The Brides of Dracula (1960)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Peter Bryan (screenplay)
Edward Percy (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

5 September 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

He Turned Innocent Beauty Into Unspeakable Horror.

Plot:

Vampire hunter Van Helsing returns to Transylvania to destroy handsome bloodsucker Baron Meinster, who has designs on beautiful young schoolteacher Marianne.

Plot Keywords:

Van Helsing | Vampire | Undead | Windmill | Coffin

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Dr. J. Van Helsing
Martita Hunt	...	Baroness Meinster
Yvonne Monlaur	...	Marianne Danielle
Freda Jackson	...	Greta
David Peel	...	Baron Meinster
Miles Malleson	...	Dr. Tobler
Henry Oscar	...	Herr Otto Lang
Mona Washbourne	...	Frau Helga Lang
Andree Melly	...	Gina
Victor Brooks	...	Hans, a Villager
Fred Johnson	...	The Cure, Father Stepnik
Michael Ripper	...	Coachman
Norman Pierce	...	Johann, Landlord
Vera Cook	...	Landlord's Wife
Marie Devereux	...	Village Girl (as Marie Deveruex)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Castle	...	Elsa, School Maid (uncredited)
Michael Mulcaster	...	Latour, The Man in Black (uncredited)
Harry Pringle	...	Karl (uncredited)
Harold Scott	...	Severin (uncredited)
Stephanie Watts	...	Foxy Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Terence Fisher

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Bryan		screenplay
Anthony Hinds		uncredited
Edward Percy		screenplay
Jimmy Sangster		screenplay

Produced by
Michael Carreras	....	executive producer
Anthony Hinds	....	producer
Anthony Nelson Keys	....	associate producer (as Anthony Nelson-Keys)

Original Music by
Malcolm Williamson

Cinematography by
Jack Asher

Film Editing by
Alfred Cox

Casting by
Dorothy Holloway

Production Design by
Bernard Robinson

Art Direction by
Thomas Goswell		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Frieda Steiger	....	hair stylist (as Freda Steiger)

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Peverall	....	assistant director
Hugh Harlow	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Eric Hillier	....	props buyer (uncredited)
Don Mingaye	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Tom Money	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Groom	....	sound editor (as James Groom)
Jock May	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Sydney Pearson	....	special effects

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Len Harris	....	camera operator
Steve Birtles	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Tom Edwards	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Molly Arbuthnot	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
John Hollingsworth	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Tilly Day	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions
• Hotspur Film Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1960) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Talma Filmes (1960) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Net5 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• LW Editora (2008) (Brazil) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Norway:16 (1960) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1960) | Portugal:17 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

The prop department put a lot of effort into making a realistic model bat. It got lost and had to be replaced on short notice. This explains the rather unconvincing look of the model that got actually used in the movie.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Despite the title of the film, there is no person named 'Dracula' in the movie.

Quotes:

Hans, a Villager: Why can't she lie in peace, like all the rest?
The Cure, Father Stepnik: Because she is not *like* all the rest!

Movie Connections:

References Oh, Mr. Porter! (1937)

Very entertaining entry in Hammers' Dracula series.

On her way to a teaching job, Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur) is persuaded to spend the night at the mansion of Baroness Meinster (Martita Hunt). There she finds that the Baroness's son (David Peel) is kept chained up. She takes pity on him, and frees him. Little does she know what a mistake she is making. Fortunately for her, the indomitable Dr. Van Helsing (the always wonderful Peter Cushing) arrives on the scene...but will he be able to save her?

This enjoyable shocker, sandwiched in between "The Horror of Dracula" and "Dracula: Prince of Darkness", goes to show that the Count himself need not be present for the sake of a good show. The story here is interesting in its own right, and the performances are quite good. The handsome Peel makes for a charismatic bloodsucker, the striking Freda Jackson a real scene stealer as old crone housekeeper Greta, and stalwart old genre pros such as Miles Malleson and Michael Ripper are fun as usual.

It's colorful, with typically fine mood and atmosphere, a superb score by Malcolm Williamson, and efficient pacing and meticulous direction by Terence Fisher; standout scenes include a shot of Greta on top of a grave urging the victim to rise, and especially Van Helsings' impromptu healing of a neck wound. It all leads to a nicely rousing conclusion.

Another solid outing from the fine folks at Hammer Studios.

8/10