Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Alan Gibson

Writer:

Don Houghton (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

17 November 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The Count is back, with an eye for London's hotpants . . . and a taste for everything

Plot:

Johnny Alucard raises Count Dracula(Christopher Lee) from the dead in 1972 London. The Count goes after the descendents of Van Helsing.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | 1970s | Vampire Slayer | Cross | Sequel

Cast

Christopher Lee	...	Count Dracula
Peter Cushing	...	Professor Van Helsing
Stephanie Beacham	...	Jessica Van Helsing
Christopher Neame	...	Johnny Alucard
Michael Coles	...	Inspector
Marsha A. Hunt	...	Gaynor (as Marsha Hunt)
Caroline Munro	...	Laura Bellows
Janet Key	...	Anna
William Ellis	...	Joe Mitcham
Philip Miller	...	Bob
Michael Kitchen	...	Greg
David Andrews	...	Detective Sergeant
Lally Bowers	...	Matron Party Hostess
Constance Luttrell	...	Mrs. Donnelly
Michael Daly	...	Charles
Artro Morris	...	Police Surgeon
Jo Richardson	...	Crying Matron
Penny Brahms	...	Hippy Girl
Brian John Smith	...	Hippy Boy
Tim Barnes	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Sal Valentino	...	Rockgroup Singer / Guitarist (as Stoneground)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Blakeley	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Brian Godula	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Lynne Hughes	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Deirdre La Porte	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Cory Lerios	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Lydia Mareno	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Steve Price	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Annie Sampson	...	Rockgroup Member (as Stoneground)
Jane Anthony	...	Debby Girl (uncredited)
Flanagan	...	Go-Go Girl (uncredited)
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Minister (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Gibson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Don Houghton		writer
Bram Stoker		uncredited

Produced by
Michael Carreras	....	executive producer
Josephine Douglas	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Vickers

Cinematography by
Dick Bush

Film Editing by
James Needs

Casting by
James Liggat

Production Design by
Don Mingaye

Makeup Department
George Blackler	....	makeup artist
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Barbara Ritchie	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ron Jackson	....	production manager
Roy Skeggs	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Lynn	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bill Benton	....	assistant art director
John Chisholm	....	props
Bill Greene	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Roy Baker	....	sound editor
Keith Batten	....	boom operator
Claude Hitchcock	....	supervising sound editor
A.W. Lumkin	....	recording director
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects

Stunts
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Birtles	....	electrician
Bernard Ford	....	camera operator (as Bernie Ford)
George Whitear	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Tim Barnes	....	composer: song "You Better Come Through"
Philip Martell	....	music supervisor
Sal Valentino	....	composer: song "Alligator Man"

Other crew
Doreen Dearnaley	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions

Distributors

• Columbia-Warner Distributors (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Humphries Laboratories  processing

Also Known As:

Dracula '72 (UK) (working title)
Dracula 1972 (International: English title) (informal title)
Dracula 1972 D.C. (International: English title) (poster title)
Dracula Chases the Mini Girls (UK) (working title)
Dracula Chelsea '72 (UK) (working title)
Dracula Today

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (1995) | UK:18 (re-rating) (1988) | UK:X (original rating) | Singapore:PG | West Germany:16 (VHS) | West Germany:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) (2006) | Finland:(Banned) (1972) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

The music used in the church resurrection scene is "The Black Mass: An Electric Storm in Hell" from the 1969 album "An Electric Storm" by White Noise. The group themselves were an experimental space-age rock combo formed by David Vorhaus and featuring Delia Derbyshire & Brian Hodgson from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Quotes:

Joe Mitcham: Is there anybody down there wishing to talk to anyone up here? Ooh, it's for you, Sapphire!
Gaynor: That gig went out with mini-skirts, you schlep.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991)

Soundtrack:

Alligator man

Good fun, but not up to scratch.

An interesting entry into the series, but really, I feel there was still life in the 19th Century time frame. Bringing Dracula to the 70s was, I think a mistake. Christopher Lee seems to be mostly forgotten and never gets the opportunity to get out and do what he does best. He remains in an old disused church for the whole film and only has a few decent scenes. We have Peter Cushing here, of course, playing an excellent part as Van Helsing, which somewhat saves the film. Decent portrayals by Lee, Cushing, Beacham, Munroe and Neame are worth watching. The 2 best things about this movie are , 1, the opening. Hyde Park, and Dracula and Van Helsing and racing through on a horse drawn carriage battling it out. The carriage crashes and they are both thrown. Van Helsing recieving fatal wounds and Dracula impaled on a broken wheel. Pretty good stuff, although not enough lighting was used so the carriage top battle and following events are rather hard to see. 2, the finale. As Van Helsing plans to destroy Dracula he drives a silver bladed knife through the Count's heart, only to be removed by his Granddaughter Jessica. Van Helsing then lures Dracula out to his death. The first few moments between Lee and Cushing in this final battle are classic, and for the first time in the series history, the 2 main characters speak to each other. The film is worth a look, if you`re a fan of modern horror then Lee and Cushing will seem a little lost, but if you`re a fan of the old Hammer Dracula films, take a look, with the beginning and the end, you just might like it.