France, 1977
78m (USA), 96m (France)
35mm film, Eastmancolor
mono, French
A French horror film directed by Edouard Molinaro.
Plot Summary
When revolution sweeps through Transylvania Dracula and his son flee to Paris and London and try to cope with the modern world.
Credits
Crew
A Film by: Edouard Molinaro
© [not given on screen]
A Gaumont International, Production 2000 production
Producer: Alain Poiré
Adaptation: Alain Godard, Jean-Marie Poiré and Edouard Molinaro
Dialogue: Jean-Marie Poiré
Based on the novel “Paris-Vampire” by Claude Klotz
Director of Photography: Alain Levent
Editors: Robert and Monique Isnardon
Music by: Vladimir Cosma
Chief Sound Recordist: Daniel Brisseau
Costume Designer: Jacques Fonteray
Make-up and Hair: Alex and Monique Archambault
Art Directors: Jacques Bufnoir and Gérard Viard
Cast
Christopher Lee (Dracula)
Bernard Menez (son)
Marie-Hélène Breillat (Nicole)
Bernard Alane
Catherine Breillat (Hermine)
Raymond Bussières
Mustapha Dali (Khaleb)
Jean-Claude Dauphin (young man)
Xavier Depraz
Anna Gael (Miss Gaylor)
Claude Génia (Marguerite)
Gérard Jugnot
Jean Lescot
Anna Prucnal
Albert Simono
Arlette Balkis
Geoffrey Carey
Lyne Chardonnet
Robert Dalban
Carlo Nell
Alternative Titles
Dracula and Son – USA
Dracula na emigracji – Poland
Dracula padre e figlio – Italy
Die Herren Dracula – Germany
Pure, vampyyri, pure! – Finland
Press
1976
Variety 29 September 1976 p.36
It has some intermittent ideas and good production dress, but cannot resurrect the legends expertly enough to make its liberties satirical or funny enough for anything but playoff and tv filler use abroad. […] Directors [sic] Edouard Molinaro applies himself technically, but lacks the spark and invention to raise this above the many takeoffs on the vampire bit. Bernard Menez is fair as the bumbling son and Lee looks tired. He has announced this is his last appearance as that bloodsucker. So be it. – froma review by Mosk.
1979
Cinefantastique vol.9 no.1 (Autumn 1979) p.45
[A] sheer delight in its original French-language form. But what was once a fairly sophisticated satire of the vampire genre has become, through horrendous English-dubbing and a mindless cartoon intro, an unfunny pastiche a la Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily. But without the Allen calibre of humor. Christopher Lee's “French” dialogue is reworked into bad one-liners delivered ny an American voice matching neither Lee's timbre nor timing. Bernard Menez, as his son, now sounds like Don Adams. The elegant photography is in complete contrast to the aural assault imposed by the U.S. distributors. – from a review by Bill Kelley
1999
Fangoria no.181 (April 1999) p.18-19
This clever, often laugh-out-loud 1979 horror romp proves Christopher Lee is right when he says he can play comedy […] Suffice to say that Dracula and Son is expertly made in all behind-the-scenes departments, and now concentrate on its star: While Menez is wonderfully funny, Lee is sorely missed whenever he's not on camera. He receives more screen time here than in all his Hammer films put together, alternating between the standard “stuffed-shirt” Lord of Vampires, a ladies' man, a frustrated, fuming dad and (surprisingly) a master of verbal and visual humor. Dracula and Son wittily domesticates Lee's vampire persona, provides him with one his best film vehicles – and gives me one more reason not to respect the Hammer Dracula films that take so little advantage of his very real acting talent. This is a marvelous treat that Lee boosters and bashers alike will enjoy. – from a review by “Dr Cyclops”
References
Periodicals
- Cinefantastique vol.5 no.4 (Spring 1977) p.28 – illustrated note (Sense of Wonder: Christopher Lee plays Dracula for the last time… again!
- Cinefantastique vol.9 no.1 (Autumn 1979) p.45 – review (by Bill Kelley)
- L'Écran Fantastique no.1 (Summer 1977) p.91-93 – interview with Edouard Molinaro
- Fangoria no.181 (April 1999) p.18-19 – review (Video eye of Dr Cyclops)
- Le Film Francais no.1610 (30 January 1976) p.12 – credits
- Le Film Francais no.1641 (3 September 1976) p.2 – review
- Image et Son no.311 (November 1976) p.117 – review
- Positif no.187 (November 1976) p.73 – review
- Le Technicien du Film no.242 (15 November 1976) p.28 – review
- Variety 29 September 1976 p.36 – credits, review (by Mosk)
Books
- Unsung Horrors by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton (eds) pp.146-147 – illustrated review (by Dean M. Drinkel)
