Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Anthony Hinds (story)
Jimmy Sangster (writer)

Release Date:

12 January 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The Greatest All New Fright Show In Town!

Plot:

Dracula is resurrected, preying on four unsuspecting visitors to his castle.

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Castle | Sequel | Vampire | Tourist

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Count Dracula
Barbara Shelley	...	Helen Kent
Andrew Keir	...	Father Sandor
Francis Matthews	...	Charles Kent
Suzan Farmer	...	Diana Kent
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Alan Kent (as Charles Tingwell)
Thorley Walters	...	Ludwig
Philip Latham	...	Klove
Walter Brown	...	Brother Mark
George Woodbridge	...	Landlord
Jack Lambert	...	Brother Peter
Philip Ray	...	Priest
Joyce Hemson	...	Frau Koenig (mother)
John Maxim	...	Coach Driver

Also Known As:

Disciple of Dracula
Dracula 3
Revenge of Dracula
The Bloody Scream of Dracula

Runtime:

90 min | Spain:86 min (DVD edition)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 (1972) | Norway:(Banned) (1966 - 1972) | Germany:16 (DVD release) | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:(Banned) (1966) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1992) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

According to the DVD commentary by Barbara Shelley and Suzan Farmer, all of Barbara Shelley's screams were dubbed over by Suzan Farmer.

Goofs:

Continuity: Diana holds the crucifix out towards Dracula twice in successive camera shots from the back while front shots don't show her holding it at all

Quotes:

Alan Kent: You forget about all of this in the morning, you'll see.
Helen Kent: There'll be no morning for us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Filler! (2008)

Hammer Fans Unite!

There is a cult in this world that are die-hard fans of Hammer films and "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" is another one to whet your appetite. Hammer Studios made their reputation in the horror film genre and all the films have a cetain look that is their trademark. The sets are rather lavish, it always seems to be winter and Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing are lurking around somewhere.

This film, missing Mr. Cushing, is probably one of the best of the "series". The charismatic Mr. Lee, however, does not utter a word and has fairly limited screen time which may dismay some fans. But he is still menacing and still biting necks with abandon. The story centers more around the 4 travelers and the priest (very well played by Andrew Keir). As usual, the innocents in the film stay at a castle which they have been warned to avoid by half the population of Transylvania. And then they pay the price. One scene worth mentioning, which is a little more gory than most in films of the 1960's is the discovery of Charles Tingwell, hanging upside down like a side of beef in the basement. You might jump at little at that point. But generally the film pretty much sticks to the Hammer formula.

So, if you are a Hammer fan, this one's for you. If you are not a Hammer fan, don't think for a moment that the story resembles Bram Stokers "Dracula"........well, maybe the fly eating Thorley Walters, modeled on the Renfield character from the book. Howevwer, it is a satisfying entry in the Hammer oeuvre and worth a watch.