Kolchak: The Night Stalker/The Spanish Moss Murders

The Spanish Moss Murders
Season 1, Episode 9
Airdate	December 6, 1974
Written by	Alvin R. Friedman, David Chase
Story by	Alvin L. Friedman
Directed by	Gordon Hessler
Stream
← 1x08 Bad Medicine	1x10 → The Energy Eater
Kolchak: The Night Stalker — Season One

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The Spanish Moss Murders is the ninth episode of the first season of Kolchak: The Night Stalker.

Starring:

Guest Starring: Keenan Wynn (Captain Joe ‘Mad Dog’ Siskas), Roberta Dean (Michelle Louise Kelly), Severn Darden (Doctor Aaron Pollack), Virginia Gregg (Doctor Hollenbeck), Johnny Silvers (Pepe LaRue / Morris Shapiro), Maurice Marsac(Henri Villon), Randy Boone (Fiddler), Ned Glass (Superintendent), Richard Kiel (Peremalfait Monster), Elizabeth Brookes (Lab Assistant), Rudy Diaz (Sgt. Villaverde), Brian Avery (Record Producer), Donald Mantooth (Sleep Subject)

Co-Starring:

Plot Overview

The chef of the Chez Volaire is murdered. Police take samples of leaves found on the body. Later Kolchak finds out that the leaves belong to Tillandsia usneoides, better known as Spanish moss.

Kolchak talks to police captain Joe Siskas. Siskas treats him unusually nice -- calm, even tempered, patient. This isn't the kind of treatment he is used to from the police. Eventually Kolchak finds out why. Due to ulcers and a coronary condition, the captain is in group therapy to control his rage.

Down at the police lab Kolchak wants to take a peek at the case file, so he stands at the lab window, looking out, and makes up a story that kids are letting the air out of the lab technician's tires.

When an aspiring street musician, Bobby Ray Solage (originally from Louisiana) is killed, Spanish moss is found at the scene. Kolchak investigates and finds out that Spanish Moss was involved in an earlier murder as well. He follows the lead to a univerisity sleep experiment, led by a Dr. Pollack. The test subject, Paul Anwar, has been kept asleep for six weeks, but has been prevented from dreaming.

Kolchak talks to a street musician who knew Bobby Ray, who grudgingly tells Kolchak about a Bayou legend, which he likens to the boogey man covered with Spanish moss: Peremalfait. The story goes: Permalfait will crush the life out of you. The only way to kill it is with a stake made from a swamp gum tree.

Due to the unnatural, extended dreamless state he has been kept in, Kolchak now believes that the subconscious mind of the sleep study subject (who is also from Louisiana) has created a physical manifestation of Permalfait that is roaming the streets of Chiacago killing all who threaten it. He tells Dr. Pollack, but, being a scientist, Pollack refuses to believe a word, but does become concerned when he cannot wake the test subject.

Kolchak says -- in the presence of the sleep subject whose mind is generating the monster -- that he will destroy Perlmalfait. Big mistake!

Kolchak returns to the office to find that his desk is wet and has Spanish Moss on it -- the Permalfait was here looking for him. His boss, Tony, has just returned from an evening press club gathering with Ron and several chums. They have been drinking and aren't particularly helpful or concerned.

Fearing for his life, Kolchak breaks into a greenhouse, finds a swamp gum tree and makes a stake. He then enters the sewers looking for Permalfait, reasoning that the sewers would be the only swamplike place in Chicago where a monster could hide out. He knows he's in trouble when he finds a dead body covered in Spanish moss.

When he actually hears the creature, he gets scared and tries to leave, but a truck has parked on the manhole cover, and he can't get out. Trapped, he climbs back down the ladder and into the water. He sneaks around behind Permalfait by swimming under the sewage. When Kolchak stumbles, the creature hears him and charges. Using the stake, he is able to kill the creature, putting an end to the Spanish moss murders.

Trivia

The Show

• Kolchak takes another blurry, unconvincing picture.

Memorable Moments

As you might have guessed, Captain Siskas's rage control therapy was no match for Kolchak's antics.