Kolchak Begins His Career of Investigating the Unbelievable with "The Night Stalker"- Tonight!

Posted on September 21, 2024

Saturday night on MeTV- we have what one might consider the origin story of a favorite reporter character who somehow always ends up pursuing the truth about something deadly from the realm of the supernatural. It’s the starting point that led to the beloved series that airs late night on our “Super Sci Fi Saturday Night”- the made-for-TV movie that introduced us to Carl Kolchak, who’s out to convince authorities that they are dealing with a Vegas vampire- the “Night Stalker”!

This very first Kolchak story has the reporter, who has a record of being fired from any number of newspapers, covering the news in Las Vegas- when some mysterious deaths occur- in which the young female victims have been drained of their blood! Kolchak thinks the murderer is someone who believes he is a vampire, but his irascible managing editor Tony Vincenzo will not let him write anything to that effect without proof! Carl finds it suspicious that the local police authorities, the district attorney and even the FBI seem to be covering up facts on the murders.

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After a bizarre raid on a hospital’s blood bank, where Kolchak actually encounters the murderer, there is finally a description of the killer-revealed to be someone suspected of being involved in homicides with losses of blood- dating back for several years. Kolchak pushes the story that the killings are being done by a super powerful madman, and while Tony insists the story could cause a panic among the populace, the authorities also want to keep things quiet, but promise Carl that, if he cooperates, he will have exclusive rights to the story- but- will they honor that deal?

Things get intense when Kolchak finally discovers the lair of the blood-sucking suspect- and it becomes a deadly battle of man versus monster!

This 1972 Dan Curtis production sets the stage for the sequel movie “The Night Strangler”, set in Seattle, which was followed by the TV series starring Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland. We’ll talk about the origins and background of the Kolchak character and his subsequent appearances- introduce the rest of the cast-including Carol Lynley- and - bring you a song with Doug Graves and Anita X. Orcist, as well as a musical visit from the gorgeous Gwengoolie- some “Svensurround”- and an interview with an amazing stuntman who has played Michael Myers- and was the stunt double for Kurt Russell!

“The Night Stalker” appears tonight on MeTV at 8pm eastern/pacific, and 7pm central time. As always, you can join in on the live-Tweeting during the show on Twitter- make sure you use the hashtag #svengoolie in your Tweets! (And, of course, you can catch Carl Kolchak in his own series right after “Star Trek” tonight on MeTV!) Chicago area viewers can get an encore of “The Incredible Shrinking Man” at 11 am on WCIU- the U!

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We have gotten a great response to the latest artist series merchandise- which just happens to display a “Too Drawn Out” puzzle drawn by yours truly! We also want to remind you that the next Svengoolie comic book will be coming out on Oct.2- make sure to get yours before they are sold out-and, again, even more special Sven anniversary merchandise will be revealed soon! Also, be checking our “appearances” tab on this website for upcoming personal appearance events – including Joe Bob Briggs’ “World Drive-In Jamboree” in Las Vegas!

Tonight- watch the chilling tale from the days when newsprint was not considered dead- but vampire victims definitely were!

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2773 Comments

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Svenboy 2 months ago
Thanks Sven blog for your kind words and words of encouragement!😀it definently has been rough lately-first my cataract then my grandma being placed on hospice with three months to live and now the eviction notice. I am trying to stay optimistic and hopefully become stronger because of this😀. I love you all and will keep you all posted! Looking forward to tonight’s movie!😀
Duhlmann0406 2 months ago
Bill K is in New York this weekend, watching the Yankees-Orioles series, so he has asked me to post his movie review for him. As always, it's a goodie! Enjoy!


Good Evening, Everyone:

“I've read some of the stuff about Time with a capital T, and I don't say I understand it too well. But I know Einstein or somebody compares Time to a winding river, and says we exist as though in a boat, drifting along between high banks. All we can see is the present, immediately around us. We can't see the future just beyond the next curve, or the past in the many bends in back of us. But it's all there just the same. There—countless bends back, in infinite distance—lies the past, as real as the moment around us.”

Our seeming tribute to Dan Curtis Productions continues with another “Made for TV Movie”. Those expecting “Trilogy of Terror” with a tour de force performance by an actor pulling three pieces together, will be disappointed. The pieces in “Dead of Night” are too disparate to share any common thread – and that is it’s intention. “As a narrator informs us: “...Dead of Night has nothing to do with time…..it is a state of mind which can happen...anytime”. We are then offered tales of…..”mystery, imagination and terror”. Imagination does have to do with time, and the car in which time travel takes place, has the best lines and pedigree!

“Well, I'll join Einstein and the others with a notion of my own; just a feeling, actually, hardly even a thought. I wonder if we aren't barred from the past by a thousand invisible chains. You can't drive into the past in a 1957 Buick because there are no 1957 Buicks in 1923; so how could you be there in one? You can't drive into 1923 in a Jordan Playboy, along a four-lane superhighway; there are no superhighways in 1923.”

“DoN”’s stories are all screenplays by Richard Matheson,with the first being an adaptation of a short story by Jack Finney, “Second Chance”, which he wrote in 1956, one year after penning “The Body Snatchers” (made into “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” in 1956, as well). In 1970, he will write a second sci-fi classic: “Time and Again”. As for Matheson, his “Bid Time Return” was published in 1975 and would be made into “Somewhere in Time” five years later. Both stories dealt with the mental aspects of time travel. When a man buys a dilapidated 1923 Jordan Playboy, he learns the original owner (and his fiancee) died in it trying to outrun a train. He restores the car and drives to a nearby town, the one where the incident occurred. The car, meantime, has transported them back to the night it actually happened.

