The Amazing Criswell

If I ever became a movie horror host, I would model myself after The Amazing Criswell.  Friend of Ed Wood Jr, and actor in many of Ed's films, most notably "Plan 9 from Outer Space".

 

Criswell was played brilliantly by Jeffrey Jones in Tim Burton's 1994 movie "Ed Wood".  Coincidentally, Tim Burton grew up in Burbank on Evergreen Street, just a block from Criswell's final resting place in Valhalla Cemetery.

Criswell fancied himself a psychic, but later confessed to friends that he lost his psychic abilities when he began charging for them.   One of his great friends was Mae West, who truly believed in Criswell's psychic abilities.   She even wrote and recorded a song for him, basing some of the lyrics on his predictions.  He clamied that Mae would become the first woman president of the United States, and that Mae, Criswell, and George Liberace, the brother of showman Liberace, would ride a rocket to the moon together.

Criswell's life was bizarre and fascinating.  He was married to Halo Meadows, a former burlesque dancer.  She had a huge standard poodle (named 'Buttercup') which she was convinced was the reincarnation of her cousin Thomas.  Mrs Criswell also indulged in the benefits of natural eating - and had been seen at times on her hands and knees grazing on grass at the apartment building they owned.

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