About this project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBxPhkxuM-U

Current Halloween Tradition Recreates Memories

In a quiet residential neighborhood of Cleveland called Old Brooklyn, once a year the streets become magical.  Thousands of visitors of all ages converge in the small yard of one family to experience Halloween the way it was when many of today’s baby boomers grew up.  Halloween night wasn’t about gore and terror, it was about exploring suburban streets unrecognizable from their daytime counterparts.  The entire neighborhood came alive as children roamed streets for the one night it was acceptable to be out on their own.  Halloween was for friends and fun and once-a-year treats.

These days, new memories are being born as families return year after year to experience a homegrown tradition—The Heggs House of Horror!  Deemed 1 of the top 5 residential displays in the USA” by ABC’s Good Morning America, the local phenomenon is now acknowledged coast to coast.

Nearly two decades ago—before the era of store bought yard Halloween yard displays-- the Heggs House of Horror began humbly. Luther Heggs, his wife, and young daughters created a small family project, building a life size papier-mache witch.  The following year it was a giant spider web made of rope.  Today there are more than 40 characters—each handmade, most animated, all fascinating and entertaining!  And they appear for only two nights each year—October 30 and 31.  By sunrise they are gone, not to emerge again until the following year’s Halloween.

 

Some of the Characters

You’ll never know who to expect at each year’s display!  There are the Munsters—Eddie, Herman, and Grandpa in his gold coffin mobile (the “Dragula!”).  Or the Phantom tickling the ivories alongside his “Bony Boy” skeleton backup band…Cousin It shimmying and shaking alongside Gene Simmons on phantom bass…and  newer additions like Michael J. and Lady Ga-Ghost.  Of course there are also vampires, aliens, ghosts and goblins lurking in the bushes or hovering in the windows.  

 

The Name is Heggs—Luther Heggs!

 The creator of the Heggs House of Horror—“the man behind the curtain”--is a seemingly normal guy who just loves Halloween and putting on a great show every October 30th and 31st.  It’s all thanks to a childhood spent in the rock ‘n’ roll capital of Cleveland in the 1960s and 70s, glued to his radio, or watching TV with local late night movie host legend Ghoulardi (aka Ernie Anderson)! 

From rock ‘n’ roll roadie to broadcast engineer, from radio DJ to lighting director for national recording acts, Luther Heggs’ experiences all find their way into the Heggs House of Horror.  Nearly everything in the display is built from scratch by Heggs.  That includes lighting, sound, special effects and many of the voices.

 

The Documentary

A regional treasure like the Heggs House of Horror--especially one that has found its way into so many hearts and families across Northeast Ohio--deserves to be shared and preserved. 

Stepping up to do just that are PBS producers Bob Becker and Luanne Bole-Becker, a husband-and-wife video production team.  Their team specializes in television documentaries that have won Emmy, Telly, and Silver Apple awards, as well as being featured in numerous film festivals and on PBS and CBS nationwide.  Years earlier, the Beckers produced a short feature on the Heggs House off Horror for local PBS station WVIZ/ideastream.  They have been gathering footage year after year for the last decade.

 The documentary will explore the evolution of all that has gone into making the Heggs House of Horror a reality, including family and visitor interviews, behind-the-scenes views, and never-before-seen footage from displays over the years.

Don’t let this unique Cleveland treasure disappear.  Help us preserve a community tradition, encourage creativity (you just might try your hand at building your own animated character!), and share this story of a one-of-a-kind personality.

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