Vampire Circus (1972)

Director:

Robert Young

Writer:

Judson Kinberg (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

11 October 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

Human fangs ripping throats - no sawdust can soak up the torrent of blood!

Plot:

A village in Nineteenth Century Europe is at first relieved when a circus breaks through the quarantine to take the local's minds off the plague...

Plot Keywords:

Plague | Circus | Forest | Hall Of Mirrors | Hammer Horror

Cast

Adrienne Corri	...	Gypsy Woman
Thorley Walters	...	Burgermeister
Anthony Higgins	...	Emil (as Anthony Corlan)
John Moulder-Brown	...	Anton Kersh
Laurence Payne	...	Prof. Albert Mueller
Richard Owens	...	Dr. Kersh
Lynne Frederick	...	Dora Mueller
Elizabeth Seal	...	Gerta Hauser
Robin Hunter	...	Hauser
Domini Blythe	...	Anna Mueller
Robert Tayman	...	Count Mitterhaus
John Bown	...	Schilt
Mary Wimbush	...	Elvira
Christine Paul-Podlasky	...	Rosa
Robin Sachs	...	Heinrich
Lalla Ward	...	Helga
Skip Martin	...	Michael
David Prowse	...	Strongman (as Dave Prowse)
Roderick Shaw	...	Jon Hauser
Barnaby Shaw	...	Gustav Hauser
Milovan	...	The Webers - Male Dancer (as Milovan and Serena)
Serena	...	The Webers - Female Dancer (as Milovan and Serena)
Jane Darby	...	Jenny Schilt
Sibylla Kay	...	Mrs. Schilt
Dorothy Frere	...	Granma Schilt
Sean Hewitt	...	First Soldier
Giles Phibbs	...	Sexton
Jason James	...	Foreman
Arnold Locke	...	Old Villager
Bradforts-Amaros		(as Bradforts - Amaros)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anna Bentinck	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
David de Keyser	...	Mitterhaus's Curse (voice) (uncredited)
Nina Francis	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Drina Pavlovic	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)
Jenny Twigge	...	Schoolgirl (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Young		(as Robert William Young)

Writing credits
Judson Kinberg		(screenplay)
George Baxt		story (uncredited)
Wilbur Stark		story (uncredited)

Produced by
Wilbur Stark	....	producer
Michael Carreras	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
David Whitaker

Cinematography by
Moray Grant		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Musgrave

Casting by
James Liggat

Art Direction by
Scott MacGregor		(as Scott Macgregor)

Makeup Department
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Anne McFadyen	....	hairdressing

Production Management
Tom Sachs	....	production manager
Roy Skeggs	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Whitehurst	....	assistant director
Graham Easton	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Lindsey Vickers	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Banks	....	construction manager
Don Picton	....	assistant art director
Jimmy Carreras	....	art department runner (uncredited)
Richard Rambaut	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)
Edward Rodrigo	....	props buyer (uncredited)
Danny Skundric	....	chargehand props (uncredited)
Peter Wallis	....	stand-by props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ken Barker	....	dubbing mixer
Claude Hitchcock	....	sound recordist
Roy Hyde	....	sound editor
Ken Barker	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Keith Batten	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Chris Munro	....	assistant boom operator (uncredited)
Laurie Reed	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects

Stunts
Bradforts-Amaros	....	stunt doubles: Robin Sachs & Lalla Ward (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Wally Byatt	....	camera operator (as Walter Byatt)
Peter Carmody	....	clapper (uncredited)
Peter Carmody	....	loader (uncredited)
Ted Lockhart	....	grip (uncredited)
Bob Smith	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Vic Smith	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brian Owen-Smith	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Roger Wilson	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	music supervisor
Philip Martell	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Mary Chipperfield	....	animal adviser
June Randall	....	continuity
Adrian Delahaye	....	unit runner (uncredited)
Frank Law	....	publicity director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions
• Rank Organisation, The (presents)

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1972) (UK) (theatrical) (as Rank Film Distributors Ltd)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (197?) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Carlton International (1972) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• 2 Entertain Video (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Barium Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Cinematográfica F.J. (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2012) (France) (video)
• Filmax (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Koch Media (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• MTV Home Video (1989) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mad Movies (200?) (France) (DVD)
• Synapse Films (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Works Editora (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Berliner Synchron  post-synchronization: German dubbed version (uncredited)
• Billy Smart's Circus  Bradforts - Amaros by courtesy of

Also Known As:

Runtime:

87 min | USA:84 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:R | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:PG (certificate #23072) | Germany:18 | UK:X (original rating) | France:-12 | Finland:K-15 (video rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) | Italy:VM18

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Laurence Payne was an 11th hour casting choice replacing Anton Rodgers who dropped out because of illness.

Quotes:

Michael:The Circus of Nights! A hundred delights!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus (2010) (V)

Very entertaining and surprisingly original as well.

This is of course not the only vampire movie made by the Hammer studios. Countless versions of the famous Bram Stoker novel were made by the Hammer studios, with almost always Peter Cushing and/or Cristopher Lee as count Dracula. in the role of Van Helsing. This movie however chooses a totally different approach. Instead of mostly relying on elements from the Bram Stoker novel, the movie creates a totally different and original story on its own. The end result can be described as a mix between the 1932 movie "Freaks" and other earlier vampire movies from the Hammer studios.

The story of this movie is original but above all well written. It's solid and it has some really interesting elements in it. The concept of a high powerful vampire taking revenge on the villagers and their families, through a group of circus vampires and other freaks, who killed him works very compelling, as simple as the story might sound.

The movie has a great atmosphere, that is mostly a mysterious one. This is mainly thanks to the circus folks, who consist out of a wide variety of odd persons of which some have supernatural powers. Every character is unique, mysterious and scary on its own. It gives the movie a creepy atmosphere as well, that certainly is better and more realistic than in most other Hammer studio productions is the case.

But also the 'normal' persons of the movie are interesting and well written. The movie follows quite some characters, who all have their own motivations and personality.

The movie is also well cast, which definitely helps the movie. Robert Tayman is a good and mysterious charismatic vampire count. Especially the circus folks are well cast, with David Prowse as the strongman. Skip Martin as the really creepy dwarf and Lalla Ward as one of the mysterious but sensual murderous twins.

Because of the originality of the story, the movie always remains a surprising one. It doesn't ever get predictable, mainly also because the story is pretty straightforward. Lost of innocent people, like children, are getting killed in a brutal way. The movie also features quite some gory sequences for Hammer standards and some of the usual nudity. Yes, it really is the originality and unpredictability of the story that makes this movie such a great and compelling one.

But yet the movie also always remains entertaining to watch. Guess you have to be a fan, or a person who is familiar with the genre, to really see the entertainment value in this but every person would agree that this is an enjoyable movie to watch, since it obviously is not a 'heavy'- or one to take very serious.

An underrated highly original vampire movie that is a must-see for the fans.

8/10

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