The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Don Sharp

Writer:

Anthony Hinds (writer)

Release Date:

11 September 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Giant devil Bats...summoned from the caves of Hell to destroy the lust of the Vampires!

Plot:

When car trouble strands a honeymooning couple in a small Southern European village, an aristocratic family in the area reaches out to help them with sinister consequences.

Plot Keywords:

Cult | Castle | Vampire Cult | Vampire | Masquerade

Cast

Clifford Evans	...	Professor Zimmer
Edward de Souza	...	Gerald Harcourt
Noel Willman	...	Dr. Ravna
Jennifer Daniel	...	Marianne Harcourt
Barry Warren	...	Carl Ravna
Brian Oulton	...	1st disciple
Noel Howlett	...	Father Xavier
Jacquie Wallis	...	Sabena Ravna
Peter Madden	...	Bruno
Isobel Black	...	Tania
Vera Cook	...	Anna
John Harvey	...	Police sergeant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carl Esmond	...	Anton (US TV version)
Virginia Gregg	...	Rosa Stangher (US TV version)
Sheila Welles	...	Theresa Stangher (US TV version)
Olga Dickie	...	Woman at graveyard (uncredited)
Horst Ebersberg	...	(uncredited)
Dolly Read	...	First Disciple (uncredited)
Stan Simmons	...	Servant (uncredited)
Elizabeth Valentine	...	2nd disciple (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Sharp

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Anthony Hinds		writer (as John Elder)

Produced by
Anthony Hinds	....	producer

Original Music by
James Bernard

Cinematography by
Alan Hume

Production Design by
Bernard Robinson

Art Direction by
Don Mingaye

Makeup Department
Roy Ashton	....	makeup artist
Frieda Steiger	....	hair stylist
Reginald Mills	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Don Weeks	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Douglas Hermes	....	assistant director
Hugh Harlow	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Arthur Banks	....	construction manager (uncredited)
Stan Banks	....	master plasterer (uncredited)
Charles Davis	....	master carpenter (uncredited)
Kenneth Ryan	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Lawrence Wren	....	master painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jim Groom	....	sound editor (as James Groom)
Ken Rawkins	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Les Bowie	....	special effects
Ray Caple	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Brian Johnson	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Ian Scoones	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Kit West	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Peter Diamond	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Moray Grant	....	camera operator
David Osborne	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Molly Arbuthnot	....	wardrobe supervisor
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
James Needs	....	supervising editor

Music Department
John Hollingsworth	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Pauline Harlow	....	continuity (as Pauline Wise)
Ronald Lenoir	....	master rigger (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hammer Film Productions
• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1963) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Film (1963) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Kiss of Evil (TV title (longer version))

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | UK:X

Filming Locations:

Black Park, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

Universal Pictures delayed the release of this film by a few months so that a comparison could not be made with the concurrently released Hitchcock film The Birds (1963).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Marianne is seen wearing modern high-heeled shoes.

Quotes:

Dr. Ravna: [referring to Marianne] I will not say that she has not changed in any way., Mr. Harcourt. She has, as you may put it, grown up - tasted the more sophisticated, more erotic fruits of... life.
Gerald Harcourt: [realizing that she has been initiated into vampirism] Oh, my God!
Dr. Ravna: [officiouly] God is hardly involved, Mr. Harcourt.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pale Blood (1990)

Vampiric Classic in Hammer Canon

Noel Willman proves a formidable unholy from the undead underground in this masterpiece from Britain's Hammer Films. A superior script, first-rate performances and the haunting melody of James Bernard's "Vampire Rhapsody" are as immortal as the studio that gave us Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Lavish set design, rich color photography, a climax unlike anything that had ever been tried before it make KOTV a towering, unfogettable achievement. Required viewing for all horror aficionados and those who love vampires in particular. Barry Warren is also especially wonderful as Carl, the cold, handsome son of Willman's Dr. Ravna.