Beyond the 90-minute version, there was additional footage filmed featuring George Tobias as Jimmy "Stacks" Stackhaus, a reporter who had reported on the previous series of "Strangler" murders in the 1930s. In that footage, Kolchak tracks down the veteran reporter and speaks with him about the murders.
A planned third installment in the franchise, 'The Night Killers' was scripted, but ABC opted to develop the TV series instead of continuing the films. The plot had Tony Vincenzo hiring Kolchak to work for him in Honolulu. Whilst there, Kolchak discovers a cover-up involving UFOs, a nuclear power plant and important people being murdered and replaced by androids.
Final feature-length production with actor Wally Cox, who died suddenly about a month after this movie was released. Cox did have one more acting appearance, on a television series.
Darren McGavin and Richard Anderson are two of the more familiar faces from 1970s TV. Both played Steve Austin's handler in the Six Million Dollar Man franchise. McGavin co-starred in the original pilot movie, The Six Million Dollar Man (1973) as Oliver Spencer. Richard Anderson went on to star as the straight-laced Oscar Goldman in the TV series, The Six Million Dollar Man (1974).
When Vincenzo takes Kolchak off the night strangler case, he assigns him to cover the Daffodil Festival in Puyallup. In real life, Darren McGavin (Kolchak) spent his childhood and teenage years in the Puget Sound area and attended Puyallup High School. In 1973, Puyallup River Valley area farms were producing 20% of the nation's daffodils and irises and 80% of its tulips. 1973 marked the 40th annual Daffodil Festival, a week in April that culminates in a parade held across 4 cities.