It’s been said that John Carradine didn’t really like movies that much.

This, despite the fact that Carradine appeared in over 300 movies over the course of a career that spanned nearly a century.  Born in 1906, Carradine made his film debut in 1930 and worked steadily until his death in 1988.  He was so prolific that films featuring him were still being released for years after his passing.  Carradine was a favorite of directors like Cecil B. DeMille and John Ford.  He played key roles in such Ford films as Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

And yet, for many people, John Carradine’s career has been defined by the astounding number of low-budget horror and sci-fi films in which he appeared.  Sometimes, he was the star.  More often, he would just make a quick cameo appearance.  But whatever the size of the role, he always made an impression.  Carradine, however, always said that his true loves were Shakespeare and the theater and that the films were just something he did so he could afford to work on stage.

1978’s Vampire Hookers features Carradine in a role that was typical of some of his later horror roles.  In this scene, he plays a courtly vampire who wonders if anyone understands poetry anymore.