Liechtenstein, UK, Spain, West Germany, Italy, 1969
86m [Spain], 96m 22s [UK – video], 98m [Italy], 8,820 feet [UK]
35mm film, Techniscope, Eastmancolor, 2.35:1
mono
A Liechtensteinian/British/Spanish/West German/Italian horror film directed by Jesus Franco using the pseudoyms Jess Franco, Jesus Franco Manera and Jesse Franco depending on the print.
Plot Summary
Solicitor Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to visit one of his company's clients, Count Dracula, who is planning to buy some property in England. But Dracula turns out to be a vampire and Harker's arrival at his castle triggers a tragic chain of events that extends back to London.
Credits
Credits have been compiled from three different prints: the English language Count Dracula, the German Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht and the French (with Italian credits) Les Nuits de Dracula
Crew
Directed by: Jess Franco [real name: Jesus Franco] [on English language prints]; Jesus Franco Manera [real name: Jesus Franco] [on German prints]; Jesse Franco [real name: Jesus Franco] [on French and Italian prints]
© Etablissement Sargon, Vaduz, Liechtenstein 1970 [on English language prints]
Alexander Ha Coen presents [French prints] A Towers of London production [on English language prints] A Corona Filmproduktion München, Fénix Films Madrid, Filmar Rom [on German prints]. A Filmar Compagnia Cinematograf. Roma, Phoenix Films Madrid, Korona Film Munich co-production [French prints]
Produced by: Harry Alan Towers [on English language prints]
Production Manager: Jose Climent [on English language prints]
Production Managers: Frank Rintetsein, J. Clement Martin [real name: Jose Climent] [on French and Italian prints]
Unit Production Manager: Alexander Gruter [on French and Italian prints]
Production Supervisor: Rino Gadducci [on French and Italian prints]
Screenplay: Eric Kröhnke [on German prints]
Screenplay by: Erik Krohenke [real name: Eric Kröhnke] [on French and Italian prints]
Screenplay by: Peter Welbeck [real name: Harry Alan Towers] [on English language prints]
Story by: Augusto Finocchi [on French and Italian prints]
Novel: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Assistant Director: Giacomo Gramegna [on French and Italian prints]
Assistant Director: John Thompson [on English language prints]
Photographed by: Manuel Merino [on German and English language prints]
Directors of Photography: Manuel Merino, Luciano Trassati [on French and Italian prints]
Camera Operator: Idelmo Simonelli [on French and Italian prints]
Camera Assistant: Enrico Fontana [on French and Italian prints]
Edited by: Bruno Mattei [on French and Italian prints]
Editor: Derek Parsons [on English language prints]
Negatives: Foto Film – Madrid [on French and Italian prints]
Laboratories: LV di Luciano Vittori [on French and Italian prints]
Music by: Bruno Nicolai [on German and English language prints]
Music by: Bruno Mattei, directed by the composer [on French and Italian prints]
Music Publishers: Sermi Film [on French and Italian prints]
Sound: Elio Pacella [on French and Italian prints]
Sound Editor: Joyce Oxley [on English language prints]
Sound Registration: Cinefonico Palatino with the participation of S.A.S. Società Attori Sincronizzatori [on French and Italian prints]
Costumes: Maria Luisa Panaro [on French and Italian prints]
Art Direction by: Karl Schneider [on French and Italian prints]
Set Decorator: Emilio Zagoo [on French and Italian prints]
Art Director: George O. Brown [real name: Jack Taylor] [on English language prints]
Locations: Barcelona, Spain; Alicante, Spain; Munich, Bavaria, Germany [all uncredited]
Made at Tirrenia Studios – Tirrenia [on French and Italian prints]
Cast
German language prints [as Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht]
Christopher Lee [Count Dracula]
Herbert Lom [Professor Van Helsing]
Klaus Kinski [Renfield]
Fred Williams [Jonathan Harker]
Maria Rohm [Mina Harker]
Jack Taylor [Quincey Morris]
Soledad Miranda [Lucy Westenra]
