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Countess Dracula
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Countess Dracula | |
|---|---|
 Film poster |
|
| Directed by | Peter Sasdy |
| Produced by | Alexander Paal |
| Written by | Jeremy Paul |
| Starring | Ingrid Pitt |
| Music by | Harry Robertson |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Talbot |
| Editing by | Henry Richardson |
| Distributed by | Hammer Film Productions |
| Release date(s) | January 31, 1971 |
| Running time | 93 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Unknown |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Countess Dracula is a 1971 Hammer horror film based loosely on the legend of the Hungarian "blood countess" Elizabeth Báthory. It is in many ways atypical of Hammer's canon, but can be considered a close relation of that studio's Karnstein Trilogy, which was based on the works of Sheridan Le Fanu and was an attempt to broaden Hammer's output from Dracula and Frankenstein sequels (adding liberal nudity and lesbian themes to the mix). It is available on DVD from MGM in the USA as a double-bill with The Vampire Lovers, and from Carlton in the UK in a box set with Twins of Evil and Vampire Circus.
The film was produced by Alexander Paal and directed by Peter Sasdy, Hungarian émigrés working in England. Sandor Eles, a Hungarian actor also had a role in the film. The original music score was composed by Harry Robertson.
Ingrid Pitt reprised her role as Bathory / Nádasdy on the 1998 Cradle of Filth album, Cruelty and the Beast.
Contents |
In seventeenth century Hungary, Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy discovers that her youthful appearance and libido can be temporarily restored if she bathes in the blood of young women. She enlists her steward and lover, Captain Dobi, to help with the kidnap and murder of countless local girls, whilst pursuing further sexual conquests with the likes of Lt. Imre Toth. As a cover for her crimes while in her rejuvenated state, she takes the identity of her own daughter; a plan that spirals out of control when her actual daughter, Ilona, returns home.
- Ingrid Pitt as Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy
- Nigel Green as Capt. Dobi the Castle Steward
- Sandor Elès as Lt. Imre Toth
- Maurice Denham as Master Fabio, Castle Historian
- Patience Collier as Julie Szentes the Nurse
- Peter Jeffrey as Capt. Balogh, Chief Bailiff
- Lesley-Anne Down as Ilona Nádasdy, Elisabeth's Daughter
- Leon Lissek as Sergeant of Bailiffs
- Jessie Evans as Rosa, Teri's Mother
- Andrea Lawrence as Ziza, Shepherd's Inn Whore
- Ian Trigger as Clown at the Sheperd's Inn
- Nike Arrighi as Fortune Telling Gypsy Girl
- Directed by Peter Sasdy
- Screenplay by Jeremy Paul
- Produced by Alexander Paal
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) • The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) • The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) • The Phantom of the Opera (1962) • The Kiss of the Vampire (1962) • The Devil-Ship Pirates (1963) • The Gorgon (1964) • Rasputin, the Mad Monk (1966) • The Plague of the Zombies (1966) • The Reptile (1966) • The Witches (1966) • The Devil Rides Out (1967) • Hands of the Ripper (1971) • Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) • Countess Dracula (1971) • Vampire Circus (1972) • To the Devil a Daughter (1976)