The title sounded like this was going to be a vampire or werewolf movie. It’s actually a police procedural done in pseudo-documentary style, with a behind-the-scenes look at the infancy of CSI. Basehart, who walks by day as well as by night, does good job as cold, calculating criminal with no qualms about killing cops. However, we’re never clued in as to what his ultimate plans are for his clever electronic inventions. Basehart manages to elude the cops in some pretty ingenious ways. Most interestingly, though, is that this movie was obviously the inspiration for the TV series “Dragnet.” It’s done in the same style, with the whole ‘only the names have been changed to protect the innocent’ bit. And Jack Webb, who would become Joe Friday in the series, has a small part as a lab tech. (79 min.)

Unrated - 1948

Starring:
Richard Basehart
Scott Brady
Roy Roberts
Whit Bissell
Jimmy Cardwell
Jack Webb

Director:
Alfred L. Werker

Writers:
Crane Wilbur (story and screenplay)
John C. Higgins (screenplay)
Harry Essex (additional dialogue)