Issue 16 of Diabolique Magazine May/Jume 2013, which I will happily give it away, after this project is done.The second article in the issue, The Cushing 13, written by Johnathan Rigby gives us what the writer thinks is the thirteen essential Peter Cushing films. Now I am covering the third film for this article and it may be the last I cover on Cushing at least for this piece.
The Brides of Dracula starts with a voice over telling us that "Dracula is dead but his disciples live on to spread his cult and corruptthe world." We pick up with Marianne Danielle (Yvonne Monlaur) on a rough carraige ride through the land owned by the Baron Meinster, we watch as an agent for the Baron paids to leave the young soon to be french teacher stranded in the village below the Meinster Castle. This setup we see does not sit well with the villagers because there is a mysterious conspiacy they know about that poor Marianne does not.
Arriving after her abandonment is the Baroness Meinster wonderfully played by Martita Hunt to invite the young woman to the castle for the night. Hunt plays the part with a very sure hand of years of stage acting. She instill the Baroness with a veryassured controlled presence as she slowly reveals the story of her son. Marianne learns the story of the young Baron Meinster who his mother says is is mad and confined to certain rooms in the castle. This first act is long and without Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) who does not appear until the second act. Another standout performance is that of the caretaker Greta (Freda Jackson). Between her fine acting and that of Martita Hunt they carry the early load for Monlaur who only manages to deliver her lines in comparison. Through it we learn the secret of the Baron played by David Peel. When Marianne thinking it cruel to chain him in his rooms gets him his release the true nature of his madness is revealed.Thus the title of the film.
As young women mysteriously die the great Doctor Van Helsing arroves being invited by the local coroner. It is s short road to the action starting as the vampires begin to rise from graves. The Baron wanting to grow his vampire family also has eyes on Mariane and is intent to have were as his bride. For a film called The Brides of Dracula this lacks any storyline about the brides more focued on the Vapire Baron and Van Helsings pursuit of him.The vampire lore as we know it from many Dracula films is at play here. The vampire can transform into a bat, he can hypnotise with his eyes, and must return to his coffin before sunrise, he is afraid of the Christian cross and is harmed by holy water. There is the ability to enter abodes without an invitation but we can chalk that up to he owns the hole area as the Baron so would not need an invite.
After Meister bites Van Helsing and we see the magic of holy water, Van Helsing cartorizes the wound with a hot iron and holy water keeping himself from turning into a vampire. The holy water proved a great weapon in the final battle but the final demise of the vampire was a strange one. The shadow of a cross holds him in place which I had never seen before. This is an interesting enough film with some fine acting its not a dracula but it might as well be. Aren't all vampire movies Dracula's?
So if you are interested in a magazine with this content, read updates here soresportmovies.blogspot.com, or on Letterboxd.com to learn how my magazine giveaway is going but follow me on Letterboxd if you want to read my movie reviews and comment on the films. I still have a mail connected to my blog movies@edhovey.com where you can write me or comment on blog entries.
My Letterboxd.com handle is @Hovey1127, when I am done with the Issue of the magazine I will offer it up and we can work out the details of me getting it to you. I am not really looking for money just someone who also would love to read it. If no one wants it well it will probably end up on a magazine rack at the library or something.
Chatting with me is difficult, I have stopped my social media account years ago because time… it’s ticking at my age and I would rather spend it doing other things like this for example. Or chatting with my friends at the Zombiegrrlz.com podcasts on their discord. I am a fan of the podcasts they publish The More Deadly Podcast and the Zombiegrrlz podcast and as a Patron for very little $ I get access to the discord. So if you want to good horror content and a great horror community check them out.