“Second Chance” could have easily been extended to feature length and stood on its own. One bit of business cut short was Ed Begley’s Frank Cantrell being offered the chance to meet his father (who was nine years old at the time). The remaining stories (“No Such Thing As a Vampire” and “Bobby”) are morality tales with an ironic twist at the end). For some reason, I could see these two beginning life on the pages of an EC Comic Book.

For those of You who, for one moment, thought Sven/Rich might have gotten the old, classic
1945 Ealing version of this title, “Bobby” comes the closest to having been inspired by the original story” as it is the story of a dead child, returning to the house in which he was born and interacting with the living.

Spoiler alert: It’s all in the titles!


Jack Duhlmann0406 2 months ago
Yankees-Orioles?
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Svenboy 2 months ago
Thanks so much blog friend! How have you been?
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Mikeyyy 2 months ago
Hmm not many quotes in this one to pick from
Katink Mikeyyy 2 months ago
This is a tough one, Mikeyyy!
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Catbat 2 months ago
Fantastic!
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Catbat 2 months ago
Cool! Thanks BEATNGU2!
The1Butler 2 months ago
Killing time with Dracula's KFT .
The1Butler 2 months ago
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The1Butler 2 months ago
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BEATNGU2 2 months ago
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Mamootsa 2 months ago
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PatS BEATNGU2 2 months ago
No fangs?? Awww it's a gyp!
1MikeM BEATNGU2 2 months ago
Drac is angry that KFC watered down the gravy!
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Svenboy 2 months ago
Ah. Thanks so much! That is so sweet of you! Hope all is well with u!😀
Cartoondave 2 months ago
Well goodnight y'all I'm really tired from the ride up here in laconia New Hampshire and good luck to first blogger I think I've got my bets on Howard abc123 or Mikeyyy if he's got power?
Mikeyyy Cartoondave 2 months ago
My power is back on.
Svenboy 2 months ago
I was given my 30 day eviction notice on sept 24. It’s a bunch of nonsense and too Much to list here. My regional center case worker already found me a new place to live in la habra and am in the process of scheduling a tour. It’s like 21 mins or so away from Knotts so that’s good. My nurse friend Jayson who works at the place who is my age considers me a brother and still wants to be friends and do Knotts etc and visit at the new place. It’s the owners That want me gone- not the staff. Staff has no say really.
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Mikeyyy Svenboy 2 months ago
Good vibes Svenboy Keep on smiling!
Svenboy Thereman 2 months ago
I will keep you posted ! Thanks for the support!😀
Svenboy Mikeyyy 2 months ago
Thanks so much! I greatly appreciated if!😀i love all of my sven blog family!😀
Svenboy Aceman2 2 months ago
Thanks so much for the encouragement’😀much Appreciated! Trying to stay positive in this trying time!😀
Klaatu 2 months ago
For all those who love NY, here’s a movie that is delightfully horrible. Please never show this on Sven😖
Quizzical 2 months ago
Oh what a shame! I was looking forward to "Dead of Night" which is a celebrated example of supernatural British cinema. The final ventriloquist story with Michael Redgrave is easily the highlight and it has been often imitated. As it turns out, this is not the same film that will be shown tomorrow.
PARANORMA 2 months ago
And for Pt. 1 of today's "As If We Care"... Finished off yesterday with a few more of those 1949 "Suspense"s, including two more with Karloff. Bonus, sorta, Bela in a version of "Cask of Amontillado" updated to WWII Italy. Interesting idea, just a pity about the lack of time and a budget of about $0.12 (adjusted for inflation). He gave quite a good performance as Fortunato, though.
Quizzical PARANORMA 2 months ago
Reportedly, Bela Lugosi suffered for his art as the Poe adaptation required him to repeatedly descend a set of stairs. His sciatica must have been given him fits.
PARANORMA Quizzical 2 months ago
Apparently it was only made to look that way. Space & money, he and his costar ended up just going round the same little set of circular steps, camouflaged by camera angles. Still, it was an active enough role to give a twinge or two, I'd think.
Mikeyyy 2 months ago
Well I spoke To soon, power just went out a lil while ago.
Cartoondave Mikeyyy 2 months ago
Oh no hope it's on again before new blog
Cartoondave 2 months ago
Is Jughead Jones's hat a porkpie?
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Engineer_Poelzig Jack 2 months ago
Original 1940s Whoopee Cap / Goober Pyle Hat and vintage buttons.
I need to get one of those ceramic phrenology heads to rest it on...
Jack Engineer_Poelzig 2 months ago
Mega cool!!! The “button” molded on top and ribs suggest that this whoopee cap was molded on a form for military/police felt summer helmets or a riding helmet. Unless the burgundy color is left over from a faded black dye, I’d lean towards the riding helmet origin. I especially love the three buttons on the right—Robert Mitchem, William Bendix, and Veronica Lake! So very cool! Thanks!
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Jack 2 months ago
One of _The Magical Mystery Tour_’s tie-ins to horror: Ringo’s Aunt Jessie was played by Jessie Robins. That same year, she had played Rebecca, the wife of the Jewish vampire Yoyne Shagal in _The Fearless Vampire Killers_.

I’m wondering why that whole thread was removed, as there is a horror connection, and NoPersonalChicks mentioned merch in the MeTV store.
Thereman 2 months ago
Far be it from me to question the motivations of management! (Even though I do)
Aceman2 2 months ago
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
-- Benjamin Franklin
Klaatu Aceman2 2 months ago
Unless your “knowledge” makes you drive into 4 feet of rain flood and you need to be rescued 😳😖.
Aceman2 Klaatu 2 months ago
How true. My BIL just discovered that hurricanes in FL can lead to flooding and a Corvette with an onboard pool
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