Count Dracula [Nachts, Wenn Dracula Erwacht] *** (1970, Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Maria Rohm) – Classic Movie Review 3107

In co-writer/director Jesús (Jess) Franco’s creepy 1970 Spanish horror thriller, a weary old Count Dracula finds the blood of young maidens that he needs to be young again.

Christopher Lee is once again chillingly cool as the Count, setting about here to re-create for the sake of fidelity the part that he will always be remembered for. It remains Lee’s most accurate performance as the Count, and is invaluable just for that.

Herbert Lom is fine as Van Helsing and Klaus Kinski is superbly full-blooded as a raging, ranting Renfield in this eye–catching, faithful version of the typically uncredited Bram Stoker novel. Also in the useful cast are Maria Rohm as Mina, Fred Williams as Jonathan Harker, Soledad Miranda as Lucy, Paul Muller as Seward and Jack Taylor as Quincey.

Wobbly sets, shaky editing and Manuel Merino and Luciano Trasatti’s manic Eastmancolor photography are problems, and so the intended real quality evades it. But nevertheless, it is still highly watchable.

The story is credited to Erich Kröhnke (as Erik Krohenke) and the screenplay to Augusto Finocchi. Franco and producer Harry Alan Towers also worked uncredited on the screenplay, along with Carlo Fadda and Milo G Cuccia on the Italian version and Dietmar Behnke on the dialogue of the German version.

It was filmed at Estudios Cinematográficos Balcázar, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and on location at Murcia, Alicante and Barcelona, Spain.

Originally 100 minutes, the film also has a cut version running at 90 minutes.

It is also known as Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula, Nachts, Wenn Dracula Erwacht, El Conte Dracula and Les Nuits de Dracula.

Sequel: Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein (1972).

Kinski later played Dracula in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979).

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3107

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