Oh, MB and Gerard,
You’ve cited one of my favorite 1970s horror films, “Blacula,” starring the late, distinguished Shakespearean
actor, William Marshall. I mean, after only one year after Dan Curtis had pulled the plug on the beloved “Dark Shadows,” we DS fans were somewhat provided with some consolation by the release of this terrific vampire film. “Blacula” did help to take away some of the sense of loss when DS went into daytime television history.
And, in addition, to Mr. Marshall, there were some other wonderful actors, who were just beginning their acting careers in this film, like Denise Nicholas, Vonetta McGee, the late Gordon Pinsent and the late Thalmus Rasulala as Dr. Gordon Thomas, an LAPD pathologist, who investigates the strange and grizzly murders in Los Angeles. Dr. Gordon Thomas reminded me both of psychic investigator Dr. Peter Guthrie and the redoubtable Professor T. Elliott Stokes on DS. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Rasulala in this exciting film because I had just seen him as El Gallo, the pirate/narrator, in the long-running off-Broadway musical, “The Fantasticks,” at the Sullivan Street Playhouse when Mr. Rasulala was then known professionally as Jack Crowder. Believe me, Mr. Rasulala could sing very well in addition to being a fine dramatic actor.
No doubt, Vicky, Carolyn, Mrs. Stoddard, Roger and, especially Burke Devlin, would have enjoyed watching Mr. Marshall at the Collinsport Cinema in his role as the distinguished Prince Mamuwalde, vampire extraordinaire!
