UK, 1971
87m
35mm, Eastmancolor, 1.85:1
mono, English
A British horror film directed by John Hough. It was the final film in Hammer Film Productions’ loosely connected Karnstein trilogy. In the UK it was released on a double bill with Hands of the Ripper (1971).
Plot Summary
In nineteenth century Europe, orphaned twins Maria and Frieda Gellhorn are sent to live with their uncle Gustav Weil, the leader of a fanatical puritan sect known as the Brotherhood. The puritans roam the countryside in search of witches and vampires, but seem to have met their match in the shape of the arrogant and morally bankrupt Count Karnstein. Turned into a vampire by his reborn ancestor Mircalla, Karnstein turns his attentions to one of the twins…
Credits
* = uncredited
Crew
Directed by: John Hough
© MCMLXXI [1971] Hammer Film Productions Limited
The Rank Organization presents a Hammer production
Produced by: Harry Fine and Michael Style
Screenplay by: Tudor Gates
Based on Characters Created by: J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Director of Photography: Dick Bush
Editor: Spencer Reeve
Music Composed by: Harry Robinson
Sound Recordist: Ron Barron
Wardrobe: Rosemary Burrows
Make-up: George Blackler, John Webber
Hairdressing: Pearl Tipaldi
Special Effects: Bert Luxford [uncredited]
Art Director: Roy Stannard
Made at Pinewood Studios, London, England
Locations: Black Park Country Park, Buckinghamshire, England, UK [uncredited]
Cast
Peter Cushing (Gustav Weil)
Dennis Price (Dietrich)
Mary Collinson (Maria Gellhorn)
Madelaine Collinson (Frieda Gellhorn)
Isobel Black (Ingrid Hoffer)
Kathleen Byron (Katy Weil)
Damien Thomas (Count Karnstein)
David Warbeck (Anton Hoffer)
Harvey Hall (Franz)
Alex Scott (Hermann)
Judy Matheson (woodman’s daughter)
Luan Peters (Gerta)
Sheelah Wilcox (lady in coach)
Katya Wyeth (Countess Mircalla)
Inigo Jackson (woodman)
Roy Stewart (Joachim)
Maggie Wright (Alexa)
Kirsten Lindholm (young girl at stake)
Peter Thompson (gaoler)
Cathy Howard [Alexa in close-up] *
Roy Boyd [dying man] *
Maxine Casson, Vivienne Chandler, Doreen Chanter, Irene Chanter, Jackie Leapman, Annette Roberts [schoolgirls] *
George Claydon [midget] *
John Fahey, Kenneth Gilbert, Derek Glynne-Percy, Jason James, Sebastian Graham Jones, Bill Sawyer [puritans] *
Peter Stephens [uncredited]
Garth Watkins [chief priest] *
Cast Gallery
Alternative Titles
Ta Didyma tou Drakoula – Greece
Djävulens dotter – Sweden
Drácula y las mellizas – Spain
Draculan kaksoset – Finland
Draculas Hexenjagd – West Germany
Draculas dotter – Sweden
The Evil Twins
Le figlie di Dracula – Italy
The Gemini Twins
Paholaisen kaksoset – Finland
Pirun kaksoset – Finland
As Servas de Drácula – Portugal
Les sévices de Dracula – France
Twins of Dracula
The Virgin Vampires – early title
Links
Sequel to
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
Lust for a Vampire (1971)
Extracts included in
Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood (1989)
The World of Hammer: Hammer Stars: Peter Cushing (1994)
The World of Hammer: Vamp (1994)
Press
1971
Today’s Cinema no.9944 (1 October 1971) p.17
Despite a few oddities of plot (like who exactly was killing people off before Mircalla gave Count Karnstein the kiss of unholy life?), this is a more plausibly constructed story than most of its kind; and the presence of the pretty Collinson twins provides a new twist to a much told tale. The acting is sturdily competent rather than striking, apart from the always convincing Peter Cushing who brings a frightening fanaticism to the role of Gustav Weil. But it is Dick Bush’s excellent photography which provides the gloss that is the film’s most impressive quality. – from a review by Marjorie Bilbow
References
Periodicals
- Castle of Frankenstein no.19 pp.22, 23
- Cinema of the ’70s no.1 (2020) pp.49-68; 69-75 – illustrated article (Straight on till ’79: A decade of Hammer horror by Ian Taylor); illustrated interview with Judy Matheson (Judy Matheson: An interview by Ian Taylor)
- CinemaTV Today no.9961 1 January 1972 p.33 – note (Horror abroad)
