The Night Stalker (1972) (TV)

Director:

John Llewellyn Moxey

Writers:

Richard Matheson (teleplay)
Jeffrey Grant Rice (story)
(more)

Release Date:

11 January 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

An abrasive Las Vegas newspaper reporter investigates a series of murders committed by a vampire.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Vampire | Blood | Murder | Killer

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Darren McGavin	...	Carl Kolchak
Carol Lynley	...	Gail Foster
Simon Oakland	...	Vincenzo
Ralph Meeker	...	Bernie Jenks
Claude Akins	...	Sheriff Butcher
Charles McGraw	...	Chief Masterson
Kent Smith	...	D.A. Paine
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Mickey Crawford
Stanley Adams	...	Fred Hurley
Larry Linville	...	Makurji
Jordan Rhodes	...	Dr. O'Brien
Barry Atwater	...	Janos Skorzeny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Faulkner	...	Las Vegas Policeman (uncredited)
Virginia Gregg	...	Mrs. Brandon (uncredited)
Buddy Joe Hooker	...	Interne (uncredited)

Directed by
John Llewellyn Moxey

Writing credits
Richard Matheson		(teleplay)
Jeffrey Grant Rice		(story) (as Jeff Rice)
Max Hodge		uncredited

Produced by
Dan Curtis	....	producer

Original Music by
Bob Cobert		(as Robert Cobert)

Cinematography by
Michel Hugo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Desmond Marquette

Casting by
Hoyt Bowers

Art Direction by
Trevor Williams

Set Decoration by
Fred Price		(as Fred R. Price)

Makeup Department
Gae Clark Butler	....	hair stylist (as Gae J. Clark)
Jerry Cash	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Neil T. Maffeo	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Seitz	....	assistant director (as Christopher H. Seitz)

Art Department
Robert M. Anderson	....	property master
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator (as Hendrik G. Wynands)

Sound Department
Harold Lewis	....	sound mixer
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunt coordinator
Eddie Hice	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Isbell	....	key grip
Ralph McCarthy	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Betsy Cox	....	costumer: women
John S. Perry	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Mike Crumplar	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Frank Kulaga	....	music recordist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Mario Simon	....	transportation co-captain (uncredited)

Other crew
Lily La Cava	....	script supervisor
Robert Singer	....	assistant: producer

Production Companies

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
• Dan Curtis Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (video)
• CBS/Fox (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Magnum Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC)  sound effects
• Chrysler Corporation  vehicles

Also Known As:

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | USA:TV-PG | Iceland:16 | Canada:PG (video rating) | UK:PG (1998 video re-issue)

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

The role of Skorzeny was intended for Robert Quarry but he was forced to decline due to his contract with AIP.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the fight in the swimming pool, everyone falls in with their shoes on. When they are shown underwater, everyone is in their stocking feet. When they come out of the water, they all have their shoes back on again.

Quotes:

Carl Kolchak:[singing] I'll take Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, too. Watch out you great big wonderful Big Apple, Kolchak's coming back. Yeah!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Supernatural: Free to Be You and Me (#5.3)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Manhattan

A television movie with bite.

Long a staple of late night television schedules, `The Night Stalker', is a memorable slice of ‘seventies horror. Darren McGavin is fantastic as Carl Kolchak, an eccentric, down at heel reporter covering a series of murders which are not what they seem. He is backed by a fine cast of familiar faces who help reinforce genre veteran Matheson's quality script and the atmospheric direction of John Llewellyn Moxley, which hides the made for television origins of this movie.

If this has a weak spot, it lies in the ‘bad guy', who is basically all teeth and snarls. Lacking character (and plainly odd) it's surprising that he wasn't spotted long before he arrived in Las Vegas (incidentally, the location adds a certain charm to the story).