Supernatural Stalkings

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975)

Long after Dracula ran afoul of Dr. Van Helsing and well before Buffy was snuffing out legions of the undead, there was newshound Carl Kolchak, who was both chasing the story and being chased by it. As played by Darren McGavin, Kolchak was essentially a preview of Fox Mulder as a pushy news reporter, one who was always investigating gruesome crimes and oddball phenomena while keeping a hectic collection of occult creatures at bay. The character’s first appearance was in an unpublished 1970 novel, The Night Stalker by Jeffrey Grant Rice. Next came McGavin in a wildly popular 1972 telefeature adaptation scripted by Richard Matheson, produced by Dan Curtis, and directed by John Llewellyn Moxey. Seizing the moment, Rice quickly tossed together a 1973 followup novel, The Night Strangler. This too was shot for the tube, with Matheson again in charge of the script, Curtis this time both producing and directing, and McGavin reclaiming what would be his most recognized role. And of course there was the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, launched during the 1974-75 season. It lasted for only twenty episodes but was a huge happening for youngsters of the day. One of its most ensnared followers was Chris Carter, who cites it as his primary inspiration in creating The X Files.

Darren McGavin as crusading reporter/monster exterminator Carl Kolchak in the episode “Demon in Lace,” with Teddy Blue as the creature of the week.

After many years away from the series, it’s a pleasure to find that Kolchak: The Night Stalker has kept its ironic edge, its dark mirth, and that devilish little shiver that ran through its best moments. The stories are, more than anything, paranormal detective tales, and the viewer is often put in an omniscient position–we frequently know what Kolchak is hunting before he does. But from case to case he proves to be the ultimate news hound. Never content to cover the usual crimes and scandals, Kolchak is at his wireman best when investigating the darkest corners of the universe and the factual fragments within our superstitions. His discoveries never go public, of course; the body politic is quick to camouflage whatever he’s unearthed, and so the show developed its own supernatural slant on governmental manipulation and society’s fear of the truth. (These, of course, became ruling themes of The X Files.) This depiction of a duplicitous, untrustworthy world gave Kolchak’s adventures an especially contemporary hum; Watergate was then on everyone’s lips and political paranoia was becoming an established topic in mainstream movies like Executive Action (1973), The Parallax View (1974), and Three Days of the Condor (1975).

In “The Devil’s Platform” Kolchak finds himself on the trail of a corrupt politician (Tom Skerrit) who uses the powers of darkness to achieve his career ends.

Considering how influential the series has been, it’s surprising to find that very few of those involved made their names in horror, fantasy or science fiction productions. The sole director in the horror category is Gordon Hessler (The Oblong Box, Cry of the Banshee) who helmed one of Kolchak’s better cases, “The Spanish Moss Murders.” The only other names of note with fantasy associations are Hammer films veteran Jimmy Sangster, who scripted a winner, “Horror in the Heights,” and, in a pre-Back to the Future teaming, Robert Zemekis and Bob Gale, who wrote one of the sillier episodes, “Chopper” (featuring a headless biker).

One of the most inviting elements of Kolchak’s otherworldy adventures is the diversity of mythologies and superstitions. In the episode “Legacy of Terror,” he uncovers an Aztec cult with a penchant for human sacrifice and reviving the dead.

The show has its limits here and there. On several occasions the monsters fail to convince; a few stories sputter out rather than wind up; and some have gaping loopholes. (What would prompt a vampire to choose a hideaway with a 20-foot crucifix nearby? Why does the goddess Hecate wait so long to punish a bungling acolyte? How does a mildewed zombie ride a public bus and escape notice?) But overall, Kolchak: The Night Stalker packs a good deal of fun, and it’s easy to see why it enjoys such a popular legacy. It taps into a number of different mythologies (Aztec, Greek, Hindu, et cetera), keeping it fresh and surprising. The dialogue often has a spiky comic thrust, and Kolchak’s voice-over narration carries a welcome whiff from the pulpiest days of gumshoe fiction. Regular cast members—Simon Oakland as the blustering editor Vincenzo, Jack Grinnage as snooty reporter Ron Updike, and Ruth McDevitt as the lovelorn columnist Emily Cowels—are snugly cast, and the guest stars are a who’s who of some of the sharpest character players of the day. Among the many to watch for are Tom Skerrit, Carolyn Jones, John Dehner, Nita Talbot, Hans Conried, Jeanne Cooper, Nina Foch, Mary Wickes, Robert Emhardt, James Gregory, Henry Jones, Murray Matheson, Henry Beckman, Andrew Prine, Pippa Scott, Virginia Gregg, and Keenan Wynn.

Always prepared to stamp out a paranormal threat to humanity, Kolchak stakes a vampire before a gigantic crucifix set aflame.

The entire series is unquestionably a grand slam for Darren McGavin, whose vigorous performance holds even the slighter episodes together. Kolchak, in his straw porkpie hat and seersucker suit, is a blend of the wisecracking reporters of old newspaper comedies like The Front Page and the prototypical loose cannon crusader who calls into question the very rules of existence. Like most obsessive personalities, Kolchak never gives up and remains a perennial outsider (which may have been a significant part of his appeal to teenagers, the show’s main audience during its initial run). McGavin plays the role as if born to it, embodying both hardboiled heroism and rumpled comic relief without the two canceling each other out. He carries the series on his tense, tired shoulders, episode to episode, creature to creature. For a brief but memorable season, he and his collaborators made monster hunting one of television’s most diverting sports.