The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Director:

Roy Ward Baker

Writers:

Sheridan Le Fanu (story)
Harry Fine (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

She's the New Horror from Hammer!

Plot:

The Countess is called away to tend a sick friend and imposes on the General to accept her daughter Marcilla as a houseguest...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Gothic | Vampire Family | Tutor | Femme Fatale

Cast

Ingrid Pitt	...	Marcilla / Carmilla / Mircalla Karnstein
George Cole	...	Roger Morton
Kate O'Mara	...	The Governess (Mme. Perrodot)
Peter Cushing	...	General von Spielsdorf
Ferdy Mayne	...	Doctor
Douglas Wilmer	...	Baron Joachim von Hartog
Madeline Smith	...	Emma Morton
Dawn Addams	...	The Countess
Jon Finch	...	Carl Ebhardt
Pippa Steel	...	Laura (as Pippa Steele)
Kirsten Lindholm	...	1st Vampire (as Kirsten Betts)
Janet Key	...	Gretchin
Harvey Hall	...	Renton
John Forbes-Robertson	...	Man in Black
Charles Farrell	...	Landlord
Shelagh Wilcocks	...	Housekeeper
Graham James	...	1st Young Man
Tom Browne	...	2nd Young Man
Joanna Shelley	...	Woodman's Daughter
Olga James	...	Village Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jill Easter	...	Woodmans Wife (uncredited)
Lindsay Kemp	...	Jester (uncredited)
Sion Probert	...	Young Man In Tavern (uncredited)
Vicki Woolf	...	Landlords Daughter (uncredited)

Directed by
Roy Ward Baker

Writing credits
Sheridan Le Fanu		(story "Carmilla")
Harry Fine		(adaptation) and
Tudor Gates		(adaptation) and
Michael Style		(adaptation)
Tudor Gates		(writer)

Produced by
Harry Fine	....	producer
Michael Style	....	producer
Louis M. Heyward	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Harry Robertson		(as Harry Robinson)

Cinematography by
Moray Grant

Film Editing by
James Needs

Art Direction by
Scott MacGregor

Costume Design by
Brian Cox

Makeup Department
Tom Smith	....	makeup supervisor
Pearl Tipaldi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Tom Sachs	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Derek Whitehurst	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bill Greene	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Claude Hitchcock	....	sound recordist
Roy Hyde	....	sound editor
Tony Lumkin	....	recording director
Dennis Whitlock	....	dubbing mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Neil Binney	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Nightingale	....	wardrobe mistress

Music Department
Philip Martell	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Betty Harley	....	continuity

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP) (as An American International - Hammer Films Production)
• Hammer Film Productions (as An American International - Hammer Films Production)

Distributors

• MGM-EMI (1970) (UK) (theatrical)
• American International Pictures (AIP) (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Nelson Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Orion Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Exclusivos Triunfo

Other Companies

• Associated British Studios  studio

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1973) | Portugal:M/18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Associated British Picture Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The role of the Man in Black was offered to Christopher Lee but he declined the role and John Forbes-Robertson was cast instead. Forbes-Robertson would also later replace Lee in Hammer's The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (1974).

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Perfect Scary Movie (2005) (TV)

a sapphic, graphic masterpiece

I tend to like the classic horror films of Hammer, Universal, and American International, and "Vampire Lovers" is an esteemed favorite. There are many elements skillfully blended in this fine production, but the central appeal is Ingrid Pitt who breathes passionate, undead life into her role. Her impressive acting ability is matched by her smoldering screen presence and beauty. She is perfectly cast in this role. Wow, did the people who made this movie ever know what they were doing. The costumery, the lighting and photography, the staging, the acting and direction, all combine seamlessly for a stunning spectacle to be savored over and over again. This is the movie that single-handedly minted the "lesbian vampire" as a major cinematic motif, and set the standard for comparison that later entries in this genre would forever be judged by. I doubt we would ever have had such films as "Vampyres," "Vampyros Lesbos" or various Jean Rollin movies (not to mention Hammer's other Karnstein trilogy entries) without this film. And this movie could never have been as good without Ingrid Pitt. Her command of acting nuance is really something. Check out her facial expression when she's in the broken-down coach and Laura, all excited, tells her: "You're to stay with us!"