Vintage Halloween Tricks from 1964 Popular Science Magazine

Let's set the wayback machine to 1964. You're looking for some Halloween Tricks to play on your friends except... you have no friends. The internet is still 20 some-odd years from being invented and implemented.

Where do you turn for answers?

Two words: Popular... Science...................?



Let's take a look at what Halloween Tricks were available to the young and industrious back in October 1964.

This House is Haunted!
The first trick offered is to take a tiny transistor radio (they're all the rage with the kids!) and hide it in the false bottom of a cardboard "haunted house." Result: A disembodied voice comes from within the empty hull and stuns the Green Arrow. 

Would it work today?
Well it certainly wouldn't trick grown-ups, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that you could use the same principle to baffle some 8 year olds at a Halloween Party.

Modern Modification:
First, I wouldn't use a crappy old cardboard box. I'd shop around and find a mini-Victorian dollhouse or something that looks the part. Perhaps something like THIS.

Then I'd hide (somewhere in the walls or floor) either a walkie talkie (they make 'em small now) or hell you could even hide a flat iPhone in there after calling it to establish the connection.

Lastly: You gotta sell the whole setup with a story.

Make up some tale about how this miniature house is an exact replica of a house that used to exist right up the street. Use real streets the kids may know. Details sell the story.
"This is an exact miniature replica of a house that used to exist right up at the corner of Beekman and Cross Orchards Road. Where the Burger King is now."

Then spin a tale of an old woman who collected doll houses who died in the house and wound up haunting it.

"She was so relentless in her haunting of the couple that moved in, that the couple paid someone to burn it down so they could be rid of the ghost and collect the insurance money. When they returned from an evening out, the house had been completely destroyed, but sitting untouched amongst the rubble without a scorch mark on it... was this miniature house."

Then say something about how many believe, the woman's ghost escaped into the mini house to live for eternity.

I just came up with that, but you get the idea.

Then have someone in the next room be the voice and blahbedy blah... spookiness ensues.

Ghoulish Handshake:
Basically put cold cream and water in a rubber glove, tape it to your wrist so it doesn't ooze out and go around trying to get people to shake your hand.

Would it work today?
Sure. It's sort of modification of the age-old game of putting weird foods in buckets and making people touch them, blindfolded.

"This is a bowl full of witches eyeeeeeeeees!" (Stick hand in bowl full of peeled grapes.)

Modern Modification:
I might make it part of a costume. Say, if I were a zombie or a corpse in a body bag I might put one on each hand.

If I did do that, I would make sure to double up on the gloves --making sure the mixture is between the two layers and not directly on my skin so I don't have my hands marinading in cold cream soup for hours.

Head That Floats Through the Air
Wear all black, have a scary face that's painted with 3M Reflecto-Lite and roller skate around.
That's the bit.

Would it work today?
Yep. I think it would work better if you were a stationary costumed character in a haunted house maze.

Modern Modification:
Assuming that spraying or painting 3M Refecto-Lite on your face is --oh I don't know-- BAD for you, maybe try using various shades of white (like for a Nosferatu or skeleton face) or glow face paint or neon colors instead.

Then get some battery operated mini LEDs and mount them in your collar aiming at your face. Point: you need to have your face be brighter than the rest of you.

Lastly: Ride a Segue so you float down the street. Roller skates are SO 1964...

Have Your Pumpkin and Eat it Too:
Bottom line: Put reflective tape (man they LOVED their reflective tape in the 60s...) on your pumpkin so it can be displayed, it won't rot and you can gut it in November for pie, seeds, etc.

Would it work today?
Yep. A timeless approach. And in this tough economy, a very frugal way of having a jack o' lantern.

Modern Modification:
Cheap alternative: Black electrical tape. Or black construction paper if the pumpkin is staying inside (who wants soggy construction paper-eyed pumpkins?)

Reflective tape could still be cool and can be found many places on-line like HERE.

Or you could just get a Funkin, carve it and have it for years to come. No rotting, and they look great.

So there you go. Popular Science: from 1964 to 2009.

Should you decide to try any of these, let me know how it goes. Just think: 1964-ians thought we'd have jet packs and flying cars by now.

Instead, we have... uh... Funkins.