Biography
87% of Criswell's predictions have come true!"—or at least the ones he reminds you of. Indeed, Criswell made a remarkable forecast on The Jack Paar Program (1962) on March 10, 1963: "I predict that President Kennedy will not run for reelection in 1964, because of something that will happen to him in November 1963." Criswell also foresaw the destruction of Denver, shifting polar caps, Castro's assassination, and the end of the world.
Starting from the beginning, the world's most famous predictor was born Jerome King Criswell on Sunday, August 18, 1907, in Princeton, Indiana. He completed high school and worked for the local newspaper before attending the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music. After college, Criswell returned to journalism, making more predictions that were increasingly published in newspapers. Over time, his syndicated column attracted a growing following.
Criswell married Halo Meadows, a former speakeasy dancer who appeared on an episode of You Bet Your Life (1950) with Groucho Marx. She enjoyed sunbathing and had a poodle named Buttercup, which she believed was the reincarnation of her cousin Thomas.
Nearly 50 years old, Criswell teamed up with Edward D. Wood Jr., although this did little to enhance his reputation, contrary to popular belief. Criswell portrayed himself in Wood’s film Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958), delivering predictions at the beginning and end. Although filmed in 1956, it wasn’t released until 1959. His next project fared worse: Night of the Ghouls (1959), where Criswell had a larger role, was not released until 1983 because Wood couldn’t pay the lab to develop the film. Entrepreneur Wade Williams settled the 24-year-old lab bill, allowing its eventual release. Criswell’s third film with Wood, Orgy of the Dead (1965), gave him the most screen time and was released during his lifetime.
As Criswell’s fame grew, he made several appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), and on December 31, 1965, he predicted Ronald Reagan would become California’s next governor. In 1969, Criswell published Criswell Predicts: From Now To The Year 2000!, his sole book of prophecy containing hundreds of predictions spanning the next thirty years. Readers were encouraged to track the accuracy of his forecasts until August 1999, after which, Criswell warned, doomsday would render it irrelevant.
Although the world did not end in August 1999 as predicted, Criswell himself passed away earlier, on Monday, October 4, 1982.
