Jim and Rachel look at “The Night Stalker”

Jim: Monster of the week formats are incredibly popular for series with a paranormal focus. While an overarching premise can help drive the show and keep it centered on a final goal, episodes that show the protagonists dealing with different threats help to provide some variety and keep it from being bogged down with nothing but major storylines. This also gives the writers a chance to explore myths and folklore from different cultures to find new monsters that have to be dealt with; in some cases they can flex their creativity by developing original creatures. It’s been a successful formula for the X-Files, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show that started this trend, though, and arguably helped lay the groundwork for the aforementioned series, is The Night Stalker.

A short-lived 70s occult drama, The Night Stalker followed reporter Carl Kolchak as he found himself repeatedly drawn into murder investigations that were almost always caused by some monster. He encountered vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, vengeful spirits, prehistoric creatures, in some cases even literal gods. While local law enforcement refused to take him seriously, Kolchak was always determined to put the danger to rest, risking his own life and reputation time and time again to end these evils. While it barely lasted for a season, it became a cult classic that’s still fondly remembered.

As a tribute to this pioneer in monster-slaying media, I’ll be looking at Kolchak’s TV debut, the 1972 movie The Night Stalker, based on Jeff Rice’s work The Kolchak Papers and adapted for broadcast by acclaimed fantasy/sci-fi author Richard Matheson. Joining me in this review is one of my favorite collab partners, Moviefan12. Thanks for joining me again, Rachel.

Moviefan12: It’s an honor to be back here working with you. This movie was quite fascinating in how our main character was very open about his beliefs. Kolchak is an interesting detective character who to everyone around him presents as bumbling but is smarter than they give him credit for. I guess a modern comparison one could make would be Benoit Blanc but Kolchak seems much more frantic than Blanc is.

This also ties into something else I have brought up time and again when looking at mystery stories on my blogs around this time, horror and mystery are two genres that often overlap and as I have said in the past they are cousins. I could once again reference one of the masters of genre, Agatha Christie but I feel that I would be overdoing it to go back to that well again. Both mystery and horror share a common element that is important when telling the story, suspense. Both genres rely on suspense to keep the story going. And this is evident when looking at the events unfold in The Night Stalker.

Something else I find unique about The Night Stalker is that while it is a whodunnit, which is the typical style of mystery story, it also feels like a howcatchem or the inverted mystery story where the audience knows who the perp is from the beginning. It is not that fully as we are not aware of who the perp is in this movie but with Kolchak being so convinced of his convictions, there is a sprinkle of it feeling that way.

Jim: I’d say the inverted mystery aspect helps the audience to relate better to Kolchak. He, and by extension us, know that the killer isn’t an ordinary human, even though just about every other character dismisses it. This is prevalent in most occult detective stories, and makes us root harder for the protagonist when he finally prevails against the forces of darkness.

As I imagine most readers haven’t seen the movie, here’s a quick summary. During May of 1971, a predator stalks the streets of Las Vegas – a brutal killer slaughtering young women at night. Crime reporter Carl Kolchak is assigned to cover the murders. During his investigation he notices evidence that the murderer appears to have nearly superhuman strength, and that all of his victims have been drained of their blood, revelations that the local police have been actively suppressing. After all, they don’t want people panicking over the fear that some maniac who thinks he’s a vampire is on the loose (so they claim). It isn’t until Kolchak personally witnesses the suspect shrugging off bullets and tossing police around like ragdolls that he realizes this killer isn’t delusional; he’s an actual vampire. Sadly, yet predictably, the cops refuse to listen, leaving it up to Carl to track down and slay the bloodsucker himself before any more lives are lost.

Despite being a made for TV movie, The Night Stalker knows how to deliver on atmosphere. Obviously being set in the early 70s it reflects American disillusion over the turbulence that came from the end of the last decade with the brutality of the Vietnam War and widespread political corruption. That’s on full display as law enforcement officials abuse its power, applying pressure to Kolchak and other media outlets to keep the story under wraps. They argue that it’s for public interest, but it’s really to ensure that nothing affects business and tourism. Vegas itself is depicted as a dirty, grungy city; very little time is spent on the strip. Most shots are of smoky casino floors or dark back alleys. This isn’t the glitz and glamour facade of the Rat Pack era, this is a town where danger could be anywhere.

