Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Dracula is resurrected, preying on four unsuspecting visitors to his castle.

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Jimmy Sangster (screenplay) (as John Sansom), Anthony Hinds (idea) (as John Elder)

Stars:

Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Christopher Lee	...	Dracula
Barbara Shelley	...	Helen Kent
Andrew Keir	...	Father Sandor
Francis Matthews	...	Charles Kent
Suzan Farmer	...	Diana Kent
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Alan Kent (as Charles Tingwell)
Thorley Walters	...	Ludwig
Philip Latham	...	Klove
Walter Brown	...	Brother Mark
George Woodbridge	...	Landlord
Jack Lambert	...	Brother Peter
Philip Ray	...	Priest
Joyce Hemson	...	Mother
John Maxim	...	Coach Driver

Storyline

Two couples traveling in eastern Europe decide to visit Karlsbad despite dire local warnings. Left outside the village by a coachman terrified at the approach of night, they find themselves in the local castle and are surprised at the hospitality extended by the sinister Klove. It turns out the owner, Count Dracula, dead for ten years, has been hoping for such a visit.

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Plot Keywords:

female vampire | crucifix pendant | hanging upside down | stake through the heart | dracula | 

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Taglines:

Bloodthirsty Vampire Lives Again!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

Disciple of Dracula

Filming Locations:

Black Park Lake, Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£100,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$795,562

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 86 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barring the opening flashback sequence, Dracula doesn't fully appear until forty-five minutes in, the halfway point of the movie.

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Goofs

When Dracula opens his shirt for Diana Kent to taste the blood on his chest, he is interrupted and has to leave by kicking open a door. He picks Diana up and takes her to a horse carriage, and in the very next shot, Dracula's shirt is closed, completely buttoned back up. He couldn't have done this while carrying Diana's body.

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Quotes

Father Sandor: [after stopping a mob, led by a local priest, from driving a stake into the body of a girl who has died of natural causes. He orders the body be brought to a churchyard] I will bury her. Now do as I say.
[nobody moves to carry out his instructions]
Father Sandor: Do as I say!
Priest: You're out of your jurisdiction! I'll complain to the bishop!
Father Sandor: Do... and tell him that I stopped you from performing an act of blaphemy!
[indicates the body]
Father Sandor: Or would you prefer that I told him?
Priest: Well... We have to be sure.
Father Sandor: You are an idiot, ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

The 20th Century Fox prints that were used in the United States have been replaced with the Warner-Pathe version that was released in Great Britain.

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Connections

Followed by The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

User Reviews

One of the very best entries in Hammer's Dracula series.

'Dracula: Prince Of Darkness' isn't technically the sequel to Hammer's 'Dracula' (a.k.a. 'Horror Of Dracula'), 'The Brides Of Dracula' is, but considering Dracula didn't even appear in the latter, this in my opinion is the REAL sequel. I actually enjoyed it a little bit more than 'Dracula' and it's one of the very best entries in the whole series, if not THE best. Dracula doesn't put in an appearance until about half way through the movie, but he's worth waiting for. Christopher Lee gives his most memorable performance as Dracula, which incidentally has no dialogue whatsoever. It's a great piece of acting, and Lee is an extremely underrated performer. Apart from Christopher Lee the rest of the cast is also first rate. Andrew "Professor Quatermass" Keir almost steals the movie as the unconventional Father Sandor, and the four English travellers who find themselves the guests of Dracula are Barbara Shelley, Francis Matthews, Suzan Farmer and veteran Aussie actor Bud Tingwell. All but the latter are familiar faces to Hammer fans. Shelley co-starred with Keir in the excellent 'Quatermass and the Pit" and she, Matthews and Farmer appeared with Christopher Lee in the wonderful 'Rasputin: The Mad Monk' released the same year as this movie. Pop culture obsessives will also remember that Francis Matthews voiced Captain Scarlet in the cult Gerry and Sylvia Anderson puppet show 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons' (a show that Bud Tingwell was also involved with). 'Dracula: Prince Of Darkness' is yet another wonderfully entertaining horror movie from Hammer studios. I suggest watching 'Dracula' and then following directly with 'Dracula: Prince Of Darkness' for a fantastic vampire double bill that is pretty hard to beat! Long live Christopher Lee!