SLEDGE HAMMER SEASON TWO - EPISODE 31


“The Last of the Red Hot Vampires” (Airdate: Nov. 19,1987). Hammer investigates the deaths of a movie director and a starlet amidst reports that a legendary film vampire has returned from the grave.

Guest Cast: Bernie Kopell as Vincent Lagarski, Bud Cort as Zeff Campbell, Deborah Wakeham as Malovia Lagarski, Diane Sainte-Marie as Lisa Ellerblurb, MernaLyn as Wanda Lubeck, James Cavan as the drunk, Robert Fieldsteel as Steven Shmielman, Greta Blackburn as Jessica Novak.

Writer: Alan Spencer.

Director: Bill Bixby.

Trivia: This episode featured a distinguished guest cast with the star of “Harold & Maude” Bud Cort playing a producer as well as Bernie (“Seigfried”) Kopell amongst the actors involved.

A joke about the then recent “Dolorean” divorce was nipped by network censors, who forced the reference be changed to “Dokerean” and ruined the gag.

Alan Spencer intended this episode as a tribute to legendary film actor Bela Lugosi, best known for his iconic portrayal of “Dracula”. (Years later, director Tim Burton and actor Martin Landau paid Lugosi tribute in their film “Ed Wood”, with Landau winning a well-deserved best supporting actor Oscar for his amazing turn as the film star.)

Cast, crew, network executives and viewers all wondered whom the mysterious “Mr. Blasko” was when the episode’s closing dedication appeared. Astute film buffs caught the reference: “Blasko” was Bela Lugosi’s real last name.