Since this aired on network TV, it obviously couldn’t be too gory, but it still manages to bring a few chilling moments. Some that stood out to me were when Janos Skorzeny (the vampire) targets a woman in a parking lot. She lets her dog out of the car to fend off the attacker, but he snaps the animal’s neck effortlessly. Then we see her frozen in terror as her stalker slowly approaches, culminating in a close-up of his dead eyes. And then there’s Kolchak’s eventual infiltration of Skorzeny’s lair, which has some nice gothic horror vibes as he uncovers the horrors within.

Moviefan12: Something I wanna focus on is Vegas itself. Vegas felt much like a character as any other character. With this being a ‘70s Vegas, it had a grungier feel to it compared to the commercialized and sanitized Vegas of today. The grungy and dirty feeling of Sin City adds another layer of suspense to the story. Making Vegas feel like a character I feel is crucial to the story as it makes it feel more alive.

It gives it a sense of danger where evil could be lurking around any corner. This ties into something else when looking at vampiric stories, there is always a sense of sexual tension (this is not always good thing) and look at how all the victims are women, this makes Skorzeny a predator which all vampires are. This almost feels like a commentary of the dangers of dangerous men preying upon women who have no way of protecting themselves. Alas, this is something women still have to worry about today.

I will agree with Jim that even for a television movie, it doesn’t skimp on the scares. I’ be lying if I didn’t say the final battle before our vampire was staked made me a bit jumpy. Moments such as this add to the moody atmosphere the movie is aiming for all throughout.

Jim: Yeah, we can’t ignore the sexist implications of Skorzeny’s actions. It continues the long established horror trope where creatures of the night prey mainly on women because they’re seen as weaker, and therefore easier targets. Even though Skorzeny fights off numerous men when the police try to apprehend him, he never tries to drink their blood. That’s only reserved for the women. There may also be another level of social commentary in that his prey tend to be seen as lower class, mainly prostitutes and those with low-income jobs. People seen as “disposable” and less likely to be missed or raise concern if they vanish. A sad reflection of reality, as women like this are regularly targeted by actual serial killers and sex offenders for such reasons.

Looking at our main protagonist, Carl Kolchak doesn’t really fit the mold of what we expect when we think of a hero fighting supernatural evils. He’s middle aged, not in the best shape, not gifted with amazing intelligence, and lacks any unique technology or powers of his own. He’s egotistical, short-tempered, and abrasive. He’s not above manipulating others if he thinks it will benefit him. Despite all these flaws, he has an unwavering commitment to the truth. If there’s a threat, Kolchak firmly believes the public has the right to be aware of it, and if no one else will address the problem then he knows he has to take matters into his own hands. Not hard to see why Chris Carter cited him as an inspiration for Fox Mulder. We also see a minor character arc showing Kolchak becoming a more noble figure. When he’s first brought onto the case he’s mainly interested in the vampire slayings as a way to get a major story that will boost his reputation. But as the bodies pile up and the true nature of Skorzeny’s menace is revealed, he realizes praise and fame are trivial compared to protecting others.

In regards to Kolchak’s casting, I don’t think anyone could have handled the role better than Darren McGavin. He absolutely nailed all of Carl’s facets, giving him a charming gruffness. Whenever he was cocky, aggressive, or reacting with righteous indignation, it all felt natural. He was a guy you might not necessarily like, but you had to at least respect. If you’re only really familiar with McGavin’s work from his role in “A Christmas Story”, definitely check out his performance here.

Moviefan12: I do agree with Jim’s point about the casting helping to raise the role to a great status which I believe should help the character of Kolchak to stand alongside contemporaries. For what it’s worth, there was a 2005 reboot of the series that went the pretty boy approach for Kolchak and decided to add bit of a brooding element with him trying to solve the murder of his wife which made it a bit more serialized.

