Blacula (1972)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1972
Running Times: 93 mins
Format: colour
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: AIP / Power Productions
Executive Producer: Samuel Z. Arkoff
Producer: Joseph T. Naar
Executive Production Supervisor: Norman T. Herman
Production Manager: Jack Bohrer

SCRIPT
Script: Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig

DIRECTION
Director: William Crain
Assistant Director: Phil Cook

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: John M. Stevens
Camera Operator: John Kiser
Gaffer: Lawrence Gilhooly Jr
Key Grip: Larry Milton
Stills Man: Phil Segura
Lab: Movielab

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Allan Jacobs
Assistant Editor: Tom Neff
Post-Production Manager: Salvatore Billitteri

MUSIC
Music / Conductor: Gene Page
Song: Billy Page, Gene Page (Main Chance); Wally Holmes (What the World Knows; There He Is Again; I'm Gonna Get You)
Songs Performed By: The Hues Corporation (What the World Knows; There He Is Again; I'm Gonna Get You); 21st Century Limited (Main Chance)
Song Producers: Wally Holmes, Norman Raynes (What the World Knows; There He Is Again; I'm Gonna Get You)
Music Coordinator: Al Simms

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Charles Knight
Boom Man: Dean Hodges
Effects Editor: Sam Horta
Sound: Ryder Sound Services Inc

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Fred Phillips
Hair: Lola Kemp
Wardrobe Man: Ermon Sessions
Wardrobe Woman: Sandra Stewart

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Roger George

VISUAL EFFECTS
Title Designer: Sandy Dvore
Opticals: Imagic

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Walter Herndon
Property Master: Ted Berkeley

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: Marshall Schlom
Transportation Captain: Alan Falco
Publicity Man: Julian F. Myers
Cars: Chrysler Corporation

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Locations: Cinemobile Systems

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: George Fisher

CAST
William Marshall (Blacula)
Vonetta McGee (Tina)
Denise Nicholas (Michelle)
Thalmus Rasulala (Dr Gordon Thomas)
Gordon Pinsent (Lt Jack Peters)
Charles Macaulay (Dracula)
Emily Yancy (Nancy)
Lance Taylor Sr (Swenson)
Ted Harris (Bobby McCoy)
Rick Metzler (Billy Schaffer)
Ji-Tu Cumbuka (Skillet)
Logan Field (Sgt Barnes)
Ketty Lester (Juanita Jones)
Elisha Cook Jr (Sam)
Eric Brotherson (real estate agent)

PLOT SUMMARY

In 1780, African prince Manuwalde is summoned to Transylvania by Count Dracula who promptly makes a play for his wife. Manuwalde is locked in a coffin while his wife is sealed alive in the vampire's tomb. 200 years later, Manuwalde rises from the grave and is soon haunting 1970s Los Angeles as the vampire Blacula.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Great fun and by far and away the best of the blaxploitation horrors, though given the competition that's hardly a recommendation. But Blacula is a genuinely fun film, with William Marshall giving a great performance as the title vampire with Vonetta McGee wonderful as his reincarnated wife. Funny, creepy and full of clever, satirical flourishes, this is a gem of a film that is almost certainly a lot better than you think it's going to be.

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Columbia-Warner Distributors

USA
Theatrical Distributors: AIP
Video Distributors: Orion Home Video
DVD Distributors: MGM Home Entertainment (Soul Cinema 1005919)

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: PG

1973
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Golden Scroll Best Horror Film - winner

1972
August
25: USA – theatrical release

1973
February
26: Sweden – theatrical release

May
25: Denmark – theatrical release

2004
January
20: USA - DVD release (MGM Home Entertainment (Soul Cinema 1005919))

2005
March
4: UK - shown at the Gothique Fil Society, London

Bloodsucker! - Deadlier than Dracula!

He's black! he's beautiful! he's Blacula!

His bite was outta sight!

Rising From the Echoing Corridors of Hell, An Awesome Being of the Supernatural - With Satanic Power of Sheer Dread. Chained Forever to a Slavery More Vile Than Any Before Endured...

Warm, young bodies will feed his hunger, and hot, fresh blood his awful thirst!

LINKS

SEQUEL
Scream Blacula Scream (1973)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Bikers, Blondes and Blood (1993)
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991)

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.46
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume II p.36
credits

The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide by Stephen Jones p.65
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.39
references

blaxploitation, coffins, hooks, morgues, vampires

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008