Item: KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER (ABC/1974-1975) (1 Viewer)

[JohnHopper]

Kolchak keeps on provoking this new police head by giving her derogatory German monikers.

Carl Kolchak: “Whatever happened… to the sweet Irene Lamont that we all know and love, hmm? All those poor bums down in the press department are always singing that pretty refrain—[singing and playing the violin without it] Irene, Irene, the loveliest cop I’ve ever seen.”
Lt. Irene Lamont: “You don’t know how bad I can be.”
Carl Kolchak: “Oh, I got a pretty good idea, baby.”

 

[JohnHopper]

the wife of Darren McGavin playing the only female police head named Lieutenant Irene Lamont who first seduces the people and then reacts vividly against Kolchak and even defines his car as the Yellow submarine (Cf. The 1969 Beatles album)!

 

[JohnHopper]

In the tradition of Mission: Impossible, Kolchak is delivered in a shipping crate back to the underground storage vaults.

Furthermore, to illustrate the martial arrival of Colonel Brody’s men in the underground corridors, the music editor uses the dog tailing cue from The Devil’s Platform”.

 

[JohnHopper]

As in “Primal Scream”, the outcome takes place in a tunnel.

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Carl Kolchak talking to his tape recorder: “But if you’re in a subway… or a pedestrian tunnel underneath a ballpark, and you think you hear something moving in the walls, it may not be your imagination. Take my advice, don’t walk, run to the nearest exit.”

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[Matt Hough]

While there are recompenses (McGavin appearing with his real-life wife who is as tough or tougher with him than any of the male cops he's faced off against, good guest cast in other roles), this is the nadir of the series for me. It's clear by the halfway point that the monster wants its eggs back, and that's its motivation, and the monster is so slow and silly that there's no terror despite the desperate efforts to keep things dark and shuddery in those underground corridors. All that repetition of the fleeing cart is also obvious padding.

Clearly, McGavin was done with the show and this was a makeshift effort to get it over with (despite having a few more scripts that were never filmed). One of my all-time favorite shows goes out with a whimper.

 

[JohnHopper]

this is the nadir of the series for me. It's clear by the halfway point that the monster wants its eggs back, and that's its motivation, and the monster is so slow and silly that there's no terror despite the desperate efforts to keep things dark and shuddery in those underground corridors. All that repetition of the fleeing cart is also obvious padding.

Padding and repetition-wise, Kolchak keeps on coming and going in the corporate building.
At this stage, McGavin was doing McGavin to death. This is the companion piece to “The Energy Eater” in terms of cheapness and anemic script.

 

[JohnHopper]

TOP TEN KOLCHAK EPISODES
“The Ripper”
“The Vampire”
“Firefall”
“The Devil’s Platform”
“The Trevi Collection”
“Horror in the Heights”
“Demon in Lace”
“Legacy of Terror”
“Bad Medecine”
“The Werewolf”

 

[Matt Hough]

TOP TEN KOLCHAK EPISODES
“The Ripper”
“The Vampire”
“Firefall”
“The Devil’s Platform”
“The Trevi Collection”
“Horror in the Heights”
“Demon in Lace”
“Legacy of Terror”
“Bad Medecine”
“The Werewolf”

Great list! I am currently watching the Blu-ray episodes, and when I finally finish them (and their commentaries), I will compile my top ten list in order. I've been away from Kolchak for the last three days concentrating on Abbott and Costello.

 

[JohnHopper]

Great list! I am currently watching the Blu-ray episodes, and when I finally finish them (and their commentaries), I will compile my top ten list in order. I've been away from Kolchak for the last three days concentrating on Abbott and Costello.

I am eager to discover your top ten.

