User Reviews

...like Magic...Magic... Shadows."

A quarter century later and that theme song still haunts my brain. I can't comprehend how many people like myself living in Southern Ontario got their film education through Elwy Yost, the lovable host of this, and "Saturday Night at the Movies." (see my review)

Every weeknight at 7:30 for about thirteen years, the great Elwy Yost would add his warm flair to this show which would show a feature film from the Golden Age of Hollywood, broken up over a few nights in half-hour installments. If the film in question was not long enough to fill out the full five nights (which was always the case), the Friday nights (and sometimes even the Thursday nights) would be filled with a chapter from a serial! Even for this alone, "Magic Shadows" was of inestimable value of educating youngsters like myself on old movies (and I use that term affectionately) in pre-VCR days-- where else on the tube could you see THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL? Mind you, sometimes, you could spend several months following one serial, as it was fit in whenever the spaces allowed...

But for all of that (and to name some of the features I remember watching on this show: THE YELLOW BALLOON, SON OF KONG, BELLE STARR, MY DARLING CLEMENTINE, THE CAT PEOPLE, A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA), what made it all fun of course was Mr. Yost. The set for "Magic Shadows" consisted of a homey-looking backroom of your house or mine, replete with wood panelling, (all that was missing was a fire place and a dog sleeping next to it) in which the pipe-smoking host would welcome us with "Oh hi there, hi there, Elwy Yost here, in day three of..." After his warm prelude, the camera would slowly zoom in as Elwy turned on the film projector, move in further to the light emanating from the lens, rack focus, and "like magic", we were into the movie.

I remember he even had guests on his programme, pertaining to whatever was being shown that week. One Halloween week, he showed THE CAT PEOPLE, and even had little trick-or-treaters knock on the door of his set! For a Laurel and Hardy movie, he invited a member of the "Sons of the Desert", the world-famous Stan-and-Ollie fan club, and had an actor dressed as Captain America drop by for a chapter of the serial of the same name. Plus, he had a gaggle of kids (whom I believe referred to him as "Uncle Elwy") sitting around his easy chair as he showed Charlie Chaplin in THE ADVENTUERER.

"Magic Shadows" alone was a great concept for a show-- just after dinner you could watch an old movie, even before prime time! (And remember, this was pre-VCR days, so one had to make darn sure they were home in time to catch every installment of a movie they wanted to see) But what made it soar was the wonderful host, who made you feel that you were a guest in his place.

I am so thrilled that someone thought to include this show on the IMDB. If you've taken the time to read this, I hope that your memories of this programme are just as fond as mine.

I also was a big fan of "Magic Shadows" and Elwy Yost, even before the days of "Saturday Night At the Movies". It was one of the reasons that I have developed a lifelong interest in and love of the cinema. For this I thank Elwy and TVO.

Elwy's natural exuberance and enthusiasm for old movies was so genuine and infective that I cannot see but that it spawned a whole generation of cinephiles in Ontario.

A video of a typical "Magic Shadows" opening sequence and introduction, including the famous theme song, can now be found on You Tube at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFYYj4NQyoM

Blair Stannard (Ottawa, Ontario)

I should add my name to the list of those with fond memories not only of Elwy Yost's "Saturday Night at the Movies" feature-length films and interviews, but also his serialized presentation of films during the week on TVO on Magic Shadows. Like others, that theme tune has stayed with me for decades now, and I wish I could hear it again. I never thought of the similarity with Lennon's Across the Universe till another writer suggested it. I like both.

Yost would sometimes go off site and interview outdoors as well as in his projection room. For me, Memorable films presented in this nightly segment format were The Thing (1951), The Brothers (1947), and The (Little) Kidnappers (1953). The end-of-week serials are what got me into the serial craze at this later point in my life, and I likely would not have known much about them without Yost. Particularly memorable for me were the Zorro serials.

In 2005, Mr. Yost was recovering from "a serious operation" according to his wife, Lila. Anyone wishing to write Elwy or send a card, can do so at his home address: 6237 St. Georges Crescent, West Vancouver, British Columbia V7W 1Z3.

Mr. Yost has pretty much retired now, mostly due to ill health & age - he is over 80 now.

He is a former teacher and very comfortable in front of a camera.

His work for TVOntario, or TVO, has been invaluable and there are currently hundreds of his interviews with famous stars. These are still being shown in between double-bills on their "Saturday Night at the Movies", now hosted by various people.

His son Graham was the writer for the movie "Speed".

To be honest, I don't remember ever actually watching the films that were shown on this show, but I'd usually catch the opening theme song and Elwy's introduction. What's permanently etched into my mind about this show is a scene from the surreal animation during the opening sequence in which a plant of some sort grows out from the neck of a man's shirt. Also the song, which when I think about it, seemed to have been somewhat based on 'Across the Universe' by The Beatles. At least I've always thought so. Wish I could find a video of that opening sequence. I used to find it a bit spooky as a kid, as with quite a few things I used to see on TVO.