Dance of the Vampires (1967)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (story) &
Roman Polanski (story)

Release Date:

June 1967 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Who says Vampires are no laughing matter?

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Professor | Castle | Transylvania | Bat

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jack MacGowran	...	Professor Abronsius
Roman Polanski	...	Alfred, Abronsius' Assistant
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:
Roy Evans	...	Vampire at ball (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits
Gérard Brach		(story and screenplay) &
Roman Polanski		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Gene Gutowski	....	producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Krzysztof Komeda		(as Christopher Komeda)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Alastair McIntyre

Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton		(as Wilfrid Shingleton)

Art Direction by
Fred Carter

Costume Design by
Sophie Devine

Makeup Department
Biddy Chrystal	....	hair stylist
Tom Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David W. Orton	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Stevens	....	assistant director

Art Department
Clément Hurel	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lionel Selwyn	....	sound editor
Len Shilton	....	dubbing mixer
George Stephenson	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Doug Ferris	....	matte supervisor (uncredited)
Peter Melrose	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Hans Mollinger	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Dennis Fraser	....	grip (uncredited)

Other crew
André François	....	title designer
Tutte Lemkow	....	choreographer
Gillian Sutro	....	translator
John Sutro	....	translator
Dr. Ludwig Von Krankheit	....	fangs
Helen Whitson	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cadre Films
• Filmways Pictures

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1968) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Filmipaja (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (????) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinemagia (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Fearless Vampire Killers (USA)
The Fearless Vampire Killers or: Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (USA) (DVD box title)
The Vampire Killers (USA) (working title)
Vampire Ball (Europe) (working title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Brazil:Livre | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1968) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (w) (f) (re-rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Cadre Films

Trivia:

Originally Polanski wanted to shoot his film on location in and around a castle in Switzerland which he saw during a vacation, but as this was impossible, other locations in the Alps were found, along with studio shoots in England. While on location, Polanski employed dozens of local artisans to make the large numbers of coffins needed in the film. Unfortunately tourists were rather unnerved by the sight of these, and hotels had to erect signs to assure their guests that the area hadn't been struck by plague.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Professor is trapped in the window in the crypt, both he and his spectacles move between shots.

Quotes:

Sarah Shagal: [Alfred hears her scream and makes his way to the bathroom door]
Sarah Shagal: No!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: I told you to stay in your room! But you always take a bath!
Sarah Shagal: No! No! No!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: I'll give you that bath!
Sarah Shagal: I won't! I won't, Papa! No!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: [Alfred looks through a keyhole to see what's going on]
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: [spanking her] I told you, every day you are having baths!
Sarah Shagal: [kicking and screaming] I won't!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: I told you, no bath! No bath! No bath! No bath!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dracula: The True Story (1997) (TV)

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.