The Playgirls and the Vampire (1960)

Five beautiful showgirls are trapped by a storm and find refuge in a creepy old castle. The owner of the castle, a strange nobleman, has a secret laboratory in the basement and has his own plans for the girls.

Director:

Piero Regnoli

Writer:

Piero Regnoli (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Walter Brandi, Lyla Rocco, Maria Giovannini

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Walter Brandi	...	Count Gabor Kernassy / The Vampire
Lyla Rocco	...	Vera
Maria Giovannini	...	Katia, the victim
Alfredo Rizzo	...	Lucas, the manager
Marisa Quattrini	...	Ilona
Leonardo Botta	...	Ferrenc
Antoine Nicos	...	Caretaker (as Antonio Nicos)
Corinne Fontaine	...	Magda
Tilde Damiani	...	Miss Balasz
Erika Dicenta	...	Erika di Centa (as Erika Di Centa)
Enrico Salvatore	...	Peasant

Storyline

Five beautiful showgirls are trapped by a storm and find refuge in a creepy old castle. The owner of the castle, a strange nobleman, has a secret laboratory in the basement and has his own plans for the girls.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | bare breasts | castle | showgirl | refuge | 

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Taglines:

She knew...when she felt his lips on her, that there was no other man for her...if this was a man!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Birth of the Living Dead (2013)

User Reviews

Hen-pecked vampires!

Notable actors: Walter Brandi! Walter Brandi again!

More vampire madness from Italy as five exotic dancers, one grumpy manager, and one level headed musician end up at the creepy castle of Walter Brandi. We've already been alerted that something's amiss in this place with the atmospheric opening credits, but when dancer Vera seems to recognise the place, including where the cigarettes are kept (?), the mystery deepens...if you haven't watched a vampire film, ever. Walter Brandi and his minions tell the group to beat it but when he sets his sights on Vera, he quickly changes his tune, instead letting them stay on the condition that everyone stays in their rooms at night and definitely do not go wandering around the place at night. Of course, the dumbest of the girls, Katya (who is completely obsessed with her legs!), goes out to find the shower and ends up being attacked by someone, ending up dead outside the next day.

Everyone of course is very upset so they decide they best thing to do is to perform a bit of a dance routine! Better still, one of the girls decides to turn it into a full on striptease instead. I know the girls are supposed to be upset, but the crapness of their dancing is a sight to behold. Except the striptease which is quite good unless you do the mental arithmetic and figure out that the woman you are looking at in well into her seventies, you perv!

Of course someone digs up Katya's body and before you know it she's prancing about the about in the nude trying to put the bite on various people (and at this point the film steals the 'earliest boobs' crown from 1964's Castle of Blood. The plot thickens as Walter Brandi seems to be hiding something but if he's a vampire, why is walking about during the day? Walter and Vera fall in love (do I even need to mention that she's the reincarnation of a distant relative?) and there's a vampire or two to be taken out before the film ends.

(Spoilers next, if you're mental and didn't figure out what's going on)

You see, Walter's ancestor is a vampire and living in the basement, and he also recognised Vera. However, he killed Katya by mistake because she was wearing Vera's coat, but the funniest thing about this is Katya's incessant, instant nagging of vampire Walter! She just won't stop henpecking him, which leads to a pretty bloody staking. Also, when Walter himself gets impaled on the bizarre family crest, the results are rather bizarre.

While not as stupid/enjoyable as The Vampire of the Opera, this one tries to give it a run for its money.

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Curse of the Vampire

Filming Locations:

Palazzo Borghese, Artena, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nord Film Italiana

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1