Saturday, October 19, 2019

Horror 2019 Countdown: Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966) dir. William Beaudine, Circle Productions



Moving back into Dracula proper, this time we have John Carradine returning to the role one last time and at the hands of William "One-Shot" Beaudine. What could go wrong?



We see the Count (Carradine) as he stalks a traveling Gypsy family, feeding on their daughter (Hannie Landman). He's driven off by her cross but he settles for hitching a ride on a passing stagecoach. Inside he meets a few stock Western characters, including a big city dude named Underhill. James Underhill (William Forrest) is heading out west to finally meet his niece who's never seen him.

When the coach stops for the night, Dracula ignores the passengers and instead feasts on one of the children of the nearby Indian tribe, prompting them to slaughter the coach and all passengers the next day.

Well, all except for one. Dracula made sure to take Underhill's papers and fly away before the attack, arriving in town at sundown. From there he makes his plots and plans.

Billy the Kid, presumably William Bonney, has reformed and works as a foreman at a local ranch. He's also engaged to Betsy Bentley (Melinda Plowman). Former fiancé and foreman Dan Thorpe (Bing Russell) is sore about both points and swears to bring trouble.

When word reaches about the coach attack, Billy rides into town and manages to find "Mr. Underhill" hale and hearty. From there Dracula sets his plans in motions. Can the deadliest gun alive stop something that's already dead?

Not the worst thing I've seen, even though Carradine didn't consider the film a particular career highlight. Cheap and convoluted (the only witnesses to the coach massacre are the same Gypsies from the opening) the premises manages to save the film but only barely.


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