 

[JohnHopper]

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER • THE SCORES

INDEX OF COMPOSERS ONSCREEN CREDITS

Luchi de Jesus
“The Energy Eater”

Jerry Fielding (10)
“The Werewolf”
“Firefall”
“The Devil’s Platform”
“Bad Medicine” (stock)
“Mr. R.I.N.G.” (stock)
“Primal Scream” (stock)
“The Trevi Collection”
“Chopper” (stock)
“The Knightly Murders” (stock)
“The Sentry” (stock)

Greg McRitchie
“Horror in the Heights”

Gil Mellé (4)
“The Ripper”
“The Zombie”
“They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be...”
“The Vampire”

Notes
The onscreen credits for Jerry Fielding are doubtful and it seems he only writes four scores: “The Werewolf”, “Firefall”, “The Devil’s Platform”, “The Trevi Collection”. According to expert Jon Burlingame, Fielding writes music that is spread in seven episodes. That question of original music scores by Jerry Fielding remains without clear answers and only a release by a specialized soundtrack label will tell. According to David Dawidziak, music supervisor Hal Mooney also participated but never received any specific credits.

 

[JohnHopper]

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER • THE DIRECTORS

The Prolific Troika
Allen Baron (4) (“The Ripper”, “They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be…”, “The Werewolf”, “The Devil’s Platform”)
Alex Grasshoff (3) (“The Zombie”, “Bad Medicine”, “The Energy Eater”)
Don Weiss (4) (“The Vampire”, “Firefall”, “The Trevi Collection”, “Demon in Lace”)

The Returning Artisan
Don McDougall (2) (“Legacy of Terror”, “The Youth Killer”)

The Gifted Journeymen
Michael Caffey (“Horror in the Heights”)
Gordon Hessler (“The Spanish Moss Murders”)
Vincent McEveety (“The Knightly Murders”)

The One-Shot Mercenaries
Bruce Kessler (“Chopper”)
Gene Levitt (“Mr. R.I.N.G.”)
Seymour Robbie (“The Sentry”)
Robert Scheerer (“Primal Scream”)

Notes
During the regime of first producer Paul Playdon, only two directors participated: Allen Baron and Alex Grasshoff.

 

[JohnHopper]

the wife of Darren McGavin playing the only female police head named Lieutenant Irene Lamont who first seduces the people and then reacts vividly against Kolchak and even defines his car as the Yellow submarine (Cf. The 1969 Beatles album)!

 

[JohnHopper]

Episode #1
“The Ripper”

featuring: the INS mail boy (actor Robert Bryan Berger)

The Mail Boy: “Good morning, Miss Emily.”
Carl Kolchak: “Go play with your pimples.”

 

[JohnHopper]

Episode #1
“The Ripper”

Ron Updyke: “Hang in there... Hee Hee. Miss Emily. Hee Hee.”
Carl Kolchak: “Let it all hang out, Uptight.”
Ron Updyke: [Wheeling furiously] “Updyke!”
Carl Kolchak: “Certainly.”

 

[JohnHopper]

Episode #1
“The Ripper”

an undercover female cop named Officer Cortazzo posing as exotic masseuse Susan

 

[JohnHopper]

Episode #5
“The Werewolf”

First episode with Miss Emily that we briefly see in the snowy Chicago during Christmas time where we see additional employees of the I.N.S.

Tony’s tidbit: Tony is disguised as a cheap Santa Claus (just the white beard), cancels his vacation, has the flu and fears the arrival of the New York accountants.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Matt Hough]

Merry Christmas indeed! I'm up to episode 10 in my Blu-ray set, and boy do all the episodes (even the ones I'm not partial to) look wonderful. It was a GREAT Christmas present to myself!

 

[johnnybear]

Does anybody have a list of the Kolchak reruns on ABC in 75? I'd love to know as I collect info on rerun tv shows.
JB

 

[tsodcollector]

i've watch it on uncle earl's classic tv channel.and i also get at my local library.

 

[tsodcollector]

the tsod releases have gone out of print both were released in 2005 and 2017 respectivly maybe kino lorber might look into this 70's cult television series ,it would be great