The Black Box Club: count dracula

Showing posts with label count dracula. Show all posts

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

RAISING HAIR PROBLEMS! THE CHANGING FACE AND HAIR OF COUNT DRACULA : CHRISTOPHER LEE :

Hair and actors, for men particularly, can be a sensitive subject. Thinning hairlines for some, signaled the beginning of a life tied to hiding their thinning locks, with endless spraying and careful combing or gluing down of hair pieces and relying on what were sometimes not the most convincing of toupees. Yul Brynner celebrated, his head minus hair, it was never a problem. Telly Savalas too, when he got fed up with combing-over the last strands, took to the shaver, and whipped, what he had been holding onto, off ...and never looked back. But for many actors, they believed not having a full head of hair, lessened your chances in casting....

For the majority of his film roles, from Hammer's Hound of the Baskervilles onwards in 1959, Lee wore pieces, with the exception of Mycroft Holmes in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' (1970) here Lee, for the only time, went completely 'sans toupee'! When this brave, but strange decision drew a little too much attention, Lee explained it away, as an act of dedication to playing the role and that he had simply shaved his head! But all these wigs he wore, also explains why he had such a weird hair line and bouffant top in 'Risen From the Grave'...and a really good wig in AD 1972 and Satanic Rites...and I think more than one in Dracula 58, in the first close up shot where he welcomes Harker, the hairpiece looks a lot smaller, than in the rest of the film...and in Darkness it had less widows peak. Taste the Blood was maybe too full and his own hair sometimes flopped over his ears, Scars of... was a good one!

With many actors, and 'the advancement of the years', very few with long careers, ever get away without some help from a weave or wig. Think Humphrey Bogart, David Niven, John Wayne, all piece wearers on and off screen. To be fair, I don't think this is only or just about vanity. In Christopher Lee's case, early hair thinning, caused a problem and throughout his career, he had to present himself as the person / actor that his audiences recognised. Without his hair, he wasn't the Christopher Lee the public knew. He was Christopher Lee without hair.

Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, were lucky to have 'some' there. In later years, Cushing would whip his into, what could be quite a complicated quiff, that must have been held together with a lot of hairspray... but at least he didn't have to sit for an extra hour while they glued the webbing and pinned a 'rug' down. I think when he first appeared without it, around 1974 and the time of the productions of Shatter, THE UNCANNY, , The New Avengers... he must have been reviled to be finished with it, having worn toupee and weaves since around 1967...

If you look at some of Cushing's jottings and requests on his scripts, you see his recommendations for particular hair pieces that he had worn in previous productions. Film production companies rarely stocked wigs, depending on the budget, make up men or hairdressers/ wig makers would make pieces to order or from stock, they would be hired. For many years, Cushing had his own personal hair piece, which he might wear in a film and in public. You might remember, when Cushing was pounced on by Michael Aspel for his appearance on This Is Your Life in 1990, he is heard to say, 'It's just as well, I wore my toupee today, isn't?'

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Saturday, 18 January 2014

WIN DONALD FEARNEY'S 'THE LEGEND OF HAMMER VAMPIRES' DVD TODAY!

A heads up to our competition TODAY! Five copies of Donald Fearney's 'The Legend of Hammer Vampires' dvd documentary up for grabs. The competition will be posted at our UK Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page from 6.30 pm gmt (12.30 pacific time) TODAY. Competition closes tomorrow Sunday 19th January 2014. - See more at: http://petercushingblog.blogspot.co.uk/#sthash.bGGCiIGA.dpuf

Here's a heads up to a competition that's staring up on The UK Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page TODAY! There's FIVE copies of Donald Fearney's superb and rare 'The Legend of Hammer Vampires' dvd documentary up for grabs.The competition goes up tonight and is only open until tomorrow evening 11.00pm gmt (5.00pm pacific time) So, get yourself along, enter the competition and maybe bag yourself a copy of the dvd that has to be the best documentary on Hammer films vampire movies for sure!

UK Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page from 6.30 pm gmt (12.30 pacific time) TODAY. - See more at: http://petercushingblog.blogspot.co.uk/#sthash.bGGCiIGA.dpufFive copies of Donald Fearney's 'The Legend of Hammer Vampires' dvd documentary up for grabs. How you can win them, find out tomorrow!

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

HAMMER FILMS PRESENTATION CARDS: DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

HAMMER FILMS: DRACULA (1958) RESTORED BLU RAY DOUBLE PLAY: RELEASE MARCH 18TH 2013

DRACULA (1958)
Released on 3-disc Double Play on 18th March 2013.
Hammer, Icon Film Distribution and Lionsgate are proud to present a major event in British film history.

