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DENIS
GIFFORD'S
MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES
(1977)
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Monster #10 -
Countess Dracula
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United
Kingdom, 1971
A Hammer Film Production
93 mins, Eastmancolor, 1.66:1 aspect ratio
Shot on 35mm film
Director - Peter Sasdy
Screenplay - Jeremy Paul, t
Cinematographer - Kenneth Talbot
Production Design - Philip Harrison, Tim
Hutchinson
Make-Up - Tom Smith
Editor - Henry Richardson
Music - Harry Robinson
Ingrid Pitt
(Countess Elisabeth Nadasdy; voice dubbed by
Olive Gregg, uncredited), Nigel Green (Captain
Dobi), Lesley-Anne Down (Countess Ilona Nadasdy),
Sandor Elès (Lt. Imre Toth), Maurice Denham
(Grand Master Fabio)
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Countess Dracula
essentially takes its cue and story from the gory
legends surrounding early 17th Century Hungarian
Countess Elizabeth Bathory (who seemed to enjoy
bathing in the blood of virgins) - but Monsters
of the Movies wasn't the kind of publication
to divulge this type of background information to
its readers, instead simply focussing on a
synopsis of the film's events and the
characterization of the horrors presented by it -
in this case, Countess Dracula.
I do remember
being slightly perplexed, since Gifford's lines
really gave no hint at all of any kind of
vampirism - so who or what exactly were we
looking at here?
Well, the
matter of the fact is that, quite simply,
Countess Bathory never was "Countess
Dracula". Hammer was simply attempting to
dip back into some of its previous successes with
films featuring Dracula's name, together with
another try at some exploitation and nudity
(featuring actress Ingrid Pitt's feminine
endowments but not her voice, as her lines were
dubbed by an uncredited voice actress).
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(Carousel Books / Transworld
Publishing)
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| Even in the movie the name
Countess Dracula isn't mentioned until the very last
scene, when villagers curse the Countess as she is
awaiting the executioner. |
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It seems
rather baffling that Gifford chose to include Countess
Dracula in a little book clearly aimed at a
pre- to early teenage audience - somewhat
illustrated by the fact that the movie is, to
this day, rated 18. Then again, it was quite
clear that no average reader of Monsters of
the Movies would get to watch the movie
anyway, so Gifford could be content to have a
character with a semi-iconic name and simply run
down the basics of the plot. The still chosen to
illustrate this entry is certainly beyond
suspicion (and for some reason always evoked
images for me of Madame Tussaud's Chamber of
Horrors in London, with dimly lit waxworks of the
beheaded Marie Antoinette).
Other than that, it seems that Countess
Dracula is one of Hammer's most inconsistent
productions when it comes to critical reception,
both contemporary and current. Some feel it is
underrated and above average, whereas others
deplore the lack of plot interest and acting
quality. Personally, I would have to side with
the latter group.
The movie was released in 2014 on Blu-ray,
presenting very good image quality that
highlights the merits of the make-up as the
Countess ages. The audio quality is on the same
level, and the region B release features a number
of extras, although half of those don't actually
have much - if indeed anything - to do with Countess
Dracula.
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Denis Gifford on Countess
Dracula
in A Pictorial History of
Horror Movies (1973)
"Ingrid
Pitt as Countess Dracula found an ideal
cure for old age: virgin's blood (...) a
catch-penny [revival of the Dracula
theme]."
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The illustrations presented here are
copyright material.
Their reproduction in this non-commercial review
and research context is considered to be fair use
as set out by the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, 17
U.S.C. par. 107
and in accordance with the the Berne Convention
for the Protection of Literary and
Artistic Works.
All images from
Monsters of the Movies
(Carousel/Transworld) were scanned from my
personal copy purchased in 1977
All images of Blu-ray or DVD covers were scanned
from my personal copies
Page created 21
September 2023
Last updated 20 October 2023
(c)
2023
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