Far be it from me to critique something that used this approach considering how much I love the CW Nancy Drew. It is something I’ve observed when doing the most cursory research on this series. Perhaps it’s because I’ve only seen this one movie but the idea of Kolchak looking conventionally handsome seems like an odd decision to me.

The casting of Darren McGavin in this role makes it a bit more believable as he looks like just a guy who is getting in over his head when going up our vampiric antagonist. IMO some of the best heroes in fiction are the ones who look like they have no clue what they are doing or what they are getting into. And this is the vibe I get with the McGavin iteration of the character.

Jim: Not going to touch on the remake as I barely saw any of it, but I will say a younger Kolchak isn’t necessarily a bad idea. The problem is that Stuart Townsend wasn’t really given the best material to work with and ended up being a rather generic tragic hero figure.

If a monster movie wants to have a strong impact then it needs a good monster, and we definitely get that with Janos Skorzeny. Played by veteran character actor Barry Atwater, this creature of the night is a far cry from the suave, charismatic portrayal as made famous by Bela Lugosi’s Dracula. Skorzeny is practically a wild animal, never speaking and attacking his victims with a feral brutality. And yet it’s implied that he isn’t just a mindless brute; he clearly has the intelligence to craft aliases for himself and use disguises to raid blood banks for additional sustenance. Of course that makes his murder spree even more chilling. He doesn’t have to kill to survive – he does it because he wants to. Skorzeny gets a sick thrill out of seeing his victims in terror before he exsanguinates them. He even keeps one poor woman a prisoner in his house, hooked up to surgical equipment to systematically draw blood from her. The poor soul subjected to this fate was the only one who tried to defend herself, suggesting that he’s punishing her for daring to resist. Skorzeny’s sadism makes him a truly disturbing threat.

Moviefan12: The fact that Skorenzy never talks makes him such an interesting threat as a vampire. As typically vampires are presented as charismatic creatures playing on charm. You can look from Dracula to Lestat to even this year’s Remmick to see that and the area of charm usually comes with the gift of gab.

But our creature of the night never speaks so he cannot rely on that particular gift of persuasion. Also as Jim has stated, this vampire is more like a wild animal and imo that is seen in his physical appearance that again goes the traditionally handsome look we see of vampires with him looking a bit rugged and worse for wear. In many ways, Skorenzy’s appearance reminds me more of the original Count Orlok with his animalistic looks then the handsome and sexy vampires. (Sorry thinking about Lestat). The idea of our vampire not being able to rely on charisma through speech or looks adds another interesting layer of how it shows much like our hero, the villain can be anyone.

Jim: Kolchak faces additional antagonism from the local law enforcement: Sheriff Warren Butcher (Claude Akins), police chief Ed Masterson (Charles McGraw), and DA Tom Paine (Kent Smith). They all have an pre-existing disdain for the reporter due to his habit of nosing in where they feel he shouldn’t get involved and asking questions they’d rather not answer, which is understandable. But when the manhunt for Skorzeny gets underway, they reveal how corrupt they truly are. As I mentioned in the summary, Vegas law is more concerned with making sure it and the city look good rather than keeping the public safe. They suppress information and enact strict media blackouts. To try and keep Carl in line, they pressure him with threats ranging from arrest to being run out of town. This would become another recurring motif in horror over the decades; the powers that be hiding all evidence of danger for the sake of political or economic benefits (see Jaws for the most prominent mainstream example)

Carl gets a lot of flack from his editor Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland) as well. They’ve got a very contentious working relationship, with Kolchak’s tendency to sensationalize the stories he’s working on bringing trouble to the paper on more than one occasion. Vincenzo first forces Carl to tone down or edit his stories to take out the more disturbing details out of fear this could happen again. As the vampire slayings escalate, though, he reveals that the main reason for wanting the reports toned down is out of legitimate concern for civilian safety. Unlike the police, Tony really does worry about the mass hysteria that could arise if people knew vampires were real. You may argue that his reasoning is wrong, but at least it’s motivated by genuine ethics and nothing self-serving.

