This Saturday "Chilly" Gets His "Day" In Dormont

Many Pittsburghers cannot eagerly await Halloween without thinking of “Chilly Billy” Cardille. Many of those fans will descend on the Hollywood Theater in DormontSaturday Night and celebrate the festivities with their hero.

Cardille, who is on the threshold of his 85th birthday (December 10), will be in attendance at the single screen theater on Potomac Avenue for a “Halloween Party.” Partiers are encouraged to wear their favorite costumes (prizes will be awarded) as classic bits from Cardille’s infamous “Chiller Theater” will be presented on the big screen, along with the 1954 monster mash “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” And as a special treat, the film will be presented in all of its 35mm and 3D glory.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the program starts at 7:00 p.m. Tickets, which are going fast, are $15 in advance and $20 at the door the night of the event.

It was also announced earlier this week that through a proclamation from Allegheny County Councilman Jim Burn, Saturday will be declared “Chilly Billy Cardille Day” in the County. Burn said it was a “no brainer” to honor the longtime broadcaster and Pittsburgh personality as he nears a milestone birthday. County Councilman Bob Macey added that Cardille is “everyone’s” treasure.

Cardille was born in Farrell, Pennsylvania and graduated from Sharon High School before attending what is now IUP. Before graduating from the university, Cardille moved to Erie to work as a weatherman and children’s program host at WICU Channel 12 in Erie.

A few years later, owners were looking to start a new television channel in Pittsburgh, WIIC-11. On September 1, 1957, Cardille’s voice was the first heard on what is now WPXI-TV.

Sportscaster Mal Alberts was the first announcer for the legendary “Studio Wrestling” that started in 1959. When Alberts took another job two years later, Cardille, who had been hosting a variety of locally-produced shows, took the reign of Studio Wrestling and made it his own.

To this day in many Pittsburgh households, professional wrestling is synonymous with Cardille, Bruno Sammartino, Dominic DeNucci, “Killer” Kowalski, “Jumpin’” Johnny DeFazio and others. Cardille would host that program until is moved to Channel 53 WPXI in 1973. Studio Wrestling’s last show aired in 1974.

On Saturday, Sept. 19, 1964, the next chapter in Cardille’s illustrious career began when the spooky and silly Chiller Theater debuted. The iconic Pittsburgh offering first showed "It! The Terror From Beyond Space" followed by "The Screaming Skull".” The unique television show became an instant hit.

Cardille first hosted the show alone but would occasionally feature celebrity guests like Bethel Park native Barbara Feldon from “Get Smart” and comic Phyllis Diller. In the mid 1970’s, a cast of characters which included “Terminal Stare,” Stephan the Castle Prankster” and “Norman the Castle Keeper” would join the cast. Their popularity of the 11:00 p.m. show would keep Pittsburghers from seeing the first few seasons of “Saturday Night Live.”

However, times were changing. WIIC became WPXI on Monday, April 20, 1981 and Chiller Theater was one of the last locally-produced programs to air under the old call letters. With the growing popularity of Saturday Night Live, Chiller Theater was pushed back to a 1:00 a.m. start time. The long-running show which promoted fans to tinker with their television antennas throughout Western Pennsylvania until the wee hours of earlySunday morning, would end its fabled run on January 1, 1984.

Cardille’s influence and popularity also translated onto the big screen. On October 1, 1968, George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” was released at the Fulton Theater in Pittsburgh and as one might expect, “Chilly Billy” was on camera. Cardille portrayed an intrepid WIIC-TV newsman chasing the story of menacing ghouls who attacked unsuspecting victims in rural areas north of Pittsburgh.

During a scene near the end of the movie, Cardille interviewed the Sheriff, played by Russell Streiner. The two actors would recreate that same scene during the 1990 remake of the film helmed by fellow Pittsburgher Tom Savini. The 1968 original remains the scariest movie of all time to a generation of fans. The classic also proved controversial, as it was one of the last movies to be released without a ratings system. Without notification, a generation of children were innocently exposed to flesh-eating zombies. Many critics were incensed. The movie became one of the most profitable ever to be released.

Cardille’s daughter Lori would create her own George A. Romero heritage by starring in the 1985 Sequel “Day of the Dead.” Lori, who continues to act and write, often attends the annual fall “Horror Realm” convention at the Crowne Plaza Hotel with her father.

The proclamation is just the latest in a long line of honors for the broadcast pioneer. In 2008, the Cardille was included in a list of the top 250 most influential people ever in Pittsburgh during the city’s 250 birthday celebration. In 2010, the city of Pittsburgh and Sharon, PA both declared September 28, 2010 “Bill Cardille Day.”

Cardille worked at WPXI as a weatherman and newsman until 2000. He still works on the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, which has raised about $16 million dollars over the years, according to estimates.

In addition, “Chilly” can still be heard each weekday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.on 1320 WJAS-AM.

For 49 years, Pittsburghers have celebrated Halloween with Bill Cardille, and Saturday is just his official “Day.”