Ron Sweed(1949-2019)
- Actor
- Writer
Ronald Sweed (The Ghoul) grew up in Cleveland, and would use his admiration for Ghoulardi (Ernie Anderson), a popular Cleveland television personality, into a career. When Anderson made an appearance at a local amusement park (Euclid Beach Park), the adoring 13-year-old Sweed was in the crowd wearing a gorilla suit. Ghoulardi called him up to the stage where an unscripted "skit" took place. Anderson was so impressed with the 13 year old Sweed that he worked part-time for Anderson.
When "Ghoulardi" ran it's course, Anderson moved to Los Angeles. Sweed thought there was still life in the idea of a crazy, zany host for B movies for youngsters that he begged Anderson to return. Anderson refused. Sweed's only choice was to try it himself. Since "Ghoulardi" was copyrighted he dropped the "ardi" and went with "The Ghoul". Things didn't go well at first. Most kids though it was a bad attempt at imitating a much loved Ghoulardi. Sweed changed things up by being less of beatnik-like character, blowing anything and everything up firecrackers and updating the catch phrases from the 50's to the 60's. The combined effect of the chaos and firecrackers made him such a hit that Kaiser Broadcasting, which owned stations in Cleveland, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston and elsewhere, decided to syndicate the Ghoul. But Sweed could only duplicate his fame in Detroit.
Soon, television would change, NBC's "Saturday Night Live" would suck the oxygen out of the Saturday night time period after 1975. Television stations found it easier to sell infomercials in the late night hours. He would appear on and off on local stations in Detroit and Cleveland.During the last few years, he would make occasional appearances at metro Detroit clubs.
When "Ghoulardi" ran it's course, Anderson moved to Los Angeles. Sweed thought there was still life in the idea of a crazy, zany host for B movies for youngsters that he begged Anderson to return. Anderson refused. Sweed's only choice was to try it himself. Since "Ghoulardi" was copyrighted he dropped the "ardi" and went with "The Ghoul". Things didn't go well at first. Most kids though it was a bad attempt at imitating a much loved Ghoulardi. Sweed changed things up by being less of beatnik-like character, blowing anything and everything up firecrackers and updating the catch phrases from the 50's to the 60's. The combined effect of the chaos and firecrackers made him such a hit that Kaiser Broadcasting, which owned stations in Cleveland, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston and elsewhere, decided to syndicate the Ghoul. But Sweed could only duplicate his fame in Detroit.
Soon, television would change, NBC's "Saturday Night Live" would suck the oxygen out of the Saturday night time period after 1975. Television stations found it easier to sell infomercials in the late night hours. He would appear on and off on local stations in Detroit and Cleveland.During the last few years, he would make occasional appearances at metro Detroit clubs.
