Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974)

A master swordsman and former soldier and his hunchbacked assistant hunt vampires.

Director:

Brian Clemens

Writer:

Brian Clemens

Stars:

Horst Janson, John Carson, Shane Briant

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Horst Janson	...	Kronos
John Carson	...	Dr. Marcus
Shane Briant	...	Paul Durward
Caroline Munro	...	Carla
John Cater	...	Grost
Lois Daine	...	Sara Durward
Ian Hendry	...	Kerro
Wanda Ventham	...	Lady Durward
William Hobbs	...	Hagen
Brian Tully	...	George Sorell
Robert James	...	Pointer
Perry Soblosky	...	Barlow
Paul Greenwood	...	Giles
Lisa Collings	...	Vanda Sorell
John Hollis	...	Barman

Storyline

Vampire hunter and expert swordsman Kronos finds himself in a small village where several of the local young women have been found in an advanced state of age, their youth drained from them by a vampire's kiss. Kronos' search leads him to the Durward estate where he is met by the effete children of the apparently aged and sick Lady Durward.

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Plot Keywords:

chekhov's gun | skeleton | death of husband | scream | screaming woman | 

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Taglines:

Evil Ends Here.

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Genres:

Adventure | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 June 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kronos

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£160,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was to have been the first in a series of films. The poor box office cancelled those plans. The poor returns also contributed to the decline in the box office track record of Hammer Films.

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Goofs

Grost suggests that the vampire may be using 'mesmerism' or 'hypnotism' to subdue its victims, but neither term was in use until the early 19th century.

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Quotes

Marcus: I've been saving a bottle of wine for a rainy day.
Grost: [looking up at clear sky] It's pouring.

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Connections

Featured in The World of Hammer: Dracula & the Undead (1994)

User Reviews

The Swashbuckling Vampire Moie

Captain Kronos (Horst Janson)is a retired officer from the Imperial Army. He is handsome, debonair and has an eye for the ladies but his full-time job sees him seeking out and destroying Vampires with the assistance of his sidekick Professor Hieronymos Grost(John Cater)(now where have I heard that name before).Grost is a hunchback and an expert on the different types of Vampire and how to seek and destroy each different kind, for we learn there are many types. On the way to assist a former army buddy of his Dr Marcus(John Carson),Kronos frees the lovely Carla (Caroline Munro)from bondage and she joins our heroes on their quest to rid the world of evil. On arriving at the home of Dr Marcus, his old friend tells him of the blight that has been affecting the area namely Young girls are being found dead with blood on their lips but more importantly they have aged rapidly. Grost is immediately able to tell which kind of Vampires they are dealing with they are the kind that needs blood of youth to stay young themselves,so Grost sets out a plan to find them. Some thugs are hired by an unknown man in a local Inn to get rid of Kronos and his associates but they are no match for our swashbuckling hero and are soon dispatched without Kronos learning who the thugs employers were. There are unfortunately no witnesses who can describe or point a finger at the guilty parties but Kronos believes that the Durwood Family(real name Karnstein) is somehow involved and so sets about luring them into his trap.

Review:Captain Kronos:Vampire Hunter is a very unusual entry in the Hammer Canon…. Director/Scriptwriter Brian Clemens film is full of interesting and original ideas which he brings to screen with an assured confidence. The Hooded figure that lurks in the leafy glades and stalks the local wenches is done very well and the identity is never given away until the end.The shadow of a crucifix that comes to life in a church is also a high point. The film is also quite funny with some very good witty dialogue that helps the film move along at a fair old pace. Kronos is a also not scarce on action and contains a good few Excellent action set pieces. Captain Kronos:Vampire Hunter was initially planned to be Hammer's next big franchise but sadly poor box office put an end to that which is a huge shame as it is truly a classic of 70s Horror and a film that all Hammer enthusiasts should see.