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Frank Beall

Halloween in the Air, in the Studio, on the Ground!

Andrea Osborne
October 26, 2017
News

When you allow television folks a little free rein; watch-out! Halloween provides the perfect cover to mask a little tomfoolery. Check out some WRAL blasts from the Halloween past.

Frank Beall — SKY 5 pilot Frank “Dracula” Beall

First up is from October, 1986. SKY 5 pilot Frank Beall decides to spook legendary WRAL weatherman Bob DeBardelaben by donning a vampire mask while flying the helicopter. Flying Frivolity! Watch this!

CBC History VIDEO: Halloween with SKY 5 pilot Frank Beall

John Hudson and Greg Fishel — John Hudson (left) and Greg Fishel

The second Halloween blast from the past is studio fun with WRAL news anchor John Hudson and Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel on The Morning Show.

John answers the age-old question, “how do you fill extra time at the end of a newscast?” In 1986, this was John’s answer.

CBC History VIDEO: “Pumpkin Hoops” on the morning newscast with John Hudson and Greg Fishel

The third video is a low-budget parody of several hit movies including “Star Wars,” “Patton,” and “Psycho.” The vignettes were produced by WRAL Creative Services department. These “mini-shorts” aired during the commercial breaks of the late night Halloween movie in 1981.

Pumpkin Strikes Back

WRAL-FM‘s Rowell Gorman, “The Man of a Thousand Voices”, wrote the script and provided different voices to the pumpkin characters, as well as appearing in the production.

The actors and actresses were WRAL employees. The video was shot at various locations in Wake County. You’ve gotta watch this!

CBC History VIDEO: “The Pumpkins Strike Back” vignettes

We hope your Halloween is full of treats and no tricks!

Thanks to Corp’s Pam Allen for this capcom story & these photos. Pam Parris Allen is a former WRAL newscast producer/director who now works as a researcher and producer on the CBC History Project.

PrevPreviousWRAL’s Holiday Traditions Continue Again This Year

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