A beleaguered butler reluctantly presents horror films in a haunted mansion. This week’s film: An ancient amulet causes a great deal of trouble in "Zotz!" from 1962 with Tom Poston and Margaret Dumont.

Episode 42 Air Date: 08/29/2026

In the 1962 fantasy comedy Zotz!, eccentric language professor Jonathan Jones discovers that an ancient amulet sent to his niece possesses extraordinary powers. A simple gesture can inflict pain, while speaking the mysterious word “Zotz!” can slow a person’s movements. As Jonathan struggles to understand and control the amulet, his increasingly strange behavior complicates his academic career and budding relationship with fellow professor Virginia Fenster. Matters become even more troublesome when government and Communist agents learn of the artifact and begin taking an interest in its potential uses.

Cast:
Tom Poston as Professor Jonathan Jones
Margaret Dumont as Persephone Updike
Cecil Kellaway as Dean Updike
Julia Meade as Professor Virginia Fenster
Jim Backus as Professor Kellgore
Zeme North as Cynthia Jones
Fred Clark as General Bullivar
Louie Nye as Hugh Fundy (uncredited)