A man and wife are terrorized by Mad Scientist Dr. Callistratus who was executed but has returned to life with a heart transplant. Along with his crippled assistant Carl, the 'anemic' Mad ...
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Title: Blood of the Vampire (1958)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Donald Wolfit | ... |
Doctor Callistratus
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Vincent Ball | ... |
Dr. John Pierre
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| Barbara Shelley | ... |
Madeleine Duval
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Victor Maddern | ... |
Carl
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William Devlin | ... |
Kurt Urach
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Andrew Faulds | ... |
Chief Guard Wetzler
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| John Le Mesurier | ... |
Judge
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Bryan Coleman | ... |
Monsieur Auron
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Cameron Hall | ... |
Drunken Doctor
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George Murcell | ... |
First Guard
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Julian Strange | ... |
Second Guard
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Bruce Wightman | ... |
Third Guard
(as Bruce Whiteman)
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Barbara Burke | ... |
Housekeeper
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| Bernard Bresslaw | ... |
Tall Sneak Thief
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Hal Osmond | ... |
Small Sneak Thief
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Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
Storyline
A man and wife are terrorized by Mad Scientist Dr. Callistratus who was executed but has returned to life with a heart transplant. Along with his crippled assistant Carl, the 'anemic' Mad Scientist, believed to be a vampire, conducts blood deficiency research on the inmates of a prison hospital for the criminally insane to sustain his return to life. Written by Mysty <rharvey@flash.net>
Taglines:
He begins where Dracula left off! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
October 1958 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Der Dämon mit den blutigen Händen See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Decent Hammer imitation with a script by that studio's chief scribe, Jimmy Sangster. Producers Monty Berman and Robert S. Baker competed with Hammer in the horror stakes during the late 1950s/early 1960s (with Berman usually doubling also as cinematographer) via such efforts – besides the one under review which was actually their first – as THE TROLLENBERG TERROR aka THE CRAWLING EYE (1958), JACK THE RIPPER (1959), THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS (1960) and THE HELLFIRE CLUB (1961). Director Cass is best-known (if at all) for the Alec Guinness comedy LAST HOLIDAY (1950), itself recently retooled for the dubious talents of Queen Latifah!
The film (which I had been looking forward to for ages after viewing stills from it in critiques of the genre penned by film historian Alan Frank) is a lurid melodrama in vivid color and with, pardon the pun, full-blooded performances – but the contrived end result somehow misses the mark. For starters, the script seems uncertain whether it wants to be a Dracula (given its title and 'bloodthirsty' villain) or a Frankenstein (in view of the villain's guinea-pig experimentations with moribund or dead subjects) clone; the fact that it is almost entirely set in a mental institution-cum-prison (that includes future "Carry On" member Bernard Bresslaw as a rowdy jailbird) brings forth comparisons with the superior final Hammer Frankenstein entry FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974)!
Distinguished thespian Donald Wolfit is surprisingly but effectively cast in the lead, while Victor Maddern has a memorable look as his knife-wielding henchman (although, again, bearing hideous features that are never explained); future Hammer startlet Barbara Shelley and Vincent Ball (playing a character saddled with the amusing name of John Pierre!), then, are reasonably appealing as the romantic leads. The rousing score is equally notable – as is a nasty climax featuring a pack of wild dogs prefiguring the one in Georges Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959)! Incidentally, there is a very noticeable jump-cut during one of the lab scenes (suggesting that the film had censorship issues back in the day); incidentally, the Dark Sky DVD – which cleverly pairs it with the aforementioned THE HELLFIRE CLUB – amusingly allowed one to watch the show just as if it were playing in an old-fashioned Drive-In (complete with a host of schlocky trailers, ads and announcements)…