Blacula (1972)

Director:

William Crain

Writers:

Joan Torres (screenplay) and
Raymond Koenig (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Blacula! - Dracula's Soul Brother!

Plot:

An ancient African prince, turned into a vampire by Dracula himself, finds himself in modern Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Prince | Dracula | Vampire | Comic Relief | Swahili

Awards:

1 win

Cast

William Marshall	...	Blacula
Vonetta McGee	...	Tina
Denise Nicholas	...	Michelle
Thalmus Rasulala	...	Dr. Gordon Thomas
Gordon Pinsent	...	Lt. Jack Peters
Charles Macaulay	...	Dracula
Emily Yancy	...	Nancy
Lance Taylor Sr.	...	Swenson
Ted Harris	...	Bobby McCoy
Rick Metzler	...	Billy Schaffer
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Skillet (as Jitu Cumbuka)
Logan Field	...	Sgt. Barnes
Ketty Lester	...	Juanita Jones
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Sam (as Elisha Cook)
Eric Brotherson	...	Real Estate Agent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adolph Caesar	...	Narrator of Theatrical Trailer (voice) (uncredited)
Leanna Johnson Heath	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
The Hues Corporation	...	Group Performing in Club (uncredited)
Jan Stratton	...	Policewoman Kirby (uncredited)
David Westberg	...	LA Cop (uncredited)

Directed by
William Crain

Writing credits
Joan Torres		(screenplay) and
Raymond Koenig		(screenplay)

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Joseph T. Naar	....	producer
Norman T. Herman	....	producer (uncredited)
Mark L. Rosen	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Gene Page		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
John M. Stephens		(director of photography) (as John M. Stevens)

Film Editing by
Allan Jacobs

Casting by
Joe Scully		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Walter Scott Herndon		(as Walter Herndon)

Makeup Department
Lola Kemp	....	hairdresser
Fred B. Phillips	....	makeup artist (as Fred Phillips)

Production Management
Salvatore Billitteri	....	post-production manager
Jack Bohrer	....	production manager
Norman T. Herman	....	executive production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Cook	....	assistant director

Art Department
C. Randall Berkeley	....	property master (as Ted Berkeley)

Sound Department
Dean Hodges	....	boom man
Sam Horta	....	effects editor
Charles T. Knight	....	sound mixer (as Charles Knight)

Special Effects by
Roger George	....	special effects

Stunts
George Fisher	....	stunt coordinator
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Minor	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Gilhooly	....	gaffer (as Lawrence Gilhooly)
John Kiser	....	camera operator
Larry Milton	....	key grip
Phil Segura	....	stillman
Earl C. Williman	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ermon Sessions	....	wardrobe man
Sandra Stewart	....	wardrobe woman (as Sandy Stewart)

Editorial Department
Tom Neff Jr.	....	assistant editor (as Tom Neff)
Bruce Schoengarth	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Gene Page	....	conductor
Al Simms	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Alan Falco	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	presenter
Sandy Dvore	....	title designer
Julian F. Myers	....	publicity man
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
David Sheldon	....	production executive (uncredited)

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Power Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1973) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1973) (Japan) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan) (Soul Cinema series)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan) (Soul Cinema series)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Divisa Home Video (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• HBO/Cannon Video (198?) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Orion Home Video (19??) (UK) (VHS)
• Orion Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Thorn EMI/HBO Video (198?) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)

Other Companies

• Chrysler Corporation  cars furnished by
• Cinemobile System  locations (as Cinemobile Systems)
• Imagic Inc.  opticals (as Imagic)
• Ryder Sound Services  sound

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) | USA:PG | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

6501 Yucca St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

While the film was in its production stages, William Marshall worked with the producers to make sure his character had some dignity. His character's name was changed from Andrew Brown to Mamuwalde and received a background story about his being an African prince who had been turned into a vampire.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The film was set in Los Angeles, but a map of Staten Island (New York City) is hanging on the wall in the police station during a close-up shot of the Doctor meeting with the police.

Quotes:

Waitress:[to Mamuwalde] Hi! What'll you have?
Mamuwalde:Make it a Bloody Mary.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: This Episode Sucks (#6.3)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

What the World Knows

William Marshall is a very good vampire...

When you consider the fact that this movie was saddled with a low budget, a title that--while certainly apropos--is essentially a punch line, and all the constraints that low budget-dom entail... this is a pretty good movie. William Marshall is very good (the 'this will be your tomb' line is delivered as convincinly as any Chris Lee utterance) and was certainly worthy of the role of Bl(Dr)acula. The era of the film provides its own fun. 7/10. The sequel is better on all counts: more scary, campy, funny, visually interesting and sexy.