Count Dracula (1970) Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht (original title)

Director:

Jesús Franco

Writers:

Bram Stoker (novel) and
Jesús Franco
(more)

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 | Gothic Horror | Low Budget Film

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
Emma Cohen	...	Vampire woman (uncredited)
Jesús Franco	...	Van Helsing's servant (uncredited)
Colette Giacobine	...	Greta, housekeeper (uncredited)
Teresa Gimpera	...	Crying mother (uncredited)
Jeannine Mestre	...	Vampire woman (uncredited)
Moisés Augusto Rocha	...	Van Helsings Servant (uncredited)

Directed by
Jesús Franco

Writing credits
Bram Stoker		(novel "Dracula")
Dietmar Behnke		dialogue: German version
Milo G. Cuccia		italian version
Carlo Fadda		italian version
Augusto Finocchi
Jesús Franco
Erich Kröhnke		German version
Harry Alan Towers		(as Peter Welbeck)

Produced by
Arturo Marcos	....	executive producer
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruno Nicolai

Cinematography by
Manuel Merino
Luciano Trasatti

Film Editing by
Bruno Mattei
Derek Parsons

Production Design by
Karl Schneider

Set Decoration by
Jack Taylor		(as George O'Brown)

Makeup Department
Adela del Pino	....	hair stylist
Gerry Fletcher	....	makeup artist
José Luis Vázquez	....	assistant makeup artist
Ricardo Vázquez	....	makeup artist

Production Management
José Climent	....	production manager

Art Department
Francisco Gutiérrez	....	property master
Fernando Quejido	....	property master

Sound Department
Joachim Flamme	....	sound

Special Effects by
Sergio Pagoni	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Máximo López	....	still photographer
Alberto Proust	....	assistant camera
Javier Pérez Zofio	....	camera operator (as Javier P. Zofio)

Other crew
Ana María Esteva	....	direction secretary

Production Companies

• Corona Filmproduktion
• Filmar Compagnia Cinematografica (co-production)
• Fénix Cooperativa Cinematográfica (co-production)
• Towers of London (associate)

Distributors

• Gloria Filmverleih AG (1970) (West Germany) (theatrical) (special edition)
• Crystal Pictures Inc. (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• International Film Distributors (1974) (Canada) (theatrical)
• World Entertainment Corp. (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Divisa Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Dark Sky Films (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Arce Films (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Itálica Films (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Concorde Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Japan Cinema (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (197?) (USA) (TV)
• Pack-In-Video (1985) (Japan) (VHS)
• Toppic (19??) (West Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Peris Hermanos  wardrobe

Also Known As:

"Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht" - Spain (original title)
"Bram Stoker's Count Dracula" - USA (complete title)

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:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:PG | Norway:16 | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company:

Corona Filmproduktion

Trivia:

This is the first film in which, like in the novel, Dracula begins as an old man and becomes younger as he feeds.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The opening text (at least in the Spanish version) states that Bram Stoker first published "Dracula" "50 years ago". According to the filming time of this movie, that would be 1920. However, "Dracula" was first published in 1897.

Quotes:

Count Dracula:One of my race crossed the Danube a destroyed the Turkish host.Though sometimes beaten back he came again and again then at the end he came again for he alone could triumph.This was a Dracula indeed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Beloved Count (2007) (V)

Well done, Mr. Franco!

A really good Dracula adaptation indeed! I liked it even better than Francis Ford Coppola´s multi million Dollar version of Bram Stroker´s classic novel! Unimaginable what Franco had done if he would have had a higher budget... However, it doesn´t seem to need much money to create a gothic atmosphere, which is so creepy that you can feel a cold breeze in your neck. Once more horror legend Christoper Lee is giving the demonic vampire lord and he´s as perfect as usual in the role, but the most impressive part has Herbert Lom as Dr. Van Helsing, what even makes Hollywood superstar Sir Anthony Hopkins looking like an old fogey! But Franco, who directed such mini classics like "Vampyros Lesbos" as well as awful turkeys, wouldn´t be the same of there wasn´t a bundled load of camp: Especially, I liked the plastic bats where you can clearly see the strings they were fixed on. Another problem is the part of acting genius Klaus Kinski: it´s a total riddle to me why Franco hadn´t stretched his brilliance more, because Kinski´s sitting the whole time in a rubber room, eats flys and has no text to say... A real waste of talent!! Nevertheless an underrated horror gem!! Really worth to be seen, even if you hate Franco..!