The Night Stalker

TV Movie
19721972
Not RatedNot Rated
1h 14m

The Night Stalker (1972)

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

Director
- John Llewellyn Moxey
Writers
- Richard Matheson(teleplay)
- Jeffrey Grant Rice(story)
- Max Hodge(uncredited)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 1 nomination

The Night Stalker (1972)

The Night Stalker (1972)

The Night Stalker (1972)

The Night Stalker (1972)

The Night Stalker (1972)

Elisha Cook Jr. in The Night Stalker (1972)

Elisha Cook Jr. in The Night Stalker (1972)

Stanley Adams in The Night Stalker (1972)

Stanley Adams in The Night Stalker (1972)

Irene Cagen in The Night Stalker (1972)

Irene Cagen in The Night Stalker (1972)

Darren McGavin and Peggy Rea in The Night Stalker (1972)

Director
- John Llewellyn Moxey
Writers
- Richard Matheson(teleplay)
- Jeffrey Grant Rice(story)
- Max Hodge(uncredited)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

The Night Strangler

7.5

The Night Strangler

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

8.5

Kolchak: The Night Stalker

7.8

Kolchak: Crackle of Death

Night Stalker

6.4

Trilogy of Terror

6.6

Trilogy of Terror

Gargoyles

6.1

The Night Stalker

5.8

The Night Stalker

8.1

Kolchak: Demon and the Mummy

The Norliss Tapes

6.4

The Norliss Tapes

The Night Stalker

5.1

The Night Stalker

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

6.7

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Dead of Night

6.2

Carl Kolchak is a newspaper reporter with an abrasive personality that has gotten him fired ten times from various big-city papers. Now he's reduced to reporting for a relatively small-time paper in Las Vegas. It's here he gets the story of his life. But will the local sheriff, or the D.A., or even his own boss, let him print it? He has an ally in the FBI agent brought in to investigate this strange case. It seems someone is biting the necks of young girls and draining their blood. Can this killer with supernormal powers really be a 70-year-old Romanian millionaire? Can he really be a vampire? And can an aging reporter do anything to stop him? —J. Spurlin

serial murder nevada reference to dracula dracula character reference to vlad dracula 121 more

Taglines
- A vampire killer loose in Las Vegas? It's hard to believe, isn't it?
Genres
- Horror
- Mystery
Certificate
- Not Rated
Parents guide

Trivia
The original script by Richard Matheson called for Carl Kolchak to be dressed in Bermuda shorts and wearing an Aloha shirt. Actor Darren McGavin said, "That doesn't sound like anyone I know," and elected to use a different wardrobe. While reading up on the character, McGavin noted that Kolchak had been fired from a New York newspaper years before, and thought, "That's it! He hasn't bought a new suit since!" So, Kolchak appeared in a circa 1950s suit.

Goofs
The police radio (just before the fight in the swimming pool) describes the suspect's vehicle as a green station wagon. But when he's intercepted by the police, the station wagon is blue.

Quotes
Carl Kolchak: This nut thinks he's a vampire!

Connections
Featured in Trilogy of Terror (1975)

Soundtracks
Manhattan
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart
Performed by Darren McGavin

Top review

10/10

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).

helpful•20

2

david-697
Sep 3, 2004

Release date
- January 11, 1972 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- The Kolchak Papers
Filming locations
- Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Production companies
- ABC Circle Films
- Dan Curtis Productions
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $450,000 (estimated)

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
1 hour 14 minutes
Color
- Color
Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1

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Kolchak: The Night Stalker – The Complete Series

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