Count Dracula (1977 film)
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''Count Dracula'' is a British television
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
of the 1897 novel ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...
'' by
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busi ...
. Produced by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
(in the then standard video/film hybrid format), it first aired on
BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream ...
on 22 December 1977. It is among the more faithful of the many adaptations of the original book. Directed by
Philip Saville Philip Saville (28 October 1927 – 22 December 2016) was a British director, screenwriter and former actor whose career lasted half a century. The British Film Institute's Screenonline website described Saville as "one of Britain's most prolif ...
from a screenplay by
Gerald Savory Gerald Douglas Savory (17 November 1909 – 9 February 1996) was an English writer and television producer specialising in comedies. Biography The son of Kenneth Douglas Savory and actress Grace Lane (1877–1956), he was educated at Bradfield C ...
, it stars
Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Paradine Case'' (1947), ''Lette ...
as
Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...
and Frank Finlay as Professor Van Helsing.


Plot

Lucy Westenra Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker. The 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family, she is Mina Murray's best friend and Count Dracula's first English victim. She subsequently transforms into a vam ...
's sister Mina bids farewell to her fiancé
Jonathan Harker Jonathan Harker is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. His journey to Transylvania and encounter with the vampire Count Dracula and his Brides at Castle Dracula constitu ...
, who is leaving for a business trip. Harker, a solicitor, is travelling to
Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...
's castle in
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
to expedite his purchase of Carfax Abbey and other properties in England. On the penultimate leg of Harker's trip, in a horse-drawn coach with three locals, one warns him not to attend Dracula's castle. Harker tells the woman not to worry, but she gives him her
rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...
for protection as a precaution. Harker is dropped off at the Borgo Pass in the dead of night with wolves howling in the distance, and is picked up a few moments later by the Count's coach. At the castle's door, Count Dracula welcomes Jonathan and carries his heavy trunk, with no effort, up the stairs to his room. Jonathan hesitantly agrees to stay for a month to help the Count with his English. Dracula is urbane and gracious, but also vaguely sinister; he casts no reflection, and has pronouncedly sharp fingernails and hair on his palms. After a series of disturbing events, including an encounter with Dracula's brides, Harker explores the castle, finds the Count and his brides' sleeping quarters in a crypt, all asleep in coffins with their eyes open yet seemingly unaware of his presence. Harker tries ineffectually to kill Dracula with a shovel before fleeing the castle. In England, Mina and Lucy go to the seaside town of
Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cl ...
. Among their friends are Quincey Holmwood (Lucy's American fiancé), and
Dr. John Seward John "Jack" Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula''. In the novel Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, ...
, who operates a local asylum. Among Seward's patients is the madman
Renfield R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. ...
, who worships and fears Dracula. Mina and Lucy witness a storm in which the foreign ship ''Demeter'' goes aground, and is carrying Dracula (in the form of a wolf) and many wooden boxes filled with earth from his home. That same night, a local seaman is found dead, a victim of Dracula. Mina follows a sleepwalking Lucy to the local graveyard and glimpses Dracula holding her in his arms. Lucy thereafter grows pale and weak; at night in her bedroom, Dracula drinks her blood on several occasions. Jonathan, meanwhile, turns up delirious and weak in a convent in
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
. Seward calls on his friend
Abraham Van Helsing Professor Abraham Van Helsing, a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula'', is an aged Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows h ...
from Amsterdam for help with Lucy's strange illness. Although Van Helsing recognizes the symptoms and protects her bedroom with garlic, a wolf shatters the room's window; the shock kills Lucy's mother, and Lucy is found pale and nearly dead after another encounter with Dracula. Despite Van Helsing's efforts, she soon dies, but not before displaying signs of
vampirism A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or dea ...
, such as a missing reflection and an uncharacteristic seductiveness and aggression when Holmwood comes to see her in her final moments. Seward accompanies Van Helsing to Lucy's grave, but find her coffin empty, and afterwards a child who is lost and alone, but who has been bitten by the now-vampiric Lucy. After reporting their findings to an incredulous Holmwood, he and Van Helsing and Seward return to Lucy's family crypt, finding her perched atop. Lucy soon approaches, now a vampire and feral, and attempts to entice Holmwood, but is forced to flee from Van Helsing's
crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (La ...
. Later in the tomb, Holmwood drives a wooden stake into Lucy's heart. Van Helsing fills her mouth with garlic and cuts off her head. Harker, Van Helsing, Seward, and Holmwood all go to Carfax Abbey to sterilize Dracula's refuges – boxes of soil from his native Transylvania – with parts of the host used in the
Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...
. Renfield realizes Dracula is now visiting Mina, and seeks to warn her and Seward. An enraged Dracula kills Renfield, who just manages to warn the others. They rush to find Mina in her bedroom, drinking blood from Dracula's chest. Dracula vanishes as they enter. Van Helsing touches and sears the hysterical Mina's forehead with a piece of a host, which scars her; she declares herself "unclean". The Count flees back to his castle after losing all his other resting places; the others follow. Van Helsing and Mina go to the castle, while the others follow the Gypsies transporting Dracula's coffin. In the Transylvanian wilderness, Dracula's brides attempt to attack Van Helsing and Mina, but Van Helsing thwarts them with the host, and destroys them the following day. Harker, Seward, and Holmwood chase Dracula's carriage and fight the
gypsies The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
loyal to Dracula; Mina shoots one, saving Harker, but Holmwood is fatally wounded. The pursuers reach and open the coffin; inside, Dracula smiles because it is almost sunset. Realizing they have only moments left, Van Helsing mounts the carriage and drives a stake into the vampire's heart; the body disintegrates in a violent burst of smoke, leaving only his clothes and ashes. Mina's vampirism disappears, as does her forehead scar, and the group say a prayer of thanks.


