The Phantom and His Visiting Fiends...er...Friends

It's another postcard today. This one from a set of Universal Studio postcards.

Since the original was a black and white movie, I guess it's open to interpretation, but I don't think The Phantom (who's name was "Erik" by the way) was blue.  The general consensus was he was born disfigured and was extremely pale from living in hiding for years.  "The Phantom of the Opera" is receiving a reboot this year courtesy of (or discourtesy based on "The Mummy") Universal's Dark Universe.

Funny Bones

I recall one Halloween in high school, back in those magical years known as "the '80's", when a friend (you know who you are) showed up to school with this guy tucked in his pocket.

Witchy Women

I was at the annual Canterbury Subdivision sale in Affton (where participation dwindles with each passing year) and spotted what was clearly a newer, clear Jack O' Lantern plastic container, something that probably contained pretzels or some snack like that.  But this one contained some smaller Halloween decorations. I might have ignored it, but I saw a smaller version of the Wilton witch cake topper I wrote about here pressed up against the inside. Upon further examination, I saw it was a whole family of witches, 5 in all.

Good Halloween Fun with Billy and his Neighbors

If you've followed this blog for a while, you know I'm a sucker for kid lit.  I enjoy both children's fiction as well as classroom books.  All the better when they include a little Halloween.  

"Billy's Neighbors" dates from 1957 and attempts to steer children away from their natural devilish ways.  Rather than vandalizing their neighbor's house and property this year, their teacher Miss Dale persuades her students to make posters with positive statements like "Think of Others on Halloween" and "Do Good on Halloween". Booorrrring.  Wait until Billy finds where his parents hid the cherry bombs and eggs.

Russ Jumping Spider

This jumping spider novelty was produced by the Russ Berrie company, probably in the 1970's.  Russ, known mainly for their trolls, also marketed novelty items like this spider.

Halloween Reflections

When I was a kid, I took many superstitions seriously.  I always put on my left shoe first (good luck), I never stepped on a crack (and my mother's back thanks me), I never rooted for the home team (jinx), and my constant personal challenges (if I don't catch this ball 10 times in a row before the next car goes by, I'll fail the math test) bordered on obsessive compulsive. I wonder if kids today believe in any superstitions or if the age of information has wiped those clean.  That would be a shame.

I found this turn-of-the-last-century Halloween postcard at an estate sale this past year.  I was surprised to find it as it was mixed in with a lot of other travel postcards not nearly as old. Plus it was priced the same as the others at $1. It shows a popular superstition of the era: If you take a candle and look in a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see the reflection of your future spouse.  What he's doing in your bedroom at Midnight is none of my business.

Halloween -- It's My Bag, Baby, One Mo' Time

I know another year, same old lame joke.  But as long as I keep finding Trick or Treat bags, I'm going to use it. Like this one!