Chopper (31 Jan. 1975)

Former members of a biker gang from the 50s are being decapitated, and a key witness claims that the murders are being committed by a headless figure on a motorcycle wielding a sword. ... See full summary »

Director:

Bruce Kessler

Writers:

Jeffrey Grant Rice (creator), Steve Fisher (teleplay),

Stars:

Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Larry Linville

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Darren McGavin	...	Carl Kolchak
Simon Oakland	...	Tony Vincenzo
Larry Linville	...	Captain Jonas
Art Metrano	...	Henry 'Studs' Spake (as Arthur Metrano)
Sharon Farrell	...	Lila Morton
Frank Aletter	...	Norman Kahill
Jay Robinson	...	Prof. Eli Strig
Jesse White	...	Security Guard
Jim Backus	...	Herb Bresson
Jack Grinnage	...	Ron Updyke
Ruth McDevitt	...	Emily Cowles
Steve Franken	...	Neil
Joey Aresco	...	Electric Larry
Jimmy Murphy	...	Beaner
Jack Bernardi	...	Otto

Storyline

Former members of a biker gang from the 50s are being decapitated, and a key witness claims that the murders are being committed by a headless figure on a motorcycle wielding a sword. Kolchak pieces the story together and finds that the specter is out to avenge his death due to some rather unusual circumstances surrounding his burial.

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 1975 (USA)

Filming Locations:

N Franklin St and W Chicago Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Francy Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Kolchak is at the museum's French Revolution display, there is a guillotine which fails to operate properly. The reason it doesn't work is because it isn't weighted properly. If you look closely, the rope is simply attached to the blade itself. A true guillotine blade was attached to a mouton, a metal weight which weighed 66 pounds; combined with the weight of the blade, this ensured a swift, clean cut.

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Goofs

The headless motorcyclist appears to have stood close to nine feet all before being decapitated.

User Reviews

Interesting cast and story

Like many of the episodes of this series, the guest actors were very good. Perhaps it was the era, but looking back on Kolchak, it seems like every episode had an excellent cast.

In "Chopper" we have Larry Linville (Sgt. Burns, of MASH), playing yet another police official who does not like Kolchak. Art Metrano, later of the Police Academy movies, plays one of the bikers. Jesse White, who was the famous Maytag repairman for many years, plays a security guard. Jim Backus, of Gilligan's Island and Mr. Magoo, plays as a dealer of a motorcycle shop. Steve Franken, who was a cast member on the Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, plays the clerk at the Coroner's Office.

Even though all of these actors were primarily involved in comedy, they play their straight roles well here. One of the interesting things about Kolchak was seeing a variety of actors in different types of roles.

The story takes a little bit from the French Revolution, and the myth that people who are decapitated and then buried without their heads, can rise again as vengeful ghosts. Instead of having a headless horseman on horseback, we get a headless motorcyclist on his vintage bike.

Kolchack was never about special effects. It was about the acting, the story, the dialogue, the rapport between the characters (good or bad), and a certain amount of sardonic humor and suspense. It was a good mix of entertainment. Sometimes, the episodes were thoughtful and a bit scary. Sometimes just entertaining. However, they all had a very unique feel to them. Perhaps that is because only one season was ever produced. Chopper is a fun episode to watch.