‘Man? or Monster? or Both?’
The Return of the Vampire is a 1943 supernatural horror film directed by Lew Landers (Terrified; The Boogie Man Will Get You; The Raven) from a screenplay by Griffin Jay (Cry of the Werewolf; The Mummy’s Hand; et al.), based on an idea by Kurt Neumann (The Fly). The Sam White-produced movie stars Bela Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch, and Miles Mander.
Although not a sequel to Lugosi’s 1931 Dracula, this film has been interpreted by some critics and scholars as an unofficial follow-up with Lugosi’s character renamed because the production was made at Columbia Pictures rather than Universal.
The Return of the Vampire is being released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory on February 19, 2019 with the following special features:
New Audio Commentary with film historian Troy Howarth
New Audio Commentary with author/film historian Gary Don Rhodes
New Audio Commentary with film historian Lee Gambin
Silent 8mm presentation
Theatrical Trailer
Still Gallery
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com
Plot:
A voiceover (Miles Mander) announces that ‘the following events are taken from the notes of Professor Walter Saunders of King’s College, Oxford…’
A mist-shrouded cemetery at night: A werewolf (Matt Willis) enters a tomb and tells his vampire ‘Master’ that it is time for him to awake. A hand reaches out of the coffin and lifts the lid. A shadow appears on the wall, and the unmistakable voice of Bela Lugosi asks what happened while he was asleep. The werewolf replies that his latest victim has been taken to Doctor Ainsley’s clinic.
Baffled by her patient’s anaemic condition, Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort) has called in Professor Walter Saunders (Gilbert Emery). While they are discussing the patient, two children enter. They are Lady Jane’s son, John, and Professor Saunders’ granddaughter, Nikki. Lady Jane and the professor send the children to bed and return to their patient.
The vampire, finding that his victim is not alone, attacks Nikki instead. After the patient dies, Professor Saunders sits up the rest of the night, reading a book on vampires written two hundred years ago by Armand Tesla…
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Trailer:
Cast and characters:
Bela Lugosi … Armand Tesla / Doctor Hugo Bruckner
Frieda Inescort … Lady Jane Ainsley – The Alligator People
Nina Foch … Nicki Saunders – Jennifer; Cry of the Werewolf
Roland Varno … John Ainsley
Miles Mander … Sir Frederick Fleet
Matt Willis … Andreas Obry
Ottola Nesmith … Elsa Walter – Governess
Gilbert Emery … Doctor Walter Saunders
Leslie Denison … Detective Lynch
William Austin … Detective Gannett
Jeanne Bates … Miss Norcutt
Billy Bevan … Horace – Civil Defence Worker
Sydney Chatton … Peters – Desk Clerk
Sherlee Collier … Nicki as a child
Frank Dawson … Old Man
Harold De Becker … Horace’s Friend – Civil Defence worker #2
Donald Dewar … John as a Child
Jean Fenwick … Girl on Street
Olaf Hytten … Ben – Lady Jane’s Butler
Nelson Leigh … Sir Frederick’s Office Assistant
Stanley Logan … Colonel Mosley
Audrey Manners … Nurse
George McKay … Cemetery Caretaker
Marianne Mosner … Nurse
Clara Reid … Old Woman
Budget:
$75,000
