Ganja and Hess (1972)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1972
Running Times: 110 mins
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound:

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Kelly/Jordan
Executive Producers: Jack Jordan, Quentin Kelly
Producer: Chiz Schultz
Associate Producer: Joan Shikegawa

SCRIPT
Script: Bill Gunn

DIRECTION
Directors: Bill Gunn, Efim Novikov (real name: Fima Noveck)

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: James E. Hinton

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Victor Kanefsky

MUSIC
Music: Sam Waymon

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Scott Barrie

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Tom H. John

CAST
Marlene Clark (Ganja)
Duane Jones (Dr Hess Green)
Betty Barney (singer)
Enrico Fales (Green's son)
Tara Fields (woman with baby)
Bill Gunn (George)
Richard Harrow (dinner guest)
John Hoffmeister (Jack)
Leonard Jackson (Archie)
Mabel King (Queen of Myrthia)
Tommy Lane (pimp)
Candece Tarpley (girl in bar)
Betsy Thurman (poetess)
Sam Waymon (Reverend Williams)

PLOT SUMMARY

Archaeologist Dr Hess Green working on a dig uncovering the ancient civilization of Myrthia is attacked by his research assistant who then commits suicide. Hess recovers, but finds that he's been turned into a vampire with an uncontrollable thirst for blood. He teams up with his former assistant's wife, Ganja and they fall in love – but will Ganja be ready for the truth about what Hess has become?

AVAILABILITY

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Heritage Enterprises Inc; Kelly/Jordan (1973)
Video Distributors: Lost Domain; Video Gems; Simitar; Impulse; Lettuce Entertain You; Fantasy
DVD Distributors: All Day Entertainment (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition 98040001)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

USA
Rating: R

TIMELINE

1998
July
7: USA - DVD release (Allday Entertainment (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition 98040001))

POSTER TAGS

Some Marriages Are Made In Heaven. Others Are Made In Hell.

Double Possession... The Story Of A Man And Woman Possessed By The Devil!

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Black Evil
Black Vampire
Blackout: The Moment of Terror
Blood Couple
Double Possession
Vampires of Harlem

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Black American Literature Forum vol.25 no.2 (Summer 1991) pp.307 - (USA)
article (Ganja and Hess: Vampires, Sex, and Addictions by Manthia Diawara and Phyllis R. Klotman)

Cinema Journal vol.39 no.2 (2002) pp.31-50 (USA)
article (Blaxploitation Horror Films: Generic Reappropriation or Reinscription by Harry M. Benshoff)

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again by John Stanley p.48
credits, review

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 p.149
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films Volume II p.148
credits

The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide by Stephen Jones p.75
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.156
credits

KEYWORDS

archaeologists, blaxploitation, suicide, vampires, voodoo

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008