The Vampire Lovers

Hammer Film Productions
Industry	Film production
Founded	1934
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Films

The Vampire Lovers is a 1970 British Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker, featuring performances by Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams, Douglas Wilmer, and Jon Finch. Produced by Hammer Film Productions, the movie adapts Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 novella Carmilla. It serves as the inaugural entry in the Karnstein Trilogy, which continues with Lust for a Vampire (1971) and Twins of Evil (1971). The trilogy gained recognition for its candid portrayal of lesbian themes, a significant departure from contemporary cinematic norms.

Plot

Set in 1794 Styria, the story opens with a female vampire who lures a man from a tavern and kills him, only to be decapitated by Baron Hartog, a vampire hunter avenging his sister’s demise. Years later, Austrian General Spielsdorf hosts a ball in honor of his niece Laura’s birthday. A neighboring countess arrives accompanied by her daughter Marcilla, who remains under the general's supervision during her mother’s absence. Despite Marcilla’s peculiar demeanor and evident attraction toward Laura, the two form a friendship. Laura experiences intense nightmares and subsequently dies from anemia, marked by two puncture wounds on her breasts. Following her death, Marcilla vanishes, prompting General Spielsdorf to enlist Baron Hartog’s assistance.

Assuming the name "Carmilla," Marcilla reunites with the countess and manipulates Mr Morton, a wealthy Englishman and friend of the general, into offering her shelter. Carmilla then attempts to seduce Morton's daughter Emma, who initially resists but soon falls ill exhibiting symptoms similar to Laura’s. After Morton departs on business, Emma’s governess Mademoiselle Perrodot succumbs to Carmilla’s allure and becomes an accomplice. Meanwhile, Carmilla preys on local villagers, resulting in mysterious deaths characterized by drained blood.

Renton, Morton's butler, studies local vampire legends and collaborates with the doctor who treated Laura to safeguard Emma using garlic and crucifixes. Carmilla kills the doctor and then seduces Renton to dismantle Emma’s protections. With Renton under her influence, Carmilla intends to retreat to her tomb with Emma as her companion.

Morton convenes with General Spielsdorf and Baron Hartog at the ruins of Karnstein Castle alongside Laura’s fiancé Carl. Hartog reveals that the Karnsteins were once vampires he nearly eradicated—except for Mircalla Karnstein, who is actually Marcilla/Carmilla. Carl hastens to rescue Emma.

As Carmilla prepares to escape with Emma, she kills Mademoiselle Perrodot despite her pleas to join them. Carl arrives just in time and repels Carmilla using a cross-shaped poignard. At Karnstein Castle, General Spielsdorf stakes and beheads Carmilla, ending her terror and liberating Emma from vampirism. Mircalla’s portrait morphs into a skeletal figure bearing fangs while a shadowy man dressed in black observes from afar, laughing ominously.

Production

This film was produced jointly by Hammer and American International Pictures with the intention of creating a vampire feature that included more overt sexual elements to capitalize on relaxed censorship standards. The decision was made to adapt Carmilla. Producers Harry Fine and Michael Style established Fantale alongside writer Tudor Gates. Fine's association with Nat Cohen facilitated an introduction to James Carreras, who promptly sold the project to AIP based largely on promotional artwork.

Prior to filming, chief censor John Trevelyan reviewed the screenplay and initially expressed concerns regarding lesbian content due to earlier censorship issues surrounding The Killing of Sister George. Hammer defended their adaptation as true to Le Fanu's original narrative, convincing Trevelyan to permit its release.

Principal photography commenced at Elstree Studios on 19 January 1970, with Hertfordshire's Moor Park Mansion doubling for Styria. Produced on a modest budget of £165,227, it marked Hammer's final production financed by American backing; subsequent projects were primarily funded by Rank or EMI. Tudor Gates estimated that AIP contributed $400,000 while Fantale retained a profitable 25% share.

During shooting, Ingrid Pitt experienced repeated difficulties with her vampire fangs falling out during a crucial scene, leading to laughter until she secured them using chewing gum provided by a crew member.

Critical reception

Variety offered a mixed critique, pointing out that the narrative was weak and featured "rather flat dialogue," yet conceded that the screenplay contained "all the essential elements." A. H. Weiler from The New York Times commended the film as "a break from the clichéd violent norm... expertly directed, lavishly produced, and sensually appealing." Conversely, The Monthly Film Bulletin considered it "substandard even by recent Hammer standards," emphasizing its characteristic heavy breathing, opulent production design, and inclusion of a lesbian subplot.

Dave Kehr of Chicago Reader regarded the movie positively, identifying it as Hammer Films' last notable burst of creativity before descending into self-parody. Leonard Maltin awarded it two and a half stars, labeling it as a "fairly erotic Hammer thriller." According to Allmovie, while not among Hammer's best works, the film has maintained a cult following within horror circles due to its maximalist approach to combining gore and sensuality. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 76% approval rating based on 20 critical reviews.

Home media

The Vampire Lovers was made available on DVD on August 26, 2003, through MGM Home Video as part of a double-sided Midnite Movies Double Feature release alongside Countess Dracula (1971). A Blu-ray version was later issued by Scream Factory on April 30, 2013, with a subsequent "Collector's Edition" released on December 21, 2021, featuring a newly created 4K scan sourced from the original camera negative.

External links

The Vampire Lovers filming locations documented at ReelStreets