- Fangoria vol.5 no.62 (March 1987) pp.32-33 – illustrated video review (The Video Eye of Dr. Cyclops)
- Filmfacts vol.15 no.12 1972 p.276 – reprinted reviews
- Films and Filming vol.18 no.4 (January 1972) p.61-62 – credits, review (by David McGillivray)
- Flesh and Blood no.2 p.34 – credits, synopsis, review
- House of Hammer vol.1 no.1 (1976) pp.45-48 – illustrated article (Drinkers of blood… Stealers of souls by Steve Moore)
- The House That Hammer Built no.8 (April 1998) pp.421-424 – illustrated credits, synopsis, review (by Wayne Kinsey)
- Monthly Film Bulletin vol.38 no.454 (November 1971) p.226 – credits, synopsis, review (by Nigel Andrews)
- Music From the Movies no.28 (August 2000) p.62 – soundtrack review
- Photon no.21 p.44 – review
- Today’s Cinema no.9891 (23 March 1971) p.8 – credits
- Today’s Cinema no.9940 (17 September 1971) p.15 – note (General releases; Trade shows)
- Today’s Cinema no.9944 (1 October 1971) p.17 – credits, review (by Marjorie Bilbow)
- Today’s Cinema no.9946 (8 October 1971) pp.2; 27 – illustrated note (Double horror is the draw in Victoria); note about UK release date
- Today’s Cinema no.9951 (26 October 1971) p.8 – (Helping Hammer’s horrors)
- Variety 20 October 1971 – credits, review (by Jock)
- Video Junkie no.1 p.21 – review
- Video Watchdog no.103 (January 2004) pp.10-11 – illustrated review (by Kim Newman)
- Video Watchdog no.183 (May/June 2016) pp. – illustrated review (by John-Paul Checkett)
- We Belong Dead no.9 (Spring 2013) pp.5-8 – illustrated article (Blood, boobs, and a good title: Everything You Wanted To Know About ‘Twins of Evil’… but were afraid to ask by Stephen Mosley)
Books
- 1971: 100 Films from Cinema’s Greatest Year by Robert Sellers pp.183-185 – review
- The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror by Phil Hardy (ed.) p.243-244
- British Gothic Cinema by Barry Forshaw pp.66, 71
- Cinematic Vampires by John L. Flynn pp.99, 101-102
- Dracula in the Dark: The Dracula Film Adaptations by James Craig Holte p.105 – 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.177-178
- English Gothic: A Century of Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.215-17, 216, 219,
- Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema by Jonathan Rigby pp.261, 281
- Film Review 1972-73 by F. Maurice Speed (ed) p.234
- The Ghost of One’s Self: Doppelgangers in Mystery, Horror and Science Fiction Films by Paul Meehan pp.9, 99, 107, 109, 114-116, 134, 212
- Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company by Howard Maxford pp.811-815 – illustrated credits, synopsis, review
- Hammer Films: An Exhaustive Filmography pp.338, 344-346 – credits, synopsis, review (by Tom Weaver and Deborah Del Vecchio)
- A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer pp.243, 245, 250, 251-254, 263, 264, 369-371 – production notes, credits, review (by Denis Meikle)
- Horror and Science Fiction Films II by Donald C. Willis p.407 – credits
- Horror Films of the 1970s by John Kenneth Muir p.240 – credits, note
- Horrorshows: The A-Z of Horror in Film, TV, Radio and Theatre by Gene Wright p.197 – credits, review
- The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide by Stephen Jones p.94 – credits, review
- Peter Cushing: The Gentle Man of Horror and His 91 Films by Deborah Del Vecchio and Tom Johnson pp.266-272
- Psychedelic Celluloid: British Pop Music in Film and TV 1965-1974 by Simon Matthews pp.153-154 – illustrated article (Hammer: The Pop Years)
- Reference Guide to Fantastic Films by Walt Lee p.507 – credits
- Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Film Sequels, Series, and Remakes by Kim R. Holston and Tom Winchester p.508
- Terror Tracks: Music, Sound and Horror Cinema by Philip Hayward (ed) p.68
- Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956-1976 by Gary A. Smith p.219
- Vampire Films of the 1970s: Dracula to Blacula and Every Fang Between by Gary A. Smith pp.57-58; 220 – illustrated review; credits
- The Vampire in Science Fiction Film and Literature by Paul Meehan p.25
