Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)

Dracula conspires with a mad doctor to resurrect the Frankenstein Monster.

Directors:

Al Adamson, Samuel M. Sherman (uncredited)

Writers:

William Pugsley (story), Samuel M. Sherman (story)

Stars:

J. Carrol Naish, Lon Chaney Jr., Zandor Vorkov

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
J. Carrol Naish	...	Dr. Frankenstein
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Groton (as Lon Chaney)
Zandor Vorkov	...	Count Dracula
Anthony Eisley	...	Mike
Regina Carrol	...	Judith
Russ Tamblyn	...	Rico
Jim Davis	...	Sgt. Martin
Angelo Rossitto	...	Grazbo
Greydon Clark	...	Strange
Ann Morell	...	Samantha (as Anne Morrell)
William Bonner	...	Biker
Forrest J. Ackerman	...	Dr. Beaumont (as Forest J Ackerman)
Maria Lease	...	Joan
John Bloom	...	The Monster
Shelly Weiss	...	The Creature

Storyline

Judith Fontaine (Regina Carrol) is looking for her sister Joanie, who has disappeared into the hippie community of Venice, California. It turns out Joanie has become the victim of Groton (Lon Chaney Jr.), an axe-wielding homicidal maniac working for Dr. Durray (J. Carrol Naish), who is really the last of the Frankensteins and is now running a house of horrors by the beach and is performing experiments on Gorton's victims. One night Count Dracula (Zandor Vorkov) visits the doctor, showing him the original Frankenstein creation that was buried in a nearby graveyard. The doctor revives it and uses it to take revenge on his professional rivals.

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Plot Keywords:

poverty row horror | low budget horror | venice california | california | count dracula character | 

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Taglines:

All New/All Color

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

J. Carrol Naish and Lon Chaney Jr. filmed their original scenes in March-April 1969; the Dracula-Frankenstein footage was shot over a year later.

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Goofs

J. Carrol Naish's character first refers to Lon Chaney Jr.'s character as "Grodin," although his name is actually "Groton." Thereafter, Naish gets it right.

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Quotes

Grazbo: You see! You must open your eyes to see things! There's more to come!

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Crazy Credits

For his bit part, Forrest J. Ackerman's first name is listed in the credits as "Forest."

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Alternate Versions

According to Sam Sherman, the TV version removed the brief topless nudity of the girl on the operating table. It also removed a sign saying "Society Sucks".

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Connections

Featured in Profondo Delle Tenebre: Memento Mori (2015)

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Soundtracks

The Creature from the Black Lagoon
composed by Herman Stein, Henry Mancini, & Hans J. Salter
from soundtrack

User Reviews

The Amazing Collosal Adamson strikes again

You have to give credit to producer-director Al Adamson he has a rare talent for getting well-known actors to star in his atrocious movies. This film (and several other Adamson projects) was put together slowly over a period of years. What Adamson ended up with was a film that features J. Carrol Naish (in his last role) as Dr. Frankenstein, living under an alias while he manages an amusement park (!), Lon Chaney, Jr. (in his last role) is Frankenstein's moron assistant who obediently fetches the heads of young girls. Russ Tamblyn ("West Side Story", "tom thumb") plays an aging biker. Even Jim Davis (Jock Ewing from "Dallas") has a part in this disaster. And Forest J. Ackerman (editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland) is one of the monster's victims, along with Anthony Eisley ("The Navy versus the Night Monster").

Adamson also manages to insult several famous props from classic films; some of the lab equipment he used is from "The Bride of Frankenstein". Adamson's busty blond wife (Regina Carrol) is bitten by Dracula (played by an actor named Zandor Vorkov, who looks like Frank Zappa in "Kiss" makeup). Frankenstein also has a dwarf assistant, played by Angelo Rossitto, who starred in the bizarre 1932 film "Freaks". All in all, a remarkable film from the man who gave the world "Blood of Ghastly Horror".

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blood Freaks

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent-International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Telesound)

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1