Review of The Kiss of the Vampire

Exquisite-looking vampire outing from Hammer Films, quite beautifully photographed by Alan Hume and scored by James Bernard, was the studio's attempt to keep the genre going without the services of their star, Christopher Lee. Plot concerns newlywed couple in early 1900s Bavaria lost on the roadway and running out of petrol near the castle of one Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman). He invites them to dinner, where he checks out the Mrs. A few days later, the couple is invited to a masquerade ball, where the husband is drugged and the wife taken away into the clutches of Ravna, the vampire prince among a throng of devoted bloodsuckers. Marvelous tale comes complete with its very own Van Helsing in the guise of Clifford Evans' Professor Zimmer, who has been waiting to exterminate Ravna for many moons. Director Don Sharp doesn't rush through this narrative; he takes his time to set the stage, though buffs may find his pacing a bit slow. Sharp certainly doesn't skimp on the bloodletting, particularly at the rousing finish. Good show! *** from ****