ABC airs the fifth episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, based on Jeff Rice’s novel and the 1972 TV movie The Night Stalker, starring Darren McGavin. Eric Braeden guest stars. 
In Montana, a family is apparently killed by wolves, the first-ever attack on humans by these creatures. In Chicago, the rest of the news services’ staff is stricken by the flu, so Kolchak is sent to cover the last cruise of the S.S. Hanover, the “Queen of the Seas,” and do a series of light articles. That proves to be difficult when passengers and crew are attacked, ripped savagely apart by a shadowy figure. The captain puts a news blackout on the murders. A brief glimpse of the heavily-furred killer and the presence of the full moon, convince the reporter that a werewolf is responsible. Kolchak must prepare several loads of blessed silver buckshot from the only available source of the precious metal – the buttons from the captain’s uniform. Who is responsible? A NATO soldier stationed in Montana whose platoon was wiped out by a “wolf” attack of which he was the only survivor.
written by David Chase & Paul Playdon
directed by Allen Baron
music by Jerry FieldingCast: Darren McGavin (Carl Kolchak), Simon Oakland (Tony Vincenzo), Dick Gautier (Mel Tarter), Henry Jones (Captain Wells), Nita Talbot (Paula Griffin), Eric Braeden (Bernhardt Stieglitz), Jack Grinnage (Ron Updyke), Ruth McDevitt (Edith Cowels), Jackie Russell (Wendy), Lewis Charles (George Levitt), Bob Hastings (Hallem), Barry Cahill (Dr. Alan Ross), Dort Clark (Gribbs), Heath Jobes (Radioman), Jim Hawkins (Jay Remy)
Notes: A weak and rather rushed script. The werewolf costume is extremely cheap. Miss Emily Cowels (Ruth McDevitt) appears in this episode, her first screen appearance, and is identified in the credits as “Edith Cowels.”
LogBook entry by Steve Crowe