Vampire Lovers, The

The Vampire Lovers

Credits
Title:	The Vampire Lovers
Director:	Roy Ward Baker
Writers:	Tudor Gates Harry Fine Michael Style
Producers:	Harry Fine Michael Style
Composer:	Harry Robinson
Cinematography:	Moray Grant
Editors:	James Needs
Production
Production company:	Hammer Film Productions
Distributed by:	American International Pictures
Released:	October 4th, 1970 (UK) October 22nd, 1970 (US)
Rating:	X
Running time:	91 min.
Country:	UK
Language:	English
Navigation
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Next:	Lust for a Vampire

The Vampire Lovers is a British feature film of the vampire fiction and erotica subgenres of horror. It is the first installment in what has come to be known as the "Karnstein Trilogy". The film was directed by Roy Ward Baker with a screenplay by Tudor Gates. The script was adapted by Gates, Harry Fine, and Michael Style. It was produced by Hammer Film Productions and premiered in London, England on September 3rd, 1970. It was distributed through the United States by American International Pictures and was first screened in the U.S. on October 28th, 1970.

Wikipedia[]

In Styria, 1794, a female vampire in a diaphanous gown materialises from a misty graveyard and kills a man she lures out of a tavern. While going back to her grave, she finds her shroud missing. She is thus forced to face Baron Hartog, a vampire hunter who was stalking her in order to avenge the death of his sister. He decapitates her.

Decades later, Austrian General Spielsdorf is throwing a ball in his estate to celebrate the birthday of his niece, Laura. A countess, who has recently moved into the general's neighbouring property, is in attendance with her daughter Marcilla. After talking with a mysterious man in black, the countess tells the general she has to go visit a sick relative and asks him to care for Marcilla in her absence. Despite Marcilla's strange demeanor, Laura befriends her. Marcilla seems to be sexually attracted to her new friend. Laura starts experiencing violent nightmares where she is attacked by a giant cat, then dies of a gradual anemia. On her breasts, two puncture wounds are discovered. Marcilla disappears, and General Spielsdorf leaves to find Baron Hartog.

Marcilla, now going by the alias "Carmilla", is reunited with the countess. They stage a carriage breakdown near the residence of Mr. Morton, a wealthy Englishman living in Styria and a friend of the general's. Once again, the countess manipulates Mr. Morton into offering hospitality to her alleged relative (this time introduced as her niece). Carmilla later attempts to seduce Morton's daughter Emma, who resists her more romantic overtures. Emma also falls ill and starts suffering from nightmares of the giant cat, while her breasts show the same wounds as Laura. After Emma's father has to go to Vienna on a business trip, Emma's governess, Mademoiselle Perrodot, is seduced by Carmilla and becomes her accomplice after sleeping with her. Meanwhile, Carmilla has started feeding on people from the nearby village, causing several mysterious deaths where the corpses are drained of all blood.

Morton's butler, Renton, learns about local vampire superstitions and enlists the help of the doctor who had already treated Laura. They use garlic flowers and crucifixes to ward Emma, who is now dying. Carmilla kills the doctor on the road. She then seduces and subjugates Renton, who was under the impression the only real vampire was Mademoiselle Perrodot. With Renton under her control, Carmilla manages to have the wards removed. Knowing she has been found out, she dispatches Renton, with the intention of retreating into her grave and taking Emma with her as her lover.

Morton, who was called home by Renton, meets General Spielsdorf and Baron Hartog, who were on their way to the ruins of Karnstein Castle, along with Laura's fiancé Carl. Hartog reveals the Karnsteins were a family of vampires from the 16th century. In his youth, he managed to destroy nearly all of them, starting with the female vampire who had killed his sister. However, he could not find the grave of Mircalla Karnstein. Looking at her portrait in the castle hall, Spielsdorf and Morton realise she is the same girl they separately know as Marcilla and Carmilla. Carl makes haste and rides back to Morton's to rescue Emma.

As Mircalla prepares to leave with Emma, Mademoiselle Perrodot begs to be taken with her. Mircalla kills and drains her instead. Carl arrives and chases Mircalla away using a poignard as a cross. Mircalla dematerialises and flees to Karnstein Castle, where the Baron and the others await her return. Once located in her resting coffin, General Spielsdorf drives a stake into Carmilla's heart and cuts off her head, thus avenging his daughter's death. Emma is freed of the vampire's sickness and influence. Meanwhile, the image of Mircalla in her portrait on the wall turns into a fanged skeleton.

A mysterious man in black watches all these events unfold from a distance, occasionally laughing with contempt.

Cast[]

Actor	Role
Ingrid Pitt	/Mircalla Karnstein
George Cole	Roger Morton
Kate O'Mara	Mme. Perrodot
Peter Cushing	General von Spielsdorf
Ferdy Mayne	Doctor
Douglas Wilmer	Baron Joachim von Hartog
Madeline Smith	Emma Morton
Dawn Addams	The Countess
Jon Finch	Carl Ebhardt
Pippa Steele	Laura
Kirsten Betts	1st vampire
Janet Key	Gretchin
Harvey Hall	Renton
John Forbes-Robertson	Man in black
Charles Farrell	Landlord
Shelagh Wilcocks	1st young man
Tom Browne	2nd young man
Joanna Shelley	Woodman's daughter
Olga James	Village girl

Notes & Trivia[]

This film is based upon the 1872 novella Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.
The tagline to this movie is "AN EROTIC NIGHTMARE OF TORMENTED LUSTS THAT THROB IN HEADLESS, UNDEAD BODIES!"
There are a total of twenty credited members in this film.
Production on The Vampire Lovers began on January 19th, 1970. Principal filming concluded on March 4th, 1970. The movie was filmed in Hertfordshire, England. Studio shots were filmed at Associated British Productions Studios.
Actress Pippa Steel, who plays Laura, is credited as Pippa Steele in this film.
Actress Kirsten Lindholm, who plays the first vampire, is credited as Kirsten Betts in this film.
Actress Olga Anthony, who plays a village girl, is credited as Olga James in this film.
On the movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Vampire Lovers holds a 76% fresh Tomatometer rating based on seventeen posted reviews. It has thirteen positive reviews and four negative reviews, averaging 5.80 out of 10. The film has an audience score of 60% based on more than 1,000 ratings, averaging 3.4 out of 5.
On Letterboxd, The Vampire Lovers has a weighted average of 3.27 out of 5 based on 7,180 ratings.
Actress Ingrid Pitt will go on to play Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy in Countess Dracula in 1971. That same year, she will play Carla Lind in "The Cloak" segment of The House That Dripped Blood, and in 1973 will play a librarian in The Wicker Man. The last two films also co-star Christopher Lee, who is best known for playing the role of Dracula in Hammer Horror films. Lee was offered the role of the Man in Black, but turned it down. It ultimately went to John Forbes-Robertson.
Actress Pippa Steel will go on to play Susan Pelley in Lust for a Vampire in 1971.
Actress Kate O'Mara will go on to play a character named Alys in Horror of Frankenstein, released the same year as The Vampire Lovers.

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