The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Writers:

Sheridan Le Fanu (story)
Harry Fine (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

22 October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

She's the New Horror from Hammer!

Plot:

The Countess is called away to tend a sick friend and imposes on the General to accept her daughter Marcilla as a houseguest...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire Family | Gothic | Female Vampire | Tutor | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Ingrid Pitt	...	Marcilla / Carmilla / Mircalla Karnstein
George Cole	...	Roger Morton
Kate O'Mara	...	The Governess (Mme. Perrodot)
Peter Cushing	...	General von Spielsdorf
Ferdy Mayne	...	Doctor
Douglas Wilmer	...	Baron Joachim von Hartog
Madeline Smith	...	Emma Morton
Dawn Addams	...	The Countess
Jon Finch	...	Carl Ebhardt
Pippa Steel	...	Laura (as Pippa Steele)
Kirsten Lindholm	...	1st Vampire (as Kirsten Betts)
Janet Key	...	Gretchin
Harvey Hall	...	Renton
John Forbes-Robertson	...	Man in Black
Charles Farrell	...	Landlord

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1973) | Portugal:M/18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Associated British Picture Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The role of the Man in Black was offered to Christopher Lee but he declined the role and John Forbes-Robertson was cast instead. Forbes-Robertson would also later replace Lee in Hammer's The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Wicker Man Enigma (2001) (V)

a sapphic, graphic masterpiece

I tend to like the classic horror films of Hammer, Universal, and American International, and "Vampire Lovers" is an esteemed favorite. There are many elements skillfully blended in this fine production, but the central appeal is Ingrid Pitt who breathes passionate, undead life into her role. Her impressive acting ability is matched by her smoldering screen presence and beauty. She is perfectly cast in this role. Wow, did the people who made this movie ever know what they were doing. The costumery, the lighting and photography, the staging, the acting and direction, all combine seamlessly for a stunning spectacle to be savored over and over again. This is the movie that single-handedly minted the "lesbian vampire" as a major cinematic motif, and set the standard for comparison that later entries in this genre would forever be judged by. I doubt we would ever have had such films as "Vampyres," "Vampyros Lesbos" or various Jean Rollin movies (not to mention Hammer's other Karnstein trilogy entries) without this film. And this movie could never have been as good without Ingrid Pitt. Her command of acting nuance is really something. Check out her facial expression when she's in the broken-down coach and Laura, all excited, tells her: "You're to stay with us!"