Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter – 1974

A Hammer production
Copyright MCMLXXII Hammer Film Productions Limited – All rights reserved
MPAA Approved Certificate

The characters and incidents portrayed and the names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character, or history of any person is entirely accidental and unintentional

RCA Sound System
Made at EMI-MGM Elstree Studios, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire, England
Processed by Humphries Laboratories 91 mins

Storyline

Fearless hero Captain Kronos has dedicated his life to the destruction of vampires after his mother and father were afflicted by the curse and he was forced to destroy them both. Together with his faithful hunchback assistant Grost, he rides into the village of Durward. His arrival is timely, for beautiful young girls have been dying there recently – dying of old age, their youth and beauty sucked from their bodies! Kronos’s search leads him to the Durward family itself, which holds a terrible secret…..

Crew


Function	Credited	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Credits
Assistant Art Director	Kenneth McCallum Tait	58	4 Nov 1915	1 Jul 1985	69	2
Assistant Director	David Tringham	38	13 Mar 1935	Living	85	3
Camera Operator	Godfrey Godar	49	30 Nov 1924	1 Nov 2007	82	2
Casting Director	James Liggat	54	1920	28 Sep 1981	61	29
Continuity	June Randall	46	26 Jun 1927	18 Jan 2015	87	6
Designer	Robert Jones					6
Director	Brian Clemens	42	30 Jul 1931	10 Jan 2015	83	8
Director of Photography	Ian Wilson	34	23 Apr 1939	Living	81	4
Dubbing Mixer	Bill Rowe	42	2 Feb 1931	29 Sep 1992	61	10
Editor	James Needs	54	17 Oct 1919	2003	83	111
Fight Arranger	William Hobbs	34	29 Jan 1939	10 Jul 2010	71	1
Hairdressing	Barbara Ritchie	46	1928	1990	62	2
Make-up	Jim Evans	63	19 Mar 1910	1 Dec 1977	67	1
Music by	Laurie Johnson	46	7 Feb 1927	Living	94	1
Musical Supervisor	Philip Martell	66	6 Oct 1907	11 Aug 1993	85	103
Produced by	Albert Fennell	53	29 Mar 1920	17 Apr 1988	68	2
Produced by	Brian Clemens	42	30 Jul 1931	10 Jan 2015	83	8
Production Manager	Richard Dalton	38	7 Aug 1935	Living	85	1
Production Supervisor	Roy Skeggs	39	1 Apr 1934	29 Dec 2018	84	45
Recording Director	A.W. Lumkin	60	2 Feb 1913	25 Oct 1985	72	30
Sound Editor	Peter Lennard	36	1 Sep 1938	Living	82	1
Sound Recordist	Jim Willis			1 Jan 1995		1
Wardrobe Supervisor	Dulcie Midwinter	64	1910	1997	87	4
Written by	Brian Clemens	42	30 Jul 1931	10 Jan 2015	83	8

Cast


Character	Actor	Age at Release	Birth	Death	Age	Hammer Appearances
Ann Sorell	Elizabeth Dear					2
Barlow	Perry Soblosky					1
Barmaid	Jacqui Cook					1
Barman	John Hollis	46	12 Nov 1927	18 Oct 2005	77	1
Barton Sorell	Stafford Gordon					1
Big Man	Peter Davidson					1
Blind Girl	Gigi Gurpinar					1
Captain Kronos	Horst Janson	38	4 Oct 1935	Living	84	1
Carla	Caroline Munro	24	16 Jan 1949	Living	72	2
Deke	Trevor Lawrence	29	27 Jul 1944	12 Jul 2012	67	1
Dr Marcus	John Carson	46	28 Feb 1927	5 Nov 2016	89	4
George Sorell	Brian Tully	43	1931	20 Sep 2014	83	1
Giles	Paul Greenwood	30	2 Aug 1943	Living	77	1
Hagen	William Hobbs	34	29 Jan 1939	10 Jul 2018	79	1
Isabella Sorell	Susanna East					1
Kerro (Guest Star)	Ian Hendry	42	13 Jan 1931	24 Dec 1984	53	1
Lady Durward (Guest Star)	Wanda Ventham	38	5 Aug 1935	Living	85	1
Lillian	Olgar Anthony	27	1947	Living	74	1
Myra	Joanna Ross					1
Paul Durward	Shane Briant	27	17 Aug 1946	Living	74	4
Pointer	Robert James	49	28 Mar 1924	31 Jul 2004	80	1
Priest	Neil Seiler	48	2 Sep 1925	14 Feb 2003	77	1
Professor Hieronymous Grost	John Cater	41	17 Jan 1932	21 Mar 2009	77	1
Sara Durward	Lois Daine	32	5 Dec 1941	Living	79	3
Tom	Terence Sewards	35	13 Nov 1938	Living	82	1
Vanda Sorell	Lisa Collings					1
Whore	Penny Price					1

Footnotes

As well as financing problems, Hammer now began to have distribution difficulties and this film was scarcely shown in cinemas at all, eventually escaping to very limited showings in 1974; which is a shame, because it is one of the best and most original of their later films, with fine production values and a witty sense of humour. Its lack of distribution soon quashed hopes that “Kronos” would develop into a television series.

Horst Janson’s voice was dubbed by actor Julian Holloway, one of the regulars of the “Carry On” supporting cast.

To compose the music, Albert Fennell and Brian Clemens brought in Laurie Johnson, who had written the memorable theme for ABC TV’s “The Avengers”, which they had produced.

Also from “The Avengers”, the role of Kerro was given to Ian Hendry, who had been one of the original stars of the series. He was by this time already suffering from the alcohol-related problems which would later kill him.

Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection