In London in 1872, Count Dracula is destroyed by his arch enemy Van Helsing. The action then moves forward a hundred years to swinging Chelsea, where a bunch of really cool, but very bored, cats hang round a coffee bar. To liven things up, one of their number, Johnny Alucard, who just happens to be a disciple of the Devil, suggests holding a Black Mass in a local de-sanctified church. During the service, as planned by Alucard, Dracula is resurrected and immediately sinks his fangs into Laura, one of the girls. His main objective, though, is to have his revenge on the Van Helsing family, one of whom, Jessica, is a member of the gang of pretty young things…..
Production Details
A Hammer production released by Warner Brothers
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
Based on characters created by Bram Stoker
Featuring the rock group Stoneground
RCA Sound System
Made at Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire, England
Colour Processed by Humphries Laboratories 95 mins
Filming Began: 27th September 1971
UK Release: 1st October 1972
Studio:
Elstree Studios of Associated British Picture Corporation, Hertfordshire
Location:
La Bersagliera – 372 Kings Road, Chelsea, London – Cavern coffee shop
Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire
Kings Road, Chelsea, London
Tykes Water Lake & Bridge, Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire – Post credits sequence
Hadley Common, Barnet, London – Post credits sequence
Stills from film
Click an image for enlarged slideshow
Cast & Crew
Cast & Crew – Verified complete
Red = Uncredited
Crew | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Alligator Man by | Sol Valentino | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Assistant Art Director | Ron Benton | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Assistant Director | Robert Lynn | 54 | 9 Jun 1918 | 15 Jan 1982 | 63 | 7 | 7 | ||
Assistant Editor | Leon Spielberg | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Boom Operator | Keith Batten | 31 | 1941 | 01.01.1941 | 83 | 7 | 7 | ||
Camera Operator | Bernie Ford | 42 | 17 Jul 1930 | 17.07.1930 | 94 | 1 | 1 | ||
Casting Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-liggat/# | 52 | 1920 | 28 Sep 1981 | 61 | 29 | 2 | 31 | |
Chef | Robin Demetriou | 23 | 1 Aug 1949 | 01.08.1949 | 75 | 1 | 1 | ||
Construction Manager | Bill Greene | 9 | 9 | ||||||
Continuity | Doreen Dearnaley | 43 | 20 Nov 1928 | 3 Feb 1992 | 63 | 13 | 13 | ||
Designer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/don-mingaye/# | 43 | 1929 | 8 Nov 2017 | 88 | 28 | 15 | 43 | |
Director | Alan Gibson | 34 | 28 Apr 1938 | 5 Jul 1987 | 49 | 8 | 8 | ||
Director of Photography | Dick Bush BSc | 40 | 2 Dec 1931 | 4 Aug 1997 | 65 | 3 | 3 | ||
Dubbing Mixer | Bill Rowe | 41 | 2 Feb 1931 | 29 Sep 1992 | 61 | 10 | 10 | ||
Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/james-needs/# | 52 | 17 Oct 1919 | 4 Feb 2003 | 83 | 113 | 1 | 114 | |
Electrician | Steve Birtles | 57 | 12 Nov 1914 | 2003 | 88 | 14 | 15 | 29 | |
Executive Producer | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/michael-carreras/# | 44 | 21 Dec 1927 | 19 Apr 1994 | 66 | 98 | 9 | 107 | |
First Assistant Director | Ian Gardiner | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Hairdressing | Barbara Ritchie | 44 | 1928 | 1990 | 62 | 2 | 2 | ||
Make-up | Jill Carpenter | 4 Mar 2015 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
Make-up | George Blackler | 60 | 7 Mar 1912 | 30 Oct 1986 | 74 | 7 | 1 | 8 | |
Music Composer | Michael Vickers | 31 | 18 Apr 1941 | 18.04.1941 | 83 | 1 | 1 | ||
Musical Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/philip-martell/# | 64 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 104 | 1 | 105 | |
Painter | Michael Finlay | 24 | 23 Apr 1948 | 23.04.1948 | 76 | 1 | 20 | 21 | |
Producer | Josephine Douglas | 45 | 5 Oct 1926 | 13 Jul 1988 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Production Manager | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ron-jackson/# | 37 | 1935 | 1993 | 58 | 34 | 1 | 35 | |
Production Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-skeggs/# | 38 | Apr 1934 | 29 Dec 2018 | 84 | 45 | 2 | 47 | |
Props | John Chisholm | 37 | 8 May 1935 | 8.05.1935 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Recording Director | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/aw-lumkin/# | 59 | 1 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 | 30 | ||
Recordist | Claude Hitchcock | 53 | 8 Nov 1918 | 4 Oct 2010 | 91 | 14 | 4 | 18 | |
Runner | Brian Reynolds | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Screenplay | Don Houghton | 42 | 2 Feb 1930 | 2 Jul 1991 | 61 | 20 | 20 | ||
Song by | Jim Barnes | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Sound Editor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/roy-baker/# | 45 | Jul 1927 | Feb 2011 | 83 | 29 | 1 | 30 | |
Special Effects | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/les-bowie/# | 58 | 10 Nov 1913 | 27 Jan 1979 | 65 | 30 | 13 | 43 | |
Still Photographer | George Whitear | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Stunts | Peter Munt | 46 | 1926 | 7 Sep 2011 | 85 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Stunts | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/eddie-powell/# | 45 | 9 Mar 1927 | 11 Aug 2000 | 73 | 2 | 14 | 16 | |
