Dracula Goes Mod and Mina gets Smitten, then Bitten

Christopher Lee as Dracula.

The idea of inserting Count Dracula into a groovy 1970s London setting was a potentially intriguing idea. Unfortunately, by the time Hammer Films produced Dracula A.D. 1972, the premise had already grown stale. The contemporary-set Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and its 1971 sequel had already been released, with the former earning respectable reviews. Blacula (1972), another well-received, modern-day vampire film, debuted in American theaters a few months before Hammer's movie. And, of course, television's most famous vampire, Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows fame, had become a pop culture icon.

Dracula A.D. 1972 opens with a prologue set in the late 19th century in which Lawrence Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) dies after impaling Dracula (Christopher Lee) with a broken wagon wheel. It's an unimpressive opening that unfortunately foreshadows the rest of the film.

A century later, a hip young man called Johnny Alucard (yes, that old trick) thinks it'd be groovy to hold a satanic ritual. After most of his friends get spooked and depart, Johnny revives Count Dracula and provides him with his first victim. Dracula becomes intrigued when he discovers that one of Johnny's friends is Jessica Van Helsing, a descendant of the man that destroyed him.

Stephanie Beacham.

Dracula sets out to take revenge on the Van Helsing family by making Jessica one of his brides. Meanwhile, Jessica's grandfather Lorrimer (Cushing again) gets involved in Scotland Yard's investigation of a series of murders featuring blood-drained victims. This weak narrative leads to an underwhelming climax involving a pit of stakes and a shovel.

The only thing that Dracula A.D. 1972 has going for it is Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing reuniting for their first Dracula picture since the original Dracula (Horror of Dracula) in 1958. Alas, as with many of his Hammer Dracula films, Lee only has a few scenes and barely interacts with Cushing. 

The supporting cast includes Stephanie Beacham, who later gained fame on TV's Dynasty. She has little to do, though, except look fetching. That pretty much sums up Dracula A.D. 1972: It's a contemporary vampire film that's all dressed up, but with nowhere to go.

Frank Langella as Dracula.

The same can't be said for John Badham's polished and pretty Dracula (1979), which has aged surprisingly well. Set in 1913, it opens with Count Dracula (Frank Langella) washing ashore the English coast, the only "survivor" of a shipwreck. He is rescued by Mina Van Helsing, whom he soon repays by turning her into a vampire. However, Dracula is far more interested in Lucy Seward (Kate Nelligan)--and the attraction is mutual even though she is engaged to Jonathan Harker. Mina's father, Professor Van Helsing (Laurence Olivier) knows a vampire when he sees one and tries to destroy the Count before Lucy can become his vampire bride.

The inspiration for Badham's film was not Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, but the 1977 Broadway revival of Hamilton Dean and John Balderston's 1924 stage play. This revival, which earned two Tony Awards, starred Frank Langella as a handsome, romantic Dracula with plenty of sex appeal. Dressed impeccably in dashing duds, Langella recreates his performance for the 1979 film version--and it's easy to see why Lucy prefers him over her dull fiancé. 

Kate Nelligan.

While Langella carries Dracula, Kate Nelligan holds her own as the beautiful, intelligent Lucy. Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasance, two fine actors, chew on the scenery a bit in supporting roles. One suspects that Olivier took the role for financial reasons (which is reinforced by Langella in his memoir Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them). 

The production values are impeccable, from John Williams' excellent music score to the rich, colorful cinematography and atmospheric set design. Albert Whitlock created the stunning matte paintings used for the sweeping, clifftop views of Dracula's castle, often combining painted skies, cliffs, and architecture with foreground footage.

I still prefer Hammer's 1958 Dracula, but this version compares favorably to Francis Ford Coppola's later Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).