing in several theatrical productions. In 2011, he performed in playwright Tony Kushner's Off-Broadway play The Illusion and made his Broadway debut in 2012 as Happy Loman in the revival of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, directed by Mike Nichols.