Not the first movie to combine westerns and horror by a long chalk (the 30's and 40's poverty row oaters were full of them), but this was something kinda new and refreshing for the next generation. An epidemic of death among the young girls of a western town has broken out; leaving the dead girls with two puncture marks on their necks. Doc Carter is trying to figure out what's going on while a land-grabbing local rancher named Buffer is trying to take over his land by any unscrupulous way possible. Young Tim Carter (Doc's son) is severely beaten by Buffer's goons and Doc Carter goes to confront the bully along with the sheriff.
The doctor leaves Buffer and his goons but when his wagon returns home, Doc Carter is dead at the reins. After the Doc is buried, Tim goes to confront Buffer and ends up being shot dead in a duel with him. After losing both her father and brother, the Doc's daughter Dolores posts reward posters around town offering $100 for someone to kill Buffer. A wandering bounty hunter named Drake Robey decides to take up the bounty. It's no spoiler, since the film makes it clear quite early, that Drake Robey is a vampire. Dolores' beau Preacher Dan Young tries to disuade her from going through with the murderous bounty and, after a big argument, Dolores invites Robey to stay on the Carter Ranch. That night, Robey puts the slow bite on Dolores and the next morning she agrees to cancel the bounty but to keep Robey on as a hired hand. Preacher Dan slowly comes to realize that Drake Robey is a vampire and battles him for the safety of the town and his beloved Dolores.
CURSE OF THE UNDEAD is a fairly routine late-50's horror film with the nice twist of a cowboy vampire. The great Michael Pate is the coolest cat around and his portrayal of Drake Robey is sharp and a touch otherworldly; his is (super)naturally the best role in the film. It is a little disappointing that Robey is quite often seen walking around in broad daylight; the only effect sunlight has on the vampire is that it hurts his eyes! The rest of the cast is perfectly fine with old-genre-favourite John Hoyt (ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE, THE BLACK CASTLE, WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, X: THE MAN WITH X-RAY EYES) as Doc Carter always reliable in a short-lived role. Director Edward Dein (THE LEECH WOMAN) does an unspectacular but competent job. The real star of the film is the gorgeous lighting and cinematography (shown to best effect on the new Kino Lorber blu-ray) filmed in beautiful expressionistic chiaroscuro by genre vet DP Ellis W. Carter (THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, THE MOLE PEOPLE, THE MONOLITH MONSTERS, TWICE-TOLD TALES). No classic but much better than it has a right to be.
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