Cast

*
Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Paradine Case'' (1947), ''Lette ...
as
Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...
* Frank Finlay as Professor Van Helsing *
Susan Penhaligon Susan Penhaligon (born 3 July 1949) is a British actress and writer known for her role in the drama series ''Bouquet of Barbed Wire'' (1976), and for playing Helen Barker in the sitcom '' A Fine Romance'' (1981–1984). She appeared in the so ...
as
Lucy Westenra Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker. The 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family, she is Mina Murray's best friend and Count Dracula's first English victim. She subsequently transforms into a vam ...
*
Judi Bowker Judi Bowker (born 6 April 1954) is an English film and television actress. Biography Bowker was born in Shawford, Hampshire, England, the daughter of Alfred J. Bowker and Ann Fairweather, who had married in 1947. The family moved to the Britis ...
as Mina Westenra * Jack Shepherd as
Renfield R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. ...
* Mark Burns as Dr.
John Seward John "Jack" Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula''. In the novel Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the nove ...
*
Bosco Hogan John Bosco Hogan (born March 1949) is an Irish stage, film, and television actor. He is well known as the character Dr. Michael Ryan on the television programme ''Ballykissangel''. He appeared in a minor role as convicted felon George Saden in J ...
as
Jonathan Harker Jonathan Harker is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. His journey to Transylvania and encounter with the vampire Count Dracula and his Brides at Castle Dracula constitu ...
* Richard Barnes as Quincey P. Holmwood * Ann Queensberry as Mrs Westenra * Sue Vanner, Susie Hickford and
Belinda Meuldijk Belinda Meuldijk (born 7 January 1955) is a Dutch actress, writer, and activist. She has performed in Dutch television shows and movies, and is also a song writer. She first performed at age six in the '' Pipo de Clown'' television show, conceive ...
as Dracula's Brides * Adam Diamant as the baby that gets eaten in an early scene.


