The Night Strangler

"The horror continues…"

1973 1h 30m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 85

TV MovieHorrorMysteryCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After being run out of Las Vegas, reporter Carl Kolchak heads for Seattle and another reporting job with the local paper. It's not long before he’s on the trail of another string of bizarre murders. It seems that every 21 years, for the past century, a killer murders a certain number of people, drains them of their blood, and then disappears into the night. Kolchak is on his trail, but can he stop him?

“The horror continues…”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Darren McGavin
Carl Kolchak
Jo Ann Pflug
Louise Harper
Simon Oakland
Tony Vincenzo
Scott Brady
Capt. Schubert
Wally Cox
Mr. Berry
Margaret Hamilton
Prof. Crabwell
Richard Anderson
Dr. Richard Malcolm
John Carradine
Llewellyn Crossbinder

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dan Curtis
Writers: Richard Matheson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

53 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Kolchak Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dan Curtis, shot by Robert B. Hauser. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bob Cobert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Folmar Blangsted shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Darren McGavin and Jo Ann Pflug and Simon Oakland carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The horror continues…".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dan Curtis directs. Robert B. Hauser behind the camera. Bob Cobert scores. Folmar Blangsted cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
253 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Kolchak Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Dan Curtis, shot by Robert B. Hauser. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Bob Cobert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Folmar Blangsted shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Darren McGavin and Jo Ann Pflug and Simon Oakland carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The horror continues…".
9IMDB entry: tt0069002 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 85 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert B. Hauser
Original score: Bob Cobert
Editing: Folmar Blangsted
Production design: Trevor Williams
Makeup / hair: William Tuttle
Stunt coordinator: Dick Ziker
Runtime: 90 min · 1h 30m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Night Strangler (1973)

Part of

The Kolchak Collection

Heroic newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak solves a series of mysteries.

Also by

Dan Curtis

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-07-28
★ 7.5/10
I just saw your "so-called killer" wipe up the street with your so-called police force! After the success the previous year of The Night Stalker, Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) returns for another feature film. The intrepid reporter with a quip on the lips and a disdain for the unbelievers in the suit wearing echelons, is now in Seattle and quickly realises that the current spate of killings are more than just the work of a serial killer. But can he convince the authorities of this? The formula is exactly the same here, Kolchak simultaneously locks horns with his editor and all the law enforcement people in his arc. He does a voice over for us, proves to be clearly better than the law officers in charge of the case, drops sarcasm as pearls of wisdom, and of course has charisma in abundance. The difference here is that the villain, elegantly played by Richard Anderson, has a voice, a sort of Count Dracula for the modern setting, a Eugene Tooms in embryonic form, he's a great villain and this in turn gives Kolchack more to get his teeth into. Of course the ending is never in doubt, but there's a whole bunch of fun and 70s style scares to enjoy during the ride. Joining the ever enjoyable McGavin are Jo Ann Pflug, Simon Oakland (again great foil for McGavin), Scott Brady, Wally Cox, Margaret Hamilton and John Carradine. A TV series would follow, such was the popularity of the character and its monster of the week formula, and it would influence none other than The X-Files some years down the line. Kolchack, legacy earned and warranted. 7.5/10
Wuchak2018-04-25
★ 7/10
Every 21 years a formidable strangler is on the loose in Seattle RELEASED TO TV IN EARLY 1973 and directed by Dan Curtis, "The Night Strangler" chronicles events in Seattle when the strangled bodies of several young women are found. Intrepid reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) discovers that the same kinds of murders occur every 21 years dating back to the late 1800s. Simon Oakland plays Kolchak’s bellowing boss while Jo Ann Pflug appears as a genial belly dancer who assists Carl. Scott Brady plays the police captain while Wally Cox is on hand as a helpful scribe. Richard Anderson has a key role. “The Night Strangler” was the follow-up to the highly successful “The Night Stalker” (1972) and led to a series that ran for one season from 1974-1975 (20 episodes), not to mention numerous Kolchak books. The two pilot movies are the best of the batch and established the template (formula) for the series and books. Like the first film, there’s a lot of intrigue, action, ravishing women, horror and suspense, plus a percussion-oriented jazzy score that’s even better. “The Night Strangler” adds a little effective comedy and the antagonist is more complicated. The underground lair is mysterious and the mummified family is creepy, but the details of the alchemist’s elixir and strategy seem contrived. It’s good to have Kolchak team-up with someone (cutie Pflug), which rarely happens in the ensuing series, but it was welcome when it did (“The Energy Eater” and “Demon in Lace”). There are a few peripheral beauties (Regina Parton, Nina Wayne and Francoise Birnheim), which the rest of the series mostly lacked, except for the debut episode, “The Ripper,” and "The Werewolf." Since this is a TV flick from the early 70s don’t expect much gore. THE MOVIE RUNS 90 minutes (with the original TV release more streamlined at 74 minutes) and was shot in Seattle and the Bradbury Building in downtown, Los Angeles, with studio work done at 20th Century Fox Studios. WRITER: Richard Matheson (teleplay) & Jeffrey Grant Rice (characters & formula). GRADE: B+