David E. Durston (September 10, 1921 – May 6, 2010) was an American screenwriter and film director best known for directing the

Charles Manson Charles Milles Manson (; November 12, 1934November 19, 2017) was an American criminal and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of nine murders at four loca ...

-inspired, horror movie '' I Drink Your Blood'', released in 1971.

Career

Durston wrote and directed for the famous television series ''

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'' (1956-1960). He appeared in the

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series ''

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'' in 1950. In 1965, he directed '' The Love Statue'', his first feature movie, which dealt with

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use. His second feature was the 1971

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horror movie '' I Drink Your Blood'', about a cult of Manson Family-esque Satan-worshipping hippies who, after becoming infected with rabies, turn into zombies. Durston followed this with the dramas ''Blue Sextet'' (1971) and '' Stigma'' (1972), then shifted his career to hardcore gay porn with ''Boy 'Napped!'' (1975) and ''Manhole'' (1978), the latter of which was not released due to one of its cast members being cast in '' Escape from Alcatraz'', as the association between him and gay pornography would hurt both his career and the

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film he'd appeared in later. In later years, Durston attempted to develop a modernized remake of ''I Drink Your Blood'', but the project was cancelled after his death.

Mysterious deaths

In January 1985, a man named Edward Durston accompanied actress

Carol Wayne Carol Marie Wayne (September 6, 1942 – January 13, 1985) was an American television and film actress. She appeared regularly on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' as the Matinee Lady in the ''Art Fern's Tea Time Movie'' sketches. Ea ...

on vacation at the Las Hadas Resort in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. After the pair argued, Wayne reportedly took a walk on the beach. Three days later, a local fisherman found the woman's body in the shallow bay. An autopsy performed in Mexico revealed no signs of alcohol or other drugs in her body. Her death was ruled "accidental". A man named Edward Durston had also been present during the death of actress

Diane Linkletter Diane Linkletter (October 31, 1948 – October 4, 1969) was the daughter and youngest child of popular American media personality Art Linkletter, and his wife Lois Foerster. In 1969, she died by suicide at the age of 20. Background Not wide ...

in 1969 when she jumped from her sixth-floor Hollywood apartment window. Her death was blamed on the drug LSD, but toxicology tests found no LSD in her body after she died. Durston reported that he visited the young actress after a phone call at 3:00am. Linkletter was distressed and unhappy. After making some cookies, they sat up talking. At about 9:00am Linkletter went out to the kitchen and didn't return. According to the report that Durston made to Los Angeles homicide Detective Lt. Norman Hamilton, by the time he went looking for her, he was too late to prevent the young woman from jumping out the window. “She went over to a window. I tried to grab her and she went out,” said Durston. Linkletter died from her injuries caused by the fall.

Death

Durston died on May 6, 2010 of complications from pneumonia.

Filmography

As film director: * '' The Love Statue'' (1965) * '' I Drink Your Blood'' (1971) * ''Blue Sextet'' (1971) * '' Stigma'' (1972) * ''Boy 'Napped!'' (1975, as Spencer Logan) * ''Manhole'' (1978) As screenwriter: * '' The Love Statue'' (1965) * '' I Drink Your Blood'' (1971) * ''Blue Sextet'' (1971) * '' Stigma'' (1972) * ''Boy 'Napped!'' (1975, as Spencer Logan)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Durston, David E. 1921 births 2010 deaths American male screenwriters Screenwriters from Pennsylvania Deaths from pneumonia in California Film directors from Pennsylvania People from West Hollywood, California Film directors from California Screenwriters from California