Stunts | Rick Lester | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Unit Runner | Philip Campbell | 20 | 1952 | 01.01.1952 | 72 | 9 | 9 | ||
Wardrobe Supervisor | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/rosemary-burrows/# | 36 | 5 | 41 | |||||
Cast | Name | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits | Uncredited | Total Hammer | |
Anna | Janet Key | 27 | 10 Jul 1945 | 26 Jul 1992 | 47 | 2 | 2 | ||
Bob | Philip Miller | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Boy | Christopher Morris | 10 | 1962 | 01.01.1962 | 62 | 1 | 1 | ||
Charles | Michael Daly | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Count Dracula | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/sir-christopher-lee/# | 50 | 27 May 1922 | 7 Jun 2015 | 93 | 22 | 22 | ||
Crying Matron | Jo Richardson | 1976 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Debby Girl | Jane Anthony | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Detective Sergeant | David Andrews | 36 | 22 Oct 1935 | 22.10.1935 | 89 | 1 | 1 | ||
Gaynor | Marsha Hunt | 26 | 15 Apr 1946 | 15.04.1946 | 78 | 1 | 1 | ||
Girl | Glenda Allen | 21 | 1951 | 01.01.1951 | 73 | 4 | 4 | ||
Go-Go Girl | Maureen Flanagan | 31 | 1941 | 01.01.1941 | 83 | 1 | 1 | ||
Greg | Michael Kitchen | 23 | 31 Oct 1948 | 31.10.1948 | 76 | 1 | 1 | ||
Hippy Boy | Brian John Smith | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Hippy Girl | Penny Brahms | 21 | 1951 | 01.01.1951 | 73 | 1 | 1 | ||
Inspector | Michael Coles | 38 | 12 Aug 1934 | 26 Apr 2005 | 70 | 2 | 2 | ||
Jessica Van Helsing | Stephanie Beacham | 25 | 28 Feb 1947 | 28.01.1947 | 77 | 2 | 2 | ||
Joe Mitchum | William Ellis | 29 | 4 Jan 1943 | 4.01.1943 | 81 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Johnny Alucard | Christopher Neame | 25 | 12 Sep 1947 | 12.09.1947 | 77 | 2 | 2 | ||
Laura | Caroline Munro | 23 | 16 Jan 1949 | 16.01.1949 | 75 | 2 | 2 | ||
Man Entering Church | Reg Thomason | 53 | 29 Nov 1918 | 30 Aug 2003 | 84 | 5 | 5 | ||
Matron | Lally Bowers | 55 | 21 Jan 1917 | 18 Jul 1984 | 67 | 1 | 1 | ||
Minister | John Franklyn-Robbins | 47 | 14 Dec 1924 | 21 Mar 2009 | 84 | 1 | 1 | ||
Mrs Donnelly | Constance Luttrell | 81 | 9 Mar 1891 | 10 Sep 1983 | 92 | 1 | 1 | ||
Party Guest | Lewis Alexander | 62 | 27 Aug 1910 | 23 Oct 2010 | 100 | 3 | 3 | ||
Party Guest | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/ernest-blyth/# | 12 | 12 | ||||||
Party Guest | Philip Stewart | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Police Surgeon | Artro Morris | 46 | 17 May 1926 | 11 Feb 2014 | 87 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Professor Van Helsing | https://www.hammer-graveyard.org.uk/peter-cushing/# | 59 | 26 May 1913 | 11 Aug 1994 | 81 | 24 | 1 | 25 | |
Rockgroup Member | Cory Lerios | 21 | 12 Feb 1951 | 12.01.1951 | 73 | 1 | 1 | ||
Rockgroup Member | Annie Sampson | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | Brian Godula | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | Deirdre La Porte | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | John Blakeley | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | Lydia Mareno | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | Lynne Hughes | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | Steve Price | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Member | Tim Barnes | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Rockgroup Singer / Guitarist | Sal Valentino | 30 | 8 Sep 1942 | 8.09.1942 | 82 | 1 | 1 |
Original Poster
Click to enlarge
Footnotes
Exactly why Hammer got involved in this fiasco can easily be explained by the fact that Warner Brothers were actually very keen to finance an updated version of the Dracula myth. What they got, though, was a film which was dated even before its release, but which is worth seeing because it is now funnier than any of the comedies produced by Hammer!
On a more serious note, it does seem that the Company was by this time on the slippery slope, desperately looking for something to restore them to their winning ways.
Despite everything, however, it should be added that Messrs. Cushing and Lee manage to deliver performances well up to their usual high standard, although Christopher Lee does seem to have a slightly bemused expression throughout!
Stephanie Beacham starred again with Peter Cushing in Amicus’s And now the Screaming Starts (1973).
Caroline Munro had come to Hammer’s attention thanks to the Lambs Navy Rum adverts in which she had appeared (one of the posters can in fact be seen plastered to the side of the bus garage in On the Buses). She also appeared in Hammer’s Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (also 1972).
In the 1950s, producer Josephine Douglas presented, along with Pete Murray, BBC TV’s legendary pop music show Six-Five Special.
Incidentally, the trick of reversing ‘Dracula’ to produce the name ‘Alucard’ was not a new one and the idea had been used by Universal Pictures in their Son of Dracula (1943, with Lon Chaney, Jnr).
Composer Michael Vickers was a founder member of the 1960’s pop band Manfred Mann. He also taught The Beatles how to use a Moog Synthesiser for their Abbey Road album.