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The Devil's Hand (1961)
First seen on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1977
1959's "The Devil's Hand" began shooting January 19 '59, under a multitude of alternate titles: "Witchcraft," "The Naked Goddess," "Live to Love," and (after its completion) "Devil's Doll." Real life sisters Linda Christian and Ariadna Welter had planned to film in their native Mexico, only to find themselves working together at Carthay Studios in Los Angeles for new director William J. Hole, Jr. After Edgar G. Ulmer dropped out. For such a low budget independent there are some familiar faces present, with 45 year old Robert Alda an odd choice for virile leading man, and former silent screen star Neil Hamilton cast as chief villain, later to become a pop culture icon as a deadpan Commissioner Gordon on the ABC series BATMAN ("first we get a report that he's stolen a hole from a golf green!"). Alda's middle aged Rick is betrothed to young Donna (Ariadna Welter) yet continues to dream about blonde bombshell Bianca (Linda Christian), until that time when she actually speaks to him. Hamilton's Francis Lamont runs a doll shop sporting an exact likeness of Bianca's mystery woman in the window, which he claims was ordered and paid for by a baffled Rick; even more ominous, a second doll (not for sale) is a replica of poor Donna, who goes down and must be hospitalized after it's stabbed with a long needle. Bianca used her own effigy of Rick to secure his cooperation, leaving Donna in her hospital bed to begin a torrid affair that puts Lamont on the defensive (he believes that Rick is just another brief fling for man hungry Bianca). A love quadrangle is hardly the stuff of great horror cinema, especially with a square like Rick in between two such gorgeous girls, completed well before Hole began work on his best known title, AIP's "The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow," soon headed overseas to deliver the Spanish "Face of Terror." While Linda was disappointed to see the script gravitate away from black magic to devil worship, she did get to show off her 'famous nude statue' as the cult's living image and 'Goddess of Love' (it was borrowed from the garden of her late husband Tyrone Power, earning its more suitable alternate title, "The Naked Goddess"). Alas, the Jo Heims screenplay (her first) is not so well built, plodding from initial intrigue to tired jealousy, the cult members a fairly anonymous lot, lacking even the attention span to awaken from apparent slumber at the stilted proceedings (a stark contrast to the sensuous Allison Hayes in "The Disembodied"). Neil Hamilton's later identification as Gotham City's Commissioner Gordon can't help but make his high priest look a bit silly in his robes and ceiling roulette wheel, sort of a demented Bob Barker demanding a sacrifice take a spin! When all the machinations of this 'devil god Gamba' don't amount to a hill of beans, all we get is a lotta lust and a really great time for our bland hero, banging both sisters without a trace of remorse, and a traditional finale that proves hotter than Linda Christian, whose charismatic Bianca must resort to voodoo to lure Alda over to the dark side, which here looks like a 20th century version of the Hellfire Club, minus the hell! Some bongo drumming and exotic dance moves prove far too tame for even a late 50s audience, "The Devil's Hand" amounting to little more than a middle finger to unwary viewers, and like Rex Carlton's follow up "The Brain That Wouldn't Die," this entry sat on a shelf for years before it was picked up by Mark Tenser's brand new Crown International Pictures. Double billed with Ralph Brooke's "Bloodlust!" (a cheapie ripoff of "The Most Dangerous Game"), the pair made the rounds in time for a July 1961 Chess Records release of its instrumental theme song, credited to 'Baker Harris and the Knightmares,' a surf rock saxophone piece at least as engaging as those later heard in Crown's "Stanley" and "Horror High" (failing to chart, however).
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Horror in the Heights (1974)
If you only watched a single episode, this must be the one
"Horror in the Heights" is often considered the finest KOLCHAK episode (along with "The Zombie"), a genuinely terrifying monster that devours its human prey in mere seconds, luring victims to their doom by appearing before them as someone they know and love. It turned out to be the only series script from the prolific pen of Hammer veteran Jimmy Sangster ("The Curse of Frankenstein," "Horror of Dracula"), now firmly relocated to Hollywood since directing 1972's "Fear in the Night." A superlative guest cast is topped by Phil Silvers as Harry Starman, his evening of gambling with friends at a meat packing warehouse shattered by the death of its elderly guard (Benny Rubin), who recognizes a mysterious intruder as his favorite rabbi and walks right into its less than welcoming arms (a huge hairy monstrosity with claws and fangs). Kolchak tackles this subject as a run down Jewish neighborhood where citizens are being 'tragically' slaughtered by what Harry believes is a Nazi putting up Swastikas all around his 'Food of India' restaurant (editor Vincenzo urges the 'bleeding heart' material be removed, lest they be sued by the sanitation department). Great character moments include Carl's comment on viewing the results of the latest murder: "son, I've seen more dead bodies than you've had TV dinners!" There's less of a police presence with Vincenzo actually defending his prized employee, though later dismissing Kolchak's story outright, as well as the photo of 'Bongo the Chimp with fangs!' (a nod to "Bedtime for Bonzo"). 'Madame Emily' (Ruth McDevitt) reveals her secret about joining the newsroom, she's determined to write a novel and has a typewriter and free paper on hand. Murray Matheson is both endearing and amusing as the East Indian expert who divulges the legend of the Rakshasa, returning when the world has reached such a low level of moral decadence, while Abraham Sofaer's Ali Lakshmi (the actor's final performance) shares his knowledge of 60 years hunting the Rakshasa (Ned Glass previously played a different character in "The Spanish Moss Murders"). Kolchak's explanation that he cannot be fooled because he trusts no one will be tested by the Rakshasa during a tense finale that reveals equal measures of compassion and fortitude, not only the best of the entire series but one of television's most fondly remembered hours, period.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Zombie (1974)
