by Batzina Belfry (aka Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport)

Paying respect to horror hosts from days gone by… Morgus the Magnificent

Good evening fellow crypt dwellers. I am Batzinia Belfry, otherwise known as Rosalie Kicks, the Old Sport. I am pleased as punch that you have decided to join me in the graveyard to crack open the coffin of famed horror host, Morgus the Magnificent. 

Sidney Noel Rideau, also known as Sid Noel, was born December 25, 1929 in New Orleans, Louisiana and would go on to portray Dr. Momus Alexander Morgus Esq. or simply, Morgus the Magnificent. Initially a radio deejay, Morgus got his start as a TV horror host in the late 1950s and continued serving up chills ‘n thrills through the 1980s. 

In 1958 WWL-TV purchased the Shock Package (What’s this you ask, check out my first Grave Time Installment here) and held auditions for the host role. Noel easily won the part and agreed to accept under two conditions:

1. He wanted to remain anonymous and did not want to reveal his true identity. Legend says he attempted to keep his life so private that his children were not even aware that he was truly Morgus. 

2. He wanted to make the show humorous, starting with the character name: Dr. Momus Alexander Morgus Esquire.  

The name Momus, comes from the god of ridicule, Alexander he referred to as being the biggest egomaniac in history, while Morgus was a combo of morgue and disgusting. The charachter was said to have descended from a long line of scientists dating back to Morgus the First, who was reportedly the architect of the first pyramid in Egypt. Additionally, after mastering calculus at the age of 5, his scientist parents sent him to a school in the Caribbean where he graduated with honors. Morgus also claimed to be the author of books such as: New Hope for the Dead and Molecules I Have Known. 

The primary movie fare on Morgus’s program known as House of Shock, was that of the science fiction and horror variety. He portrayed the character as a bumbling mad scientist that was known for performing bizarre experiments and creating wacky inventions. He appeared disheveled, with shaggy hair, a neanderthal brow, large lumpy nose, snaggly teeth and a filthy lab coat with stains that were said to be mementos of his failed experiments. These scientific demonstrations served as book-end pieces within his show, and typically would end in disaster. 

Morgus visited people via their living room TV sets from his New Orleans laboratory set over an abandoned ice house in Pirate’s Alley of the French Quarter. Viewers perceived him as an egomaniacal professor who strived for recognition. Within four months of House of Shock hitting the airwaves there was no doubt of his popularity though, as the TV station was required to install 10 phone lines that they used to record messages for Morgus. The messages informed callers that he was too busy in the lab to come to the phone but appreciated their calls.

Morgus was accompanied by his assistant, Chopsley, who was portrayed by a local deputy of the St. Bernard’s Sheriff department Tommy George. After entering a horror-hop contest in which he dressed as Count Dracula, Tommy George hit the radar of the great Morgus. With a stature of six foot seven, Tommy played the executioner character of Chopsley, exquisitely. Chopsley’s backstory was that he was a former medical school classmate of Morgus and also the subject of one of his early experiments involving a face transplant surgery. Sadly, this left the poor fellow without a face when he mistakenly laughed before the procedure fully healed and, as a result, he wore a full face mask at all times with a zippered mouth through which he could eat. Chopsley would be subjected to degradation and other wild experiments compliments of Dr. Morgus. 

Tommy was a dedicated horror aficionado who forged his own executioner’s axe for the program and even went as far as to design his own costume for the show. In the 1980s, other characters appeared as well such as Mrs. Alma Fetish, Morgus’s long time and long suffering landlady. Another character from the revival show in the 80s, was Morgus’s manager, Wiley Faye who attempted to find him business opportunities.

Much like Zacherely found success in the music industry, Morgus did as well. He would go on to inspire a local hit record in 1959 entitled: Morgus the Magnificent performed by Frankie Ford and Mac Rebnnnack under the name Morgus and the Ghouls. The song told the tale of teens at the time that didn’t go on dates because they stayed home to watch Morgus instead. In 1961, Morgus would also go to star in his own film The Wacky World of Dr. Morgus, which inevitably would be one of the first flicks built around a horror host character. 

The premise of the film was that Morgus was being investigated by a reporter known as Pencils. There is also a plot line involving foreign spies that hope to utilize Morgus’s “Instant People Machine,” a wild creation of his that could transform people into sand and then back into their original form. Shortly after the success of the film, Morgus packed his bags and headed north to the mitten state, Michigan, landing a hosting gig in Detroit at WJBK-TV on a program entitled: Morgus Presents. 

His time in Detroit was short-lived and in 1965 he was back in New Orleans on WWL-TV. He would remain here for the rest of his career. In 1971, Sid would find himself fatigued and decide to quit the show. By the 1980s Morgus achieved cult status and a fan club was formed known as MORGUS which stood for Morgusian Order to Revive a Glorious Understanding of SCIENCE. The club was run by a dude named Robert Fuller Jr, who also operated a singing telegram outfit. A second club would also be formed, organized by a couple of ladies that also produced a quarterly printed newsletter. 

This popularity led to Morgus returning to the airwaves in January 1987. Unfortunately the show would not catch on outside of New Orleans and was cancelled in 1989. Morgus passed away on August 27, 2020 but continues to inspire and influence many horror hosts and fans of the spooky and macabre.

Next week, be sure to join me at the cemetery when we dig up another horror host, Gorgon.