Billy the Kid versus Dracula (1966)

Director:

William Beaudine

Writer:

Carl K. Hittleman (writer)

Release Date:

April 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Horror

Tagline:

The Newest in Terror-tainment! SHOCKORAMA (original ad of Embassy's double-bill, with "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter")

Plot:

Dracula travels to the American West, intent on making a beautiful ranch owner his next victim. Her fiance, outlaw Billy the Kid, finds out about it and rushes to save her. |

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Billy The Kid | Vampirism | Vampire | Impostor

Cast

John Carradine	...	Vampire
Chuck Courtney	...	William 'Billy the Kid' Bonney
Melinda Plowman	...	Elizabeth (Betty) Bentley
Virginia Christine	...	Eva Oster
Walter Janovitz	...	Franz Oster
Bing Russell	...	Dan 'Red' Thorpe
Olive Carey	...	Dr. Henrietta Hull
Roy Barcroft	...	Sheriff Griffin
Hannie Landman	...	Lisa Oster
Richard Reeves	...	Pete (saloonkeeper)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Mary Ann Bentley
William Forrest	...	James Underhill
George Cisar	...	Joe Flake
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Ben Dooley (wagonmaster)
Leonard P. Geer	...	Yancy (as Lennie Geer)

Also Known As:

Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Circle Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Despite the film's title, Carradine doesn't play Dracula. He plays a nameless American vampire in the old west, 1880 or so. The name "Dracula" is never mentioned in this movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: At many points in the film, "Mrs. Oster" (Virginia Christine) is called "Mrs. Olson", the character she made famous in the Folger Coffee Commercials - hardly enough reason for director "One-Shot" Beaudine to stop the cameras.

Quotes:

William 'Billy the Kid' Bonney: What's wrong with her, Doc? What are those marks on her neck?
Dr. Henrietta Hull: Well, if I didn't know better, I'd say it was the work of a vampire.
William 'Billy the Kid' Bonney: Vampire?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991)

"Oh God! The vampire test"

This is uttered by Virginia Christine (the alluring Anaka in 1945's THE MUMMY'S CURSE) when Melina Plowman tells her that her "uncle" casts no reflection in the mirror. Another pithy line of dialogue, one you'd never expect the legendary vampire to make, is (to his "niece") "Marry a notorious gunslinger? I won't hear of it!" Carradine as Dracula comes across as merely a crochety, vaguely sinister, eccentric uncle with an elitist attitude against immigrants. The actor frankly seems in his, uh, cups, but do you blame him? On the other hand, Chuck Courtney brings a surprising believablity and bantamweight handsomeness and likability to Billy the Kid; he looks somewhat like Audie Murphy, which also helps. Melinda Plowman as Dracula's object of lust, looks like one of those Noxema girls from the 1960's t.v. ads for that skin cream. The strings on the shlocky flapping rubber bat are clearly visible, oh, what joy! Right from someplace like "Eddie's House of Horrors" on Hollywood Boulevard, probably where they also got that shiny big red bow for Dracula.

Another source of delight is the wide eyed, dopey, open mouthed look of stupefaction and wonder on the young German girl's face as she realizes who Carradine is. The old female doc is played straight, and there is something appealing about the dusty, Hollywood/old Wild West 101 atmosphere, with its pleasantly juvenile shootin', fightin' and ranchin' atmosphere, oddly made more pleasant by the juxtaposition of the silly and cheesy vampire-comes-to-town-to-stir-up-the-locals story. This movie is best enjoyed either in a "matinee" time frame, say around 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, or at 2 a.m. that same night.