One of the all time greats
"The Zombie" is generally regarded as the best of the entire series and with good reason, boasting a creepy atmosphere that gradually increases for a truly hair raising finale, a compelling music score, and a corrupt official in Charles Aidman's Captain Leo Winwood engaged in a cover up ("Horror in the Heights" also succeeds in reaching the same lofty heights of compassion and terror). John Fiedler debuts as morgue attendant Gordy 'The Ghoul' Spangler (on the heels of his role as an aging hippie in Robert Quarry's vampire epic "Deathmaster"), running a lottery based on the birth dates of his deceased guests, one of whom was numbers runner Francois Edmonds (6'5 Earl Faison, formerly a member of the AFL's San Diego Chargers), already buried once after being hit with six .44 Magnum slugs, now being planted a second time in the same cemetery plot with both Kolchak and Winwood present. The reason behind his refusal to stay buried is his grieving Haitian mother, Mamalois Marie Juliette (Paulene Myers), seeking vengeance for her boy by making him dispatch the syndicate people responsible for his death by crushing their spines. A concerned Benjamin Sposato (Joseph Sirola) orders a doctor's appointment for the meddling Kolchak, only to watch helplessly as the fearsome zombie makes its presence felt over his excavated coffin. Carl dismisses 'blowhard' Winwood by instructing him how to deal with the undead, trailing it to an auto graveyard where it appropriately lies dormant inside a hearse. Darren McGavin is truly exceptional here, palpably sweating buckets while preparing to sew the creature's lips shut with needle and thread, until that spine tingling moment when it opens its eyes! Also making the first of three appearances on the show is newcomer Carol Ann Susi as Monique Marmelstein, would be cub reporter with friends in high places, tagging along with Carl under orders from Simon Oakland's Vincenzo. Jack Grinnage's Ron Updyke is missing in action, while Monique would soon pop up in "Firefall" and "They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..." (the latter also featuring John Fiedler's Gordy, returning once more for "The Youth Killer").
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Spanish Moss Murders (1974)
An exceptional entry again featuring Richard Kiel as the monster
"The Spanish Moss Murders," like last week's "Bad Medicine," again features Richard Kiel as the featured monster, bayou boogie man Peremalfait (French for 'father who does bad'), covered in wet Spanish moss and brought to malevolent life by the unconscious mind of sleeping subject Paul Langois (Donald Mantooth), who had been taught as a child to behave himself or 'Peremalfait's gonna get you.' Sleep researcher Dr. Aaron Pollack (Severn Darden) has no idea what may result from his work, a mysterious topic despite it taking up a third of our lives. Keenan Wynn's Captain Joe Siska is one of the show's most colorful cops, nicknamed 'Mad Dog' for his notoriously short temper, whose therapy sessions won't be worth a darn if he encounters Carl Kolchak on a regular basis: "what's the sense of YELLING, you know...all that HYSTERIA!" (he would repeat the role, a bit more forcefully, in "Demon in Lace"). The murder victims are linked together by a sprinkling of Spanish moss, and the third death, that of street musician Bobby Ray Solange, has a Louisiana connection with Paul Langois, who has been under observation in the lab for six weeks after getting a severe beatdown from Solange. Kolchak finds himself under threat of death after his desk is ransacked and Spanish moss left behind, the monster determined to survive the stunning death of its narcoleptic creator. Lab assistant Natalie is played by an unknown Elisabeth Brooks, later cast as seductive werewolf Marsha in Joe Dante's "The Howling," earning her cult movie status before her untimely death from brain cancer in 1997 at a youthful 46 (Ned Glass follows up his apartment super with a second appearance in "Horror in the Heights").
Crackle of Death (1974)
First Kolchak compilation feature derived from the short lived series
"Crackle of Death" (retitled for IMDB "Kolchak: Crackle of Death") was the first of two compilation features culled from the regrettably short lived yet beloved cult series KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, in which Darren McGavin repeated his role on a weekly basis as intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak from the TV movies "The Night Stalker" and "The Night Strangler." While those previous titles boasted such 19th century menaces as a vampire and a 144 year old alchemist, both in search of human blood to survive, this third volume touches upon more obscure horrors, the deadly poltergeist of "Firefall" and the Native American 'bear god' identified as Matchemanedo of "The Energy Eater." The entirety of the superior "Firefall" comes first, only interrupted at the 18 minute mark by a short sequence establishing a troubled lakefront hospital, occasional new voiceovers by McGavin smoothing over any rough patches. It must be said that the terrifying ordeal of spontaneous combustion caused by supernatural forces is far more gripping than a series of unexplainable deaths by electrical means, and the invisible god Matchemonedo cannot produce a finale worth waiting for, definitely one of the show's weakest episodes. The second telefilm that emerged, "Demon and the Mummy," was comprised of later entries "Demon in Lace" and "Legacy of Terror," an interesting match considering the youthful victims involved (the new material was completed in two days, March 27-28, 1976).
