The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)

A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (story), Roman Polanski (story)

Stars:

Jack MacGowran, Roman Polanski, Alfie Bass

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jack MacGowran	...	Professor Abronsius
Alfie Bass	...	Shagal, the Inn-Keeper
Jessie Robins	...	Rebecca Shagal
Sharon Tate	...	Sarah Shagal
Ferdy Mayne	...	Count von Krolock
Iain Quarrier	...	Herbert von Krolock
Terry Downes	...	Koukol, the Servant
Fiona Lewis	...	Magda, the Maid
Ronald Lacey	...	Village Idiot
Sydney Bromley	...	Sleigh Driver
Andreas Malandrinos	...	Woodcutter
Otto Diamant	...	Woodcutter
Matthew Walters	...	Woodcutter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roman Polanski	...	Alfred
Vladek Sheybal	...	Herbert (voice)

Storyline

The elderly bat researcher, professor Abronsius and his assistant, Alfred, go to a remote Transylvanian village looking for vampires. Alfred falls in love with the inn-keeper's young daughter Sarah. However, she has been spotted by the mysterious count Krolock who lives in a dark and creepy castle outside the village...

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | castle | gay | transylvania | bat | 

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Taglines:

You'll never know what bit you... but you'll love it!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1967 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Fearless Vampire Killers

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cadre Films, Filmways Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Martin Ransohoff discovered Sharon Tate on the set of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), and insisted that director Roman Polanski use her instead of Jill St. John (who withdrew shortly before shooting) as Polanski had planned.

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Goofs

In the GB version, at 52:56 there's a daylight view of sky and mountains with no trees through the castle window as the hunch-back/vampires assistant lays down the coffin. At 53.20, after a cut, but still in real time, the view from the same window is now a night-time one and appears to be somewhat different with higher mountains, trees and no sky.

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Quotes

Professor Abronsius: Garlic!
Alfred, Abronsius' Assistant: You think so?
Professor Abronsius: Almost without a doubt.

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Crazy Credits

Fangs by Dr. Ludwig von Krankheit.

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Connections

Featured in Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir (2011)

User Reviews

what Poland once was, with a smile (revealing fangs)

Well, what is this movie about? To begin with: although the vampire was best popularized in the modern era by English writers, it is really a myth of Eastern European Roman Catholicism. (I could explain that better - and why the English so well co-opted it - but obviously not here.) This type of Catholicism (which finally produced a Pope in John Paul II) now only thrives (and none too well) in Poland - Polanski's home country. During the Second World War, Poland was utterly decimated. First, a large portion of its wealthiest citizens, who happened to be Jewish, were exterminated. The Polish catholics themselves were split radically between anti-semitic nationalists (who also, mistakenly, thought the Nazis would save them from the Russians) and pro-Communists who, mistakenly, thought the Russians would save them from the Nazis. Obviously, this was a no-win situation for the Poles. And yet the first cinematic impression of this disaster arrived in the form of - a comedy - Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be Or Not To Be" (later remade by Mel Brooks).

Does the reader really need to know all this to appreciate this movie? actually, yes. This film is laughter at death's door. The funniest and most memorable line in the film is from the Jewish vampire, responding to a threatened crucifix: "Oy vey, have you got the wrong vampire!" Funny? - Hilarious. Unfortunately, if this Vampire had any grandchildren, they all died in Auschwitz.

Why am I playing such a heavy hand here? Because this really is a great horror-comedy, far better and far more important than the studio hacks at MGM who released this film (after chopping it up) could ever have understood.

There is unfortunately no rumor that there's a director's cut in the vaults; it is well to remember that Polanski nearly disowned this film on release, and really only reclaimed it after the brutal slaying of his wife, who plays such an important role in the film.

But even as shredded as it is (pay especially close attention to the discontinuities involving the Professor), this is still marvelously written, directed, and photographed - truly frightening at moments, utterly hilarious at others, but always grounded in a particularly Polish sensibility which is now, alas, a thing of the past; - the preservation of a culture that, at its best, was among the best in Europe.