Hammer Films kept me going to the cinema regularly in the late 60s and early 70s, particularly when they started spicing up their horror out put with nudity, just at the time when my adolescent sap was rising - this was, in my view, a Good Thing.There was some nudity in Countess Dracula - not much, but it lingers even now: Ingrid Pitt was a startlingly attractive woman.
Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy (Ingrid Pitt!) discovers that her sex drive and youth come back when she bathes in the blood of virgins.
Countess Dracula is directed by Peter Sasdy and written by Jeremy Paul. It stars Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Sandor Eles, Maurice Denham, Patience Collier and Lesley-Anne Down.
Peter Sasdy directed this (loosely) based on fact historical account of the Countess Elizabeth(played by Ingrid Pitt) an aging ruler who discovers the secret of youth by bathing in the blood of innocent young women, which restores her own youthful beauty, and inspires her take on younger men as lovers, much to the consternation of her loyal lover Captain Dobi(played by Nigel Green). The number of missing young women draws the wrath of the village, who begin a revolt, but Elizabeth only cares about herself, which will encourage Captain Dobi to abandon her, and leave her to face the consequences of her murderous actions.
After discovering that she can regain youth and beauty by bathing in the blood of maidens, an aged Countess (Ingrid Pitt) courts a handsome young cavalry officer, but after she learns that the sanguineous youthifying is temporary, the body count begins to rise. The film is one of Hammer Films' more 'adult' horrors, with less emphasis on the 'monster' (in this case just a murderous old women obsessed with regaining her youth) and more on the dread surrounding her.
This unusual and stylish entry from Hammer studios is well worth a watch for those looking for a different kind of vampirism. This take on the legend of the infamous countess Elizabeth Bathory, who enjoyed torturing and mutilating hundreds of young virgins throughout her life, is actually rather muted when it comes to the violence.
In 1610 the widowed Countess Erzsebet (Elizabeth) Báthory, a member of one of Hungary's most illustrious noble families, was accused and convicted of the murder of several hundred young women. Because of her noble status she was not executed but was imprisoned in a room in her family home until her death four years later.
Countess Dracula is an excellent, erotic Gothic horror film starring 60's/70's megababe Ingrid Pitt, brought to life by the legendary Hammer Horror studios. Based on historical accounts of the tyrant Countess Elisabeth Bathory who slaughtered 600 girls and bathed in their blood to maintain her beauty.
Freely based on real life about a Hungarian countess Elisabeth Bathory who bathed in the blood of young virgins to keep her youthful. It deals with the famous countess who once to be aware virgin's blood gives her youth, then she looks for girls to kill them and she subsequently bathes in the blood of virgins to preserve her youthful.
