The Vampire's Ghost

Last night we watched a 1945 film called 'The Vampire's Ghost'. It was a pick we found included on our Amazon Prime instant video membership. With a name like that I was not expecting much from the film. Instead it turned out to be a very entertaining and offbeat vampire story. It was made by Republic Pictures yet had beautifully artistic B/W cinematography reminiscent of the Universal Horror films of that same time. The title character was played by John Abbott. He will be familiar to fans of the original Star Trek series who remember the episode 'Errand of Mercy'. Mr. Abbott played the vampire as sympathetic and likable at times, unique for Vampire characters of that decade. They were usually more sinister. Still he was a pitiless monster and evil. The film is only about 59 minutes long. At the end I found myself wishing it was longer. I recommend this to fans of 1930 and 40s horror films. I give it a 7 out of 10 rating.

I've wanted to see this movie for many years, ever since I read that Leigh Brackett had written the script for it. And, now that I have, I'm pleased to find out that it was worth the wait. Produced cheaply, by a second (or even third) rate studio, it replaces budget with story and characterization. John Abbott's Web Fallon (possibly the first sympathetic and world-weary vampire portrayal in the movies), harks back to John Polidori's Lord Ruthven (and Rymer's Sir Francis Varney) as his antecedents, and not the classic Stoker/Lugosi Dracula--one of the very few times the big screen has acknowledged there were literary vampires before Stroker.

It's too bad this one has basically slipped between the cracks and has become almost impossible to find.

Vampire's Ghost is one of those gems that pops up now and again among the old B's. The vampire is multi-dimensional rather than unmitigated evil. There are some metaphysics mixed into the story. If you find this one on late night cable give it a watch.

Republic Pictures cranked out a ton of "B" pictures in virtually every genre during the 1940s, many of which were (at best) barely watchable. There were, however, any number of mystery and horror titles which rose above the typical meager standards and achieved a special kind of wonderfulness all their own. One such example is THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST, a low budget horror film written by the legendary science fiction and horror scribe Leigh Brackett. The tale benefits from the exotic locale of an African plantation with the peculiarly mannered John Abbott starring as Webb Fallon, a centuries old vampire now living in Africa running a seedy saloon. The incidents in the film are quite unusual, most notably an exotic dance performed by Adele Mara in Fallon's saloon. A strange and atmospheric little gem that should appeal to fans of esoteric "B" films. Disregard all of the wrong-headed and annoyingly condescending critical evaluations in the conventional film guides (Leonard Maltin, John Stanley, etc); this film is definitely worth your time and attention.

John Abbott plays Webb Fallon, a centuries-old vampire currently earning a living as a dive owner in an African locale called Bakunda. Coinciding with his arrival is, of course, the expected outbreak of curious murders. The heroes don't put two and two together right away, but they DO figure him out, and head into the heart of the jungle, while he attempts to obtain a female companion for his further journeys through the years.

"The Vampire's Ghost" is more intelligently handled than some films of its type, no doubt the result of the craftsmanship of the celebrated Leigh Brackett, who co-wrote the script based on her own original story. Still, it can't help but spend some time going over some of the standard rules involving vampires, with which so many people are familiar by now.

Although a low budget production (you never do believe that the sets and actors are actually in Africa), the filmmakers, led by director Lesley Selander, make up for this with a presentation that is dependent on mood and characterization. Like many an old-school horror film, it relies on suggestion and subtlety. All we need to see are the frightened reactions of various victims. Abbott, whose buggy eyes are hard not to fixate upon, gives people such a cold stare that they meekly submit to his presence. This, even though he's not a particularly intimidating specimen physically.

The cast is good overall - Charles Gordon as the young hero, the pretty Peggy Stewart (who's still alive and still working) as the leading lady, Grant Withers as a helpful priest, Emmett Vogan as Stewarts' father, the stunning Adele Mara (whose exotic dance is a highlight), and Roy Barcroft as an unlucky gambler / skipper. But Abbott tends to command most of the attention, giving a performance that is world-weary and somewhat sympathetic. Webb doesn't particularly care for his continued, haunted existence.

This viewer didn't think the pacing was that tedious; the film maintained his interest for a modestly enjoyable experience running only an hour long.

Seven out of 10.