THE VAMPIRE’S GHOST (1945; d. Lesley Selander, w. Leigh Brackett + John K Butler, p. Rudy Abel)

Begins in Africa, w/ title specter (of white man’s bleeding + living off black man/land [consciousness draining subconscious/soul]) speaking of circle of time (Eternal Return, his story archetypal, ageless) while attacking native wmn (she giving him life, as mother child), dryly noting "I can never rest. I can never rest": weary dreamer (seen-it-all vamp Fallon) unable to achieve total sleep/peace/obliviation, he vestige of personality the Self + anima mundi trying to retire.

Constant drumbeat à la heart for undying Fallon + conscience (as in "The Tell-Tale ~") for male traders + missionaries, leader Roy complaining of deaths discouraging workers (illness depleting ego) + calling for expedition to source of drumming (psychoanalysis in response to psychic "call"), where he discovers watering-hole owner (+ all-round good guy; i.e., Self) F to be vamp (discovery of innate parasitism, thing which shd be refreshing/restoring world/self depleting it instead); never reach source tribe, which safari-leader F (spirit-guide into self) sez is dangerous (issue men’s violence, of which he knows a little), they metaphor + McGuffin leading to real origin of evil, himself.

Became vamp (un-death arrested development for "Peter Pan"-quoting Fallon ["This has all happened before. This will all happen again"]) for accidental killing of wmn (male guilt for causing pain during childbirth, w/ which wmn come to identify as victim) 350 yrs earlier (so long back as to precede consciousness: infantile, archetypal, retrospective), Queen Elizabeth herself giving him box of native soil ("homeland": she sovereign mom, box both rest + reminder of deed) he uses as pillow (movie earth’s dream, of eradication of vampire Man).

Fallon’s 1st name Webb both vortex of time/fate + spider’s-nest of bar (luring violent sailor-masculine + sexualized dancer-feminine – heroine Julie’s repressed carnality – to death) + home, where J-seduction takes place (fulfilling her unresolved oedipal desire for dream-relation w/ old-enough-to-be-her father), last name both Gaelic for "stranger," or "one who stands outside campfire light" (sez script) + variant of "fallen," he gone from friend-of-QE to dive owner in African nowhere (subconscious’s resentment over subjugation to consciousness), which he regards as unsurprising adventure, at least (making most of eternity).

Can’t lose at craps: fate (who owns the joint, too; takes revenge when "cheated" at poker), gambling also when Roy threatens to defenestrate precious earth (eliminating facilitation of what little rest he gets); also personal fate (inevitable outcome of capitalist + masculine exploitation) against which Roy rebels when Fallon hypnos girlfriend Julie into trekking w/ him to temple of death-god, there to become vamp (roused by potential loss of Gaia into stopping parasitic vamping of land, man’s course – fate – since way back when).

Christianity mts voodoo w/ priest converting "savages" (consciousness trying to bring unconscious "to light"), both using talismans against Fallon (relativity of religion, both icons – cross + birds – more annoyance than reminder of corruption); only (primitive) silver spear stops him, polished off by pagan Death God rather’n cross/holy water/etc (ineffectuality of Christianity to redeem guilt) + fire (light, finally consuming unconsc), not by love + "civilization" (cultured romantic F both) but inevitability + elements, "circle of time" (male inheritance of violence in year of War’s end) broken + unity restored.

Apparent attempt by Republic Studios to "do" Val Lewton (cf producer’s uncommon featured credit at end), w/ efficient, rule-breaking, literate, ambiguous + suggestive horror, John Abbott a surprising + effective (non-"vampiric") vampire.