Nocturna

 

NOCTURNA: GRANDDAUGHTER OF DRACULA-1979-Count Dracula (John Carradine), now for some reason very old with fang dentures runs " Hotel Transylvania" to pay his taxes. He says things like "If I'm dead why do I have to wee wee". The desk clerk Theodore (Brother Theodore) is a werewolf who has the hots for the count's granddaughter Nocturna (Nai Bonet) who gives her father a cup of blood and dances with Jimmy (Antony Hamilton), a guy from a rock band who dances like a chicken having a spasm (and has a weird accent). After they have sex, Nocturna takes a nude bubble bath and thinks "I am a vampire. I have no reflection" while Theodore peeps. Later she tells her granddad she's fallen in love with Jimmy and is leaving for New York with him. She's invited (by Yvonne DeCarlo) to a meeting of the BSA (Blood Drinkers of America) moderated by a guy with a Boris Karloff type voice. They discuss the fate of the urban vampire. A pimp looking drug dealer RH Factor (Sy Richardson) offers blood that can be snorted like coke. "I'd rather suck than sort!". When a cop discovers the meeting, they all turn into bats and fly away. There's a long, time wasting disco dance scene and Nocturna and Jimmy smoke a joint. She tells him who she really is and turns into a bat. He thinks it's an hallucination because he's high. The count and Theodore go after her. 

This disco horror film is a terrible vanity production by star Bonet who was executive producer and provided the story. Her acting and the inane dialogue are the low points. Theodore is funny though in his over the top performance ("death to the happy"). 

Director Harry Hurwitz (using the name Harry Tampa) had made the adults only FAIRY TALES (with Bonet & Richardson) the year before. His first film had been THE PROJECTIONIST (with Chuck McCann) in 1970. Years later he made SAFARI 3000 with Christopher Lee and David Carradine). Former Hollywood scarlet (and TV's Lily Munster) DeCarlo was also in GUYANA: CULT OF THE DAMNED and THE SILENT SCREAM the same year.

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Happy Mother's Day

THE DEVIL BAT’S DAUGHTER-1946-A young woman named Nina (Rosemary La Planche; 1941's Miss America) is found unconscious on a country road after visiting the abandoned house of Dr. Paul Carruthers, the deceased mad scientist who once killed people with a giant bat. Local doctor Elliot (Nolan Leary) asks a successful psychiatrist Dr. Morris (Michael Hale) to help. It seems Nina is the daughter of Dr. Carruthers and Morris seems to know about her past. At night Nina runs away from the hospital and goes to Morris’ house for help after seeing a blurry vision of a giant bat. Morris isn't home but his wife Ellen (Molly Lamont) puts her to bed and calls Elliot. Morris isn't around because he’s on the town with his girlfriend Myra (thick accented Monica Mars). Morris kind of uses psychoanalysis to question her and she has trouble talking about dad. Finally she remembers that when her mother died everyone said dad killed her because he was a vampire. 

Later Ted (John James), Ellen’s son from a previous marriage returns from the army. Nina talks about a dream she has where her father is a bat and she becomes one too but all we see is a blurry picture of the original giant bat. Of course Nina and Ted fall in love and Ted proposes. Morris thinks Ted’s a bad influence in helping helping Nina get better and wants him gone. The shrink is obviously up to something. Morris accuses Nina of killing Ted’s dog and when Ellen winds up dead Nina confesses to the murder. A newspaper headline reads “Nina McCarron-Vampire?”. Eventually Ted exposes Morris who actually killed Ellen and somehow Carruthers is exonerated! 

This sequel to THE DEVIL BAT is only an hour but seems much longer. German born director Frank Wisbar made the spooky STRANGLER FROM THE SWAMP (also with La Planche) the same year.

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The Wild Weird West

BILLY THE KID VS. DRACULA-1967-Vampirism in the old west. The legendary count (a very skinny John Carradine) set his sights and fangs on early settlers and American Indians. After killing off passengers on a stagecoach, Drac assumes the identity of James Underhill and takes over the Double B Bar ranch where he takes a liking to his “niece” Betty (Melinda Plowman). Fortunately her fiance is Billy The Kid (Chuck Courtenay). The Count flies around like a bat and whenever he's ready to bite someone a red light engulfs his face. He says things like: “You clumsy idiot” and “How dare you interfere!”. After he kills a squaw, Indians go on the warpath. Virginia Christine plays Eva, a superstitious Swedish woman who tries to convince Billy Uncle James is really King of the Vampires. Bing Russell is stupid jealous ranch hand who aids Drac and Richard Reeves is a bartender. Harry Carey Jr. is also in it as is his real life mother Olivia. The atmospheric finale takes place in an old mine where Dracula plans to make Betty his un-dead companion. This is the penultimate feature length film for veteran director William "One Shot" Beaudine. For more on him and his last film credit, see the next entry!

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