The Vampire Lovers – 1970

An American International-Hammer Films pmduction released through MGM-EMI Film Distributors Limited (UK) and American International (USA)
Copyright American International Productions MCMLXX – 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
Technicolor 91 mins
Storyline
The film starts with a prologue in which Baron Hartog seeks to eradicate the undead monsters of the Karnstein family, vampires which hold an Eastern European province in a grip of terror. He manages to destroy all but one – Mircalla Karnstein, whose grave eludes him. Years later, calling herself Marcilla, she reappears and is invited by the unsuspecting General Spielsdorf to stay in his house with his beautiful young daughter, Laura. Soon, though, Laura is having terrible nightmares and showing signs of acute anaemia…..
Watch the trailer on YouTube
Crew
Function | Credited | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Credits |
Adapted from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" by | Harry Fine | 57 | 20 Feb 1912 | 1 May 1997 | 85 | 6 |
Adapted from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" by | Michael Style | 37 | 1 Jan 1933 | 1 Jan 1983 | 50 | 4 |
Adapted from J. Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" by | Tudor Gates | 39 | 2 Jan 1930 | 11 Jan 2007 | 77 | 4 |
Art Director | Scott MacGregor | 55 | 22 Oct 1914 | 1971 | 56 | 14 |
Assistant Director | Derek Whitehurst | 41 | 2 Oct 1928 | 6 Dec 2005 | 77 | 16 |
Camera Operator | Neil Binney | 38 | 1 Jun 1931 | Living | 89 | 17 |
Construction Manager | Bill Greene | 9 | ||||
Continuity | Betty Harley | 6 | ||||
Costume Designer | Brian Cox | 1 | ||||
Directed by | Roy Ward Baker | 53 | 19 Dec 1916 | 5 Oct 2010 | 93 | 8 |
Director of Photography | Moray Grant | 52 | 13 Nov 1917 | 17 Sep 1977 | 59 | 29 |
Dubbing Mixer | Dennis Whitlock | 42 | 1928 | 2008 | 80 | 13 |
Editor | James Needs | 50 | 17 Oct 1919 | 2003 | 83 | 111 |
Hairdressing Supervisor | Pearl Tipaldi | 24 Aug 1993 | 7 | |||
Make-up Supervisor | Tom Smith | 49 | 15 Aug 1920 | 3 Apr 2009 | 88 | 5 |
Music Composed by | Harry Robinson | 37 | 19 Nov 1932 | 17 Jan 1996 | 63 | 26 |
Musical Supervisor | Philip Martell | 62 | 6 Oct 1907 | 11 Aug 1993 | 85 | 103 |
Produced by | Harry Fine | 57 | 20 Feb 1912 | 1 May 1997 | 85 | 6 |
Produced by | Michael Style | 37 | 1 Jan 1933 | 1 Jan 1983 | 50 | 4 |
Production Manager | Tom Sachs | 40 | 10 Apr 1929 | Living | 91 | 8 |
Recording Director | A.W. Lumkin | 56 | 2 Feb 1913 | 25 Oct 1985 | 72 | 30 |
Screenplay by | Tudor Gates | 39 | 2 Jan 1930 | 11 Jan 2007 | 77 | 4 |
Sound Editor | Roy Hyde | 49 | 15 Feb 1920 | 28 Jun 1985 | 65 | 30 |
Sound Recordist | Claude Hitchcock | 51 | 8 Nov 1918 | 4 Oct 2010 | 91 | 14 |
Wardrobe Mistress | Laura Nightingale | 35 |
Cast
Character | Actor | Age at Release | Birth | Death | Age | Hammer Appearances |
Baron Hartog | Douglas Wilmer | 49 | 8 Jan 1920 | 31 Mar 2016 | 96 | 4 |
Carl | Jon Finch | 27 | 2 Mar 1942 | 28 Dec 2012 | 70 | 4 |
Doctor | Ferdy Mayne | 53 | 11 Mar 1916 | 30 Jan 1998 | 81 | 4 |
Emma | Madeline Smith | 20 | 2 Aug 1949 | Living | 71 | 3 |
First Vampire | Kirsten Betts (Kirsten Lindholm) | 26 | 2 Sep 1943 | Living | 77 | 4 |
First Young Man | Graham James | 3 | ||||
General Spielsdorf | Peter Cushing | 56 | 26 May 1913 | 11 Aug 1994 | 81 | 24 |
Gretchin | Janet Key | 24 | 10 Jul 1945 | 26 Jul 1992 | 47 | 2 |
Housekeeper | Shelagh Wilcocks | 59 | 21 Jun 1910 | 1992 | 81 | 3 |
Landlord | Charles Farrell | 69 | 6 Aug 1900 | 27 Aug 1988 | 88 | 2 |
Laura Spielsdorf | Pippa Steel | 21 | 15 Apr 1948 | 29 May 1992 | 44 | 2 |
Man in Black | John Forbes-Robertson | 41 | 10 May 1928 | 14 May 2008 | 80 | 2 |
Mircalla/Marcilla/Carmilla | Ingrid Pitt | 32 | 21 Nov 1937 | 23 Nov 2010 | 73 | 3 |
Morton | George Cole | 44 | 22 Apr 1925 | 5 Aug 2015 | 90 | 2 |
Renton | Harvey Hall | 38 | 27 Jun 1931 | 11 Apr 1997 | 65 | 3 |
Second Young Man | Tom Browne | 1 | ||||
The Countess (Guest Star) | Dawn Addams | 39 | 21 Sep 1930 | 7 May 1985 | 54 | 2 |
The Governess | Kate O'Mara | 30 | 10 Aug 1939 | 30 Mar 2014 | 74 | 2 |
Village Girl | Olga James | 23 | 1947 | Living | 74 | 1 |
Woodman's Daughter | Joanna Shelley | 1 |
Footnotes
Broadening their horizons still further in the new, permissive era, Hammer injected this film with ample doses of nudity and lesbianism.
Ingrid Pitt had come to the attention of James Carreras after her roles in “Where Eagles Dare” (1968) and Amicus’s “The House that Dripped Blood” (1969). For Hammer, she also starred in “Countess Dracula” (1970). Her other films include “The Wicker Man” (1973, with Christopher Lee) and “Who Dares Wins” (1982).
George Cole had been a regular film actor since his first film, “Cottage to Let”, in 1941. His most famous role in the cinema was probably that of Flash Harry in the first four “St. Trinians” films (1954 -1966). His other films include Olivier’s “Henry V” (1944), “Scrooge” (1951), “Top Secret” (1952), “The Green Man” (1956), “Too Many Crooks” (1959), “Cleopatra” (1963), and “Fright” (1971). His only other Hammer film was “Don’t Panic, Chaps!” (1959). On television, he became know to millions as Arthur Daley in Thames TV’s “Minder”.
John Forbes-Robertson would later inherit the role of Dracula from Christopher Lee in Hammer’s “The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires” (1974).
Although not mentioned in the credits, “The Vampire Lovers” was made at A.B.P.C. Studios in Elstree.
Details were complied viewing the actual film.
Source of viewing copy – The Hammer Graveyard Collection