The Amazing Criswell

The Amazing Criswell
Criswell in Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
Born
Jeron Criswell King

(1907-08-18)August 18, 1907
DiedOctober 4, 1982(1982-10-04) (aged 75)
Resting placePierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park
Other namesJeron Criswell King
Charles Criswell King
Occupation(s)Showman, actor, writer, seer
Years active1950s–1970s
Known forMaking erroneous predictions, predicting the future on TV, radio, books, records and in newspapers and as a narrator and actor in the films of Ed Wood
Notable workCriswell Predicts from Now to the Year 2000! (author)
Plan 9 from Outer Space (narrator and actor)
TelevisionCriswell Predicts
SpouseHalo Meadows

Jeron Criswell King (August 18, 1907 – October 4, 1982), known by his stage-name The Amazing Criswell (/ˈkrɪzwɛl/), was an American psychic known for wildly inaccurate predictions. In person, he went by Charles Criswell King, and was sometimes credited as Jeron King Criswell.

Criswell was flamboyant, with spit curled hair, a stentorian style of speaking, and a sequined tuxedo. He owned a coffin in which he claimed to sleep. He grew up in a troubled family in Indiana with relatives who owned a funeral home, and frequently stated he became comfortable with sleeping in caskets in the storeroom.

He appeared in two films directed by Ed WoodPlan 9 from Outer Space (1957) and Night of the Ghouls (1959)—and also appeared in Orgy of the Dead (1965), which was written by Wood.