Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1968
Running Times: 92m
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: Technicolor
Aspect Ratio:
Sound: mono

DIRECTION

Directed by: Freddie Francis

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © 1968 Hammer Film Productions Limited
Production Company: A Hammer Films production
Produced by: Aida Young
Production Manager: Christopher Sutton

SCRIPT
Script: John Elder (real name: Anthony Hinds)
Based on the Character Created by: Bram Stoker

DIRECTION
Assistant Director: Dennis Robertson
Continuity: Doris Martin

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Arthur Grant
Camera Operator: Moray Grant

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Supervising Editor: James Needs
Editor: Spencer Reeve

MUSIC
Music Composed by: James Bernard
Musical Supervisor: Philip Martell

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Ken Rawkins
Boom Operator: Harry Fairbairn (uncredited)
Sound Editor: Wilfred Thompson
Sound System: RCA Sound System

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make-Up: Heather Nurse, Rosemarie McDonald-Peattie
Hair Stylist: Wanda Kelley
Wardrobe Mistress: Jill Thompson

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Frank George

VISUAL EFFECTS
Matte Artist: Peter Melrose

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Supervising Art Director: Bernard Robinson
Construction Manager: Arthur Banks

OTHER CREW
Runner: Kevin Francis (uncredited)

LOCATIONS
Locations: Black Park, England, UK; Box Hill, near Dorking, Surrey, England, UK
Studio: Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

STUNTS
Stunts: Eddie Powell (uncredited)

CAST

Christopher Lee (Count Dracula)
Rupert Davies (Monsignor Ernst Muller)
Veronica Carlson (Maria)
Barbara Ewing (Zena)
Barry Andrews (Paul)
Ewan Hooper (priest)
Michael Ripper (Max)
George A. Cooper (landlord)
Marion Mathie (Anna Muller)
John D. Collins (student)
Chris Cunningham (farmer)
Norman Bacon (boy)

UNCREDITED CAST

Carrie Baker (girl in bell (Gizela Heinz)

PLOT SUMMARY

A year after the destruction of Count Dracula, Monsignor Ernst Muller is disturbed by the superstitious behaviour of the villagers of Keinenburg which lies in the shadow of Dracula's castle. Determined to dispel the villagers' fears, Muller and the cowardly village priest visit the castle and inadvertently revive the Count. Before long, Dracula is seeking revenge on Muller for his attempted sanctification of his castle...

Francis' best film for Hammer, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave wastes Christopher Lee (he has just 52 words of dialogue!), contains the infamous scene where Dracula pulls a stake from his own heart and contains little that we haven't already seen. Yet it's enjoyable enough, with a fantastic climax and some interesting subtexts on religion and belief. The weakest of hammer's 60s Draculas, it's fun to watch but Hammer were to do much better with the next entry, Taste the Blood of Dracula (1960).

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Warner-Pathe Distributors Limited
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video (PES 11069 - February 1989; re-issue 1995)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Warner-Seven Arts
Video Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Video

Finland
Rating: banned in 1968

France
Rating: -12

Norway
Rating: 16

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: X

USA
Rating: G (approved #21909)

1967
May
Thursday 4: The film is officially put into development at a meeting at Hammer Films.

1968
April
22: shooting begins

May
Wednesday 29: Veronica Carlson cast

June
Tuesday 4: shooting ends

November
Tuesday 5: UK - preview screening at The New Victoria cinema, London
24: UK - theatrical release

1969
February
6: USA - theatrical release

March
26: USA - theatrical release (on double bill with Chubasco)

1995
August
14: UK - video re-release on Warner Brothers

2002
February
26: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London
27: UK - shown at the National Film Theatre, London

You just can't keep a good man down!

You just can't keep a good man down... obviously!

He lives! They die! Christopher Lee as the fanged undead.

(obviously)

Inflamed with his Vampire thirst for blood and evil and beautiful girls. (Australia)

Le amanti di Dracula - Italian title
Dracula et les femmes - French title
Dracula rijst uit het graf - Belgian title
Dracula sort du tombeau - Belgian title
Drácula vuelve de la tumba - Spanish title
Draculas Rückkehr - German title
Draculas vålnad - Swedish title

SEQUEL TO
Dracula (1958)
The Brides of Dracula (1960)
Dracula Prince of Darkness (1966)

SEQUELS
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Scars of Dracula (1970)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1974)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Dracula in the Movies (1992)
The Many Faces of Christopher Lee (1996)

PERIODICALS

Daily Cinema no.9515 (1 May 1968) p.15 (UK)
credits

Dark Terrors no.3 p.16
note

Filmfax no.46 (August / September 1994) pp.31-37, 97 (USA)
illustrated interview

Films and Filming vol.15 no.5 (February 1969) p.37 (UK)
credits, review

Flesh and Blood no.5 (September 1995) p.11
illustrated short article

Hammer Horror no.6 (August 1995) pp.8-37
illustrated article

The House That Hammer Built no.6 (December 1997) pp.340-345 (UK)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review

Kine Weekly no.3187 (9 November 1968) (UK)
review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.35 no.419 (December 1968) p.200 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Variety 20 November 1968 p.34 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

British National Film Catalogue vol.6 (1968) (UK)
credits, synopsis

English Gothic (2nd edition) pp.153-154
illustrated credits, review (by Jonathan Rigby)

The Hammer Story pp.122-123, 179
illustrated article, review (by Marcus Hearn and Alan Barnes), credits

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.113
credits, review

The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide pp.46-47
credits, review (by Stephen Jones)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

castles, coffins, dracula, priests, pubs, revenge, vampires

Last Updated: 20 January, 2010