When college student Denise (Susan McCullough) announces to her brothers that she's dropping out of school to get married, oh and she's also pregnant, oh and the husband-to-be is black, their reactions are somewhat different. Younger sensitive brother Vance (Mickey Dolenz) is shocked yet supportive, while older brother Dan (James Ralston) is enraged, spewing out virulent racist comments between swings of his fists. After Denise's fiancee is shot by an assassin, a whole series of murders begin to occur, leaving the police baffled. Maybe recently returned priest Father Jessie (Chuck Patterson) can put an end to it.

Former Monkee Mickey Dolenz will be the main draw for curious viewers these days, but I warn them: this very low budget effort is a chore to sit through. The acting is bad, the script is worse, and the filmmaking comes in dead last. The film seems to want to shine a light on the destructive power of racism, but it's done in such a stupid, incoherent manner as to minimize any messaging that was intended. That would be perfectly fine if either the mystery or thriller elements were well handled, but they're not. The mystery's resolution is dumb and a cheat, while the suspense is non-existent, since you don't care if these people live or die. I've seen this movie listed in horror books over the years, but it's not a horror film at all, so don't expect one. Oh, and no one is strangled, either.

The biggest reason I had for wanting to see this film is the fact that it stars Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. As anyone could tell by watching it, Night of the Strangler is pretty low-budget but has a good (and, for 1972, very controversial) plot. It centers around a white girl who falls in love with and gets pregnant by a black man. When the two are mysteriously killed, the investigation focuses on the girl's two brothers, Vance, who is kind and was supportive of his sister, and Dan, an arrogant racist who would rather have seen his sister have an abortion than have a black man's baby. A black priest who tries to console the two brothers throughout the film also adds to the increasingly obvious tension. Sort of a "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" meets "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." A really good film if you're lucky enough to find at your local video store.

The presence of ex-Monkee Micky Dolenz will initially be the main draw for people when they hear of this racism-oriented, obscure 70s crime thriller. Shot in New Orleans, it details what happens as a young woman (Susan McCullough) returns home to reveal to her brothers (Micky, as Vance, and James Ralston, as Dan) that not only is she dropping out of school because she's pregnant - the father is black, to boot. This does NOT sit well with the ultra-bigoted attorney Dan, who would rather she get an abortion. Soon, both the lover and the young woman are dead, and this leads to more murders as a pair of detectives (Michael Anthony, Harold Sylvester) work the baffling case.

Although on the surface a seemingly straightforward exploitation-thriller, the script does come up with some interesting comments on race relations in the Deep South. Although this script probably wouldn't hold up to a lot of scrutiny, it IS quite amusing the way that it *constantly* delivers twists and turns, some the audience may predict, and some they may not. It makes for very good entertainment, overall, as we watch this dysfunctional white family always at odds with each other, and as we eagerly await some sort of comeuppance for the despicable Dan. Right from the start, the filmmakers make sure that the audience will NOT like him. A fun & funky score (by Jim Helms) further helps to make the movie watchable for a decently paced 91 minutes.

The cast is variable. Some of the performers come off as amateurish, and some come off pretty well. Both Micky and singer / actor Chuck Patterson ("Hair"),who plays the helpful priest Father Jessie, are certainly likeable enough. Ralston is very good at making you hate his character. Anthony ("Mosquito Squadron") and Sylvester ("Uncommon Valor", "Innerspace", 'Married with Children') work nicely together, and have a fun scene where they discuss the intricacies of the case while shooting hoops. The ladies present (McCullough, Katie Tilley, and Ann Barrett, each making their only feature film appearance) are certainly attractive and appealing.

"The Night of the Strangler" does its job at presenting a couple of viable suspects, shifting suspicion between each of them, and even though the ultimate identity of the killer may not come as a shock, that person will still have some more twists in store for the viewer. The final moment is hilarious.

By the way, there is not ONE strangling performed in this movie.

Eight out of 10.