Samhain Project 5: Starsky & Hutch: S2 E7: Vampire

I have an extremely early childhood memory that takes place in my first homestead, 12th Street in Somers, Wisconsin.  Sort of an old Burb, but "out in the county" of Kenosha, Wisconsin.  A bit of a rurality.  I love that little burg.  Its own post office.  Its own "crick" behind it where the weed happened.  A scary Boo Radley residence that resided right in the middle of it all (and according to Google Earth, it's still there), and train tracks on the town's edge adjacent to the hair styling joint. 

And there was the Somer Superette.  That deserves detail, and I have it here: Superette. 

That memory I speak of entails me watching an episode of Starsky & Hutch that aired around Halloween.  I remember sneaking into my parents room to turn it on, and watchng it on their little Admiral black & white television.  (If you're interested, a picture of that sucker is part of the graphic for my blog segment Movies I stayed up late for.). And I remember running from the room as a vampire ran across a parking garage to accost an unsuspecting victim.

What was this shit?  At that age, I loved Starsky & Hutch!  I wasn't supposed to be frightened by it. 

You know, in a weird way, the show still holds up a bit.  Despite the corny disco-styled music and clothes (it was the 70's!) it works fairly well as a detective procedural with plenty of action.  Also Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul had a fair amount of chemistry as they solved crimes in the big city.  Driving around in that badass Ford Gran Torino. 

But a vampire?  Seems women in our intrepid detectives town are being killed and drained of their blood.  One being the sister of a very young Suzanne Somers. (Somers?).  Colleen Camp as well as MASH and Police Academy vet G.W. Bailey (Rizzo to those in the know) appear in this episode too. I think Colleen Camp did a spin in a Police Academy movie as well, now that I think of it.  It's fun to watch people doing early work as their careers are just starting to get off the ground. 

Guess who the vampire is, though?

John Fucking Saxon, that's who! Yes, THE John Saxon.  One of the busiest actors for decades in television, and big and low budget features alike.  John Saxon, Bruce Lee's sidekick in Enter the Dragon!  John Saxon of the 1974 TV movie Planet Earth.  John Saxon, Nancy's dad in A Nightmare on Elm Street!  John Saxon of Mitchell fame!  The dude was a Golden Globe nominee for The Apaloosa!

A vampire in Starsky & Hutch. 

Hollywood is a weird ass place man.