Moviecut—The Vampire's Ghost

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The Vampire's Ghost

I have been a horror fan for over 40 years and until of last night I had never heard of this obscure little movie. Set in Africa (though the locals' American accents keep trying to break out) this is a simple story about nightclub owner and vampire Webb Fallon taking a fancy to an attractive young woman who is spoken for. Fallon is a cad but John Abbott's performance doesn't make for a very convincing vampire, not helped by the lack of bats, coffins and fangs, etc. Adele Mara as exotic dancer Lisa does compensate with a very sexy dance routine. Very low key entry in the vampire sub genre, not a good film but not a terribly bad one either and at an hour in length I found it to be an easy enough watch. I liked the Voodoo aspect, not on par with I Walked with a Zombie but those drums have rhythm none the less.

The film is very loosely from John William Polidori's novel "The Vampyre." In Africa the natives are full of superstitions and, not surprisingly, they are afraid of the undead. There is a 400 year old Vampire among them, Webb Fallon, who has grown tired of "living" his life alone and seeks a bride. The book was written before Bram Stoker wrote 'Dracula'. So it's nice to see a film that is based on an earlier Vampire story - even if it is very loosely based on the book. This is not a film you hear talked about often and is hard to find a copy of... so if you love Vampires and get a chance to see the film you should grab the opportunity - it's not a bad film. 7/10

In a small African port, a tawdry bar is run by a old man named Webb Fallon (John Abbott). Fallon is actually a vampire, but he is becoming weary of his "life" of the past few hundred years. This film has no one you ever heard of attached -- writer, director, actor, producer. It is completely without anyone worth mentioning. Yet, the film was well-made and looks crisp. Other films of the 1940s, with bigger stars, have not stood the test of time. This one has done so just fine. The story is actually pretty good, and although it is not given much time to develop, works well with the time it has. There are not many African horror films out there, let alone African vampire films... and being made in 1945, one could make an interesting point about colonization, too. I will not try, however.

I had never seen or heard of the Vampire's Ghost until I attended a Western film festival where Peggy Stewart was a guest star. She was a popular Western heroine at Republic, making films with Bill Elliott, Sunset Carson and Allan Lane. When they announced they were going to run it, she made a face and said, "Oh no, you're not." Peggy never attends screenings of her old films because it brings back memories that make her cry. She says she always recalls what went on behind the scenes and would rather talk with the fans. When I saw it, I recall one particular scene where she is supposedly walking in a trance. She had shoulder length hair and a beautiful face. It's no wonder her co-workers and fans love her. At the awards banquet, they presented her with a plaque which had the figure of a ghost on it. She got a big laugh out of that.

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.

Republic Studio known mostly for Serials and Westerns. Entered the Horror Genre at a Time when, Except for the Val Lewton Mini-Masterpieces, was Out-of-Favor. During the 1940's the Horror Film had Faded from its Universal Glory Days Overshadowed by Film-Noir and War Films. In this Off-Beat B-Movie a Vampire (John Abbot) is Residing in Africa and the Jungle Setting with the Beating of Drums, and Ever-Present Natives gives the Movie a Twist. There are a Few Touches that Stand-Out, like the Molten Silver-Tipped Spear, the Home-Dirt in a Small Box (not a coffin), a few Tricks with a Mirror, and a Rigged Rifle. A Bar-Room Brawl is Visceral with some Brutal Fisticuffs. A Sensuous Dance Performed by Peggy Stewart. It's a Sombre and Downbeat Tone Throughout with Abbott's 400 Year Old Vampire Eliciting some Empathy. A Sharp Crackerjack Ending. Definitely Worth a Watch for it is Quite a Different.

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.