Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966, Chuck Courtney, John Carradine, Melinda Plowman) – Classic Movie Review 11,889

Director William Beaudine’s 1966 Pathécolor American horror vampire themed Western film Billy the Kid Versus Dracula stars Chuck Courtney as Billy the Kid, who is trying to save his fiancée Betty Bentley (Melinda Plowman) from Count Dracula (John Carradine). Dracula impersonates Betty’s dead uncle Mr Underhill and plots to make her his vampire bride.

The film was released in a double bill with Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter in 1966.

Each of the two films was shot in eight days in California’s Red Rock Canyon, at Corriganville Movie Ranch and at Paramount Studios in mid-1965 and they were the final features of director Beaudine, one of Hollywood’s most prolific directors.

The films were made by TV producer Carroll Case for Circle Productions and released by Joseph E Levine’s Embassy Pictures.

Principal photography began on June 22, 1965 and completed on July 9, 1965, with a budget surplus of $25,000. Assistant producer Howard W Koch Jr said they ‘were made as cheap as movies can be made.’

John Carradine recalled: ‘I have worked in a dozen of the greatest films, and I have worked in a dozen of the worst. I only regret Billy the Kid Versus Dracula. Otherwise, I regret nothing. My worst film? That’s easy, a thing called Billy the Kid Versus Dracula. It was a bad film. I don’t even remember it. I was absolutely numb!’

Curse of the Undead is another vampire themed Western.

The cast are Chuck Courtney as Billy the Kid (William Bonney), John Carradine as Count Dracula / James Underhill, Melinda Plowman as Betty Bentley, Virginia Christine as Eva Oster, Walter Janovitz as Franz Oster, Bing Russell as Dan “Red” Thorpe, Olive Carey as Dr. Henrietta Hull, Roy Barcroft as Sheriff Griffin, Hannie Landman as Lisa Oster, Richard Reeves as (saloon keeper Pete, Marjorie Bennett as Mary Ann Bentley, William Forrest as James Underhill, George Cisar as Joe Flake, Harry Carey, Jr as wagon master Ben Dooley, Leonard P. Geer as Yancy and William Challee as Tim.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,889

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John Carradine: ‘ I only regret Billy the Kid Versus Dracula.’