"The Playgirls and the Vampire," an odd Italian amalgam of sexploitation and Gothic horror, was originally released in 1960 under the perhaps more fitting title "The Last Prey of the Vampire." The five gals who are forced to spend the night at the creepy castle of Count Gabor Kernassy, along with their manager and bus driver/pianist, are more showgirls than playgirls (and, judging by a few of their dance routines, bargain-basement showgirls at that!
This film was of interest to me because it was the first horror film that I ever saw. At the time, I was attending college in Newcastle, and one day on leaving college, I passed the Essoldo, Westgate Road which was showing this film.
Five female dancers, their manager and their bus driver travel around Europe performing in one venue after another while barely making ends meet. One night after a storm blocks the main road, they take a secondary route which leads to a castle belonging to "Count Gabor Kernassy" (Walter Brandi).
This was one of 3 popular Italian films dealing with bloodsuckers (all starring the brooding-but-bland Walter Brandi) from the county's initial Gothic Horror outburst.
A fan of the late night horror, black and white genre, a fan from early childhood. The title to this movie is tantalizing of itself.
Five show girls, their manager and his assistant end up at a secluded castle when they are forced to take a detour when the road is washed out. At the castle they are warned to stay in their rooms during the night, but one of the girls wanders out and falls to her death.
A bus carrying a menagerie of chorus girls and their manager Lucas (Alfredo Rizo) is stopped in its tracks by a storm and the crew rather insistently beg Count Gabor Kernassy (Walter Brandi) to stay the night at his splendidly Gothic castle. Would you expect his strict instructions not to leave their rooms until dawn to be adhered?
OK, we've probably all figured out by now that any exploitation film from the early '60s (in fact, possibly from any era) has to feature a bunch of hot babes. You'd better believe that "L'ultima preda del vampiro" (called "The Playgirls and the Vampire" in English) has some!
Ragnoli's film focuses on the travails of a group of five dance hall girls and their manager who, after defaulting on a hotel bill, find themselves bumping through unfamiliar countryside at night looking for late accommodation. Ignoring the warnings of a local, they continue along a side road to the castle of a mysterious Count Kernassy (Walter Brandi), where one of the girls, Vera experiences strong feelings of déjà vu.
