JACK PALANCE
and DRACULA 1973
OBIT, REVIEW, and REMEMBRANCE



When I heard Jack Palance died this morning two things came to mind. Jack was that badass from Shane and, oh yeah, Jack was the guy that played Dracula back in 1973 ...

An instant replay of Palance running around some old mansion gasping and hissing leapt in front of my mind's eye. From what I can remember Dracula suffered from a low TV budget, uninspired costumes, bad editing, and cliches, but most oddly the act of choosing Jack Palance to portray Dracula. When I think of Palance I think of a man who fit perfectly into his western roles and wonderful supporting heavies, and I suppose for those same reasons the producers of Dracula 1973 thought Palance could pull off the Count. Yet, isn't that a bit like making Clint Eastwood play Dracula?

The result was pretty funny, and to Jack's credit he said he never watched the film.

However, there are some noteworthy items about D-73. Dan Curtis, famous for his TV vampire show Dark Shadows, directed Dracula 1973 for his Dan Curtis Productions. So he was no newcomer to blood and fangs. Also, and even more important as far as I'm concerned, Richard Matheson wrote the script! Also not a newcomer when it comes to blood and fangs on TV. Matheson brought us The Night Stalker and its sequel The Night Strangler.

So, in honor of the great Jack Palance who had the weavos rancheros to pull a big iron on Alan Ladd in 1953 and later win an academy award for playing a similar rough as last year's beef jerky cowboy in City Slickers (1991), I am going to purchase Dan Curtis's Dracula and give the film a long overdue second chance. If nothing else it will give me the opportunity to witness a standout actor break the bonds of his own stereotypes.

And yes, Jack, that took guts.

Rest in eternal peace or hurry up an incarnate back down here. You will be missed.


Bradley Mason Hamlin
Mystery Island, November 11, 2006






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