Dracula: Prince Of Darkness

AKA's:

Bloody Scream Of Dracula, The / Blut Für Dracula / Disciple Of Dracula / Dracula / Dracula 3 / Dracula, Prince Des Tenebres / Dracula, Príncipe De Las Tinieblas / Dracula Principe Delle Tenebre / Revenge Of Dracula

Release date:	1965 UK
Running time:	86' (cover 86') - Source: VHS PAL
Rating:	Germ.: 16; UK: 15; US: NR
Main Crew:	Director: Terence Fisher (Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed 1969; The Devil Rides Out                1968; Island Of Terror 1966; The Brides Of Dracula 1960; Dracula 1958) Producer: Hammer Film Score: James Bernard Writer: Jimmy Sangster (as John Sansom)/ Anthony Hinds (as John Elder) Director of photography: Michael Reed
Cast:	Use the dropdown menu to see the full cast Christopher Lee / Dracula Barbara Shelley / Helen Kent Andrew Keir / Father Sandor Francis Matthews / Charles Kent Suzan Farmer / Diana Kent Charles Tingwell / Alan Kent Thorley Walters / Ludwig Philip Latham / Klove Walter Brown / Brother Mark George Woodbridge / Landlord Jack Lambert / Brother Peter Philip Ray / Priest Joyce Hemson / Mother John Maxim / Coach Driver
Summary:	Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) has been dead for ten years but terror reigns in the hearts of local inhabitants of a lonely hamlet in the Carpathian mountains. Four English tourists are warned to flee but a driverless carriage arrives and the unsuspecting tourists find the table laid for four when they reach the dreaded Dracula's castle... the scene is set for a ride to terror and mayhem.
Note:	- Christopher Lee returns to play the Count for the second time in this first "authentic" sequel to Dracula, although this was the fourth of Hammer 's vampire movies, and third in their series of "Dracula" films (neither The Brides Of Dracula (1960) nor Kiss Of The Vampire (1962) featured Christopher Lee). - Filmed back-to-back with "Rasputin: The Mad Monk", using many of the same cast members (Lee, Shelley, Matthews and Farmer) and sets, "Prince Of Darkness" opens by replaying the climax of Dracula (surrounded by swirling mist in an attempt to disguise the different scope format - "Dracula: Prince Of Darkness" was shot in a widescreen): Peter Cushing improvising a crucifix from two silver candlesticks and then tearing the drapes down to let in the sunlight, reducing the Count to dust. Cushing (after appearing in The Brides Of Dracula) would not reprise his Van Helsing role until Dracula A.D. 1972, and was not credited for "Prince Of Darkness" because his appearance consisted of archieve footage. - Christopher Lee, who doesn't show up until the movie's half over (not counting the opening sequence from the preceding film), found the lines for his character so awful that he chose to play it silent, only hissing and grunting throughout the movie, although screenwriter Jimmy Sangster swears that he didn't write any (on the other hand, the screenplay reportedly had Dracula uttering lines like "I am the apocalypse!"). - The final demise beneath the ice (performed by Lee's stuntman and double Eddie Powell, who almost drowned in the process) is a new addition to the lore and goes back to the medieval belief in the purifying power of running water. During the preparation for the scene, Christopher Lee's red contact lenses fell on the ice (which actually was painted wood strewn with salt), and he got the salt into his eyes, which caused him terrible pain, and he had to leave shooting after 30 min.
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