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Ripper (1974)
Series debut recalls its two feature predecessors
"The Ripper" seems like the perfect opener for viewers familiar with both preceding feature films, but there's a definite sense of deja vu as Darren McGavin's Carl Kolchak again faces a dangerous foe bridging the centuries, not a vampire or 144 year old alchemist but none other than London's Jack the Ripper. Our hero continues his adventures at the Chicago office of the Independent News Service, once more under the auspices of news editor Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), introducing a new character, Jack Grinnage as Ron Updyke, so squeamish on the job that he is labeled 'Uptight' by the more confident Kolchak (Ron gets the plum assignment of covering the Ripper killings, while his rival spends the week covering for the vacationing 'Dear Emily'). Robert Bloch's popular 1943 short story "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" was the likely inspiration, adapted in 1961 by Boris Karloff's THRILLER, then turned on its head by Bloch himself in a futuristic setting on a far distant planet for the memorable STAR TREK episode "Wolf in the Fold." This Ripper (Mickey Gilbert) shares many of the same traits as original Night Stalker Janos Skorzeny in that he only prowls after dark, cannot be stopped by gunfire or police manpower, and also lives in a dilapidated old house where he is eventually tracked down (one new bit finds an exasperated motorist claiming to have hit the Ripper at 30 miles per hour, only to see the 'victim' casually walk away after damaging his car). What one misses in the condensed hour long format is how Carl obtains all his information on Rippers caught all across the globe since 1887, a botched hanging in Germany, another surviving a crack firing squad. The dancers and massage workers are certainly an eye opener for 70s television (cult siren Roberta Collins a mischievous policewoman in disguise), but our first police captain (Ken Lynch) creates a low bar for the mostly annoying ones that followed. Making her series debut is Ruth McDevitt, not as regular columnist and newsroom confidante 'Miss Emily' Cowles, but note keeping Miss Egenwiler, referring to the killer and his nightly comings and goings as 'Old X-Ray Eyes.' The warm relationship between Carl and fellow reporter Jane Plumm (Beatrice Colen) could have provided the basis for a more prolonged series, had not her proclivity for interviewing potential Rippers put her in harm's way.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Vampire (1974)
Direct sequel to Kolchak's debut adventure
"The Vampire" is that rare episode set outside Chicago, Kolchak making the trek out West to follow up his Las Vegas caper from the 1971 "Night Stalker" to battle one of the victims of Janos Skorzeny, its hands rising from a shallow grave in front of a terrified motorist. A better than usual guest cast kicks things off with Larry Storch as swindler turned newscaster Swede, reporting a series of blood drained corpses west of LA to a suddenly attentive Kolchak, Kathleen Nolan (THE REAL MCCOYS) as a real estate agent eager to forge a new career in journalism by helping out on Carl's assigned story (Vincenzo wise to the shaving razor game), John Doucette as a Barstow deputy who confirms that one victim had bite marks on his throat, plus a stolen car with the windows taped black on the inside to keep out the deadly sunlight. Acclaimed Broadway veteran William Daniels makes for a more distinguished police presence, as exasperated by Kolchak's methods as his predecessors yet a little more respectful in the end. Actual Los Angeles landmarks shown include the famous Capitol building shaped like a stack of records, the legendary Hollywood Sign in the Santa Monica mountains (originally built in 1923), and Cahuenga Blvd.'s Hollywood Cross, which will come in handy for the fiery climax (all still standing today). The original script was set in New York City, Barry Atwater's Janos Skorzeny intended to make his return, but the final result goes in a different direction and proves a worthy sequel to the events that introduced Carl Kolchak to viewing audiences back in January 1972.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Firefall (1974)
Among the more unusual episodes
"Firefall" is among the more unusual entries, and one that sadly missed syndication on THE CBS LATE MOVIE because of its inclusion in the compilation feature "Crackle of Death," combining footage with William Smith's "The Energy Eater." A mob hit at an arcade takes the life of Frankie Markoff (George Sawaya), small time hood and arsonist, whose widow (Virginia Vincent) recalls his enthusiasm pretending to be a symphony conductor. The trouble starts when Markoff's funeral procession is interrupted by the one man he revered in life, exalted orchestra conductor Ryder Bond (Fred Beir), spurring the restless spirit to take fiery vengeance on Bond's friends and colleagues in an attempt to return to the land of the living. What we see are incredible instances of spontaneous combustion, where each victim is assumed by Philip Carey's Sgt. Mayer to have perished from a lit cigarette, yet nothing is scorched except for the outline of the corpse (always at the moment when they fall asleep, a precursor to "A Nightmare on Elm Street"). Kolchak is the only one who can help an increasingly agitated Bond, frequently seen by multiple eyewitnesses in two places at the same time, only able to sleep inside the hallowed ground of a church lest he fall victim to an explosive fate. Our embattled hero turns to cash strapped gypsy fortune teller Maria (Madlyn Rhue) to help him identify the deceased and find out where Markoff was killed, digging up his grave to force the spirit to return to his own body. Carol Ann Susi bows out of the series after only her third appearance, quietly promising to give Carl money with no questions asked rather than see him raid Vincenzo's petty cash to pay Maria (she would be replaced by Ruth McDevitt's Emily Cowles).
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Werewolf (1974)
Eric Braeden as Bernhardt Stieglitz
"The Werewolf" is another episode not set in Chicago, but on an aging ocean liner headed to the scrap heap after its final voyage, so instead of an annoying police captain, we have Henry Jones as a concerned ship's captain who tries to keep Kolchak in line by threatening to put him in irons! Carl makes the trip in place of an ailing Vincenzo, but an expose on swinging singles takes a back seat to murder and mayhem, the crew desperate to keep things quiet despite the rising tension. Eric Braeden heads up the guest cast as Bernhardt Stieglitz, the sole survivor of an attack on a five man NATO team in Greenland, his previous stop in Montana resulting in a slaughtered family of four, still tormented by nightmares and blackouts during the full moon and generally ill tempered with even the ship's doctor (the makeup does leave much to be desired). Dick Gautier's swinger meets an unexpected fate, but movie buff Nita Talbot proves most helpful in going over the Larry Talbot protocol of silver bullets (not some fabled Gypsy lore, but the invention of screenwriter Curt Siodmak).
