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A lost gem from the world of classic television has been unearthed, rekindling a thrilling mystery that dates back to 1968. A devoted film enthusiast has stumbled upon a long-forgotten British TV movie about vampires, reputed to be so frightening that its destruction was ordered, according to a preservation group.
The film, titled “No Such Thing as a Vampire,” was part of the short-lived BBC anthology series “Late Night Horror,” which aired in the 1960s. This particular episode had been missing for over five decades after it reportedly left audiences so disturbed that it led to an outcry, ultimately resulting in the series being pulled from the airwaves.
In a remarkable twist, the last known copy of this chilling episode was recently discovered by Darren Payne, an English film aficionado and cinematic engineer. The announcement came from Film is Fabulous!, a group dedicated to film preservation, which shared this exciting discovery on Saturday.
Payne expressed his enthusiasm, stating his eagerness to bring the episode back to the public eye, according to the preservation group. This long-hidden horror piece is set to be showcased at Europe’s “Grindfest” horror festival this September, marking its first public screening since 1969. The anticipation surrounding its return is palpable, as audiences prepare to experience the legendary scare that once caused such a stir.
The newly re-discovered horror film will screen publicly for the first time since 1969 at Europe’s “Grindfest” horror festival this September, the group said.
From the 1950s through the 1970s, BBC routinely erased old broadcasts to reuse expensive tapes, a cost-cutting policy that wiped out an estimated 70% of its programming throughout those two decades, according to an estimate by the British Film Institute.
But the total disappearance of Late Night Horror’s six episodes, which was canceled by the BBC after numerous viewers called in to the network complain it was far too horrific, fueled a darker theory that the network deliberately destroyed the copies because the content was too disturbing at the time.
The lost vampire episode, which was shot in color but preserved in a black-and-white copy, was written by legendary horror writer Richard Matheson, who is best known as the author of “I Am Legend” and roughly a dozen episodes of the classic series, “The Twilight Zone.”
Another missing episode of the series was written by the great Roald Dahl. One other episode, “The Corpse Can’t Play,” previously resurfaced, leaving four still missing.
“The recovery of ‘No Such Thing As A Vampire’ was purely by chance,” Payne said, according to the group.
A board member of The Regent movie theater in England turned up a small collection of mystery reels that had been in storage for years and asked Payne to check them out, he explained.
One of the film canisters was scrawled with the words “Late Night Horror” in handwriting, and as a self-described horror aficionado, the name rang a bell, he said.
Film is Fabulous! is also attempting to restore the episode’s original color using a “colour recovery” process, though success isn’t guaranteed, they said.
Payne, however, said the episode will terrify audiences and is “more than capable of sending shivers down spines,” even if it’s shown in black and white.
The digital scan and original 16mm print will also be returned to the BBC Archives and the episode will screen at a future Film is Fabulous! event alongside other recent recoveries that have yet to be announced, the organization said.