Terence Fisher's 1958 classic Dracula. fully restored in High Definition and available on Blu-ray and DVD for the first time. The release will contain two versions of the feature (seamlessly branched on the Blu-ray): The 2007 BFI restoration plus the 2012 Hammer restoration, which adds additional footage that has been unavailable for decades. The additional footage comprises two of the scenes that were originally censored by the BBFC in 1958 that have now been restored to the film from the “Japanese reels”:

Dracula’s seduction of Mina.
Dracula’s sunlight disintegration.

These will be the most complete versions ever released and taken together fully deserving of the description DEFINITIVE. Dracula has been unavailable on any UK home entertainment format for many years. This release will be at the correct aspect ratio of 1.66:1 which has never been available for home viewing.

Available 18th March in the UK on 3-disc Double Play, the pack comprises 1 x Blu-ray and 2 x DVD, the release also includes brand new featurettes, a new commentary track, multiple bonus extras and a stills show.

Dracula is the first in the series of Hammer films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and Christopher Lee.

Dr. Van Helsing, investigating the death of his friend Jonathan Harker, concludes that Harker was the victim of a vampire. When Harker's fiancée, Lucy, becomes affected by the terrifying force and hypnotic power of Count Dracula, Van Helsing releases her tortured soul by driving a stake through her heart. But Dracula seeks revenge, targeting Lucy's beautiful sister-in-law, Mina. Van Helsing, now aided by Mina’s husband Arthur, swears to exorcise this evil forever by confronting the vile and depraved Count himself. Dracula. Technical Information:
Certificate: (TBC).
Region: B/2.
Barcode: 5060223769196.
Catalogue number: LGB95006.
Double Play: 1 x BD & 2 x DVD.
Languages: English.
Dracula © 1958 Clarion Film Productions Ltd. Renewed 1985 by Hammer Film Productions Ltd. © 2011 ICON FILMS, INC. Package Design © 2012 Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK. Dracula.
Released on 3-disc Double Play on 18th March 2013.

Hammer, Icon Film Distribution and Lionsgate are proud to present a major event in British film history.

EXTRAS;
Four Brand-New Featurettes:
"Dracula Reborn". New 30 min. featurette about the film’s creation and history, featuring, among others: Jimmy Sangster, Kim Newman, Mark Gatiss, Jonathan Rigby and Janina Faye (Tania in the film).

"Resurrecting Dracula". New 20 min. featurette about the film’s restoration, from the BFI’s 2007 restoration through to the integration of “lost” footage, featuring interviews with key staff at the BFI, Molinare and Deluxe142. Also covers the February 2012 world premiere of Hammer’s interim restored version including “vox pop” interviews with fans after the event.

"The Demon Lover: Christopher Frayling on Dracula". New 30 min. featurette.

"Censoring Dracula". New 10 min. featurette on the original cuts to the film ordered by the British Board of Film Censors.

Commentary:
New commentary by Hammer historian Marcus Hearn and author & critic Jonathan Rigby.

Plus:

All 4 surviving "Japanese reels" (6 - 9) unrestored (40 mins).

The World Of Hammer episode: Dracula And The Undead.

Janina Faye reading a chapter of Stoker’s novel at the VAULT festival.

Stills Gallery of over 100 fully-restored and rare images.

Booklet by Hammer archivist Robert J. E. Simpson (PDF).

Monday, 7 January 2013

JESS FRANCO'S EL CONDE DRACULA : CHRISTOPHER LEE : KLAUS KINSKI STILLS GALLERY AND REVIEW

CAST:
Christopher Lee (Count Dracula), Herbert Lom (Dr Van Helsing), Frederick Williams (Jonathan Harker), Maria Rohm (Mina Murray), Soledad Miranda (Lucy Westenra), Klaus Kinski (Renfield), Jack Taylor (Quincey Morris), Paul Muller (Dr John Seward)

PRODUCTION:

Director – Jess Franco, Screenplay – Peter Welbeck [Harry Alan Towers], Based on the Novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, Producer – Harry Alan Towers, Photography – Manuel Merino, Music – Bruno Nicolai, Art Direction – George O. Brown. Production Company – Towers of London Productions/Corona Films/Filmar Compagnia Cinematografica/Fenix Cooperative Cinematografica.

Spain/Italy/West Germany/Liechtenstein. 1970.

