Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)

When Castle Dracula is exorcised by the Monsignor, it accidentally brings the Count back from the dead. Dracula follows the Monsignor back to his hometown, preying on the holy man's beautiful niece and her friends.

Director:

Freddie Francis

Writers:

Anthony Hinds (screenplay) (as John Elder), Bram Stoker (based on the character created by)

Stars:

Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Christopher Lee	...	Dracula
Rupert Davies	...	Monsignor
Veronica Carlson	...	Maria
Barbara Ewing	...	Zena
Barry Andrews	...	Paul
Ewan Hooper	...	Priest
Marion Mathie	...	Anna
Michael Ripper	...	Max
John D. Collins	...	Student
George A. Cooper	...	Landlord
Christopher Cunningham	...	Farmer (as Chris Cunningham)
Norman Bacon	...	Boy

Storyline

When his castle is exorcised, Dracula plots his revenge against the Monsignor who performed the rites by attempting to make the holy man's young niece his bride.

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Plot Keywords:

monsignor | castle | dracula | revenge | village | 

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Taglines:

He lives! They die! Christopher Lee as the fanged undead.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

6 February 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Draculas Rückkehr

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Hammer Films' most profitable film.

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Goofs

The priest sees Dracula's reflection in the waters of the mountain but vampires do not cast reflections.

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Quotes

Dracula: [Dracula's first line screaming at the faithless priest] Who has done this thing! Tell me who has done this thing!

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Connections

Referenced in Fear, Panic & Censorship (2000)

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Soundtracks

Students' Beer Song
(uncredited)
Written by Tony Colton and Philip Martell

User Reviews

An atheist finds God by way of supernatural horror

Released in the USA in the Winter of 1969, Hammer's "Dracula has Risen from the Grave" was the fourth entry in the series and the third with Christopher Lee in the title role. Here's a list of the nine films for those interested:

Horror of Dracula (1958); The Brides of Dracula (1960); Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966); Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968); Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969); Scars of Dracula (1970); Dracula AD 1972 (1972); The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973); and The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974).

"Dracula has Risen from the Grave" suffers from a weak prologue and first act. The prologue takes place a year prior to the main story. The first act involves two priests hiking up to Dracula's castle to exorcise it. One of the priests unwittingly resurrects the count and the vampire wants revenge on the other priest whom he discovers blessed his abode. The final hour involves Dracula going after his niece in a neighboring village. The niece's boyfriend and the priest must defend her.

Like I said, the whole first act isn't very promising, but things perk up with the introduction of the niece's boyfriend, Paul, and the pub his dad runs. Barbara Ewing plays Zena, the redhead waitress at the pub, and the film shows the close relationships between Paul, his father and Zena. The characters ring true and it draws the viewer into their world. Excellent job on this front.

A great scene takes place when Paul's girlfriend, Maria (played by the stunning Veronica Carlson), takes Paul to her home to introduce him to her mother and the priest, who's a Monsignor (whatever that is). Paul is cornered in a conversation and forced to reveal that he doesn't believe in God. The Monsignor is initially offended and rude, but this can be excused on the grounds that he's the father-figure to his beloved niece; besides there's a warmhearted scene later in the film where the Monsignor proves his loving nature.

Another unusual highlight of the film are the multiple scenes that take place on the labyrinthian rooftops of the Victorian village. I can't help but wonder how they accomplished this. Were they really filming on the rooftops of a village or is it an illusion accomplished through matte paintings or other effects? I'm sure it's the latter; regardless, it's excellent film work and a unique feature of this film.

Of course, Hammer films are renown for their curvaceous women and here we have two: Redhead Barbara Ewing as the very likable Zena, and Veronica Carlson, who can also be seen in the outstanding "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed".

As with most of Hammer's horror flicks, the movie possesses a beautifully lush, Gothic atmosphere.

Despite the weak first act, the positives noted above compel me place "Dracula has Risen from the Grave" as my second or third favorite of the series. My favorite being "Taste the Blood of Dracula."

The film runs 92 minutes and was shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England.

GRADE: B