La Rouge aux lèvres (1971)

Country of Origin: Belgium/France/West Germany
Year of Production: 1971
Running Times: 100 mins (uncut version)/87 mins (USA)
Length:
Format: 35mm
Colour Format: colour
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Showking Films/Maya Films/Ciné Vog Films/Roxy Film
Producers: Paul Collet, Henry Lange
Associate Producers: Pierre Drouot, Alain C. Guilleaume
Production Managers: Jean-Marie Bertrand, Erwin Gitt
Unit Production Manager: Paul Collet
Assistant Unit Production Manager: Willy Dellaert

SCRIPT
Script: Pierre Drouot, Jean Ferry, Manfred R. Köhler, Harry Kümel
English Dialogue: J. Amiel

DIRECTION
Director: Harry Kümel
First Assistant Director: Paul Arias
Second Assistant Director: Jean-Marc Turine
Script Supervisor: Magda Reypens

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Eduard van der Enden
First Assistant Camera: Peter Anger
Second Assistant Camera: Jacques Fondaire
Electrician: Claude Decubber
Grip: Bob Lessenne
Stills: Virginia Leirens, Jan Van Gastel

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editors: Gust Verschueren, Denise Bonan, Fima Noveck
Assistant Editors: Daniel Devalk, Edith Shumann

MUSIC
Music: François de Roubaix

SONGS AND ADDITIONAL MUSIC
"Daughters of Darkness"
Performed by Lainie Cooke

SOUND
Sound: Jacques Eippers
Boom Operator: Henri Morelle
Sound Mixer: Jack Jullian
Foley Artist: Hans-Walter Kramski

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes: Bernard Perris
Costumer: Marie-Paule Petignot
Key Make Up Artist: Ulli Ullrich
Make Up Artist: Pascale Kellen

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Eugene Hendrickx

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Françoise Hardy
Property Master: Henry Roesems

OTHER CREW
Production Secretary: Michèle Mehary

LOCATIONS
Locations: Brugge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium; Brussels, Belgium; Meise, Belgium; Ostend, Belgium

STUNTS
Stunts: Thierry Hallard

CAST
Delphine Seyrig (Countess Bathory)
Danielle Ouimet (Valerie)
John Karlen (Stefan)
Andrea Rau (Ilona Harczy)
Paul Esser (porter)
Georges Jamin (the man)
Joris Collet (butler)
Fons Rademakers (mother)

PLOT SUMMARY

A young couple arrive at a stunning but apparently deserted seaside hotel. The couple have just eloped, but already their marriage is in trouble – the cruel Stefan constantly lies to Valarie about his mother and keeps making strange and secretive phone calls. Then they are joined by two other guests - the countess Elizabeth Bathory and the sexy Ilona. Before long, the blood-drained corpses of young virgins start turning up in the nearby city and a police detective arrives to investigate the mysterious Bathory...

A beautiful, oneiric lesbian vampire movie that actually manages to be genuinely erotic and creepy at the same time. Delphine Seyrig is outstanding in the central role, benefiting from strong support from the rest of the cast, and Kumel's direction is outstanding. The slow pace has alienated some, but stick with it and the ravishing photography, disturbing ambience and the sheer sensuality of it all will provide ample reward.

Australia
DVD Distributors: Umbrella Entertainment (2005)

Canada
Theatrical Distributor: Cinépix Film Properties Inc

France
Theatrical Distributor: Gémini Films

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Gémini Films; Maron Films
Video Distributors: Ariel Video (1987); Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997)
DVD Distributors: Anchor Bay Entertainment (DV 10494) (1998); Blue Underground (2003); Blue Underground (2006)

Australia
Rating: MA

Canada
Rating: 18+ (original rating), 13+ (Quebec re-rating in 2005); 18 (Nova Scotia in 2003)

Iceland
Rating: 16

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R; unrated
The R-rated version was cut by 12 minutes. The "Director's Cut" released bt Anchor Bay is unrated and uncut.

1971
May
28: USA - theatrical release in New York City, New York

1998
August
25: USA - DVD release (Anchor Bay (DV 10494))

2003
May
27: USA - DVD release (Blue Underground)

2006
October
31: USA - DVD release (Blue Underground)

An erotic nightmare of vampire lust

These are the Daughters of Darkness... They are waiting for you - They thrive on BLOOD

Blood on the Lips
Blut an den Lippen
Children of the Night – US video title
Daughters of Darkness – UK/US title
Dzieci nocy – Polish title
Erzebeth
Les lèvres rouges
The Promise of Red Lips
The Red Lips
The Redness of the Lips
El rojo en los labios – Spanish title
La vestale di Satana – Italian title

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Shiver and Shudder Show (2001)

MAGAZINES

Horizons du Fantastique no.18 (December 1971) p.67 (France)
review (by Alain Petit)

Monthly Film Bulletin no.453 (October 1971) (UK)
credits, synopsis, review

Positif no.136 (March 1972) pp.73-74 (France)
review (by Hubert Niogret)

BOOKS

Cult Movies 2: 50 More of the Classics, the Sleepers, the Weird and the Wonderful (New York, USA: Dell (1983))
review (by Danny Peary)

bisexuality, elizabeth bathory, hotels, hypnosis, impalements, lesbian vampires, lesbianism, lesbians, mind control, revenge, showers, surrealism, vampires

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009