Dyszel, 68, was on Channel 20 in the 1970s and ’80s—as “astronaut” Captain 20 and as “vampire” horror-movie host Count Gore De Vol. In recent years, he’s resurrected Gore, appearing at conventions and hosting horror double features—such as one this Halloween—at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring.
“I said, ‘I’d like to do a hosted horror movie.’ The general manager said, ‘You need a name.’ Whether it was because there was a Gore Vidal book on his desk or I drove by the DeVol Funeral Home on my way to work, I shouted: ‘How about Count Gore De Vol?’ ‘Creature Feature’ went on the air in February ’73. But rather than look back, I’m focused on the future. On CountGore.com, we stream short films from new filmmakers, which I’m excited about. Count Gore isn’t dead. Well, he is, but you know what I mean.”
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986 as an editorial intern, and worked her way to the top of the masthead when she was named editor-in-chief in 2022. She oversees the magazine’s editorial staff, and guides the magazine’s stories and direction. She lives in DC.
You Must Remember…Dick Dyszel
He played Captain 20 and Count Gore De Vol.
“Count Gore Isn’t Dead”
—Dick Dyszel
Dyszel, 68, was on Channel 20 in the 1970s and ’80s—as “astronaut” Captain 20 and as “vampire” horror-movie host Count Gore De Vol. In recent years, he’s resurrected Gore, appearing at conventions and hosting horror double features—such as one this Halloween—at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring.
“I said, ‘I’d like to do a hosted horror movie.’ The general manager said, ‘You need a name.’ Whether it was because there was a Gore Vidal book on his desk or I drove by the DeVol Funeral Home on my way to work, I shouted: ‘How about Count Gore De Vol?’ ‘Creature Feature’ went on the air in February ’73. But rather than look back, I’m focused on the future. On CountGore.com, we stream short films from new filmmakers, which I’m excited about. Count Gore isn’t dead. Well, he is, but you know what I mean.”
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986 as an editorial intern, and worked her way to the top of the masthead when she was named editor-in-chief in 2022. She oversees the magazine’s editorial staff, and guides the magazine’s stories and direction. She lives in DC.
Most Popular in News & Politics
This Week Is Your Last Chance to Visit the Smithsonian Castle for the Next Five Years
Maryland Might Experiment With a Four-Day Workweek. Would It Work?
Biden Taps DC Bagel Shop Founder as White House Chief of Staff
Whatever Happened to Permanent Daylight Saving Time?
A Green Comet Is Getting Close to Earth. Here’s How You Can See It.
Washingtonian Magazine
January 2023: 23 Things We're Excited About in 2023
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Best Things to Do in the DC Area 1/26-1/29: Ne-Yo at the Kennedy Center, “This is Britain” exhibit, and a Hot Drinks, Beer, and Cider Festival
Best Things to Do in the DC Area 1/23-1/29: Alexandria Restaurant Week, Lunar New Year, and Architecture and Design Film Festival
Opera Star Denyce Graves’s Unusual New Role
Why a DC Museum Acquired This Odd Drawing
More from News & Politics
Missing! Murphy the Giant Metal Gorilla
This George Santos Bobblehead Is Ready to Take Pinocchio’s Lying Doll Crown
Explain DC to Me Like I’m a Golden Retriever: The Debt Ceiling Standoff
PHOTOS: Jill Biden’s Inaugural Dresses Added to the Smithsonian’s First Ladies Collection
Maryland Might Experiment With a Four-Day Workweek. Would It Work?
Here’s What It’s Like to Compete on Netflix’s “Dance Monsters”
The State Department Just Announced a New Private Sponsorship Program for Refugees
Nicole Heidbreder, an “End-of-Life Doula,” Explains How She Helps the Dying and Their Loved Ones Let Go