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Devil's Platform (1974)
Tom Skerritt in the story of Faust
"The Devil's Platform" brings in the occult for the Faustian story of a nobody who achieves political fortune by selling his soul to the Devil, likable Tom Skerritt a good choice as Robert Palmer, his meteoric rise to fame coming at the expense of several corpses. Now running for Illinois State Senate, his intention to reach the White House, the first on screen victim to go is Palmer's campaign manager, whose attempt to blow the whistle on his boss ensures his demise in an elevator that falls 40 floors. Kolchak is fortunately on the scene, snapping pictures that reveal a vicious Rottweiler wearing a pendant with a five pointed star, which mysteriously disappears from view after the photo is developed. The next to perish is Palmer's former lover, who wonders how he managed to survive that fatal drop, downed by the same Rottweiler which here cannot be stopped by a policeman's barrage. Miss Emily (Ruth McDevitt) returns from a trip to Rome, bearing gifts for all her colleagues, artichoke pasta for Vincenzo and a new hat for Carl, whose familiar chapeau is referred to by Tony as a 'bird feeder' ("what don't you like about this hat?" "what's under it!"). For Kolchak, the most intriguing item from the Vatican is holy water blessed by the Pope, which should come in handy in a fight against the powers of darkness. His final showdown with Palmer makes for a revealing character study, tempted with his most fervent desire, to win a Pulitzer Prize and return to the top in New York as a respected member of the press (it's always these little vignettes that keep the series engaging and timeless). Back from the 1972 pilot is Stanley Adams, this time as a bartender who prefers baseball over a televised debate.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Bad Medicine (1974)
Richard Kiel as The Diablero
"Bad Medicine" boasts the imposing Richard Kiel in the role of a Native American sorcerer known as The Diablero, who possesses the hypnotic power to 'change reality,' instigating a rash of murders of high society women for their most valuable diamonds. Vincenzo is content to accept the police theory that these were suicides, Ramon Bieri's Captain Joe Baker (later popping up under a different name in "Legacy of Terror") witnessing a robbery at the Gem Exchange that results in two guards shooting themselves with their own guns, and a coyote transforming into the Diablero, who leaps off the roof and vanishes from sight, retaining his stolen cache as a black crow. Marvin Kaplan plays a former diamond cutter who figures that since none of the prized items have appeared on the black market that Carl must consider the killer a collector. Alice Ghostley as Dr. Agnes Temple first relates the legend of this Diablero, among the cliff dwellers from centuries past who dared to steal the temple jewels and as penance must acquire an eternal treasure, longtime screen veteran Victor Jory exultant as Charles Rolling Thunder, who immediately cautions Kolchak on the only way to stop the creature: "The Diablero cannot live with the sight of its own gaze." Richard Kiel would menace Kolchak again in an even better episode, "The Spanish Moss Murders."
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Demon in Lace (1975)
One of the scarier episodes
"Demon in Lace" may sometimes be confused with "The Youth Killer" because all the victims are both young and beautiful, forever linked to "Legacy of Terror" for sharing the 1975 compilation feature "Demon and the Mummy." Keenan Wynn (from "The Spanish Moss Murders") returns as Captain Joe 'Mad Dog' Siska, still frothing at the mouth from Kolchak's interference, accompanied by a persistent campus reporter in Rosalind Winters (Kristina Holland). The opening finds Hunter von Leer's handsome jock picking up an all too willing stranger who proceeds to seduce him, only to suddenly transform into a hideous creature that causes his heart to give out in abject terror. Kolchak learns that another death had previously occurred, also a male student found next to a female corpse that inexplicably perished hours before, and soon learns of their connection to an ancient Sumerian tablet being translated by C. Evan Spate (Andrew Prine), who doesn't believe any mumbo jumbo spouted by Kolchak. This proves one of the scarier entries, with humorous cameos from Jackie Vernon as a fitness coach, Carolyn Jones as a by-the-book registrar, and veteran Milton Parsons as a narcoleptic historian.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Primal Scream (1975)
Jamie Farr as 'Bones' Burton
"Primal Scream" is similar to "Mr. R. I. N. G." in that Kolchak butts heads with higher ups who are engaged in a cover up, with John Marley ("Deathdream") a particularly haughty police captain who purposely damages Carl's property then refuses to be held accountable for it. This time a biologist working for a company drilling for oil in northern climes is murdered in his lab by a strange ape-like creature that proceeds to stalk its prey by night until police catch up with it, but that's not the end of the story. It transpires that cells dating back thousands if not millions of years display a knack for reproduction once thawed, and suddenly there's a second monster prowling the night. The best performance comes from Jamie Farr (M. A. S. H.) as the frustrated high school teacher pleased to find Kolchak an accommodating audience for his examinations of primitive Cro-Magnons, and the differences between vegetarian ape and flesh eating man (to him, the real monsters are his rowdy students!). One victim's name is Robert Gurney (director of 1958's "Terror from the Year 5000"), while another has the better known 'William Pratt,' which of course was Boris Karloff's real name, the one under which he signed all his contracts (the prime time movie shown on the small screen is Lon Chaney's "The Mummy's Ghost").
