DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS

DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966) was the third Hammer Dracula film following upon HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) and BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960). However, it was only the second Hammer Dracula film to star Christopher Lee as the immortal count.

 It's also the film in which Lee speaks no dialogue as Count Dracula. There are two reasons given for this. One is that when presented the screenplay by Jimmy Sangster, Christopher Lee reportedly said, "I'm not going to say these lines!" and that was that. Sangster's version is that he never wrote any dialogue for Dracula, figuring that such a fearsome presence could get his points across through growls, snarls and hisses.

Regardless of which of these tales is true, the result is an extremely satisfying Hammer horror film with Lee at the top of his game. The only thing that could make PRINCE a better film would be the inclusion of Peter Cushing as Van Helsing but Andrew Keir, as the fearless vampire hunter Father Sandor, does an admirable job.

The story is a routine one. Four travelers (two couples), are abandoned by their coach driver on the way to the haunted European village of Karlsbad. Left stranded at a crossroads, a driverless coach suddenly appears. The four load up and the coach takes them to Castle Dracula (a location they've been sternly warned against).

Once there, they're waited on by Dracula's household staff. Mysteriously absent is their host but since he's dead at this point in the film, that can be excused. Alan Kent (Charles Tingwell), is the first of the visitors to be put to death in the crypt of the castle. Kent's blood is necessary to revive the undead Count Dracula. Once the ritual is completed and Dracula is revived, the count sinks his fangs into the lovely neck of Helen Kent (Hammer icon Barbara Shelley). She's transformed into a shrieking, hissing, spitting vampire harpy. Next, Dracula goes after the even lovelier Diana Kent (Suzan Farmer), but not before Father Sandor intervenes and takes the battle to the Count.

There's an off camera staking through the heart in the third act and the narrative climaxes upon the ice sheet formed on the moat around Castle Dracula. This time it's running water that spells doom for the Count but don't worry, he won't stay dead long.

Directed by Hammer horror auteur Terence Fisher with a stirring score by James Bernard and crisp cinematography by Michael Reed, DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS is a handsome production from start to finish. There's nothing radical or revolutionary about the story but it's well told and once Dracula is reborn, things really pick up and gather momentum towards the furious climax.

Jeez, that sounds like a porno movie.

Recommended.