Production

Louis Jourdan said of playing Dracula in interview, "What is so interesting in playing Dracula is that I try to make monstrosity, or, if you prefer, villainy, attractive, very attractive. If we succeed in that we have won our day. If the audience can be troubled enough to say that maybe Dracula is right in what he says, then we have won... He is an angel, a
fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...
. I think Dracula should be played as an extremely kind person, who truly believes he is doing good. He gives eternal life. He takes blood and he gives blood. Therefore, he gives an exchange which is symbolic of love and the sexual act, such as in the scene we were just doing
n which Dracula gives his blood to Mina Harker N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
"


Transmission history

''Count Dracula'' was originally shown on
BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream ...
in the UK in its entirety (155 minutes) on 22 December 1977. It was repeated twice in 1979, the first time on BBC 2 in January and again on
BBC 1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
in December. On both of these occasions it was split into three episodes and shown on three consecutive nights. It was repeated again on BBC 2 in April 1993 when it was shown in two parts. In the United States, ''Count Dracula'' was shown as part of
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
's ''
Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...
'' anthology series in three parts starting March 1, 1978 and later on Halloween, October 31, 1979.


Reception

Critical reaction to ''Count Dracula'' has been mostly positive. Writing in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', TV critic Nancy Banks-Smith stated it was "A nice plushy production with much galloping off in all directions and sulphurous smoke effects, a pleasant sensation of space and time and money. Something of a hole in the middle though, like a vampire after remedial treatment." She was less positive about the casting and performance of Louis Jourdan, however, which she felt "emphasised the lover at the expense of the demon. It makes a change. Though, I would say, for the worst." Film historian Stuart Galbraith IV said that "''Count Dracula'' remains one of the best-ever adaptations of Bram Stoker's novel" despite a "couple of missteps", remarking that "the cast is excellent", in particular praising the performances of Frank Finlay and Louis Jourdan, whom he calls "especially good." Critic Steve Calvert agreed that ''Count Dracula'' was "one of the better versions" of Stoker's novel, calling it "perhaps even ''the'' best." He felt that "few actors have ever played the role f Van Helsing asconvincingly" as Frank Finlay, that "without doubt, ack Shepherd isthe best on-screen embodiment there has ever been of the fly-munching Renfield", and remarked of Jourdan's performance, " isDracula ... exudes a quieter kind of evil. A calculating, educated evil with a confidence and purpose all of its own." In his book ''Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen'',
David J. Skal David John Skal (born June 21, 1952 in Garfield Heights, Ohio) is an American historian, critic, writer, and on-camera commentator known for his research and analysis of horror films, horror history and horror culture. Early life Skal studied ...
calls ''Count Dracula'' "the most careful adaptation of the novel to date, and the most successful." Skal, David J. (2004). ''Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen.'' Paperback ed. New York: Faber & Faber. - page 275 Brett Cullum of ''DVD Verdict'' said the special effects were this version's "biggest downfall" and that it was "perhaps the least visually interesting" ''Dracula'' adaptation, though he offered a mostly positive review, remarking that there is "plenty to admire in the production", in particular the "sublime acting".DVD Verdict Review - Count Dracula: BBC Mini-Series
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MaryAnn Johanson Mary Ann or Maryann or Mary Anne may refer to: People * Mary Ann Booth (1843–1922), American microscopist * Mary Ann Cunningham (1841-1930), Canadian temperance activist * Mary Ann Hanmer Dodd (1813-1878), American poet * Mary Ann Hilliard ...
of FlickFilosopher.com was less positive, writing: "Maybe it had more of an impact in the 70s ... but today, while it remains a stylishly surreal reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s novel, there’s something a bit dated and stodgy about it".


Home video

In 2002,
BBC Learning {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 BBC Learning can refer to the following: * A department of the BBC North Group division (formerly part of Interactive Factual and Learning), part of BBC Television * The portal website created by BBC Learning * A w ...
released ''Count Dracula'' on DVD, for sale by direct mail order in the UK only. It was released commercially by BBC Video in 2007.


See also

*
Vampire films Vampire films have been a staple in world cinema since the era of silent films, so much so that the depiction of vampires in popular culture is strongly based upon their depiction in films throughout the years. The most popular cinematic adaptat ...


References


External links

* *
Online Review


{{Dracula Dracula films Dracula television shows Films based on horror novels British television films British vampire films 1977 television films 1977 films British horror films 1977 horror films American horror television films Films directed by Philip Saville Films based on works by Bram Stoker Films set in castles Films set in Transylvania Films set in Whitby 1970s English-language films 1970s American films 1970s British films