McCloud Meets Dracula (17 Apr. 1977)

While trying to get on a squad tracking down a sniper (which he ultimately does, by accident), McCloud happens onto a series of murder scenes where the victims' blood was drained from them ... See full summary »

Director:

Bruce Kessler

Writers:

Herman Miller (creator), Glen A. Larson

Stars:

Dennis Weaver, Terry Carter, Victor Fisher

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Weaver	...	Sam McCloud
Terry Carter	...	Sergeant Joe Broadhurst
Victor Fisher	...	Stokes
J.D. Cannon	...	Peter B. Clifford
Ken Lynch	...	Police Sergeant Grover
Gino Ardito	...	Cop
Michael Sacks	...	Dr. Harvey Pollick
Vince Howard	...	Reporter
Diana Muldaur	...	Chris Coughlin
Bobbie Mitchell	...	Angie
Ken Scott	...	Police Detective Polk
Toni Lawrence	...	1st Girl
Booth Colman	...	Coroner
Tom Snyder	...	Himself
John Carradine	...	Loren Belasco

Storyline

While trying to get on a squad tracking down a sniper (which he ultimately does, by accident), McCloud happens onto a series of murder scenes where the victims' blood was drained from them through bite marks in the neck, leading him to a retired horror-film actor who seems to live as Dracula.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 April 1977 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the extended "Tomorrow Show" sequence, the scenes with Chris Coughlin and Loren Belasco are filmed on a Hollywood set, while Tom Snyder is on his own New York set. Later editing shows them on adjacent TV monitors.

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Quotes

Loren Belasco: [the 'Count' takes Chris Coughlin's hand] You're hand is very warm.
Tom Snyder: Easy now, Count, there'll be no snacks here on the air, we'll have something sent in if you're hungry.

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Connections

Features House of Dracula (1945)

User Reviews

A fair show that should have been great

First, let's start with the obvious. Either producer-writer Glen A. Larson swiped the idea for this show from "Starsky and Hutch: Vampire" (which aired on October 30, 1976) or S&H stole it from him. Either scenario is possible, but given the filming schedules for each show the former scenario is more likely. Larson did have a 90-minute time slot to fill, so there is a subplot about a sniper terrorizing New York City and a major new character in Dr. Harvey Pollick. But both the sniper story and the Pollick story are VERY badly mishandled. When the vampire kills his first victim, a police officer (the ubiquitous John Finnegan, who had been a desk sergeant in his previous appearances) thinks the wound was from a small-caliber bullet and attributes it to the sniper. In fact, despite numerous clues to the contrary, people keep attributing the deaths to the sniper until very close to the end of the show. The exception is Pollick, who comes up with most of the clues. Unfortunately, Pollick comes across as obsessive to -- and beyond -- the point of psychosis. (I once wrote most of a novel where Pollick resurfaces as a deranged vampire slayer wasting everyone in sight with a crossbow and a quiver full of wooden arrows.) Furthermore, despite some half-hearted efforts by director Bruce Kessler to try to conceal the vampire's identity, there is no mystery at all as to who the killer is (unless, as is unseen but possible, his henchman Morris follows him along and is HIMSELF the vampire). This show very much needed a different director and almost anybody but Michael Sacks playing Pollick. Larson's script, though it contains some good funny lines, is often far too heavy-handed. The worst part comes during the final tag, when Larson (through Chief Clifford) spouts a long diatribe at the U.S. Army for creating the sniper. That doesn't make this a bad episode, but it doesn't make it the great episode we were expecting for a series finale.