Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht (1970)

Director:

Jesus Franco

Writers:

Bram Stoker (novel) and
Dietmar Behnke (dialogue: German version)

Release Date:

1973 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Jess Franco's version of the Bram Stoker classic has Count Dracula as an old man who grows younger whenever he dines on the blood of young maidens.

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Dracula | Vampire | Child Murder | Infanticide

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Count Dracula
Herbert Lom	...	Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
Klaus Kinski	...	R.M Renfield
Soledad Miranda	...	Lucy Westenra
Maria Rohm	...	Mina Murray
Fred Williams	...	Jonathan Harker
Paul Muller	...	Dr. John Seward (as Paul Müller)
Jack Taylor	...	Quincey Morris
Jesús Puente	...	Minister of Interior
José Martínez Blanco	...	Traveller / Dr. Seward (voice: Spanish version) (as J. Martinez Blanco)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Franco Castellani

Also Known As:

Count Dracula (UK) (USA)
Bram Stoker's Count Dracula
Dracula 71
El conde Drácula (Spain)
Il conte Dracula (Italy)
Il demone nero (Italy)
Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht (West Germany)
The Nights of Dracula

Runtime:

98 min | UK:97 min | Sweden:91 min

Country:

Spain | West Germany | Italy | Liechtenstein

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Spain:13 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company:

Corona Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Christopher Lee was reportedly tired of playing Dracula and was convinced to join the cast only after being promised that the film would be a faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. The film, however, ultimately made numerous significant changes to the story.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dracula burns up at the end, the skeleton which remains has no fangs.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cuadecuc, vampir (1970)

Christopher Lee is fabulous!

It is sad that this film is so often overlooked...it's really a gem. Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula here is probably his best ever (at least in terms of following Stoker's book) as an aging vampire who progressively gets younger (20 years before Coppola's version). In addition, Klaus Kinski is brilliant as the insane Renfield. Lee's Dracula is given more of a human side that is missing in the Hammer films, where he usually barely speaks at all. There are some weak spots, but overall quite good, and a must for Lee fans really gives a different perspective of the Hammer legend.