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Mr. R.I.N.G. (1975)
Robotic Internalized Nerve Ganglia
"Mr. R. I. N. G." stands for 'Robomatic Internalized Nerve Ganglia,' a newborn android whose survival instinct is so great that it murders its creator and proceeds to disguise itself as human by wearing a flesh colored mask. This week's uncooperative police captain is Bert Freed, working in tandem with suspicious government types: Myron Healey, Donald Barry, Henry Beckman ("The Brood"). The robot could have been a force for good had the military not had their say, and the finale just sort of fizzles out despite Kolchak's careful interrogation of R. I. N. G.: "what is the difference between right and wrong?" The sense of paranoia is wholly successful, and Kolchak's one man crusade against all odds marks him out as something more than just a star reporter nosing around for the truth.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Trevi Collection (1975)
Witchcraft in the world of haute couture
"The Trevi Collection" tackles the subject of witchcraft among the haute couture of the fashion business. When a man dives out of a third story window while snapping photos of Madame Trevi's latest designs, Kolchak learns that the deceased was one of his spies and was working alone up there. Several prominent models meet with gruesome accidents, one attacked by a suddenly aggressive feline, another scalded to death in an unlocked shower, as Carl befriends the helpful Madelaine Perkins (Lara Parker), a bit more inviting than the hostile Madame Trevi herself (Nina Foch). Another problem facing Kolchak is a dead informant leaving behind cancelled checks that the mob are anxious to recover, granted only 60 hours to conduct a search or risk his health. Marvin Miller's author conducts a lecture on how to identify a witch based on knowledge obtained from the Salem trials of 1492, while more literary pursuits offer Carl the means to defend himself against the black arts: breaking glass, copper wire, and tiny bells. The mannikins aren't as scary as they could have been, and the finale nearly goes off the rails, saved by an earnest portrayal from lovely Lara Parker, formerly the witch Angelique on DARK SHADOWS, and of course Darren McGavin with tongue firmly in cheek.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: Chopper (1975)
Early story credit for Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, truly a head of its time
"Chopper" is a surprisingly effective foray into black humor, an early story credit for Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, who followed up with such feature films as "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Used Cars," and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit." Script supervisor David Chase fleshes out the preposterous notion of doing the Headless Horseman as a modern day motorcycle rider wielding an avenging sword, and truth be told, it holds up even better than expected. The brutal decapitation of a nondescript cab driver finds the lone witness confined to a mental hospital due to his tale of a headless rider atop an antique bike, Larry Linville from the 1971 "Night Stalker" pilot here cast as Captain Jonas, an especially hostile adversary for Kolchak yet most helpful in revealing the background of the deceased. Members of The Jokers tried to play a prank on Harold 'Sword Man' Baker, leader of rival gang The Bishops, but the wire crossing the road meant to knock him off his vehicle turned into a fatal gag, the vengeful spirit returning from the grave to seek out every Joker who was involved. Only after joining the head with the corpse did the violence end, until a recent unearthing found both head and body separated once more, several more frightened victims literally losing their heads. Jim Backus puts in a heartfelt cameo as a WW2 veteran discussing antique bikes, and Jay Robinson makes an impression as the curator for a guillotine exhibit on the French Revolution, offering some of the supernatural aspects of its aftermath. Best of all are the little moments inside the INS office, poor Tony enduring an ulcer requiring him to take medication that tastes like toothpaste and billiard chalk while Carl devours donuts and hot dogs (when he can't take any more, he makes a quick call to his favorite deli!).
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Youth Killer (1975)
Cathy Lee Crosby as Helen of Troy
"The Youth Killer" is a standout among the final quartet of episodes, Dwayne Hickman as Sergeant Orkin a more personable police presence until even he has had enough of Kolchak ("a pinwheel for a pinhead"). Our special guest villainess is former tennis pro Cathy Lee Crosby, gorgeous lookalike daughter of 40s actress Linda Hayes, fresh from the set of her one off appearance as WONDER WOMAN before Lynda Carter made it her own for the subsequent series. Cathy is well cast as Helen of Troy, dedicated to a lifetime of youth and beauty by making regular sacrifices to the Greek god Hecate, her modern incarnate Helen Surtees running the brand spanking new dating agency Max Match, only for perfect people under the age of 30, given a certificate and a ring to symbolize their status among the chosen ones. The opening scene sees William Cubby jogging for miles until he suddenly ages in seconds and dies, a John Doe so far as the cops are concerned. Helen's victims can be male or female, always nearby when they breathe their last, a cold blooded smile as the corpses pile up. This marked the third and final appearance of John Fiedler as morgue attendant Gordy 'The Ghoul' Spangler (last seen in "They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..."), who barters with Kolchak over a used TV set before allowing the reporter to browse through Cubby's personal belongings. The discovery of a solitary key, as well as the door it fits, leads Carl to learn that Cubby wasn't so perfect after all (he wore a glass eye), which comes in handy when his ring won't come off Kolchak's finger. The actor billed as 'Demosthenes' was currently working on the CBS series KOJAK, George Savalas the real life brother of star Telly (his middle name was Demosthenes), here playing the expert on ancient Greek who supplies Carl with the knowledge to prevent more murders, especially his own. This would also be the last time we see Jack Grinnage as Ron 'Uptight' Updyke (18 episodes), who believes that a man in shape can do anything at 90 that he can at 19, plus Ruth McDevitt's Emily Cowles (12 episodes, 11 as Miss Emily), who exits after Simon Oakland's Vincenzo makes a snide remark about old people (when Tony begs Carl with a 'please,' it's clearly an emergency!). At one point, Carl uses the pseudonym 'Kolak' for his impromptu interview with Helen Surtees, perhaps a reference to a beloved episode of THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, "It May Look Like a Walnut," a spoof of spooky sci fi movies in which Rob describes alien invader 'Kolak' as looking like Danny Thomas! (in previous episode "The Knightly Murders," the plaque for the Kolchak coat of arms was upgraded from cheap pine to expensive walnut!).