Paul Müller [Dr Seward]
English language prints [as Count Dracula]
Christopher Lee (Count Dracula)
Herbert Lom (Professor Van Helsing)
Klaus Kinski (Renfield)
Maria Rohm (Mina)
Frederick Williams (Jonathan)
Soledad Miranda (Lucy)
Jack Taylor (Quincey)
Paul Müller (Dr Seward)
French and Italian prints [as Les Nuits de Dracula]
Christopher Lee (Dracula)
Klaus Kinski (Reinfierd)
Maria Rohm (Mina)
Fred Williams (Jonathan)
Soledad Miranda (Lucy)
Jack Taylor (Quincey)
Franco Castellani [credited in opening titles but not end titles]
Paul Muller (Seward)
Herbert Lom (Van Helsing)
Uncredited cast – note: some of these actors may be credited prints we've yet to see
Teresa Gimpera [crying mother]
José Martínez Blanco
Emma Cohen [vampire]
Moises Augusto Rocha
Jesús Puente
Jeannine Mestre
Jesus Franco [Van Helsing's butler]
Alternative Titles
Bram Stoker's Count Dracula – USA
Il Conte Dracula – Italy
Count Dracula – UK, USA
Il demone nero – Italy
Dracula 71
Dracula No 1
Nachts, Wenn Dracula Erwacht – West Germany
The Nights of Dracula
les Nuits de Dracula – France
Verenhimoinen Dracula – Finland
Links
Extracts included in
Beloved Count (2007)
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991)
In Search of Dracula (1971)
Llámale Jess (2000)
Tiempos duros para Drácula (1976)
See also
Cuadecuc, vampir (1971)
References
Periodicals
- Absurd no.8 – credits, review
- Cinefantastique vol.5 no.1 (Spring 1976) p.31 – illustrated review (by John McCarty)
- Cinestudio no.96 (April 1971) p.54 (Spain) – credits
- The Dark Side April 1993 p.31 – review
- Diabolique no.11 (July/August 2012) pp.52-57 – illustrated article (Jess Franco's Count Dracula: Maybe you know him… An Englishman's guide to Italian Gothic by Rob Talbot)
- Filmfacts vol.15 no.24 (1972) pp.680-681 – reprinted reviews
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.40 no.474 (July 1973) pp.145 – 146 – credits, synopsis, review (by John Raisbeck)
- Photon no.22 (1972) pp.5-8 – review
- Samhain no.5 (1987) pp.18-19 – review (by Kevin Lyons)
- Shivers no.45 pp.4-7 – review
- Variety 7 April 1971 p.18 – credits, review
- Video Watchdog no.1 p.35 – credits
Books
- American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography by Rob Craig pp.99-100
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror by Phil Hardy (ed.) p.218 – illustrated credits, review
- Chopped Meat: British Horror of the 1970s by Darrell Buxton p.unpaginated – note
- The Christopher Lee Filmography by Tom Johnson and Mark A. Miller pp.212-214
- Cinematic Vampires by John L. Flynn pp.178-179
- Count Dracula Goes to the Movies: Stoker's Novel Adapted (3rd Edition) by Lyndon W. Joslin pp.69-77 – illustrated credits, synopsis, production notes, review
- Dracula in the Dark: The Dracula Film Adaptations by James Craig Holte pp.63-65 – note
- Dracula in Visual Media: Film, Television, Comic Book and Electronic Game Appearances, 1921-2010 by John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan (Kay) Picart pp.49-50 – illustrated credits, synopsis
- English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby p.194
- Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.200-02, 209, 215, 261, 400
- Film Review 1973-74 by F. Maurice Speed (ed) p.214
- The Films of Christopher Lee by Robert W. Pohle and Douglas C. Hart pp.146-147
- Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 – credits, review
- Horror Films of the 1970s by John Kenneth Muir pp.44-49 – credits, synopsis, review
- Horrorshows: The A-Z of Horror in Film, TV, Radio and Theatre by Gene Wright p.172 – credits, review
- Lord of Misrule (new edition) by Christopher Lee p.300
- Obsession: The Films of Jess Franco by Lucas Balbo, Peter Blumenstock (eds) pp.71-72 – credits, illustrated review (by Christian Kessler)
- Sex, Sadism, Spain and Cinema by Nicholas G. Schlegel pp.39-49 – illustrated essay
- Vampire Films of the 1970s: Dracula to Blacula and Every Fang Between by Gary A. Smith pp.125-127; 206 – illustrated review; credits
