The Brides of Dracula (1960)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Peter Bryan (screenplay)
Edward Percy (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 September 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

He Turned Innocent Beauty Into Unspeakable Horror.

Plot:

Vampire hunter Van Helsing returns to Transylvania to destroy handsome bloodsucker Baron Meinster, who has designs on beautiful young schoolteacher Marianne.

Plot Keywords:

Van Helsing | Vampire | Undead | Boarding School | Cross

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Dr. J. Van Helsing
Martita Hunt	...	Baroness Meinster
Yvonne Monlaur	...	Marianne Danielle
Freda Jackson	...	Greta
David Peel	...	Baron Meinster
Miles Malleson	...	Dr. Tobler
Henry Oscar	...	Herr Otto Lang
Mona Washbourne	...	Frau Helga Lang
Andree Melly	...	Gina
Victor Brooks	...	Hans, a Villager
Fred Johnson	...	The Cure, Father Stepnik
Michael Ripper	...	Coachman
Norman Pierce	...	Johann, Landlord
Vera Cook	...	Landlord's Wife
Marie Devereux	...	Village Girl (as Marie Deveruex)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Norway:16 (1960) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1960) | Portugal:17 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

The ending was to have originally had the vampires destroyed by a swarm of bats. This ending proved too expensive to stage and shoot. The concept of this ending was recycled three years later for the climax of Hammer's The Kiss of the Vampire (1963).

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Van Helsing stakes the Countess, the blow falls well below where her heart ought to be.

Quotes:

Hans, a Villager: Why can't she lie in peace, like all the rest?
The Cure, Father Stepnik: Because she is not *like* all the rest!

Movie Connections:

References Dracula (1931)

Beautiful 19th Century Gothic Vampire Film

Although Christopher Lee was an imposing physical presence as Dracula in "Horror of Dracula", he was never able to explore the character in any depth. Sensing this, writers who subsequently wrote scripts for Lee as Dracula in later years usually relegated the vampire to a few short scenes whose only interest was seeking vengeance for the most absurd reasons.



With this in mind it turned out to be a blessing when Christopher Lee turned down the chance to do a sequel to "Horror of Dracula" in 1960. Instead, David Peel was cast as the master vampire 'Baron Meinster' in "Brides of Dracula". "Brides of Dracula" has an interesting plot which involves a young teacher, Marie Danielle, journeying to the Lang School in the district of Badstein for the purpose of teaching French & decorum to young girls. She is duped into spending the night at the Chateau Meinster, when the old Baroness, (Martita Hunt) lures her there. At the chateau is the faithful and eccentric old serevant, Greta, wonderfully played by Freda Jackson. There is also a handsome young man who is chained to a pillar near his balcony. In the subsequent scenes, the script explores all of these characters in detail, for which the film is highly regarded. Ms. Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur) unwittingly sets the Baron free, thinking he is persecuted by his mother, not realizing he is a powerful master vampire. She manages to escape, and is aided by Professor Van Helsing, played by Peter Cushing.



The film has a number of very suspenceful scenes, including the resurrection of a beautiful vampire girl from her grave that is strangely erotic to watch. The young vampire is played by Marie Devereux, who is as beautiful and buxom as any hammer actress. Unfortunately, the studio did not give Ms. Devereux any dialogue, and exploited her for her looks only. And so, after this impressive scene, her character is largely forgotten for the rest of the film.

When I saw "Brides of Dracula" in 1960, it contained scenes that are no longer in evidence in any known video release since. I've raised this point repeatedly at conventions and with the publisher of the magazine, "Little Shoppe of Horrors", Dick Klemensen, but haven't received a satisfactory explanation. For example, when I saw the film, I saw scenes in which the Baron takes the blood of the village girl when he first escapes from the chateau, and when he faces down a group of villages who pursue him after the girl's body is discovered. So many people think this is Hammer's greatest film, but I can tell you the film is much more powerful with these missing scenes included. Still, this is a wonderful film to watch, and shows that gothic horror is very effective when it has an aura of eerie beauty and compelling characters.