Broadcast January 11, 1972 on ABC TV
Written by Richard Matheson
Directed by John Llewellyn Moxley
Produced by Dan Curtis
Cast:
Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak
Simon Oakland as Tony Vincenzo
Carol Lynley as Gail Foster
Ralph Meeker as Bernie Jenks
Claude Akins as Sheriff Warren Butcher
Barry Atwater as Janos Skorzeny
Charles McGraw as Police Chief Edward Masterson
Kent Smith as D.A. Thomas Paine
Elisha Cook Jr. as Mickey Crawford
Stanley Adams as Fred Hurley
Larry Linville as Medical Examiner Mokurji
Jordan Rhodes as Dr. John O'Brien
The Night Stalker opens with Kolchak speaking into his tape recorder and reporting on recent events: “Chapter One. This is the story behind one of the greatest manhunts in history. Maybe you read about it, or rather what they let you read about it, probably in some minor item buried somewhere in a back page. However, what happened between May 16 and May 28 of this year was so incredible that to this day the facts have been suppressed in a massive effort to save certain political careers from disaster and law enforcement officials from embarrassment. This will be the last time I ever discuss these events with anyone, so, when you have finished this bizarre account, judge for yourself its believability, and then try to tell yourself, wherever you may be, it couldn’t happen here.”
These bizarre, incredible events revolve around the deaths of several young women in the city of Las Vegas. Not only is a serial killer loose in Vegas, but this heinous killer actually drains the blood from his victim’s bodies. Adding to this bizarre mystery is the cause of death: shock from rapid loss of blood. Furthermore, the medical examiner discovers teeth marks on the victim’s throats, containing human saliva. Kolchak immediately suspects a man that thinks he is a vampire! The police and DA scoff at this crazy suggestion. The D.A. then restricts press access to any further details of the murders. This stonewalling raises Kolchak’s suspicions.
As new events unfold and a 73-year-old suspect is named, Kolchak comes to the conclusion that there is a real vampire responsible for the killings. The police, though hesitant, agree to the possibility and Kolchak offers to help them in exchange for exclusive rights to the unbelievable story. As the end nears, Kolchak finds himself in the vampire’s home for a hair-raising final confrontation with the monster. With the help of FBI agent Bernie Jenks, he destroys the vampire by traditional vampire-killing means just as more of the force arrives. Kolchak now has the story of a lifetime and a ticket back into respectability. Only the powers-that-be have another idea, and Kolchak finds himself facing a huge government cover-up. His girlfriend has been forced to flee town, and the police and DA’s office are threatening him with first-degree murder charges if he prints anything related to the story. Kolchak, with no evidence to support his story and the threat of legal troubles if he should try, leaves Vegas a frustrated man.
As the story ends, Kolchak tells us, “So think about it and try to tell yourself, wherever you may be, in the quiet of your home, in the safety of your bed, try to tell yourself, it couldn’t happen here.”
Summation:
This movie was a success on many levels. In my opinion, it is the best vampire movie ever made. It puts a modern twist on the vampire myth. It adds humor, excellent characterizations, meaty subplots, mystery, and an unbearably suspenseful confrontation with the killer. The denouement is as we expected but had been hoping against all along. It gave us a reason to curse the establishment and cherish our hero as the credits rolled. This is the kind of film that begs for a sequel. It is no surprise then, that there was much more of Kolchak to come. Although this beginning was the peak for these characters, they held ground quite well in the future, as you shall see.
Grade: A+