LUST FOR A VAMPIRE

UK, 1971, 93 minutes, Colour.

Barbara Jefford, Ralph Bates, Susanna Leigh, Yutte Stensgaard, Michael Johnson, Helen Christie, Mike Raven, Christopher Cunningham, Harvey Hall, Michael Brennan, Jack Telford, Christopher Neame..

Directed by Jimmy Sangster.

This is a film from Hammer Studios, based on writings by Sheridan Le Fanu, the Irish writer who preceded Bram Stoker with vampire stories. Two other films were associated with this feature, The Vampire Lovers and Twins of Evil.

Hammer had moved into horror films in the 1950s with Frankenstein and Dracula stories, featuring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and ensemble casts. By 1970, with the 60s enabling more “open” storytelling, especially in sexuality sequences, this film tries to capitalise on this, especially the setting and the finishing school of glamorous young adult women.

The basic plot is the familiar one, a Castle of vampires and their emerging every 40 years, wreaking harm on the village, the village people up in arms and finally storming the castle. Interestingly, they call on a bishop to lead them in the siege, his praying, restraining them and urging that vampires are killed by a stake through the heart. And, of course, they can be repelled by a cross or a crucifix.

An affluent and rather arrogant novelist appears doing some research, becomes infatuated with one of the young women who disappears. In the meantime, a sinister count appears, looking like a younger and minor Christopher Lee (whose actual eyes are used in a final confrontation scene) who is able to resurrect the daughter of the castle who then insinuates herself into the school, falling in love with the author, vaporising the very prim teacher and researcher who is infatuated with her (played by Ralph Bates who also appeared in Horror of Frankenstein). And there is the mysterious Countess played by Barbara Jefford.

Hammer films were always intriguing, sometimes classics, sometimes exploitative, especially in the later years, as with this film.