Kolchak: The Night Stalker – Chopper

January 31, 1975 Season 1 Episode 15

If you want to see where we are…HERE is a list of the episodes.

The writing in this one is a little weaker than the others to me. It has some gaps and some padding. It’s still entertaining, though, like the rest.

A bad summer in Chicago centers on a string of deaths involving decapitated victims. The murders seem random at first, but Kolchak notices that each killing follows a clear pattern. Witnesses report a motorcycle rider who appears suddenly, strikes, and vanishes. The police treat it as a gang or copycat case, but Kolchak suspects something older at work. We have some stars in this episode. Larry Linville (the notorious Frank Burns on Mash…and some Frank is in him in this episode), Jim Backus (Mr. Howell on Gilligan’s Island), and Jesse White (a great character actor).

Digging into city records and the morgue, Kolchak links the killings to the legend of the Headless Horseman. The motorcycle becomes a modern stand-in for the horse. Kolchak uncovers past incidents that were quietly buried, all involving the same method and the same result. The pattern has resurfaced, and the cycle (no pun intended) has begun again.

Kolchak clashes with the police as he pushes the supernatural theory. The evidence he gathers and witness statements support his theory, but no one wants to accept it. Tony remains cautious, knowing the story will be dismissed if it goes too far. Kolchak has also helped drive Tony to an ulcer, and there is a good scene with them talking about it. Carl really pours it on in this episode. Telling tall tales to get what he wants.

The episode works by placing folklore into a modern setting. The Headless Horseman is not treated as fantasy but as a recurring force that adapts to its surroundings. Kolchak does what he always does: identifies the truth and watches the official story erase it. By the end, the threat is stopped for now, and Chicago returns to normal, unaware of how close it came to something it doesn’t believe exists.

Next week’s episode for those who want to stay ahead.

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

21 thoughts on “Kolchak: The Night Stalker – Chopper”

  2. Pingback: Kolchak: The Night Stalker – Chopper – MobsterTiger

    1. Yes…I like character actors through out the decades…not stars but you know them as soon as you see them. Larry Linville brings Frank with him in a few scenes and of course I like Jim Backus….Jesse White was in a lot of things like the Twilight Zone.

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  4. I liked this episode. Like the underground tunnels in Chicago they did nuclear testing in, I wondered if they really dug up the remains of people in a cemetery and stored them in a warehouse. The wife of one of the deceased at the coffin vigil was a little over the top, but maybe the highlight of the episode as well. I loved the scene with Tony and his ulcer medication and how he felt they were taunting him with their delicious looking lunch 🙂

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    1. Yes…the ulcer scene I loved how they ribbed Tony…that was so much fun. They always added a little needed comedy relief…
      Although a few isn’t as strong as the others…Lisa they are still entertaining and keep your attention.

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  5. even back in the early ’70s, people realized the government could cover things up … he identifies the cause of the problem then sees it get brushed under the rug and the story changed

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  6. I do like the idea of updating the Headless Horseman, that’s a nice angle. I’ll watch it tonight/tomorrow, I’m bingeing on a certain American trying to manage a football team in London series at the moment. (A month long trial with a new streaming service, so it’s sit down, switch on, set down the the popcorn and soda pop- ok, in reality, a beer or two- and watch watch watch while the deal is on!)

    Seems back in the day some folk would do anything to flout the Mandatory Wearing Of Full Face Helmets Law.

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    1. This weekend…I’ll be binging…the reason is we will be stuck…8 inches of snow…which is not bad…but it’s the 1/2 inch of ice that I’m worried about. I have been binging on Green Acres and The Prisoner…I guess I’m in a surreal mood.
      Oh I know the show you are talking about…. that should be good…. yes they would… I remember in the 70s the defense would try to pop them off of receivers.

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      1. Yeah, weather-wise it’s crazy here too. It should be high summer here and most of the country has been deluged for weeks. Some sub-tropical high driving hot wet weather onto the country for, it seems, most of the new year. There was a massive slip (mudslide) up in Mount Maunganui, a sodden hillside slid onto a camping ground and 6 people are missing.

        Rug up and keep warm, and don’t lose that remote!

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      2. Oh no…that remote stays with me…and I downloaded a remote as well on my iphone…not taking any chances.
        Oh that is terrible about the missing people. How much do the volcanoes erupt? I remember a few years ago you all had one to do that.

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      3. We have the odd earthquake- we actually lost our house in our 2011 massive quake- but you get a bit blasé after a while. Ol’ Ma Nature does have a blast on occasions, a bit of a vent here or there, but most of the time we just soldier (blindly?) on. That said our White Island eruption in 2019 was very eye opening and frightening.

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      4. Oh jeez obbverse…thats terrible. I didn’t know that earthquakes are also part of it but I guess they would go with the Volcanoes.
        Thats what I remember…in 2019. The worst thing we have is tornados…and they are bad enough.

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