Count Dracula (1970)

Count Dracula, a gray-haired vampire who regains his youth by dining on the blood of maidens, is pursued in London and Transylvania by Professor Van Helsing, Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris after he victimizes them and their loved ones.

Director:

Jesús Franco (as Jesse Franco, Jess Franco, Jesus Franco Manera)

Writers:

Bram Stoker (novel), Erich Kröhnke (story) (as Erik Krohenke)

Stars:

Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski

Cast

Cast overview:
Christopher Lee	...	Count Dracula
Herbert Lom	...	Professor Van Helsing
Klaus Kinski	...	Renfield
Maria Rohm	...	Mina
Fred Williams	...	Jonathan (as Frederick Williams)
Soledad Miranda	...	Lucy
Jack Taylor	...	Quincey
Paul Muller	...	Dr. Seward

Storyline

This is Franco's version of Bram Stoker's Dracula and a non Hammer production film to star Christopher Lee as the Count once again. An English lawyer travels to Transylvania to meet his client Count Dracula for property matters. While staying in a lodge at Bistritz for the night, he is warned by the caretaker's wife against continuing his journey the following day. The lawyer ignores her warning as pure superstitious beliefs n sets off for the rest of his journey and arrives at the Borgo Pass where he's picked up by the Count's mysterious coachman. After reaching the Count's castle, he is welcomed by a thin, tall, gaunt old man who introduces himself as Count Dracula.

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Plot Keywords:

drive in classic | grindhouse film | suspense | fear | europe | 

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Taglines:

Finally! The Original Version!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of four films released in 1970 in which Christopher Lee played Count Dracula. The others are One More Time (1970), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) and Scars of Dracula (1970).

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Goofs

Van Helsing tells his assistant to prepare bedrooms for Mina and Lucy on the ground floor. He then instructs them not to venture beyond the first floor due to instability of his patients on the upper floors. But that night when Lucy wanders out of her room, Mina is seen coming down the stairs looking for her.

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Quotes

Count Dracula: One of my race crossed the Danube a destroyed the Turkish host.Though sometimes beaten back he came again and again then at the end he came again for he alone could triumph.This was a Dracula indeed.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits (English and Spanish prints only): "Over fifty years ago Bram Stoker wrote the greatest of all horror stories. Now, for the first time, we retell, exactly as he wrote, one of the first - and still the best - tales of the macabre."

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Alternate Versions

German DVD includes the scene of a gypsy woman, deleted from the US version.

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Connections

Featured in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: Horror of Dracula (2011)

User Reviews

Well done, Mr. Franco!

A really good Dracula adaptation indeed! I liked it even better than Francis Ford Coppola´s multi million Dollar version of Bram Stroker´s classic novel! Unimaginable what Franco had done if he would have had a higher budget... However, it doesn´t seem to need much money to create a gothic atmosphere, which is so creepy that you can feel a cold breeze in your neck. Once more horror legend Christoper Lee is giving the demonic vampire lord and he´s as perfect as usual in the role, but the most impressive part has Herbert Lom as Dr. Van Helsing, what even makes Hollywood superstar Sir Anthony Hopkins looking like an old fogey! But Franco, who directed such mini classics like "Vampyros Lesbos" as well as awful turkeys, wouldn´t be the same of there wasn´t a bundled load of camp: Especially, I liked the plastic bats where you can clearly see the strings they were fixed on. Another problem is the part of acting genius Klaus Kinski: it´s a total riddle to me why Franco hadn´t stretched his brilliance more, because Kinski´s sitting the whole time in a rubber room, eats flys and has no text to say... A real waste of talent!! Nevertheless an underrated horror gem!! Really worth to be seen, even if you hate Franco..!

Details

Country:

Spain West Germany Italy Liechtenstein UK

Language:

English Spanish Italian German

Release Date:

12 October 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Count Dracula

Filming Locations:

Murcia, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmar Compagnia Cinematografica, Fénix Cooperativa Cinematográfica, Corona Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1