Friday, November 21, 2008

Dr. Digby


Dr. Digby

Dr. Digby and Igor
I honestly do not know much about these two but I watched them as a kid growing up in Lawton, Oklahoma. Horror host Dr. Digby ran Shock Theater (or at least that is what I remember it being called) on Saturday nights on KSWO channel 7 the local ABC affiliate. Dr. Digby was your friendly vampire and Igor was his crazy-haired lab assistant. It was an event on Saturday night, especially for sleep-overs, well at least at my house. Cheesy as hell but loads of fun and turned me on to lots of old horror films. Towards the end the show kind of went downhill and featured more beach blanket type movies. It was however a highlight and fond memory from my childhood. Like I said, I don’t know anything about Dr. Digby but have been told Igor was portrayed by a local man named Harvey “Frosty” Freeze, who has since passed away. I’m not sure when I took this photo but it would have been in the mid-1970s at a big event at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor. It was crazy and very exciting. Tons of people turned out for the event. I have his autograph tucked away someplace. If you are reading this and remember Dr. Digby or have more information please share, there doesn’t seem to a lot out there about this horror host, at least that I’ve been able to find. As an aside, Shakey’s is long gone. For a long time Pizza Hut occupied the building but recently they razed it and built a Pizza Hut Bistro in its place.

UPDATE:

Rob in the comments emailed KSWO and received the following reply:

Dr Digsby was played by Weyman Slaton,he was in Oklahoma city following his
tenure at TV 7 and we lost contact several years ago? Igor was played by
Frosty Freeze ,our onstaff artist at the time, he is deceased. The show
began in the late 60"s and ran thru the 70"s ,I have the exact dates in our
files,but I believe you are correct the show ended in the early to mid 1980
period. When the show began I was a cameraman and when it ended I was the
General Manager. Larry Patton

I hope that helps! Rob

It does help! Thanks Rob