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Knightly Murders (1975)
Hans Conreid and Jeff Donnell
"The Knightly Murders" is an improvement on the previous episode but adds more humor through the presence of John Dehner as veteran police captain Vernon W. Rausch, whose detailed pontifications on life often exasperate Carl Kolchak. A 12th century French knight who dispatches all those who defile his grave with wine and merriment doesn't strike one as being particularly menacing (using such medieval weapons as a mace, an ax, and a bolt from a crossbow), though Vincenzo gets in a great zinger at what Kolchak learns about modern technology: "I feel much better...all my life I've wanted to know that a medieval knight could crush a telephone!" (over 400 pounds in full battle armor). A casting coup finds Hans Conreid as the harried museum curator thought to be the villain inside the empty suit of black armor, leading our hero to a pair of shady coat of arms dealers eager to sell him a walnut plaque flaunting his Polish heritage, due to his relation to 'the Lion of Warsaw!' (Robert Emhardt and 'Miss Jeff Donnell'). This is where we learn about the serial killer and misanthrope Guy de Mettancoeur, who despised human pleasures of any kind, his invincible armor fashioned by a sorcerer, pierced only by a holy battle-axe blessed by Pope Gregory in 1227. Still attractive at age 53, 'Miss Jeff Donnell' (taking her nickname from "Mutt and Jeff") couldn't escape Hollywood's 'B' unit but did work opposite stars like Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, and Peter Lorre, while George 'Shug' Fisher enjoyed one of his few major roles in 1959's "The Giant Gila Monster."
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Sentry (1975)
Not a great send off, par for the final round
"The Sentry" marked the 20th and final episode of this regrettably brief series, but an opportunity to watch Mr. And Mrs. Darren McGavin working together on screen. Actress Kathie Browne lamented being typecast in 'goody two shoes' parts, mostly in Westerns, and broke that mold in the memorable STAR TREK episode "Wink of an Eye," playing the fertile queen of a dying alien race who seduces Captain Kirk aboard the Enterprise. Perhaps McGavin was among those viewing that night in 1968, for within a year the two were wed and remained together until her passing in 2003 (her husband following in 2006). This could have been a turning point for the show had it gone on, a regular antagonist for Kolchak who happens to be a sharp, attractive police lieutenant succeeding in a man's world, but alas it was not to be due to low ratings and the star's burnout. This week's monster is a reptilian creature stalking victims in an underground facility in which the workers have confiscated its eggs for study, an actual TREK plotline from "The Devil in the Dark," padded with endless footage of Kolchak riding around empty corridors. Jack Grinnage is absent for only the second time on the show (previously missing from "The Zombie"), Tom Bosley plays a helpful guide, John Hoyt a suspicious autopsy surgeon ("he was bitten to death by a crocodile?"). The star would fondly remember the two movies that introduced his best known role, but rarely commented over the years on the series that resulted.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be... (1974)
Invisible alien vampire feeds on bone marrow rather than blood
"They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be..." is a title inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror," which seems appropriate since it's the first episode that does not deal with traditional Hollywood monsters. As the hometown Cubs are battling the Boston Red Sox in the World Series (both would have to wait at least another three decades to end their respective droughts), Kolchak investigates a number of mysterious events that eventually tie together in the end, from animal deaths at the zoo to the disappearance of tons of lead ingots before a stunned police force, and a series of thefts involving electronic machinery. James Gregory plays this week's annoyed police captain, a fine choice mere months before beginning his 8 season run as Inspector Luger on Hal Linden's BARNEY MILLER. Mary Wickes supplies much needed exposition about the curious objects found near the animal corpses, hard and sticky, consisting of hydrochloric acid, acetone, and bone marrow, meaning that some unknown type of vampire killed the poor creatures and devoured their bone marrow rather than blood. An unintended tipoff about UFOs from government agents leads Kolchak to suspect that the menace is a LOST IN SPACE alien visitor in need of directions and a snack before departing, stopped from claiming him as its final victim by the sound of his camera's snapshots. There's no real payoff for the climax but it's still light years better than the non ending of "The Energy Eater," where Carl battles a crack in the floor with a fire extinguisher before collapsing from extreme cold. Tony Vincenzo gets the best of Carl by enticing him into accepting an assignment that was dangled before Carol Ann Susi's Monique Marmelstein (her second appearance, now working in the photo lab), while John Fiedler's Gordy 'The Ghoul' Spangler (also his second appearance) continues his morgue lottery by handing over a vital autopsy report to his eager reporter cohort. Had the series continued there would have been a need to feature more unusual terrors, with one finished script a likely expensive one taking place in a mining community involving EXORCIST-type possession.
Kolchak: The Night Stalker: The Energy Eater (1974)
William Smith and Elaine Giftos
"The Energy Eater" was among the four episodes that missed out on THE CBS LATE MOVIE due to it sharing footage with "Firefall" for the compilation feature "Crackle of Death." Definitely a lesser entry anyway, with an invisible menace, less byplay with Vincenzo, Robert Yuro the most forgettable police presence of the entire series, and a finale that finds Carl brandishing a fire extinguisher against a crack in the floor, hardly the stuff of nightmares explored by zombies or even headless bikers. On the plus side is a typically decent cast, such as William Smith as the construction foreman whose background as Indian medicine man fleshes out the week's 'monster,' Elaine Giftos as the informative nurse whose demise proves as shocking as it is heartless (no acknowledgment from Kolchak), and John Mitchum as a less than helpful janitor ("I don't know"). 'Matchemonedo' is the name brandished by Smith's Jim Elkhorn, a legendary 'bear god' of historical record who has spent centuries hibernating beneath an icy lake, only recently come to mystical life once a new hospital has been built atop the frigid waters. The creature feeds upon pure energy, including human plasma, and every patient hooked up to an electrical device remains in danger. The best sequence finds Kolchak and Elkhorn piecing together the image of Matchemonedo from x-rays taped together, from which Carl decides that infrared and ultraviolet film is likely to capture its photograph even as the lower level is flooded with freezing cold liquid nitrogen (this is one time that our hero is truly lucky to get out alive).
