Italy, 1957
78m (Germany), 80m (USA – as The Devil's Commandment), 81m, 90m
35mm film, CinemaScope, black and white, 2.35:1
mono, Italian
An Italian horror film directed by Riccardo Freda and an uncredited Mario Bava.
Plot Summary
An ageing duchess, Giselle du Grand, is becoming increasingly obsessed with regaining her youth and has her scientist husband develop a technique to make her young again by transfusing the blood of young women into her body. A journalist gets wind of a series of mysterious disappearances of young women and sets out to investigate.
Credits
* = uncredited
Crew
Director: Riccardo Freda [Robert Hampton on English language prints]; Mario Bava uncredited]
La Titanus presents. La Titanus and L'Athena Cinematografica
A Film Produced by: Ermanno Donati and Luigi Carpentieri
Producer: Piero Donati
Screenplay: Piero Regnoli, Rik Sijöstrom, Riccardo Freda
Story: Piero Regnoli, Rijk Sijöstrom
Assistant Director: Piero Regnoli
Director of Photography: Mario Bava
Editor: Roberto Cinquini
Music by: Roman Vlad, directed by the composer
Sound: Mario Messina
English Language Version: Fouad Said [on English language prints only]
Costume Designer: Beni Montresor
Make-up: Franco Freda
Hair: Ada Palombi
Special Effects: Mario Bava *
Art Director: Beni Montresor
Cast
Gianna Maria Canale (Gisele Du Grand/Marguerite Du Grand)
Carlo D'Angelo (Inspector Chantal)
Dario Michaelis (Pierre Lantin)
Wandisa Guida (Lorette)
Angiolo Galassi
Renato Tontini (Rinaldo)
Charles Fawcett
Gisella Mancinotti
Miranda Campa
Antoine Balpetré (Dr Julien du Grand)
Paul Müller (Joseph Signoret)
Alternative Titles
The Devil's Commandment – US title
Lady Vampire – French video title
Lust of the Vampire – US title
Der Vampir von Notre-Dame – West German title
Les Vampires – French title
The Vampires
Los vampiros – Spanish title
References
Periodicals
- The Dark Side August 1995 p.16 – credits, review
- European Trash Cinema Special no.2 p.6 – review
Books
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror by Phil Hardy (ed.) pp.105-106
- Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.70-73, 77, 85, 90, 93, 95, 103, 123, 137, 151, 152, 168, 354, 383
- The Haunted World of Mario Bava by Troy Howarth pp.15-17 – illustrated review
- The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide pp.33-34, 56 – credits, review
- Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969 by Roberto Curti pp.21-30 – credits, review
- Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark by Tim Lucas pp.171-189 – illustrated review, synopsis, production notes, credits
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.98 – credits
- Serial Killer Cinema: An Analytical Filmography by Robert Cetti p.264-265
- Sixties Shockers by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn pp.143-145
- The Vampire in Science Fiction Film and Literature by Paul Meehan p.34
Other sources
- NFT screening notes, Thursday 2nd July 1998 – credits
