starring Darren McGavin, Jo Ann Pflug, Simon Oakland
directed by Dan Curtis
Reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) moves to Seattle where he runs a familiar face from Las Vegas, Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland). Tony is now working as an editor for a Seattle newspaper. He hires Kolchak and assigns him to cover a recent murder. The killer strangled an exotic dancer while she walking home late at night.
Researcher Titus Berry helps Kolchak establish a supernatural angle to the crime. Vincenzo refuses to buy the angle so Kolchak digs deeper (with a lot of help from Berry) and finds a pattern: every 21 years (going back to at least 1889) six women have been murdered in the same way (strangulation) within an eighteen day period. Vincenzo refuses to accept that the murders from decades ago have anything to do with the current string of murders.
Kolchak consults with Professor Hester Crabwell, an expert in the subject of immortality. She tells him that one of the key elements for an immortality elixir would be human blood. Her testimony is not enough to convince Vincenzo or Captain Schubert of the Seattle Police Department, both of whom are fed up with Kolchak after numerous encounters with him.
Kolchak reaches out to a couple other exotic dancers, who knew the first victim. The Night Strangler gets to and kills Charimsa Beauty. Louise Harper (Jo Ann Pflug), the other dancer, helps Kolchak with his investigation, going so far as to walk the streets in the hopes of luring out the Night Strangler.
Kolchak finally locates the Night Strangler's lair, deep beneath the city. The Night Strangler was born before the American Civil War. Originally from New York he moved to Seattle in time to commit his first string of murders in 1889. He tells Kolchak all about it, as a a means of unburdening himself before he prepares to take the latest batch of the elixir that has kept him alive for over 140 years.
Thoughts
This is the second of the Kolchak TV movies. It first aired in January 1973. A Kolchak TV show aired during the 1974-75 season of television. It consisted of 20 episodes.
I don't think this movie is great but there are little things that I like about it. One of those things is how Seattle Police Captain Schubert keeps showing up with his men, on the streets of Seattle whenever Kolchak seems to be making some progress in his investigation. It seems kind of silly to me that Shubert would be riding with his men and show up just in time to interfere with Kolchak's work on multiple occasions.
Who is the antagonist in this movie? In some ways it feels like Vincenzo and Schubert are the antagonists. They are the ones who keep interfering with Kolchak's work. The Night Strangler appears very briefly here and there but it isn't until the last 10-15 minutes of the movie that he seems to be more than just a phantom.
I love the final scene. I love how the movie pokes fun at itself (in that scene) and at Kolchak's self-serious approach to his job.
The movie felt a little longer than necessary. It probably wouldn't have been difficult to trim this movie down by 15 minutes or more. According to film critic Tim Lucas (on the commentary track) this version is longer than the one that was broadcast on television in 1973, which was only 75 minutes. The 90-minute cut was put together for theatrical release in Europe.
The movie has a creepy vibe to it, especially the scenes where Kolchak and Louise Harper are walking the streets late at night and then later when Kolchak is exploring the underground by himself.
Notes
Darren McGavin has been in movies, TV movies, and television episodes that I have watched. The most recent thing that I watched in which he appeared was an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1959) 1.13 The Chaney Vase.
Jo Ann Pflug was the voice of Sue Richards on the 1967 Fantastic Four cartoon and played Samantha Jack in the first season (1981-82) of the Fall Guy. I know I have seen episodes of both but not recently.
Simon Oakland played the part of Tony Vincenzo in both Kolchak TV movies and the Kolchak TV show. I've also seen him in a number of other things including Psycho (1960). He appeared in episodes of The Outer Limits (1963) and The Twilight Zone (1959).
Wally Cox played the part of Titus Berry. This was one of his last screen credits. He appeared in episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959) and Night Gallery.
Margaret Hamilton played the part of Professor Hester Crabwell. She is best known for playing the part of The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz (1939). I've seen her most recently in a couple episodes of The Phil Silvers Show. The second of those episodes was 3.01 Bilko's Merry Widow.
Richard Anderson played the part of The Night Strangler. He didn't show up until the last 10 minutes of the movie, which was kind of disappointing. He's best known for playing the part of Oscar Goldman in The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. I have seen him in a few movies including Forbidden Planet (1956) but none in which he played the lead. He was in one episode of Darkroom, 1.01.A Closed Circuit, and he also appeared in episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Invaders, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985).
Al Lewis has a very small part in this movie as a tramp. He is best known for playing Grandpa Munster but was in all sorts of movies and television during his career.
Dan Curtis produced the first Kolchak TV Movie, The Night Stalker (1972). He directed and produced this movie.
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