Hammer Films: Dracula

***Hammer Film Productions*** is a British film production company based in London. Founded on November 5, 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Hammer also produced science fiction, thrillers, film noir and comedies — and, in later years, television series. During its most successful years, Hammer dominated the horror film market, enjoying worldwide distribution and considerable financial success. This success was due, in part, to distribution partnerships with major United States studios, such as Warner Bros.

During the late 1960s and 1970s the saturation of the horror film market by competitors and the loss of American funding forced changes to the previously lucrative Hammer formula, with varying degrees of success. The company eventually ceased production in the mid-1980s.

Find out more at hammerfilms.com.

#### Dracula (1958)

> "*The chill of the tomb won't leave your blood for hours... after you come face-to-face with DRACULA!"*
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**Dracula** is a 1958 Technicolor British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and written by Jimmy Sangster based on Bram Stoker's novel of the same name. Released in the US on May 8, 1958, and the UK on June 16, 1958, this was the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by Dracula, the film stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, and Melissa Stribling. In the United States, the film was retitled Horror of Dracula to avoid confusion with the earlier Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi, and the film was released in the U.S. in 1958 on a double bill with the Universal film The Thing That Couldn't Die.

After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle (apparently somewhere in Germany), the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost. [IMDb.com]

#### The Brides of Dracula (1960)

> *"The most evil, blood-lusting Dracula of all!"*
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***The Brides of Dracula*** is a 1960 British Hammer Film Productions Horror film directed by Terence Fisher. Released in the UK on July 7, 1960 and in the US on September 5, 1960, it stars Peter Cushing as Van Helsing; David Peel as Baron Meinster, a disciple of Count Dracula; Freda Jackson as Greta, Yvonne Monlaur as Marianne Danielle; Andrée Melly as her roommate, Gina; Marie Devereux as a village girl; and Martita Hunt as the Baroness Meinster.

The film is a sequel to Hammer's original Dracula (USA: Horror of Dracula) (1958), though the vampires possess abilities denied to vampires in the previous film, much like those in the original novel. Alternative working titles were Dracula 2 and Disciple Of Dracula. Dracula does not appear in the film (Christopher Lee would reprise his role in the Dracula: Prince of Darkness) and is mentioned only twice, once in the prologue, once by Van Helsing.

A young teacher on her way to a position in Transylvania helps a young man escape the shackles his mother has put on him. In so doing she innocently unleashes the horrors of the undead once again on the populace, including those at her school for ladies. Luckily for some, Dr Van Helsing is already on his way. [IMDb.com]

#### Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

> *"DEAD for Ten Years DRACULA, Prince of Darkness, LIVES AGAIN!"*
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***Dracula: Prince of Darkness*** is a 1966 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher. Released in the UK on January 9, 1966 and the US on January 12, 1966, the film was photographed in Techniscope by Michael Reed, designed by Bernard Robinson and scored by James Bernard. It stars Christopher Lee, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley.

This was the third entry in Hammer's Dracula series, and the second to feature Christopher Lee as the titular vampire.

Two couples traveling in eastern Europe decide to visit Karlsbad despite dire local warnings. Left outside the village by a coachman terrified at the approach of night, they find themselves in the local castle and are surprised at the hospitality extended by the sinister Klove. It turns out the owner, Count Dracula, dead for ten years, has been hoping for such a visit. [IMDb.com]

#### Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)

> *"You just can't keep a good man down."*
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***Dracula Has Risen from the Grave*** is a 1968 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis for Hammer Films. Released in the UK on November 7, 1968 and the US on February 6, 1969, it stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, with support from Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barry Andrews, Barbara Ewing, Ewan Hooper and Michael Ripper.

This was the fourth entry in Hammer's Dracula series, and the third to feature Christopher Lee as the titular vampire.

One year after destroying Dracula, Monsignor returns to his castle in the mountains with the local priest to exorcise his castle. However, the priest accidentally resurrects Dracula and becomes his slave. Meanwhile Monsignor returns home in Keinenberg on the day of the birthday of his niece Maria, who lives with her mother Anna in his house. Maria is in love with the atheist Paul, who works with the waitress Zena in the bar owned by his friend Max where he also lives. Dracula decides to revenge on Monsignor and travels with the priest to Keinenberg. What will Dracula do next? [IMDb.com]

#### Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

> *"Drink a pint of blood a day"*
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***Taste the Blood of Dracula*** is a British horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions which was released in the UK on May 7, 1970 and in the US on June 7, 1970. It stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, and was directed by Peter Sasdy based upon a script by Anthony Hinds. The film was released as a double bill alongside fellow Hammer production Crescendo.

This was the fifth entry in Hammer's Dracula series, and the fourth to feature Christopher Lee as the titular vampire.

