Billy the Kid Versus Dracula Blu-ray Review: Fun Halloween Fare on a Low Budget

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula released sometime in 1966, is a low-budget horror/western directed by B Movie veteran William Beaudine and stars John Carradine and Chuck Courtney in the titular roles. It isn’t the best of either genre but it’s a fun mash-up and is entertaining throughout its 74-minute runtime. 

While traveling on a stagecoach, the dark figure of Count Dracula (Carradine) meets Mrs. Bently, the owner of the Double Bar B ranch who is traveling with her brother from Boston. Mrs. Bently mistakenly shows the dark stranger a picture of her lovely young daughter Betty (Melinda Plowman). Immediately enamored, Dracula sets his black heart on having the beautiful Betty. On the night’s stop over, Drac kills an Indian maiden, an act that sends her tribe on the warpath seeking revenge against the folk on the stagecoach. This massacre only furthers Drac’s plan as he can now assume the identity of Betty’s uncle and swoop onto the ranch and take Betty as his own for eternity. Trouble is, Betty’s beau is one William H. Bonney AKA Billy the Kid (Courtney). Though Billy’s gone legit and helps run the ranch, he is still good with a six gun and won’t hesitate to turn it on (or throw it at) the undead vampire making google eyes at his fiance. 

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula is a fun, “weird western” take on the classic tale by Bram Stoker and is definitely cool for the kiddies on Halloween. It’s really no worse than some of the later Universal Monster/horror entries from the 1940s, except this is in full color so the sets stand out a bit more for being less than stellar. The special effects which mostly consist of a flying bat and some old camera/film tricks are decent for such low-budget fare and the missing reflection scene was rather well done. B movie veteran William Beaudine, whose resume includes over 350 titles and stretches back to the silent era, does as well as he can with what’s at hand and delivers an oddly fun romp. 

For sure, it is not among the best performances from the cast but it’s by far not their worst either as they hold their own and keep us from holding our noses as we watch. Courtney, Plowman, and especially Olive Carey are highlights as they play their parts easy and neither too seriously nor apathetic. There are of course some unintended comic moments mostly from Carradine, as his hammy intense stare is more wide-eyed goofy than frightening and his hiss is definitely worse than his bite. Also thrown in for good measure are appearances from western staples Harry Carey Jr. (Olive’s son) and Roy Barcroft. 

The picture quality on the Shoreline Blu-ray release is clear enough but a bit shaky at times which I assume is due to the nature of the movie’s making. There are no special features, no menu, and no specs listed on the cover. There is however a Kino Lorber Blu-ray version with commentary that is worth looking into. I’d only choose the Shorline version if the price is blood curdling lower than the Kino disc. Choose wisely, dear readers, and let the right one in.