SYNOPSIS:

Lawyer Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to transact a property purchase in England for Count Dracula. He ignores the warnings of locals not to go to Dracula’s castle. There Dracula proves to be a vampire and nearly drinks all of Jonathan’s blood before Jonathan makes an escape. Making a recovery at Dr Seward’s sanitarium back in England, Jonathan and occult expert Dr Van Helsing discover that Dracula is living nearby and is plundering the blood of Jonathan’s fiancee Mina and her best friend Lucy Westenra.

COMMENTARY:

Count Dracula was an interesting production. It was the third official adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and was sold with the interesting notion that it was going to film Bram Stoker as written – the two previous versions, the Bela Lugosi Dracula (1931) and Hammer’s Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958) with Christopher Lee, had varied considerably from the text. It was certainly enough of a novelty to draw Christopher Lee to the project. Unfortunately, the notion ended about there. It was a good idea that befell bad filmmakers, in the case Harry Alan Towers, a producer responsible for a number of cheap horror films and sexploitation thrillers, and the infamous Jess Franco, a prolific exploitation director.

The film’s claim to adapting Bram Stoker is certainly accurate, although other versions since have reduced the veracity of that claim to the point that Count Dracula does the job no better or worse than they claim to. It accurately follows the Transylvanian sequences, the asylum scenes and the climactic pursuit of Dracula back to Transylvania. Characters such as Dr Seward and Quincey Morris make their first screen appearances in a film adaptation. The film even preserves some of Bram Stoker’s dialogue intact. On the other hand, there are definitely some sequences missing – the Demeter crash is absent, no doubt for budgetary reasons, as well as the eerily ambient climactic scenes where Dracula is tracked with a hypnotized Mina. Similarly, the very faithfulness to the source material leaves the film inheriting the book’s one great problem – namely that after a great opening, Dracula remains a player who only casts a shadow from off stage. Most other films pad the role out by expanding the number of Dracula’s onscreen appearances but this version does not and as a result, bar the opening, Dracula fairly much vanishes and Christopher Lee is to a large extent left in the same position he was in most of the Hammer Dracula sequels, present but with not a lot to do. Christopher Lee brings his customary dignity to the role – and is outfitted with the one novelty of any screen adaptation, playing a Dracula who progressively gets younger as Bram Stoker described in the book.

Certainly, among Jess Franco’s extraordinarily prolific output (nearly 200 films), Count Dracula is one of his better works. The first 15-20 minutes are some of most atmospheric moments of Franco’s directorial career – the moody journey through Transylvania; the scenes with Jonathan being picked up by a coach and Dracula as the coachman stopping to ward off marauding wolves; the two of them dining in an echoingly empty hall; Dracula’s impassioned recitation of his family history. Unfortunately, Franco, as though having exhausted himself in such concerted effort, then lets the film fall away to indifference. The two next scenes, which are stand-out set-pieces in the book – where Dracula’s wives attempt to seduce Jonathan and Dracula’s wall-climbing trick – are conducted with dreary disinterest. As the film keeps going, the more Jess Franco’s usual pedestrian cheapness affects the exercise. A scene invented over the book that tries to build something threatening up out of frenetic crosscutting between closeups of stuffed birds is woeful.

The one interesting contrast between this and the Hammer Dracula is how much of a continental Dracula rather than a specifically English Dracula that this is. Count Dracula was made as a co-production between several European countries. Hammer’s florid stagebound dramatics and even Stoker’s gloomy coastal English locations have been replaced by a distinctive Spanish Old World feel – set in and around Spanish buildings, churches and graveyards – which provides a very different atmosphere to the story. Equally noticeable is the non-Anglicised cast – most glaringly obvious being the casting of the character of the Texan Quincey with the distinctly Teutonic Jack Taylor.

In the end, Count Dracula is a noble endeavour that has befallen a cheap producer and a hack director. Had the same exercise been made with one of the contemporary continental directors such as Mario Bava or Riccardo Freda at the helm we could have had a potential classic on our hands.

Other adaptations of Dracula are:– Nosferatu (1922); Dracula (1931) with Bela Lugosi; the Spanish language version Dracula (1931) shot on the same sets as the Lugosi version; Hammer’s classic Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958) with Christopher Lee; Dan Curtis’s tv movie Dracula (1974), starring Jack Palance; the BBC mini-series Count Dracula (1977), with Louis Jourdan; Dracula (1979) with Frank Langella; Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) with Klaus Kinski; Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) with Gary Oldman; the modernised Italian-German adaptation Dracula (2002) with Patrick Bergin; Guy Maddin’s ballet adaptation Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary (2002); the BBC tv movie Dracula (2006) with Marc Warren; the low-budget modernised Dracula (2009); and Dario Argento’s upcoming Dracula 3D (2012) with Thomas Kretschmann as Dracula.