The Night Stalker (1972)
The Front Page meets Dracula in modern day Las Vegas
1971's "The Night Stalker" became the highest rated TV movie broadcast of its time (Jan. 11, 1972), garnering a 33.2 rating and 48 share, meaning that nearly half the households watching that evening were tuned in to ABC's Movie of the Week, shot in 12 days by British director John Llewellyn Moxey ("Horror Hotel") and producer Dan Curtis (DARK SHADOWS). Screenwriter Richard Matheson was assigned the task of adapting an unpublished manuscript by Jeff Rice, who had always wanted to write a story set in Las Vegas, pitting an old style news reporter against a modern day vampire. The key to making it all work was in casting the right actor as Carl Kolchak, still seeking that one big break to return to a major city newspaper (fired nearly a dozen times in his overzealousness), currently working in Vegas for the Daily News under editor Tony Vincenzo, also played to perfection by Simon Oakland. Darren McGavin made the role his own so well that the character went on to do a sequel, "The Night Strangler," and a weekly series lasting all of 20 episodes, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, deciding on the concept of a new menace to be dealt with each week. This debut feature boasted a stunning array of guest stars, with the already fearsome looking Barry Atwater silently playing the 73 year old vampire Janos Skorzeny, certainly one of cinema's most fleshed out members of the undead, tracked by authorities from Romania to England to Canada to the US (Atwater's scary visage was put to good use in a terrifying episode of THE OUTER LIMITS, "Corpus Earthling"). If there's a flaw (and a decidedly minor one at that), it's the obvious use of a stunt double for all the physical chase scenes, McGavin's narration grabbing the viewer right off the bat by detailing his story with facts uncovered at the risk of being fired for getting his 'pushy tushy' in too deep to extricate himself. His dogged determination to find the truth, going against powerful agents hoping to keep a tight lid on things, keeps the audience firmly on Kolchak's side no matter how irascible he might come off, with a multitude of 'spies' in high places and helpful cohorts pointing him in the right direction. With three failed series behind him (MIKE HAMMER, RIVERBOAT, THE OUTSIDER), the part of Kolchak finally earned the hard working McGavin more recognition and kudos than any other in his lifetime, with a few more coming his way in cult films like Bob Clark's "A Christmas Story," and the inspiration behind THE X-FILES, created by NIGHT STALKER fan Chris Carter. Simon Oakland was the only other cast member to do both films and all 20 TV episodes, just a 'bilious grouch' newspaper editor trying to smooth over Kolchak's rough spots, the two may have an adversarial relationship yet deep down are bound together by a mutual respect that occasionally shines through from time to time in heartwarming fashion (Vincenzo's last words to Kolchak in this film: "you're one hell of a reporter"). The series would include a sequel of sorts to the events depicted here, 4th episode "The Vampire" detailing the revival of one of Janos Skorzeny's victims, making the journey from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to renew old acquaintances.
The Creeping Terror (1964)
Shimmy and shake, quiver and quake for the monster munch brunch
With its awesome ineptitude, 1963's "The Creeping Terror" can lay claim to be among the most beloved bad movies of all time, though producer/director A. J. Nelson (actually star Vic Savage) deserves no credit due to his swift abandonment of the project once funds ran out. The opening credits feature a swirling background shot taken from Steve McQueen's "The Blob," followed by a downed spacecraft yielding two carpet monsters, one escaping to terrorize Simi Valley, the military keeping tabs on its still caged mate (only an exterior is shown, actors crawling under a mockup to view a dimly lit yet fairly ordinary facsimile of screens, dials and buttons). The human interest story with Savage and real life spouse Shannon O'Neil pales compared to the hilarity that ensues with each creature attack, the camera representing the monster's POV as the victims stand their ground and watch its approach. First up are two lovers, the louse of a boyfriend hightailing it to leave his bikini babe as breakfast, continuously screaming as she enters the bobbing and weaving maw of the beast; a housewife bids her husband farewell in the morning before hanging up the wash, gobbled up off screen while her baby cries; a grandson vanishes as chubby granddad babbles in a brook; a group of 12 on a sunny picnic are quick to get swallowed whole, their fearless leader fighting off the invader with his acoustic guitar, which would never sit well with John Lennon; the big dance hall sequence lasting 11 minutes, the creature entering the building after seven endless minutes of juking and jiving (one guy could be mistaken for Jerry Lewis on quaaludes); Lover's Lane sees its occupants worrying less about contraception than survival (this lasts six minutes, only a solitary car driving off); finally, army sharpshooters get too close to their target, going down like dominos with one soldier's feet up in the air waiting for the director to yell 'Cut!' The original monster costume was not stolen (confiscated for lack of payment by the man who built it), nor was the soundtrack lost as it was intended to be post dubbed after shooting wrapped, the damn thing unspooling like a silent movie with its constant organ motifs. The obscene looking carpet creature is kept mostly off camera for the first half, making an already difficult sit a real chore, but once unleashed it's impossible not to laugh, not so much at the beast but its comatose victims, who display little affinity for staying alive by hightailing it out of there. The first female victim is clad in a fetching bikini, the camera ogling her cute little caboose and long slim legs in almost slow motion (this was even before the Beach Party series kicked off), a pattern that would be repeated at the dance hall, from shimmy and shake to quiver and quake, with one unfortunate miss losing her top after being pushed aside by a rough customer. Lover's Lane finds the make out crowd too occupied doing imitations of Siamese twins joined at the mouth to notice a huge invader doing its bit by humping cars! Since director/producer A. J. Nelson alias Vic Savage vanished before filming was completed (May-June 1963), the final product was assembled by actor William Thourlby, playing a major role as Dr. Bradford, who put some of his own money into the production and was determined to earn back his investment (curiously, Nelson retains his editor credit). It's not likely that any theatrical distribution took place before its belated debut in late 1975 (mere months after the demise of its disgraced director at age 41), as part of Gold Key's 20 film Scream Theater television package, among the 16 Crown International cheapies to earn some notoriety for their relative obscurity.