Three middle-aged distinguished gentlemen are searching for some excitement in their boring bourgeois lives and get in contact with one of Count Dracula's servants, Lord Courtley. In a nightly ceremony, they restore the count to life. However, the three men killed Courtley and, in revenge, the count ensures that the gentlemen are killed one by one by their own children. [IMDb.com]

#### Scars of Dracula (1970)

> *"Shock Show of the Year!"*
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***Scars of Dracula*** is a 1970 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker for Hammer Studios. It was released in the UK on November 8, 1970 and the US on December 23, 1970.

It stars Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, along with Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley, Patrick Troughton, and Michael Gwynn. Although disparaged by some critics, the film does restore a few elements of Bram Stoker's original character: the Count is introduced as an "icily charming host;" he has command over nature; and he is seen scaling the walls of his castle. It also gives Lee more to do and say than any other Hammer Dracula film except its first, 1958's Dracula.

This film breaks the continuity maintained through the previous entries in the Hammer Dracula series: whereas at the end of the preceding film, Taste the Blood of Dracula, the Count met his end in a disused church near London, this film opens with a resurrection scene set in Dracula's castle in Transylvania, with no explanation of how his ashes got there. The British Film group EMI took over distribution of the film after Warner Bros. and other American studios refused to distribute it in the U.S. It was also the first of several Hammer films to get an 'R' rating.

Brought back from his dead mouldering remains with blood drooled on them by one of the bats he commands, Count Dracula once again spreads his evil from his mountaintop castle. When libertine Paul Carlson disappears one night, his more sober brother Simon and his girlfriend trace him to the area, discovering a terrified populace. Thrown out of the inn, they make their way, like Paul before them, towards the sinister castle and its undead host. [IMDb.com]

#### Dracula AD 1972

> *"The Time: Now. The Place: Kings Road, Chelsea. The Killer: Count Dracula."*
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***Dracula A.D. 1972*** is a 1972 horror film, directed by Alan Gibson and produced by Hammer Film Productions. Released in the UK on September 28, 1972 and the US on November 17, 1972, it was written by Don Houghton and stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Stephanie Beacham. Unlike earlier films in Hammer's Dracula series, Dracula A.D. 1972 has (at the time of filming) a contemporary setting, in an attempt to update the Dracula story for modern audiences. Dracula is brought back to life in modern London and preys on a group of young party-goers, that includes the descendant of his nemesis, Van Helsing.

It is the seventh Hammer film featuring Dracula, and the sixth to star Christopher Lee in the title role. It also sees the return of Peter Cushing as Van Helsing for the first time since The Brides of Dracula (1960), and is the first to feature both Lee and Cushing in their respective roles since Dracula (1958).

It was followed by the last film in Hammer's Dracula series to star Christopher Lee, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, which similarly has a modern setting and features most of the same central characters.

In the Nineteenth Century, Professor Lawrence Van Helsing vanquishes, destroys Count Dracula and dies. A rider keeps Dracula's dust in a vessel and his ring. In the present days (1972), in London, the mysterious rebel Johnny Alucard that worships Dracula lures his friends, including Jessica Van Helsing, and resurrects the vampire. Dracula plans to destroy Professor Abraham Van Helsing and his granddaughter Jessica to take revenge on their ancestor Van Helsing. [IMDb.com]

#### The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

> *"Evil begets evil on the sabbath of the undead!"*
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***The Satanic Rites of Dracula*** is a 1973 horror film directed by Alan Gibson and produced by Hammer Film Productions. Released in the UK on January 13, 1974 and the US in October 1978, it is the eighth film in Hammer's Dracula series, and the seventh and final one to feature Christopher Lee as Dracula. The film was also the third to unite Peter Cushing as Van Helsing with Lee, following Dracula (1958) and Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972).

In supporting roles were William Franklyn, Joanna Lumley and Freddie Jones.

In London in the 1970s, Scotland Yard police investigators think they have uncovered a case of vampirism. They call in an expert vampire researcher named Van Helsing (a descendant of the great vampire-hunter himself, no less) to help them put a stop to these hideous crimes. It becomes apparent that the culprit is Count Dracula himself, disguised as a reclusive property developer, but secretly plotting to unleash a fatal virus upon the world. [IMDb.com]

#### The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

> *"Hammer Horror! Dragon Thrills! The First Kung Fu Horror Spectacular!"*
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***The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires*** is a 1974 horror film produced by Hammer Studios and Shaw Brothers Studio. It is the ninth and final film in the Hammer Dracula series and was released in the UK on October 6, 1974. It was released in North America in June 1979, in an edited version as The Seven Brothers Meet Dracula, and alternatively known as The Seven Brothers and Their One Sister Meet Dracula. The film is notable for having an actor other than Christopher Lee portray Count Dracula in the Hammer Dracula series; before this film was made, Lee left the role of the Count. The role of Dracula is played by John Forbes-Robertson (though the actor's voice is dubbed by David de Keyser).

Count Dracula journeys to a remote Chinese village in the guise of a warlord to support six vampires who are dispirited after the loss of a seventh member of their cult. At the same time, vampire hunter Prof. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) happens to be lecturing in the country and is persuaded by villagers to help them fight this curse of the ages. [IMDb.com]