The film is very loosely from John William Polidori's novel "The Vampyre." In Africa the natives are full of superstitions and, not surprisingly, they are afraid of the undead. There is a 400 year old Vampire among them, Webb Fallon, who has grown tired of "living" his life alone and seeks a bride.The book was written before Bram Stoker wrote 'Dracula'. So it's nice to see a film that is based on an earlier Vampire story - even if it is very loosely based on the book.This is not a film you hear talked about often and is hard to find a copy of... so if you love Vampires and get a chance to see the film you should grab the opportunity - it's not a bad film.7/10

Some good ideas in this Republic programmer, but the mix never really gels. A sort-of vampire, Fallon (Abbot), runs a seedy saloon in darkest Africa. Natives in the area keep turning up dead, partially drained of blood. Meanwhile, Fallon has other-worldly designs on delectable Julie (Stewart) if only he can get past her boyfriend Roy (Gordon) and hulking priest Father Gilchrist (Withers). Oddly, there's a hint of regret in Fallon's evil side that suggests a conflict in his divided make-up. Abbott can bug his eyes with the best, but there's nothing scary about his Fallon. Nor is he shown engaged in creepy depredations. Instead, his attacks are only implied in anonymous shadow. As a result, he's more like a unimposing lost soul trying to navigate two worlds. Thus the movie's fear factor is near zero. Neither is there much suspense to grab onto. Instead, the story simply unfolds in erratic fashion. Then too, that backdrop mountain painting that director Selander's camera emphasizes certainly doesn't help. Plus, poor lead actor Gordon tries, but is simply inept, driving a hole through much of the 59-minutes. (I agree- he does look like Buster Crabbe, maybe the best thing about his presence.) However, after that wild acrobatic dance, I'm on my way to see if Adele Mara's native girl left any female descendants.All in all it looks like Republic was trying to cut in on Universal's horror film monopoly. Except Universal was either lucky enough or good enough to get top-notch production crews for Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931), to name two. The Vampire's Ghost gets a plus for trying to be different. Trouble is, it just doesn't come off.

Republic Pictures cranked out a ton of "B" pictures in virtually every genre during the 1940s, many of which were (at best) barely watchable. There were, however, any number of mystery and horror titles which rose above the typical meager standards and achieved a special kind of wonderfulness all their own. One such example is THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST, a low budget horror film written by the legendary science fiction and horror scribe Leigh Brackett. The tale benefits from the exotic locale of an African plantation with the peculiarly mannered John Abbott starring as Webb Fallon, a centuries old vampire now living in Africa running a seedy saloon. The incidents in the film are quite unusual, most notably an exotic dance performed by Adele Mara in Fallon's saloon. A strange and atmospheric little gem that should appeal to fans of esoteric "B" films. Disregard all of the wrong-headed and annoyingly condescending critical evaluations in the conventional film guides (Leonard Maltin, John Stanley, etc); this film is definitely worth your time and attention.

"The Vampire's Ghost" is an underrated film. Don't expect a lot of effects or Gothic settings-this film carries itself without it. That may be a drawback to some viewers. The acting is good and the jungle scenes add an interesting touch. Some genre expectations(i.e. inability to go out in the sun)are thrown out. John Abbott is fine in the lead role. He plays a sympathetic figure at the beginning but starts to show his sinister side. He runs a dive by the waterfront which covers his true identity. When murders are committed, the natives start to blame him. The manner in which he is killed is a change from most vampire movies and the ability to regain his strength via moonlight is an original one. "Vampire's Ghost" is a film that is worth a look. Note-Movies Unlimited has a very good copy of this film but it is on VHS only. You could always have it transferred to DVD.