Scary Dark Rides
Doug Higley

^{Of all the amusement park books I have read this is the hardest to review. Between the fact that Doug Higley’s book does not fit into any neat category of writing and my largest criticism of the book is covered in the author’s notes, it made me wonder what I should write. Well, the easiest place to begin is the back of the book. Turning there we get to see a photo of the man who will usher us into the world of dark rides. No, it is not a professional glossy. Instead, the photo was taken at the Knott’s Berry Farm photo machine and showed a man with a midway smile. This picture set the tone for Higley’s adventure into the unknown.}

^{The first thing readers notice is that this book is not the work of corporate printing. A gold ribbon binds it, the pages are photocopied from the original typewriter text and the page numbers were hand-drawn in. All of these features add to the fact that Scary Dark Rides is a one-of-a-kind book. After a forward by Bobby Reynolds (the self-proclaimed “World’s Greatest Showman”) we delve into the hodge-podge of facts that came out as quickly as if Doug were speaking to us. He began by talking about his experiences at Coney Island as a kid, the concept of “scary,” the similarities between dark rides & the B-movies of the fifties and his philosophy behind the book. Higley said, “It is not the complete history nor the end-all encyclopedia of such rides, that will be left to the more diligent and scholarly than I.”}

^{This was sad for me to hear, as I am a sucker for detail no one else seems to care about (perhaps this is why Judith Adams’ book appealed to me so much). But, this does not mean Higley has nothing to offer his readers, only that we need to be prepared for a non-linear history of the dark ride. Along the way Higley went on some tangents, but many, such as, “I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF’ led directly to twelve year olds with credit cards and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise!” were quite funny.}

^{After walking down memory lane we were led on a completely different track, the present day. Here Higley talked about what Disney and Universal have to offer and how they connect back to the dark rides of old. Interlaced with this section are many photos of different current attractions like Knott’s “Kingdom of the Dinosaurs,” Six Flags over Texas’ “Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure” and Wildwood’s “Escape From Dino Beach.”}

^{On page 45 we get what I have waited for, a mini-history lesson in the dark ride- both portable (with mentions of Ray Cammack Shows & Greg Duncan) and permanent (The Pretzel Company). After some great pages on midway slang, a diagram on a traditional midway, and carnival photos we understand a little about what constitutes (or constituted) the traditional carnival setup and operation. Another interesting section entitled “The Artful Dread…” talked about the art of Mark Frierson and Greg Duncan. Here we can put name and work together as several pages showcased the range of characters Ducan was capable of.}

^{Higley awards the Knoebels’ dark ride his highest honor, giving the ride the 1st place award in the nation (and I can’t blame him). As we paw deeper into the book we hear a little about Gene Tracy (I am guessing related to Bill Tracy) and his work on the park midways of America. The book ends with some talk about R&R Creative Amusement Designs and Sally Corp; where they will take the concept of the dark ride and how they utilize both old and new technology to achieve things never thought of. In the end Higley’s most powerful statement is a request that we not forget the dark ride while sampling the latest and greatest ride on the midway. Sadly, it is a plea that is seemingly lost on many in both the general public and enthusiasts alike.}

^{So, what did I think of Scary Dark Rides? Well, as I said, my biggest complaint was the fact that there was not more history or detailed information in the story. But, as I also said, Doug made no bones about the fact that this was his book, not a historian's. If anything, this book served as a great introduction into several different worlds. Readers receive educations about the carnival & park industries as well as a variety of dark rides. Overall the book was a very enjoyable, and often funny, read that I hope many people take the time to buy (because I have a feeling this is not on your local library’s purchase list). I can only hope that Doug decides to sit down at his typewriter again. The man is certainly a wealth of information and, although there are not hordes of people looking for details on these rides, there are a few of us that love the classic dark ride and everything associated with them. I just hope that in ten years someone will remember the names of Gene Tracy and Greg Duncan, surely they deserve credit for bringing countless hours of credit to the unknowing masses.}

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