The Brides of Dracula

The Brides of Dracula is a 1960 British supernatural horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Peter Cushing, David Peel, Freda Jackson, Yvonne Monlaur, Andrée Melly, and Martita Hunt. The film is a sequel to the 1958 film Dracula (also known as Horror of Dracula), though the character of Count Dracula does not appear in the film, and is instead mentioned only twice. Christopher Lee would reprise his role as Dracula in the next film in the Dracula series, Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966). Filming began for The Brides of Dracula on 16 January 1960 at Bray Studios. It was developed under the working titles Dracula 2 and Disciple of Dracula. The finished film premièred at the Odeon Marble Arch on 6 July 1960. It was distributed theatrically in 1960 on a double bill with The Leech Woman. Plot En route to taking up a position in Transylvania, French schoolteacher Marianne Danielle is abandoned at a village inn by her coach driver. Ignoring the warnings of the locals, she accepts the offer of Baroness Meinster to spend the night at her castle. The Baroness's son, Baron Meinster, is said to be insane and kept confined. After sneaking into his quarters to meet him, she is shocked to find the Baron chained up to a wall. He says that his mother has usurped his rightful lands and pleads for Marianne's help. She steals the key to his chain from the Baroness' bedroom and frees him. The Baron later kills his mother and drinks her blood. Marianne flees into the night upon seeing this, while the castle's servant Greta blames the dead Baroness for having allowed the baron to be turned into a vampire by Dracula. After chaining the Baron, the Baroness had been luring girls to feed him. Despite knowing the evil he intends for the village, Greta remains loyal to the Baron.