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:

This film, and its companion piece, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966), were the final films for William Beaudine. This marked the end of a career that included approximately 250 (known) films beginning in the silent period.

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:

Vampire: Your bullets can't hurt me.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007) (V)

"Where Can I Find This Backwoods Female Pill Slinger?"

There is a point where camp and serious meet and the line between the two can be quite difficult to trace. Luckily here, one need not worry too much about that line as nothing is to be taken too terribly serious from this film. With a title like Billy the Kid VS. Dracula, a starring credit for Z actor John Carradine, and the directorial reigns in the hands of William One-shot Beaudine - did anyone really expect anything else? I echo all the comments of how badly this film was made. Its production values are breathtakingly bad. As viewers noted: a red light is focused on Carradine's face for the "scary" moments, bats are flying courtesy of obvious, visible wires, editing concerns change story continuity repeatedly(guess it all wasn't done in one shot), the actors seem to have been propped up in many instances giving some of the most wooden performances I have ever seen, and then there is the storyline and its inane dialog - tattooing every Western cliché and then even adding a few you wouldn't expect nor should expect. John Carradine, whenever he is given an opportunity to be the star in a film vehicle, typically turns in a most hammy performance, and this film is no different. He is coiffed to look like some devil leering throughout the picture at his 18 year old "niece." He at least has some talent as he barks out orders and acts more like a raving madmen obsessed with the virginal qualities of his future mate rather than being a sophisticated vampire. The guy playing Billy the Kid is just plain awful. His acting range never moves because it doesn't exist. Chuck Courtney, aka Billy, stares his way through the role when he is not fake fighting. He acts like a choir boy most of the film. This was the infamous gunslinger Billy the Kid? As for the rest of the cast, don't expect much more than some good, unintentional laughs as they wade through the muck that is the script. My favorites have to be Virginia Christine as Eva Oster - a German who is inexplicably traveling in America with her husband and daughter spouting fear for vampires, and Olive Carey as Dr. Henrietta Hull - or as Carradine so succinctly says, "the backwoods female pill slinger." Dialog like that is a joy to behold. I loved watching this film. It definitely is one of those-so-bad-its-good movies to watch. Every scene will show something whether it is incompetence behind the camera or in front. This movie has Dracula, Billy the Kid, John Carradine, a vampire test, Dracula cruising about by day, and so much more fun that you really need to see it to believe it.