Dance of the Vampires [1967]

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1967
Running Times: 108 mins [Germany]     124 mins [USA]
Length:
Format: Panavision / 35mm
Format: Metrocolor
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents
Made by: Cadre Films / Filmways Ltd
Copyright: © MCMLXVI by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Executive Producer: Martin Ransohoff
Produced by: Gene Gutowski
Production Manager: David W. Orton

SCRIPT
Story and Screenplay by: Gerard Brach and Roman Polanski

DIRECTION
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Assistant Director: Roy Stevens
Continuity: Helen Whitson

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Douglas Slocombe
Camera Operator: Chic Waterson

EDITOR
Editor: Alistair McIntyre

MUSIC
Music Composed by: Christopher Komeda (real name: Krzysztof Komeda)

SOUND
Sound Recordist: George Stephenson
Dubbing Mixer: Len Shilton
Sound Editor: Lionel Selwyn
RCA Sound Recording

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designed by: Sophie Devine
Make up by: Tom Smith
Hairdressing by: Biddy Chrystal

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Fangs by: Dr Ludwig Von Krankheit

VISUAL EFFECTS
Titles Designed by: André Francois

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Wilfred Shingleton
Art Director: Fred Carter

MISCELLANEOUS
Translation: Gillian and John Sutro
Choreography by: Tutte Lemkow

LOCATIONS
Locations: Made at M.G.M. British Studios and Associated British Picture Studios, Boreham Wood, England, UK

CAST
Starring
Jack MacGowran [Professor Abronius]
Sharon Tate [Sarah, their (the Shagals') daughter]
Alfie Bass [Shagal, an innkeeper]

Co-Starring
Ferdy Mayne [Count Von Krolock]
Terry Downes [Koukol, the hunchback]

With
Fiona Lewis [maid]
Iain Quarrier [Herbert, his (Von Krolovk's) son]
Jessie Robbins [Rebecca, his (Shagal's) wife]


Roman Polanski [Alfred, his (Polonius') assistant]
Ronald Lacey [village idiot]
Sydney Bromley [sleigh driver]
Andrea Malandrinos, Otto Diamant, Matthew Walters [woodcutters]

Professor Abronsius and his sidekick, Alfred, roam Transylvania in search of vampires. When Alfred falls in love with Sarah, an inn-keeper's daughter, they find themselves drawn into conmflict with Count Krolock who throws a ball for a very select group at his castle...

Despite excellent design and technical input from a superbly talented production team, Dance of the Vampires is a disappointment, failing as both a horror film and a comedy. Polanski had already proved himself a remarkable creator of screen horror with his masterly study of repression and madness, Repulsion [1965] and would do so again in 1968 with the seminal Rosemary's Baby. Sadly, Dance of the Vampires was less suited to his sensibilities and the result is a frequently tedious spoof with little of the magic or wit that some of the more sympathetic critics have frequently alluded to.

UK
Video Distributor: MGM
DVD Distributors: Warner Bros. [65146]

USA
Video Distributor: MGM
Laserdisc Distributor: MGM Home Video [ML102874]

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: -12

Ireland
Rating: 12

Norway
Rating: 16 [in 1968]; 15

UK
Rating: 12

USA
Rating: unrated

West Germany
Rating: 12 [w]

1967
March
23: UK - rated A by the BBFC [for theatrical release]

December
1: West Germany - theatrical release
26: Sweden - theatrical release

1968
March
29: Finland - theatrical release

June
13: Norway - theatrical release

1975
January
27: UK - television broadcast [on ITV (region not known) as part of The X Film strand]

1977
May
16: UK - television broadcast [on ITV (region not known) as part of the Appintment With Fear strand]

1982
December
27: UK - television broadcast [on BBC2]

1986
April
23: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC [for video release]

September
27: UK - television broadcast [on BBC2]

1988
June
11: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

1993
March
Day Unknown: USA - laserdisc release [MGM Home Video [ML102874]]

1995
November
9: UK - rated 12 by the BBFC [for video release]

1997
September
12: Switzerland - theatrical re-release

1999
December
18: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

2001
March
28: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]

Who says Vampires are no laughing matter?

The Fearless Vampire Killers - US title
The Fearless Vampire Killers: Or, Pardon Me But Your Teeth Are In My Neck - US title
Vampire Ball - working title
The Vampire Killers - working title

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Fearless Vampire Killers: Vampires 101 [1967]
Lionpower From MGM [1967]

MAGAZINES

Cahiers du Cinéma April / May 1968 p.119 [France]
review

Daily Cinema 22 November 1967 p.7 [UK]
review

Film Daily vol.131 no.90 [14 November 1967] pp.1, 3 [UK]
note

Film Daily 21 November 1967 p.6 [UK]
review

Films and Filming January 1969 p.40 [UK]
credits, review

Films and Filming December 1983 p.43 [UK]
review

Hollywood no.6 [April 1996] p.72 [Croatia]
review [by Jasna Nanut]

Hollywood Reporter vol.198 no.21 [14 November 1967] p.3 [USA]
credits, review

Kinematograph Weekly 7 December 1968 p.19 [UK]
credits, review

The Listener 25 September 1986 p.28 [UK]
review

The Listener 9 June 1988 pp.41-42 [UK]
review

Monthly Film Bulletin January 1969 p.4 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review

Variety 15 November 1967 p.6 [USA]
credits, review

Video Watchdog Special Edition 1 p.13 [USA]
review

NEWSPAPERS

Diário de Notícias 13 February 1999 p.54 [Portugal]
review

Expresso, Antena 13 February 1999 [Portugal]
review [by Manuel Cintra Ferreira]

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.133 [Netherlands]
credits, review

The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide p.46 [UK]
credits

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

vampires, balls, homosexuality, vampire slayers, incest, inns, snow, baths, blood, bats, castles, freaks, garlic

Last Updated: 26 June, 2007