They Saved Hitler's Brain (1968)
A head of its time
"They Saved Hitler's Brain" signaled a further comedown for director David Bradley, with his previous Columbia title "12 to the Moon" in 1959 one of the more forgettable outer space sagas of that time (his early career included 16mm amateur features "Peer Gynt" and "Julius Caesar," starring his friend Charlton Heston). Shot in June-July 1962 as "The Return of Mr. H," this was clearly an overly ambitious premise with too many characters, no sense of place, and threadbare sets that only exacerbate the tedium (Crown International had to change the release title from "Maniac" to "The Madmen of Mandoras" to avoid being confused with Hammer's 1962 Michael Carreras film). Its lone positive is the camerawork of veteran Stanley Cortez ("The Magnificent Ambersons," "The Night of the Hunter"), whose effective use of light and shadow are wasted on such low budget frivolity. The fictitious South American country Mandoras is the setting for a modern day Nazi movement spearheaded by the Big Cheese himself, Adolph Hitler (Bill Freed), despite being reduced to only a cranium in a jar since his 1945 'demise.' The kidnapping of a scientist devising an antidote to a deadly nerve gas is followed by various comings and goings by family members, people getting in and out of cars, walking around to no great purpose, and a general sense of apathy as to when, or if, something might actually happen. The hero (Walter Stocker) is hardly a heroic figure, shuffled around from place to place with nary a complaint between cigarettes, while his clinging wife (top billed Audrey Caire) is hysterically useless under pressure ("with a wife like that, who needs a girlfriend!"). Her missing sister is having a wonderful time in Mandoras, oblivious to the danger which admittedly comes off as truly feeble when the climax takes place at the ubiquitous Bronson Caverns in Los Angeles, explosions heard rather than seen, dust flying in the air to represent the aftermath. The Hitler noggin at least gets a grand sendoff originally, a wax replica melting in gruesome fashion for 64 seconds to the music score of "Creature from the Black Lagoon," mercilessly chopped down to 12 seconds for the TV edit that adds 20 minutes of cheap black and white film stock depicting two totally incompetent CID agents who get themselves bumped off for their meager troubles (only then do we finally yield to the "Madmen of Mandoras" story proper, which still doesn't improve matters much). These new scenes look so much worse with shaky camerawork and atrocious dialogue, two of the actors also filming additional scenes for "Carnival of Crime" in a jungle setting that stands alone in similar fashion, dragging out an already dire viewing experience (Crown pulled the same lousy stunt with "Blood Mania," replacing eye pleasing sleaze with talking head scenes). Speaking of talking heads, the Hitler noggin hardly features in the overall product, a shame since Bill Freed's expressions are for the most part quite amusing though all too brief (at least this back seat driver has nothing to say as he travels by car for the dreary climax). The only recognizable cast members are Carlos Rivas (in a dual role as brothers) and Nestor Paiva, the rest fairly interchangeable, contributing to the general air of disinterest as its 92 interminable minutes drag to its much anticipated conclusion ("Madmen" at least a more tolerable 74 minutes).
Theatre of Death (1967)
Christopher Lee at his best during the first half
1966's "Theatre of Death" was a one shot feature from Pennea Productions, issued by London Independent Producers in the UK, while Hemisphere Pictures did the honors in the US under the more lurid title "Blood Fiend." It was also one of the better entries in Gold Key's Scream Theater television package (and its sole British entry), which admittedly isn't saying much considering the low quality of its 19 cofeatures ("The Creeping Terror" or "They Saved Hitler's Brain," for example). A series of murders erupt in Paris while the Theatre de Mort showcases another season under director Phillipe Darvas (Christopher Lee), a lifetime of devotion since inheriting it from his missing father, showcasing torture, murder, disembowelment, decapitation, and sundry other horrific details purely for audience amusement (the real life theatre finally closed for good in 1962). Two recent arrivals are Nicole Chapelle (Jenny Till) and Dani Gireaux (Lelia Goldoni), who are both good friends as well as roommates, encouraged to perform a reenactment of the Salem witch trials in a demonstration that grows too intense for Dani's boyfriend Charles Marquis (Julian Glover). Nicole proves most susceptible to hypnosis, and agrees to move in with Darvas, who has yet to complete the final act of his new program, maintaining a grip of terror over his troupe in any horrific manner he sees fit (poor Dani is encouraged to jump in the river). As a police pathologist, Charles learns that the knife wounds on each victim's throat were triangular, the corpses drained of blood as if a genuine vampire were responsible. Suspicion naturally falls upon the tyrannical Darvas, but once he mysteriously disappears like his father before him authorities remain in a quandary until a cafe owner relates a strange tale of survival in the Swiss Alps, and a mother who raised her child on human blood. Between the hand held camera angles chosen by director Samuel Gallu and the picturesque cinematography of Gilbert Taylor ("A Hard Day's Night," "Star Wars"), the picture manages to hold together in Lee's absence, but as a whodunit it's a total washout, scripted by Ellis Kadison and Roger Marshall, the latter a veteran of THE AVENGERS. From spying on his guests to browbeating those who fail to meet his exacting standards, this mesmeric role is very similar to Lee's previous film, Hammer's "Rasputin - The Mad Monk," only here his character vanishes after a confrontation with Charles about the unsolved vampire-like murders in their vicinity; as the obvious focus throughout the first half, the picture clearly suffers from that point on, and the drawn out climax doesn't quite fill the gap. Leading lady Lelia Goldoni had one Hammer credit on her resume (1964's "Hysteria"), Julian Glover only a year away from a major role in Hammer's third Quatermass entry, "Five Million Years to Earth," little known Dilys Watling (as hungry starlet Heidi) going on to a memorable appearance on THE BENNY HILL SHOW in the late 1970s.