William Crain’s Untold Legacy | Vampires & Horror History with Brian Forrest

In this episode of The Ghostly Gallery Podcast, we welcome back vampire scholar Brian Forrest, also known as Toothpickings, for an insightful conversation about vampire culture, horror history, and the legacy of director William Crain. Brian shares his personal memories of Crain, the groundbreaking filmmaker behind the 1972 cult classic Blacula, and reflects on the challenges he faced breaking into Hollywood as a Black director during a pivotal era in genre cinema. We also explore Crain’s lesser-known film Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde, discuss the challenges surrounding its preservation and availability today, and consider what his lasting legacy should be within horror history. Beyond film discussion, Brian talks about his work in vampire scholarship, his recognition from the Children of the Night International Dracula Congress, and why vampire stories continue to captivate audiences after decades of evolution in popular culture. We also touch on the upcoming Academy Awards and the highly nominated film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler. Episode 128 Subscribe to The Ghostly Gallery Podcast for more classic horror movie reviews, discussions, and interviews every week! Brian “Toothpickings” Forrest Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/toothpickings.blog YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@toothpickings9218 William Crain Documentary Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_EqxPQRu1U The Ghostly Gallery Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGhostlyGalleryPodcast Audio Podcast Available: Podbean: https://bmarkusen.podbean.com/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ghostly-gallery-podcast/id1824273985 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5PWrc4PJ6NUt2BZtcVFSy9?si=6481b6be011c4393 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GhostlyGallery X: https://twitter.com/markusen_s IMDb: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt34553033/ Email: theghostlygallerypodcast@gmail.com 0:00 Intro 0:39 Welcome to The Ghostly Gallery Podcast 1:37 Interview with Brian Forrest “Toothpickings” 3:35 Brian’s Interest in Vampire Culture 4:50 William Crain’s Passing and Legacy 7:58 Challenges William Crain Faced in Hollywood 10:12 Blacula (1972 Vampire Horror Film) 13:51 Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (Blaxploitation Horror Film) 19:52 William Crain’s TV Work and Return to Horror 22:32 The Blaxploitation Era in Horror Cinema 23:54 William Crain’s Lasting Impact on Horror 29:44 Children of the Night Dracula Congress Explained 41:51 Sinners (2026) Movie Discussion 51:41 Why Vampire Stories Still Matter Today 55:43 Final Thoughts with Brian Forrest 57:15 Outro