"Great Performances" Count Dracula (1977)

Director:

Philip Saville

Writers:

Gerald Savory (adaptation)
Bram Stoker (novel)

TV Series:

"Great Performances" (1970)

Original Air Date:

22 December 1977

Genre:

Drama | Music | Musical

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Castle | England | Solicitor | Transylvania

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 (as Michael MacOwan)
Susie Hickford	...	Dracula's Bride
Belinda Meuldijk	...	Dracula's Bride
Sue Vanner	...	Dracula's Bride
Bruce Wightman	...	Coach Passenger
Izabella Telezynska	...	Coach Passenger
O.T.	...	Coach Passenger

Directed by
Philip Saville

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gerald Savory		adaptation
Bram Stoker		novel "Dracula"

Produced by
Morris Barry	....	producer

Original Music by
Kenyon Emrys-Roberts

Cinematography by
Peter Hall

Film Editing by
Richard Bedford
Rod Waldron		(videotape editor)

Production Design by
Michael Young

Costume Design by
Kenneth Morey

Makeup Department
Suzan Broad	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Denis Curran	....	production manager

Sound Department
Derek Miller-Timmins	....	studio sound
John Pritchard	....	film sound
Anthony Sloman	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Mickey Edwards	....	visual effects assistant
Tony Harding	....	visual effects designer
A.J. Mitchell	....	special video effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard King	....	studio lighting

Editorial Department
John Barclay	....	vision mixer
Bill Stephan	....	on-line editor

Other crew
Dick Bailey	....	title designer
Fiona Cumming	....	production assistant
Sally Head	....	script editor
Roselyn Parker	....	production assistant
Ros Wolfes	....	production assistant (as Rosalind Wolfes)

Fred Rose
Barbara Walsh

Directed by
John Doyle
John Glenmeister		(episode "Man Who Married a French Wife, the")
Nick Havinga		(episode "Girls in Their Summer Dresses") (episode "Monument, The")

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marion J. Caffey		creator
Daniel Ezralow		creator
Josh Groban		creator

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• BBC Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (original airing)
• Pan Vision Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-13 (2008)

Filming Locations:

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Originally shown in two parts.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Lucy is in her coffin her eye-lids flutter and her face moves.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Wilhelmina 'Mina' Westenra:You'll write often?
Jonathan Harker:Every day, Mina, I promise.
Wilhelmina 'Mina' Westenra:And I promise to study my shorthand so that I shall be able to do your letters when we're married.
Lucy Westenra:Jonathan! Jonathan! Time for you to go.
Jonathan Harker:Yes, of course.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dracula (1979)

The Best

Forget Coppola. This is as good as it gets. Although the budget looks meagre, and -- because of length -- some characters and events get cut or shortchanged, this is still the best "Dracula" out there. Jourdan is at once understated and menacing, the perfect Dracula. Judi Bowker is the best Mina ever. If you can find this movie, add it to your collection. Until someone makes a two-night miniseries with a decent budget and sound actorsand follows Stoker to the letter, this is the best "Dracula" you'll ever see.