Moviefan12: The antagonistic nature between our hero and the police adds another great angle to him as it makes him to the rest of the world seem I don’t know if kooky is the right word but perhaps off-kilter. It is at best tenuous and my friend pointed out, that is also true of his relationship with his editor-in-chief which in many ways reminds me of those cop shows where you had the cop that would go against the book with his chief getting fed up with his antics. It very much seems like that here as well. It’s such a great relationship between the two as it feels like they are always at each other’s throats.

Another great relationship I wanna focus on is that of his girlfriend Gail. It’s a very sweet relationship and Gail is the reason why Kolchak even starts to look in researching vampires. The few scenes they have together shows a sweet and caring relationship. It’s a shame they are torn apart after the mystery is wrapped up as they could’ve had a wonderful life. Heck, he even proposed to her but seeing as the feds didn’t want to go public with this story, Gail was considered a loose end that needed tying up. And honestly, that is such a shame as I would’ve like to have seen our hero get a happy ending but that really wasn’t in the cards t least pertaining to his romantic life.

Jim: I am glad you brought up Gail’s presence because I didn’t want people thinking that everyone else in the cast had an axe to grind with Kolchak. Gail Foster (Carol Lynley), casino worker and Carl’s girlfriend, is the strongest ally our put-upon reporter has. She’s there to offer support when he needs it, and as Rachel mentioned, the one who puts him onto the idea that Skorzeny may be an actual vampire. Her screentime is minimal, but she has a great impact. I also appreciated that she didn’t end up a damsel in distress at the end. Just a shame things didn’t work out for them.

Since it’s been brought up we might as well discuss the ending, spoiler warning for anyone who doesn’t want to know until after they’ve watched the movie. After following a lead to Skorzeny’s house, Kolchak encounters the vampire and the two fight. It’s an intense confrontation but Carl eventually overpowers the bloodsucker, driving a stake through his heart. However, he is not given a hero’s reward. The police won’t acknowledge that they encountered a real vampire, or that they were shown up by a civilian. They kill Carl’s story and force him to leave Vegas, threatening to charge him for murder if he ever tries to return or let the story about Skorzeny’s true nature lead. As a final insult, Gail is run out of town hours before him, making it unlikely they’ll ever encounter each other again.

This, sadly, is the pattern for all of Kolchak’s exploits, continuing in the sequel movie and TV series. No matter how many times he risks his life to stop a supernatural menace, his evidence is either destroyed or confiscated by the powers that be, the truth always suppressed. But he never gives up -after all, if he doesn’t put an end to these evils, who else will? I think that’s one of the reasons why Kolchak has endured for half a century. We admire those who stand up to forces greater than themselves to protect others. We certainly need more people like that right now.

Moviefan12: I’m glad you brought up how Gail was run out as it goes back to the well of how detective characters rarely get happy endings and alas that is the case with Carl here as well. Part of me thinks it’s a way to keep these detective types at bay never letting them get too close to anyone. Who knows?

This also ties into something Jim mentioned about how as much as Kolchak tries to expose the truth, his chances are always squashed. Think something like The X-Files which it very much feels like The Night Stalker had a major influence on future shows such as that. It’s a case of the main character knows the truth and so does the audience but no one will ever beleive him.

It’s a staple of genre fare at this point when we see something like this. Do I wish our main character could’ve had a happy ending? Sure but again, that’s not what happens in this genre typically. All he can have is the satisfaction of taking out our vampiric antagonist before he could prey upon anymore innocent women. Which again, Kolchak is not a traditional hero but heroes can come in all shapes and that’s one of the beauties of the mystery genre in how you don’t have to be a dreamboat to be a good detective.

Jim: Well said. I hope this discussion has helped some people discover the world of Carl Kolchak. If you’re interested in viewing his debut, I’ve provided a link to the movie on YouTube. Oh and Rachel, you might be interested in checking out the TV series. A few episodes feature John Fiedler, the voice of Piglet himself, in a recurring role.

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Jim Bevan

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