Holiday Film Festival
Encyclopedia
Holiday Film Festival was a Thanksgiving Day science fiction
film series, aired annually from 1976 to 1985 on WOR-TV
Channel 9 in the Tri-State Region. For most of these broadcasts the two sponsors were a local electronics chain, Crazy Eddie
s, and a toy store Play World.
(at 3:00 pm), and Son of Kong (at 5:00 pm). The ratings of the 1976 Thanksgiving marathon were good enough for WOR-TV to include the day after Thanksgiving into the monster movie line up.
Over the next few years the same movies were aired on Thanksgiving Day, but the movies that were broadcast the day after were changed. Several times the movies Godzilla vs The Cosmic Monster
, Son of Godzilla
, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
and Godzilla vs. Megalon
were aired on the day after Thanksgiving.
Shortly after the 1985 program, WOR-TV lost the broadcast rights to the RKO library and Mighty Joe Young, King Kong
, and Son of Kong could no longer be broadcast.
since the mid 1990s.
The Day After Thanksgiving November 19, 1977
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film series, aired annually from 1976 to 1985 on WOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
Channel 9 in the Tri-State Region. For most of these broadcasts the two sponsors were a local electronics chain, Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie is the name of a consumer electronics retailer conducting business through the internet and by telephone. The venture is the most recent to be doing business under the Crazy Eddie name, with the most well known being a chain of retail stores that operated throughout New York, New...
s, and a toy store Play World.
History
These WOR-TV Thanksgiving programs started on Thanksgiving Day 1976. On this occasion, Channel 9 broadcast...Mighty Joe Young (at 1:00 pm), King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzilla
is a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
(at 3:00 pm), and Son of Kong (at 5:00 pm). The ratings of the 1976 Thanksgiving marathon were good enough for WOR-TV to include the day after Thanksgiving into the monster movie line up.
Over the next few years the same movies were aired on Thanksgiving Day, but the movies that were broadcast the day after were changed. Several times the movies Godzilla vs The Cosmic Monster
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
, originally known in the United States as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction kaiju film. This was the 14th of the Toho studio's Godzilla series , it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and the...
, Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
and Godzilla vs. Megalon
Godzilla vs. Megalon
is a 1973 Japanese science fiction kaiju film directed and co-written by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the thirteenth film in the Godzilla franchise...
were aired on the day after Thanksgiving.
Shortly after the 1985 program, WOR-TV lost the broadcast rights to the RKO library and Mighty Joe Young, King Kong
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
, and Son of Kong could no longer be broadcast.
Later years
These films then appeared on cable television's American Movie Classics while the broadcast rights to the Godzilla films were also lost by WOR-TV but began appearing on other local New York stations. All these movies turned up a couple of more times in the local New York City area until 1989. Since then they have become staples on cable television's SCI.-Fl. ChannelSci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
since the mid 1990s.
Typical schedule
Thanksgiving Day November 18, 1977- Mighty Joe Young (1:00 p.m.)
- King KongKing Kong (1933 film)King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
(3:00 p.m.) - Son of Kong (5:00 p.m.)
The Day After Thanksgiving November 19, 1977
- King Kong EscapesKing Kong EscapesKing Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
(1:00 p.m.) - King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzillais a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
( 3:00 p.m.) - Godzilla vs The Smog MonsterGodzilla vs. Hedorah, also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, is a 1971 science fiction kaiju film. The eleventh film in Toho Co. Ltd.'s Godzilla series , it was directed by Yoshimitsu Banno with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the first film to feature Hedorah. The score was composed by Riichiro Manabe...
( 5:00 p.m.)