Millionaires, vampire hunters, fathers, washed-up horror actors, archaeologists, voodoo kings and chainsaw wielding maniacs, each of these varied character types is found in the horror movies of 1974 as they encounter a monster or become the monster. Calvin Lockhart hosts a dinner party to uncover which of his guests is a werewolf in
Beast Must Die. William Marshall must save his daughter-in-law possessed by a West African Orisha in
Abby. Don Pedro Colley is Baron Samedi, the king of the undead, in
Sugar Hill which also stars Robert Quarry. Peter Cushing returns as both Baron Frankenstein in
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell and as Professor Van Helsing in
The Satanic Rites of Dracula, also starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, and
The Legend of The 7 Golden Vampires. Hammer Films also introduces Horst Janson as
Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter. Vincent Price returns to the screen as Paul Toombes in
Madhouse, also starring Peter Cushing. Larry Cohen casts John P. Ryan as the troubled father in
It’s Alive. Gene Wilder stars as Frederick Frankenstein creating his own Monster, Peter Boyle, with the help of hunchback lab assistant, Igor, Marty Feldman, in Mel Brook’s classic horror-comedy,
Young Frankenstein. And one of the most iconic horror monsters of the Seventies, Leatherface, is brought to life by Gunnar Hansen in Tobe Hooper’s
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It is a busy year for the Horror Icons of 1974 - here are six to remember.
CALVIN LOCKHART as TOM NEWCLIFFE in BEAST MUST DIE
Previously a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company of Stratford and a featured actor in many “blaxploitation” films of the Seventies such as
Cotton Comes Harlem (1970),
Melinda (1972) and
Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Calvin Lockhart stars in Paul Annett’s
Beast Must Die as millionaire Tom Newcliffe. Inviting together a small group of suspects to his private and secluded estate, Newcliffe reveals that one is a werewolf and must be eliminated. Confining his guest to the estate and grounds, he begins to test each one in order to deduce who is the beast. Meanwhile the trapped guests become victims of the werewolf’s attacks until Lockhart finally confronts the creature. Lockhart’s Newcliff is a driven, obsessed man, focused solely on uncovering the truth no matter the cost. Later, when his wife is stricken with the werewolf “disease,” he becomes emotional and careless, allowing himself to be bitten by the werewolf during their final confrontation. It’s a strong role, requiring a strong presence to which Lockhart is more than capable of commanding. Calvin Lockhart returns to the genre in
Predator 2 (1990) as King Willie, but is best known for roles such as Biggie Smalls in Sidney Poitier’s
Let’s Do It Again (1975).
HORST JANSON as KRONOS in CAPTAIN KRONOS, VAMPIRE HUNTER
German film and television actor, Horst Janson, made relatively few English language films throughout his career. Continuing their ambitious attempts at creating new, original gothic horror films, Hammer Films cast Janson as the title character in
Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter. A former soldier and master swordsman, Captain Kronos is now a renowned vampire hunter summoned to a small English village by old friend, Dr. Marcus (John Carson). Accompanied by his trusted assistant, Professor Hieronymus Grost (John Cater), and their new found companion, Carla the gypsy girl (Caroline Munro), Kronos travels to the village and begins to suspect the regal Durward family. The film fails in its attempt at a new horror franchise. While given a remarkably original and unique character, Janson fails to give the character the same spark Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee gave their creations years prior. Perhaps due to the changing climate found in theatrical horror during the Seventies, Captain Kronos never finds its audience even if it is an entertaining but somewhat underwhelming entry into horror. It also suffers from trying to be too much, bringing in swashbuckling, comedy, mystery and other elements. Even so, Janson creates a memorable character and works well alongside Cater’s Grost making an interesting and compelling team.
