Count Dracula (1977) (TV)

Director:

Philip Saville

Writers:

Gerald Savory (adaptation)
Bram Stoker (novel)

Release Date:

22 December 1977 (UK)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

For those familiar with Bram Stoker's novel, this adaptation follows the book quite closely in most respects...

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Vampire | Transylvania | Negative Footage | Infra Red

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Louis Jourdan	...	Count Dracula
Frank Finlay	...	Abraham van Helsing
Susan Penhaligon	...	Lucy Westenra
Judi Bowker	...	Wilhelmina 'Mina' Westenra
Jack Shepherd	...	Renfield
Mark Burns	...	Dr. John Seward
Bosco Hogan	...	Jonathan Harker
Richard Barnes	...	Quincey P. Holmwood
Ann Queensberry	...	Mrs. Westenra
George Raistrick	...	Bowles
George Malpas	...	Swales
Michael Macowan	...	Mr. Hawkins
Susie Hickford	...	Dracula's Bride
Belinda Meuldijk	...	Dracula's Bride
Sue Vanner	...	Dracula's Bride

Also Known As:

Great Performances: Count Dracula (USA) (series title)

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The film is notable for being extremely faithful to Bram Stoker's novel, although several liberties were taken, including: The characters of Quincy P. Morris and Arthur Holmwood are combined into a single character named Quincy P. Holmwood; Mina and Lucy are sisters in the film and friends in the novel; Dracula in the novel begins as an old man and becomes younger as he feeds on blood, and in the film this does not happen; Dracula is killed in the film by Van Helsing who drives a stake into his heart, while in the novel he is killed when Jonathan Harker cuts his throat with a knife and, at the same time, Quincey Morris thrusts a knife into his heart.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Renfield grabs the bars of his padded cell we can see that they wobble and are clearly made of rubber.

Quotes:

Count Dracula: Do not help these men to fight against me. They are superstitious fools; they have been losing now for 2000 years. Do you know the significance of the kiss? You are nourishment to me. Blood of my blood. Flesh of my flesh. My beautiful wine press. We shall cross land and sea together. Land and sea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dracula (1979)

Best "Dracula" Ever

Faithful the novel, magnificently performed in every way. This mini-series showed how well a classic novel should be adapted. Coming only 2 years before Langella's performance, Louis Jordan showed how sexy a middle aged man can be in this role.

Twenty-five years after I first saw it, most of it stick in my memory as the greatest adaptation of Bram Stoker's timeless novel.