Blood of Dracula's Castle

Blood of Dracula's Castle
Blood of Dracula's Castle
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Al Adamson; Jean Hewitt
Written by	Rex Carlton
Produced by	Martin B. Cohen; Samuel M. Sherman; Rex Carlton; Al Adamson; Paragon Pictures
Starring	John Carradine; Alexander D'Arcy; Paula Raymond; Robert Dix; Vicki Volante; John Cardos
Cinematography	László Kovács
Edited by	Peter Perry Jr.
Distributed by	Crown International Pictures(theatrical, US)
Release date	October 5, 1969;
Running time	84 min
Country	United States
Language	English

Blood of Dracula's Castleis a 1969^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]Americanhorror cult B-moviedirected byAl Adamsonand starringJohn Carradine,Alexander D'Arcy,Paula Raymond,Robert Dix,Vicki Volante, andJohn Cardos.It was released byexploitation filmspecialistsCrown International Pictures.Although his name was played up in the lurid ad campaign, John Carradine only played George the butler in this film, and notCount Dracula.DVD prints all suffer from extensive emulsion scratches.

Plot

Count Draculaand hisvampirewife are occupying Falcon Rock Castle in modern-day Arizona, hiding behind the identities of Count and Countess Townsend. When the castle's owner dies, the property passes on to a photographer named Glen Cannon, and Glen has decided to live there himself with his fiancée Liz. He drives out to the castle to inform the Townsends that they will have to move out. But his car breaks down when he gets there, and he and Liz have to spend the night with the Townsends.

The Townsends are actually vampires who sleep in coffins and lure pretty young girls to the castle to be drained of blood by their butler George, who then mixes realBloody Marysfor the couple, which they drink from martini glasses. George and Mango, the hunchback, keep mini-skirted women chained up in the basement, occasionally sacrificing one of them to "the Great God Luna" by burning them at the stake. Then there is a guy named Johnny, who becomes aserial killerwhen the moonlight strikes him (or awerewolf,depending on whether you watch the theatrical version or the late-night-TV version, the latter of which added a few werewolf scenes).

Glen and Liz accidentally witness one of the women being sacrificed in the cellar. Dracula and the Countess try to force Glen to sell the castle to them. In the final confrontation, George the butler is killed, the remaining women prisoners are freed, Mango the hunchback gets shot, hit with an ax, and set afire before dying. The vampires wind up exposed to sunlight and dissolve away into dust. Glen and Liz decide not to live in the castle after all, and drive off together. However, two bats emerge unseen from the ashes and fly away.

Cast

John Carradineas George, the butler
Alexander D'ArcyasCount Dracula,alias Count Charles Townsend
Paula Raymondas Countess Dracula, alias Countess Townsend
Robert Dixas Johnny the serial killer (or werewolf)
Gene Otis Shayne as Glen Cannon (as Gene O'Shane)
Jennifer Bishopas Liz Arden (as Barbara Bishop)
Vicki Volante as Ann, motorist-victim
Ray Young as Mango the hunchback
John 'Bud' Cardos(credited as John Cardos) as prison guard
Ken Osborne as telegram delivery man
Joyce King as body in the water

Production

Ostensibly located in Arizona, the film was actually shot atShea's Castle,nearLancaster, California.Other portions of the film were shot in theCoachella Valley,California.^[9]

Jayne Mansfieldwas originally set to star in the film as Countess Townsend, but she died in a car accident before shooting began.

A proposed sequel, which was going to be titledDracula's Coffin,was announced but never made.^[10]

Music

The introduction to the film features the song "The Next Train Out" performed byGil Bernal,with lyrics byBob Russelland music byLincoln Mayorga.^[11]

References

^Weldon, Michael (1996).The Psychotronic Video Guide.St. Martin's Griffin.ISBN 0312131496.p. 72
^Weldon, Michael (1983).The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.Ballantine Books.ISBN 034534345X.p. 72
^O'Neill, James (1994).Terror on Tape.Billboard Books.ISBN 0823076121.p. 39
^McCarty, John (1995).The Sleaze Merchants.St. Martin's Griffin Press.ISBN 0312118937.p. 103
^Weldon, Michael (1983).The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.Ballantine Books.ISBN 034534345X.p. 72
^O'Neill, James (1994).Terror on Tape.Billboard Books.ISBN 0823076121.p. 39
^McCarty, John (1995).The Sleaze Merchants.St. Martin's Griffin Press.ISBN 0312118937.p. 103
^"Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969) - al Adamson, Jean Hewitt | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
^Palm Springs Visitors Center."Coachella Valley Feature Film Production 1920–2011".Filming in Palm Springs.Palm Springs, CA. Archived fromthe originalon October 1, 2012.RetrievedOctober 1,2012.
^Stephen Jones.The Essential Monster Movie Guide.Billboard Books. 2000. p. 56^{[ISBN missing]}
^IMDbBlood of Dracula's Castle

External links

[1] Weldon, Michael (1996).The Psychotronic Video Guide.St. Martin's Griffin.ISBN 0312131496.p. 72

[2] Weldon, Michael (1983).The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.Ballantine Books.ISBN 034534345X.p. 72

[3] O'Neill, James (1994).Terror on Tape.Billboard Books.ISBN 0823076121.p. 39

[4] McCarty, John (1995).The Sleaze Merchants.St. Martin's Griffin Press.ISBN 0312118937.p. 103

[5] Weldon, Michael (1983).The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film.Ballantine Books.ISBN 034534345X.p. 72

[6] O'Neill, James (1994).Terror on Tape.Billboard Books.ISBN 0823076121.p. 39

[7] McCarty, John (1995).The Sleaze Merchants.St. Martin's Griffin Press.ISBN 0312118937.p. 103

[8] "Blood of Dracula's Castle (1969) - al Adamson, Jean Hewitt | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".

[Filming-9] Palm Springs Visitors Center."Coachella Valley Feature Film Production 1920–2011".Filming in Palm Springs.Palm Springs, CA. Archived fromthe originalon October 1, 2012.RetrievedOctober 1,2012.

[10] Stephen Jones.The Essential Monster Movie Guide.Billboard Books. 2000. p. 56^{[ISBN missing]}

[11] IMDbBlood of Dracula's Castle

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