MYSTERY IN DRACULA'S CASTLE (1973)

 VIC CRUME VIC CRUME VIC CRUME! 

You know, even though I never had nor ever read the novelization of this made-for-TV Disney movie (split into 2 parts on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY), I was well aware of the book in the Scholastic Books catalogue we got every month in school.  And yes, to the best of my knowledge, I never saw the movie either when it was broadcast in 1973!  So here I am, 142 years old on this year's COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN and I'm finally getting around to watching it.  Maybe I'll find a cheap paperback of the book on etsy or something?  I'll tell you I DO have Vic Crume's paperback THE GHOST THAT CAME ALIVE which I did manage to buy from Scholastic Books back around the same time.  So that's something, right???

So all of this blather has nothing to do with the movie we're considering here today.  Oh wait, it has EVERYTHING to do with it.  Since all these reasons were why I was dying to see this flick for the last 100 years -- and you couldn't get it anywhere.  Still, THE MYSTERY IN DRACULA'S CASTLE has no release!  Sheesh!  Anyway, Alfie and Leonard Booth (Johnny Whitaker and Scott C. Kolden respectively) and their author-mother Marsha (Mariette Hartley) go off to the beach for the summer where she can get some writing done and Alfie can film his amateur Dracula movie starring Leonard as the Count.  The boys discover upon moving into the rented cottage that a shaggy stray dog has been living there and they quickly adopt it.  When the boys witness a jewelry store being robbed, Leonard decides he wants to be an amateur detective instead.  The thieves got away with the $100,000 Daumier necklace.  Leonard named the shaggy dog 'Watson' as his heart is still set on being a detective and every Sherlock Holmes needs a Watson.  Meanwhile,  Alfie is still trying to make his Dracula movie and they discover an old lighthouse off the beach which would make a perfect Castle Dracula for his movie.  Inside the boys encounter a painter named Keith Raynor (Clu Gulager) and his buddy Noah Baxter (Mills Watson).  Yes, they're the crooks.  Not a spoiler, incidentally.

So yes, the number one disappointment with this movie is that there is no 'Dracula's Castle"; it's just an old lighthouse off the beach that Alfie thinks would make a cool Dracula's Castle in his movie!  But still, lighthouses are nearly as cool as Dracula's Castle and I've got so much good will for this movie that it's not that much of a disappointment.  The whole thing runs like a Hardy Boys mystery but with the soon-to-be stars of SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS heading up the action.  In fact, this is really a kids vs. jewel robbers scenario with the only horror elements being the Dracula movie Alfie and Leonard are making.  But well . . . . with the cool lighthouse and beach location combined with Johnny Whitaker and Scott C. Kolden running around, the SIGMUND vibes are huge.  And it looks like this was made right before the two boys were cast in SIGMUND & THE SEA MONSTERS so I'm sure THE MYSTERY IN DRACULA'S CASTLE was sort of an audition for the kids.  There's also that strong horror link with the appearance of Clu Gulager in the cast plus the Queen of the 70s Mariette Hartley is always welcome.  The ubiquitous Mills Watson (Cujo) is also on hand to be his usual goofy self; although I probably know him more for his role of the racist Sgt. Condon on M*A*S*H*.  The nice cast is rounded out with fellow M*A*S*H* alum James T. Callahan as the Sheriff and prolific character actor John Fiedler (Disney's own voice of Piglet).  Once again, the heavy 70's vibe carries the day and makes this a terrific watch for an old cuss like me.