Christopher Lee becomes the ageless predator of Jess Franco's fiercely faithful Dracula adaptation.
COUNT DRACULA
Jess Franco's version of the Bram Stoker classic has Count Dracula as an old man who grows younger whenever he dines on the blood of young maidens.
Quick Answer
Count Dracula is a 1970 Germany/Italy/Liechtenstein/Spain drama-horror film directed by Jesús Franco about a lawyer's journey to Castle Dracula and his terrifying encounter with the infamous vampire.
Programmer's Pick
Jess Franco manages to capture the musty, decadent atmosphere of Stoker’s novel, with Christopher Lee giving Dracula a chilling, rejuvenated aura. The film leans hard into gothic flair and delivers unintentional humor alongside its bloodletting. If you've ever wanted to see a more book-faithful Lee Dracula, unsanitized and strange, this is your carriage ride to the Carpathians.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Details & Specs
- Director
- Jesús Franco
- Writers
- Bram Stoker, Erich Kröhnke, Augusto Finocchi, Jesús Franco
- Release
- 1970
- Runtime
- 1h 38m
- Country
- Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Spain
- Language
- German, English, Italian, Spanish
- Also Known As
- El conde Drácula, Count Dracula, Dracula '71, Il conte Dracula, Kyûketsu no deaborika, Drácula, O Príncipe das Trevas, Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, Dracula - Seine Küsse sind tödlich, Conde Drácula, Ο Κόμης Δράκουλας, Ο Κόμης Δράκουλας Ξαναχτυπά, Les Nuits de Dracula
Why This Matters
This international co-production brought together director Jesús Franco and Christopher Lee outside of the Hammer series, and was promoted as the most faithful adaptation of Stoker's novel at the time, notably being the first to depict Dracula's rejuvenation through blood.
Cast & Crew
View all →Why Cult
Christopher Lee's portrayal is true to Bram Stoker’s vision, starting Dracula as an old man who literally grows younger with every victim.
Jess Franco injects gothic atmosphere and a cult sensibility into the Dracula myth, giving this film a moody, haunting quality.
With Klaus Kinski as Renfield and Herbert Lom as Van Helsing, the cast is both eclectic and memorably offbeat.
A co-production spanning Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Spain, this version is soaked in European horror tradition and style.
Scene Gallery
Threat File
Harker's visit to Castle Dracula
Count Dracula's vampiric predation
Victims lose blood, are hypnotized, or become undead
Castle Dracula and England
Questions from the Vault
Who directed Count Dracula? +
Count Dracula was directed by Jesús Franco.
How long is Count Dracula? +
Count Dracula has a runtime of 98 minutes.
What genre is Count Dracula? +
Count Dracula is classified as both a drama and horror film.
Where can I watch Count Dracula? +
You can watch Count Dracula on SassyFlix.
How does Dracula grow younger in this adaptation? +
In this version, Count Dracula grows younger whenever he drinks the blood of young maidens, a detail highlighted in Franco's adaptation.