Dracula and Son

Dracula and Son

Industry	Film
Founded	1976 (1976)
Founder	Édouard Molinaro
Products	Comedy horror film
Parent	Gaumont

Dracula and Son () is a 1976 French comedy horror motion picture directed and co-written by Édouard Molinaro. The film stars Christopher Lee reprising his iconic role as Count Dracula from the Hammer Films Dracula franchise, marking his ninth and final cinematic appearance as the vampire.

The narrative centers on Count Dracula and his son who are expelled from their Transylvanian home by hostile villagers. The elder Dracula relocates to London, where he reinvents himself as a horror film celebrity exploiting his vampiric identity, while his son establishes a new life in Paris, seeking to distance himself from his lineage. Their lives intersect once more when both become attracted to the same woman, leading to familial rivalry.

Plot

After being driven out of their castle in Transylvania, Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) settles in London, England, where he leverages his vampire persona within the entertainment sector. His son Ferdinand (Bernard Ménez), embarrassed by his heritage, works as a night watchman in Paris, France and becomes enamored with Nicole, a French woman. Tensions arise when father and son reunite and vie for Nicole’s affection.

Cast

• Christopher Lee as Count Dracula
• Bernard Ménez as Ferdinand Poitevin
• Marie-Hélène Breillat as Nicole Clement
• Catherine Breillat as Herminie Poitevin
• Bernard Alane as Jean
• Jean-Claude Dauphin as Cristéa
• Anna Gael as Miss Gaylor
• Raymond Bussières as the ANPE old man
• Mustapha Dali as Khaleb
• Xavier Depraz as the majordomo
• Marthe Villalonga as The Subway Woman

Production

Bernard Ménez previously appeared in the 1974 film Tender Dracula, acting alongside Peter Cushing, who is renowned for his role in the Hammer Films Dracula collection.

Release

The film debuted in France on 15 September 1976 and was released in the United States in 1979. The American version underwent substantial editing by its distributor, which involved removing original comedic elements and substituting them with new jokes.

Reception

Allmovie awarded the film two out of five stars, commenting that it was "a very witty film prior to its decimation by an uncaring American distributor." TV Guide offered a favorable rating of three out of four stars, applauding its respectful approach to the subject matter and successful humor despite subpar dubbing that altered character voices.

See also

• Christopher Lee filmography
• List of comedy films of the 1970s
• List of French films of 1976
• List of horror films of 1976