The Vampire (30 Oct. 1976)

When dancers are discovered strangled and with their necks punctured, Starsky and Hutch head out to put the bite on the blood-sucking freak behind the series of vampire-style slayings.

Director:

Bob Kelljan

Writers:

William Blinn (creator), Michael Grais,

Stars:

David Soul, Paul Michael Glaser, Antonio Fargas

Cast

Episode cast overview:
David Soul	...	Det. Ken 'Hutch' Hutchinson
Paul Michael Glaser	...	Det. Dave Starsky
Antonio Fargas	...	Huggy Bear
Bernie Hamilton	...	Capt. Harold Dobey
G.W. Bailey	...	Slade
Suzanne Somers	...	Linda Offenbecker
John Saxon	...	René Nadasy
Phil Leeds	...	Guybo
Frank Corsentino	...	Supergnat
Paula Sills	...	Suzette Clark
Lindsay Bloom	...	Jane
Colleen Camp	...	Bobette

Storyline

When dancers are discovered strangled and with their necks punctured, Starsky and Hutch head out to put the bite on the blood-sucking freak behind the series of vampire-style slayings.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 October 1976 (USA)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Bob Kelljan was a natural choice for this episode, having directed 3 vampire movies, including both "Count Yorga" films. Producer Joseph T. Naar was responsible for both "Blacula" features, including the sequel that Kelljan directed.

User Reviews

John Saxon as the Vampire

Halloween 1976 saw STARSKY AND HUTCH join the festivities with a suitably themed entry. John Saxon plays Rene Nadasy, crippled ballet coach by day, superhuman bloodsucker by night, leaving behind a trail of victims, all students of his, making him the #1 prime suspect. Phil Leeds puts in a cameo as a phony mystic, G.W.Bailey plays a cult leader using goat's blood, and Suzanne Somers only shows up for five minutes as a potential victim. It's curious that the producers of THREE'S COMPANY decided to cast her as Chrissy Snow in the third pilot after viewing this episode, since she's hardly in it, and not to any great advantage. It's always a pleasure to see John Saxon, who seems to have done as many horror films as Boris Karloff, and this was his first stab at a vampire, but it's never truly established if he's a real one or not, since he works during the daylight hours (when the hell would he find time to sleep?) The mixture of vampire plot with police procedure was hardly new, as the original "Blacula" (1972) served up exactly that, and producer Joseph T.Naar was responsible for both BLACULA features. Director Bob Kelljan also was an old hand at vampires, having directed "Count Yorga Vampire" (1970), "The Return of Count Yorga" (1971), and Naar's own sequel, "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973), all of which have their vampire attack by running straight toward his victims in slow motion, with a low hissing sound that freezes them from escaping. This being television, Saxon's vampire attacks are staged the same way, except at top speed. Six months later, John Carradine himself starred in another oddity, "McCloud Meets Dracula," the very last episode for Dennis Weaver's Arizona lawman, including clips of Carradine as Dracula from both "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and "House of Dracula" (1945). Television in the 70's did serve up its share of nostalgia.