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Dracula Prince of Darkness [1966]
Country
of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1965
Running Times: 86 mins 6 sec [UK - video]
90 mins
Length: 8087 ft
Format: Technicolor 35mm
Techniscope
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: mono
CREDITS
PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Hammer Films / Associated British
Productions Limited
Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys
Production Manager: Ross Mackenzie
SCRIPT
Script: John Sansom (real name: Jimmy Sangster)
Idea: John Elder (real name: Anthony Hinds)
Characters: Bram Stoker
DIRECTION
Director: Terence Fisher
Assistant Director: Bert Batt
PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Michael Reed
Camera Operator: Cece Cooney (real name: Cecil R. Cooney)
EDITING AND POST
PRODUCTION
Supervising Editor: James Needs
Editor: Chris Barnes
MUSIC
Musical Supervisor: Philip Martell
Music: James Bernard
SOUND
Sound Recording: Ken Rawkins
Sound Editor: Roy Baker
Sound System: RCA Sound Recording
MAKE UP AND
COSTUMES
Make Up: Roy Ashton
Hair: Frieda Steiger
Wardrobe: Rosemary Burrows
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Bowie Films Ltd
DESIGN AND SET
CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Bernard Robinson
Art Director: Don Mingaye
MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Lorna Selwyn
LOCATIONS
Locations: Bray Studios, Berkshire, England, UK
STUNTS
Stunts: Peter Diamond [uncredited], Eddie Powell
[uncredited]
CAST
Christopher Lee [Count Dracula]
Barbara Shelley [Helen]
Andrew Keir [Father Sandor]
Francis Matthews [Charles Kent]
Suzan Farmer [Diana]
Charles Tingwell [Alan Kent]
Thorley Walters [Ludwig]
Philip Latham [Klove]
Walter Brown [Brother Mark]
George Woodbridge [landlord]
Jack Lambert [Brother Peter]
Philip Ray [priest]
Joyce Hemson [mother]
John Maxim [coach driver]
Peter Cushing [Van Helsing (in archive footage -
uncredited)]
SUMMARY
A group of English
tourists in the Carpathian mountains meet Father Sandor,
an abbot who is trying to get the locals to let go of the
past and forget Count Dracula, destroyed by Van Helsing
many years before. But they are taken in by Klove,
Dracula's manservant, who sacrifices one of the
travelers, using his blood to bring Dracula back from the
dead...
CAPSULE REVIEW
Disappointing only by
the very high standards of the first two Hammer Dracula
films, Dracula Prince of Darkness is a solid and
entertaining effort, enlivened by Christopher Lee's
masterly performance and by a great supporting cast.
Fisher's direction is as assured as ever and Michael
Reed's widescreen photography is stunning.
AVAILABILITY
UK
Theatrical Release: Warner-Pathe Distributors Limited
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
USA
Theatrical Release: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay [DV 10502 - includes a
commentary by Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Francis
Matthews and Suzan Farmer; behind-the-scenes home movies;
theatrical trailer with Plague of the Zombies [1966];
World of Hammer episode Dracula and the Undead] CENSORSHIP HISTORY
Finland
Rating: banned in 1966
Norway
Rating: 16
Sweden
Rating: 15
UK
Rating: X
USA
Rating: unrated
TIMELINE
1965
April
26: UK - principal photography begins
June
4: UK - principal photography ends
1966
January
9: UK - theatrical release
12: USA - theatrical release
May
27: Sweden - theatrical release
1972
April
17: Norway - theatrical re-release
1987
June
27: UK - television
broadcast [on BBC1]
1997
December
25: UK - television broadcast [on Channel 4]
1998
October
20: USA - DVD release [Anchor Bay [DV 10502]]
1999
April
1: UK - rated 15 by the BBFC [for video release]
June
26: UK - television
broadcast [on Channel 4]
2001
July
29: UK -
television broadcast [on Channel 4]
December
24: UK - television broadcast [on Film Four]
ALTERNATIVE TITLES
The Bloody Scream of Dracula - early
title
Blut für Dracula - German title
Disciple of Dracula - early title
Dracula - Swedish title
Dracula 3 - early title
Dracula, prince des ténèbres - French title
Drácula, príncipe de las tinieblas -
Spanish title
Dracula principe delle tenebre - Italian
title
Revenge of Dracula - early title
LINKS
SEQUEL TO
Dracula [1958]
The Brides of
Dracula [1960]
SEQUELS
Dracula Has Risen
from the Grave [1968]
Taste the Blood
of Dracula [1970]
Scars of Dracula [1970]
Dracula A.D. 1972 [1972]
The Satanic Rites
of Dracula [1974]
FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
The Many Faces of Christopher Lee [1996]
REFERENCES
MAGAZINES
Amateur Cine World vol.10
no.1 [1 July 1965] p.10 [UK]
review
British National Film Catalogue vol.4
[1966] [UK]
credits, synopsis
Daily Cinema no.9159 [29
December 1965] p.8 [UK]
review
Dark Terrors 3 p.16 [UK]
note
Dark Terrors no.4 [July /
August 1992] pp.13-21 [UK]
illustrated credits, production notes, synopsis
Empire June 1999 p.152
[UK]
review [by Kim Newman]
Films and Filming vol.11
no.11 [August 1965] p.55 [UK]
credits, review
Flesh and Blood no.4 p.18
[UK]
review [by Harvey Fenton]
Hammer Horror no.2 [April
1995] pp.16-33 [UK]
illustrated credits, synopsis, production notes, review
The House That Hammer Built no.10
[October 1998] p.102 [UK]
note
Kine Weekly no.3039 [30
December 1965] p.13 [UK]
review
Monthly Film Bulletin vol.33
no.385 [February 1966] p.22 [UK]
credits, synopsis, review
Photon no.19 p.42
review
Shivers no.16 p.38
review
Sight and Sound vol.5
no.4 [April 1995] pp.61-62 [UK]
video review
Variety 19 January 1966
[USA]
credits, review
Video Watchdog no.42
pp.24-25
review
BOOKS
The Hammer Story pp.96-97
illustrated article, review [by Marcus Hearn and Alan
Barnes]
Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and
Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.112
credits, review
The Illustrated Vampire Movie
Guide p.47
credits, review [by Stephen Jones]
Reference Guide to Fantastic Films
p.113
credits KEYWORDS
dracula, vampires, butlers, castles, monks, sequels, tourists
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