Dance of the Vampires (1967)

A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (story and screenplay), Roman Polanski (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Jack MacGowran, Roman Polanski, Alfie Bass

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jack MacGowran	...	Professor Abronsius
Roman Polanski	...	Alfred
Alfie Bass	...	Shagal, the Inn-Keeper
Jessie Robins	...	Rebecca Shagal
Sharon Tate	...	Sarah Shagal
Ferdy Mayne	...	Count von Krolock / Narrator
Iain Quarrier	...	Herbert von Krolock
Terry Downes	...	Koukol, the Servant
Fiona Lewis	...	Magda, the Maid
Ronald Lacey	...	Village Idiot
Sydney Bromley	...	Sleigh Driver
Andreas Malandrinos	...	Woodcutter
Otto Diamant	...	Woodcutter
Matthew Walters	...	Woodcutter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vladek Sheybal	...	Herbert (voice)

Storyline

The elderly bat researcher, professor Abronsius and his assistant, Alfred, go to a remote Transylvanian village looking for vampires. Alfred falls in love with the inn-keeper's young daughter Sarah. However, she has been spotted by the mysterious count Krolock who lives in a dark and creepy castle outside the village...

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | vampire hunter | vampire slayer | castle | transylvania | 

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Taglines:

Who says Vampires are no laughing matter?

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1967 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Fearless Vampire Killers or: Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck

Filming Locations:

Fischburg Castle-Castel Gardena, Santa Cristina Valgardena, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cadre Films,Filmways Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Producer Martin Ransohoff discovered Sharon Tate on the set of The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), and insisted that director Roman Polanski use her instead of Jill St. John (who withdrew shortly before shooting) as Polanski had planned.

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Goofs

When the Professor and Alfred attempt to enter the underground crypt of Count Von Krolock, footsteps in the snow appear and disappear.

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Quotes

Village Idiot: Stick it vhere?
Professor Abronsius: Alas, Madame Shagal, I have already explained to you, the body of Mr. Shagal is destroyed; but, one can save his soul.
Village Idiot: With this?
Professor Abronsius: By sticking it in.
Village Idiot: Sticking it in?
Professor Abronsius: Yes.
Village Idiot: Vhere?

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Crazy Credits

Fangs by Dr. Ludwig von Krankheit.

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Alternate Versions

For the original UK cinema release heavy cuts were made by the BBFC to the scene of Von Krolock attacking Sarah in her bath in order for the film to receive an 'A' certificate. Later video and DVD releases restored the cuts and were upgraded to '15'.

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Connections

References Vampyr (1932)

User Reviews

Dance with Vampires!

The title "fearless vampire killers" it's not so good as "Dance of the Vampires",outside U.S. this is the original title

I always will remember this film as "Dance of the Vampires" ALSO,CONGRATULATIONS to Mr Polanski for the Palme D' Or, he deserves it(without him just cinema "boring")

I enjoyed poetic scenes such as like moment in Sarah's bath comparing the textures of first soap bubbles, then falling snowflakes, and finally crimson blood. when Alfred(Polanski) carries his master across the castle battlements remind me of Polanski early short films. Krystov Komeda's music has been acclaimed as "the most innovative and haunting score ever devised for a horror movie" by the heavyweight Aurum Film Encyclopedia. Krystof Komeda's wondrous music, with its weird choral effects and little melodies Komeda's score communicates the Kafka-like isolation of the setting and the characters

Polanski chose some of the finest English cinema craft artists to work on the film: cameraman Douglas Slocombe, production designer Wilfrid Shingleton Polanski engaged noted choreographer Tutte Lemkow, who played the actual Fiddler in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, for the film's climactic Danse Macabre minuet.

Sharon Tate as Sarah was delightful(we should remember her in a good way,as a decent actress and person,her scene with Polanski is really cool ,especially "the bite scene") Jack MacGowran as Professor Abronsius is just great Polanski's films often deal in contrasts of master and servant, the empowered and the powerless. The supposedly benign Abronsius bullies Alfred for his own purposes, just as the vampires consider all of humankind a resource to be harvested.

The character called Shagal got the best lines in the movie,when A woman thrusts a crucifix in his face, only for Shagal - a Jewish rather than a Christian vampire - to go "Oy-yoy! You got the wrong vampire" and bite her anyway Count Von Krolock (Ferdy Mayne, who plays the Count)he looks really as a Nosferatu or a man that needs Transfusion!.

Also funny is Herbert, the openly gay vampire who is interested in Alfred rather than Sara, the sexual deviations implicit in early Hammer films like The Brides of Dracula (1960) and Kiss of the Vampire (1964) are brought out. Hammer would increasingly exploit this in their lesbian