Blacula (1972)

An ancient African prince, turned into a vampire by Dracula himself, finds himself in modern Los Angeles.

Director:

William Crain

Writers:

Joan Torres (screenplay), Raymond Koenig (screenplay)

Stars:

William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Marshall	...	Blacula / Mamuwalde
Vonetta McGee	...	Tina / Luva
Denise Nicholas	...	Michelle
Thalmus Rasulala	...	Gordon Thomas
Gordon Pinsent	...	Lt. Peters
Charles Macaulay	...	Dracula
Emily Yancy	...	Nancy
Lance Taylor Sr.	...	Swenson
Ted Harris	...	Bobby
Rick Metzler	...	Billy
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Skillet (as Jitu Cumbuka)
Logan Field	...	Barnes
Ketty Lester	...	Juanita
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Sam (as Elisha Cook)
Eric Brotherson	...	Real Estate Agent

Storyline

An 18th century African statesman is transformed into a vampire, cursed with the name Blacula, and entombed in Dracula's Castle after he fails to convince the Count to support him in his cause to end the slave trade. Two hundred years later, a pair of interior decorators transport his coffin to L.A. where he awakes with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. As Blacula pursues a woman who resembles his long dead wife, her brother-in-law, a pathologist, investigates the string of carnage that follows in the vampire's wake.

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Plot Keywords:

trailer narrated by adolph caesar | first part | electronic music score | 18th century | 1780s | 

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Taglines:

His bite was outta sight!

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The group performing in the club is The Hues Corporation, best known for their 1974 hit song "Rock the Boat."

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Goofs

The film was set in Los Angeles, but a map of Staten Island (New York City) is hanging on the wall in the police station during a close-up shot of the Doctor meeting with the police.

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Quotes

Dracula: You shall pay, black prince. I shall place a curse of suffering on you that will doom you to a living hell. I curse you with my name. You shall be... Blacula!

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Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure an 'X' rating. All cuts were waived in 1998 when the film was granted an '15' certificate for home video.

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Connections

Version of Dracula (1974)

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Soundtracks

Main Chance
by Billy Page and Gene Page
Sung by 21st Century Limited

User Reviews

Blacula is a lot of fun !

I didn't see Blacula until 2006, 34 years after it was made, and I found it very entertaining. The lead actor, William Marshall, is really something special and gives the role some authenticity. So if you've made it this far without seeing Blacula, I would recommend it even more.

Blacula is portrayed as a somewhat sympathetic character, which I like. Blacula was an African prince in his previous, non-vampire life, who unfortunately travels to Transylvania. There, he attempts to win support from Count Dracula to end the international slave trade. Dracula is not exactly helpful, needless to say.

William Marshall is well-cast as a vampire. Charming and debonair one moment, he can turn nasty pretty fast. Marshall is a good actor whose performance here raises what could have been mediocre schlock horror into a pretty good movie.

A must-see for horror fans and recommended for just about everybody else too. 7/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 August 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blacula

Filming Locations:

6501 Yucca St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1