JOHN P. RYAN as FRANK DAVIS in IT”S ALIVE
For most of his career John P. Ryan portrays either the bad guy or tough police officers, but Larry Cohen cast him as the warmhearted father in
It’s Alive. As Frank Davis, he is expecting his second child along with his wife Lenore (Sharon Farrell); however, the child is born monstrously deformed with fangs and claws. Immediately, the baby reacts to the doctors as threats, slaughters everyone except his mother in the delivery room and then escapes. Soon after, Frank Davis storms into the room to find the carnage and bloodshed. It’s a devastating scene and sets the tone for Frank for the rest of the film as he comes to terms with what his baby has become; at first denying the baby is his and even joining the hunting party tracking the monster child. Later, however, Frank realizes the child is only frightened and simply reacting to his surroundings. He tries to save the child by escaping into the sewers but is cornered by armed police. John P. Ryan returns as Frank Davis in the sequel,
It Lives Again (1978) as he begins to help three other families whose children are also stricken with similar deformities. Ryan never makes as strong an impact in horror again, but does appear in genre films such as
Futureworld (1976) and
Class of 1999 (1990).
PETER CUSHING as PROFESSOR LAWRENCE VAN HELSING in THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES
Throughout Hammer’s horror history, Peter Cushing (along with Christopher Lee), is the flagship actor, top-billing many of its successful films and franchises. In 1974, Peter Cushing’s final Hammer films finally see release. Peter reprises his breakout role of Baron Victor Frankenstein for one last time in
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, filmed in 1972 but released in May of 1974. He would also reprise his Van Helsing roles, both Professor Lawrence Van Helsing in
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires and Lorrimer Van Helsing, introduced in
Dracula AD 1972, in
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (filmed in 1973 and then released in January of 1974). The latter would be the last time Christopher Lee would star as Count Dracula. The former finds Cushing traveling in China and crossing paths once again with Count Dracula, this time in league with the legendary Golden Vampires. Van Helsing, and his son Leyland (Robin Stewart), team up with Hsi Ching (David Chiang) and his six kung-fu brothers to destroy vampires terrorizing a local village. Peter Cushing also stars alongside Vincent Price and Robert Quarry in
Madhouse this same year and in
The Beast Must Die. A few years later, he stars as Grand Moff Tarkin in
Star Wars (1977).
GENE WILDER as DR. FREDERICK FRANKENSTEIN in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Comedian Gene Wilder teams up with reverent director Mel Brooks to create the king of parodies,
Young Frankenstein. Wilder pulls double duty on the film both writing the screenplay with Brooks and starring as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the infamous mad scientist. When he learns that he has inherited the family estate in Transylvania, Frederick travels abroad to the castle and meets a deranged supporting cast of characters: Teri Garr as Inga, Marty Feldman as Igor and Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher. After discovering his grandfather’s hidden study and private library, he decides to pick up where his grandfather left off and recreate the monster (Peter Boyle). Hilarity ensues. Wilder, coming off a string of hits such as
The Producers (1968),
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and
Blazing Saddles (1974), is charismatic and comfortable in the role of Frederick Frankenstein, creating one of his most memorable performances that, along with his script, reveal a loving tribute to the classic Universal Horror films of the 30’s and 40’s. Sticking to comedies and dramas throughout his career, Wilder returns to the genre (of sorts) to send up Gothic chillers with
Haunted Honeymoon (1986), directing and writing the feature as well.
DON PEDRO COLLEY as BARON SAMEDI in SUGAR HILL
Familiar and recognizable character actor, Don Pedro Colley, provides an entertaining and amusing Baron Zamedi, Lord of the Dead, in Paul Maslansky’s
Sugar Hill. Summoned by Diana “Sugar” Hill (Marki Bey) and voodoo queen Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully), Colley’s Baron Samedi is compelled to help Hill in avenging her fiancée’s murder. In exchange for her soul, Baron Samedi raises his army of zombies, providing Sugar Hill the means to enact her revenge. Colley’s tall, lanky build and expressive features, combined with a costume complete with top hat, make for a perfect Baron Samedi. When Colley is on screen, he steals the show and is enormously fun to watch. Previously seen in
Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) as Ongaro, one of the subterranean mutants, Don Pedro Colley returns to the genre in the little seen 1995 remake of
Piranha and is better known for a wide variety of TV guest appearances.
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