Magic Shadows with Elwy Yost

Whilst browsing the ever-expanding library of classic films and television shows on Youtube, I came across a wonderful channel called Retrontario that focuses on forgotten programs that once aired on television networks throughout the Ontario area. One of the programs that Retrontario had clips from was Magic Shadows featuring the marvelous Elwy Yost. 

Yost was the Canadian edition of Roger Ebert or Robert Osbourne. He was a very personable man with a kindly face, a warm chuckle, and a wealth of knowledge on films and stars of the golden era of Hollywood. Between 1974 and 1987 he was the host of Magic Shadows, a half-hour program that ran weekday evenings at 7:30pm right after Doctor Who. Each Monday, Elwy would introduce a classic film that was serialized in 15-20 minute segments for the rest of the week. Between the commercial breaks and openings and closings, he would share information about the stars, director or making of the film... sometimes he brought in people to interview as well. It was a great idea for an evening series and - if you liked the film - it kept you coming back night after night. 

Since many films would not run an entire week's length, Thursday or Friday evenings would often feature segments from a classic serial such as The Adventures of Captain Marvel, Zorro Rides Again or Buck Rogers to fill in the gap. 

As wonderful as it was tuning into an engrossing film night after night, it was Elwy's down-home personality that made the show so relaxing and appealing to watch. The set of Magic Shadows was a comfy living room/study of a colonial-style house where Elwy could be found sitting in his favorite recliner smoking his pipe and waiting for you, his friend, to come and enjoy a movie with him. Next to him would be an old projector which he always turned on to run the current film. While the screen faded into darkness, "like magic" we would be transported to the land of Hollywood. 

"Ride upon a silver screen where pictures seem to flow....like Magic, Magic Shadows"

The opening theme by Harry Forbes and the psychedelic cartoons illustrating it were as memorable as Mr. Yost with squiggly drawings of the Marx Brothers and King Kong playing out slide by slide with strange octopus-headed men and a tiger in a striped suit. 

Yost's infectious enthusiasm for old movies made you wish you were a cinephile even if you never saw a movie in your life and his show fostered film appreciation to many a child who watched it with their parents. After the series ended, Yost continued hosting Saturday Night at the Movies on OntarioTV up until 1999.