Dracula: Prisoner of Frankenstein [Drácula contra Frankenstein] ** (1972, Dennis Price, Howard Vernon, Paca Gabaldón, Alberto Dalbés) – Classic Movie Review 3108

Writer-director Jesús (Jess) Franco wraps up his quirky 1972 horror thriller sequel to his 1970 Count Dracula in a stylish set of Seventies-style Eastmancolor visuals, with frequent gory details and a welcome touch of humour.

The intriguing and bold but near-incomprehensibly plotted storyline involves Count Dracula, vampire hunter Dr Seward, Dr Frankenstein, his monster, his dumb servant, a dead singer, a horde of vampires, a werewolf, gypsies and a fire, all thrown together in no particular order.

Alas, a troubled-seeming Dennis Price (as Doctor Frankenstein) and Howard Vernon (taking over from Christopher Lee as Dracula) are only moderate as the title fiends, though other cast members are more interesting: Paca Gabaldón (billed as Mary Francis) plays gypsy girl Maria, Alberto Dalbés is Doctor Jonathan Seward and Luis Barboo plays Morpho.

Dr Seward arrives at Castle Dracula with a hammer and a wooden stake and puts an end to the vampire Count. But megalomaniacal Dr Frankenstein arrives with his  mute hunchback assistant Morpho and brings Dracula back to life to terrorise the locals. Seward is attacked by the Frankenstein monster (Fernando Bilbao) and left for dead but Maria rescues him and finds a werewolf to help battle the forces of evil.

It is also known as Dracula vs Frankenstein and Drácula contra Frankenstein.

Price also played in Vampyros Lesbos (1971) and the The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (1973) for Jesús Franco. In delicate health, he died in 1973, aged 58 on 6 October 1973.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3108

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