Dance of the Vampires (1967)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Gérard Brach (story) &
Roman Polanski (story)

Release Date:

June 1967 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Who says Vampires are no laughing matter?

Plot:

A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Professor | Castle | Transylvania | Bat

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jack MacGowran	...	Professor Abronsius
Roman Polanski	...	Alfred, Abronsius' Assistant
Alfie Bass	...	Shagal, the Inn-Keeper
Jessie Robins	...	Rebecca Shagal
Sharon Tate	...	Sarah Shagal
Ferdy Mayne	...	Count von Krolock
Iain Quarrier	...	Herbert von Krolock
Terry Downes	...	Koukol, the Servant
Fiona Lewis	...	Magda, the Maid
Ronald Lacey	...	Village Idiot
Sydney Bromley	...	Sleigh Driver
Andreas Malandrinos	...	Woodcutter
Otto Diamant	...	Woodcutter
Matthew Walters	...	Woodcutter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Evans	...	Vampire at ball (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits
Gérard Brach		(story and screenplay) &
Roman Polanski		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Gene Gutowski	....	producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Krzysztof Komeda		(as Christopher Komeda)

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
Alastair McIntyre

Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton		(as Wilfrid Shingleton)

Art Direction by
Fred Carter

Costume Design by
Sophie Devine

Makeup Department
Biddy Chrystal	....	hair stylist
Tom Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
David W. Orton	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Stevens	....	assistant director

Art Department
Clément Hurel	....	poster artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lionel Selwyn	....	sound editor
Len Shilton	....	dubbing mixer
George Stephenson	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Doug Ferris	....	matte supervisor (uncredited)
Peter Melrose	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Hans Mollinger	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Dennis Fraser	....	grip (uncredited)

Other crew
André François	....	title designer
Tutte Lemkow	....	choreographer
Gillian Sutro	....	translator
John Sutro	....	translator
Dr. Ludwig Von Krankheit	....	fangs
Helen Whitson	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cadre Films
• Filmways Pictures

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1968) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Filmipaja (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (????) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinemagia (Brazil) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1995) (UK) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Fearless Vampire Killers (USA)
The Fearless Vampire Killers or: Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck (USA) (DVD box title)
The Vampire Killers (USA) (working title)
Vampire Ball (Europe) (working title)
Le bal des vampires (Canada: French title) (France) (dubbed version) [fr]
A Dança dos Vampiros (Brazil) [pt]
Der Tanz der Vampire (Switzerland: German title) [de]
El baile de los vampiros (Spain) [es]
I nyhta ton vrykolakon (Greece) [el]
La danza de los vampiros (Argentina) [es]
Nieustraszeni pogromcy wampirów (Poland) [pl]
Per favore, non mordermi sul collo (Italy) [it]
Por Favor Não Me Morda o Pescoço (Portugal) [pt]
Tanz der Vampire (West Germany) [de]
Vámpírok bálja (Hungary) [hu]
Vampyrdrådarna - Ursäkta, ja har era tänder i nacken (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Vampyrernas natt (Sweden) [sv]
Vampyrernes nat (Denmark) [da]
Vampyyrintappajat (Finland) [fi]
Vampyyrintappajat - anteeksi, hampaanne ovat niskassani (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Brazil:Livre | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) (original rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1968) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (w) (f) (re-rating) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Cadre Films

Trivia:

Sharon Tate replaced 'Jill St John', who withdrew shortly before shooting.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Professor first enters Count von Krolock's library, he puts his spectacles on at the tip of his nose, so that he can read some of the books' titles. He nevertheless looks right above his glasses, thus making no use of them.

Quotes:

Sarah Shagal: [Alfred hears her scream and makes his way to the bathroom door]
Sarah Shagal: No!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: I told you to stay in your room! But you always take a bath!
Sarah Shagal: No! No! No!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: I'll give you that bath!
Sarah Shagal: I won't! I won't, Papa! No!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: [Alfred looks through a keyhole to see what's going on]
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: [spanking her] I told you, every day you are having baths!
Sarah Shagal: [kicking and screaming] I won't!
Shagal, the Inn-Keeper: I told you, no bath! No bath! No bath! No bath!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A cena col vampiro (1988) (TV)

Vampire Classic!!!

I've known The Fearless Vampire Killers or Pardon me, but your teeth are in my neck for as long as I could crawl. I always loved this movie and the look to it. As I grow up, I have a better appreciation for the film. It was such a unique concept for it's time, not to mention it was great seeing one of Roman Polanski's first films, he is such a baby in Fearless Vampire Killers! It was kind of heart breaking though, seeing him and his beautiful wife, Sharon Tate, due to her tragic murder, but still he captured such a beauty of her in the film, you can see why he fell so hard for her.

The plot is about a professor and his assistant, Alfred. They are traveling in a severe blizzard and rest at a tavern where everyone seems very superstitious. Alfred meets the owner's lovely daughter, Sarah. When Sarah is kidnapped by a vampire, Alfred and the professor go to the castle where the count lives and end up finding themselves partying Thriller style with other vampires! Can they save Sarah before she turns into a vampire completely? You'll just have to find out for yourself.

Fearless Vampire Killers is one of those classics you'll never forget. It's not just about being a comedy, but the way it mixes comedy and horror together just right. How many films could we honestly say do that well? I loved all the slap stick jokes, I think my favorite in fact is when the count's son is sort of making a move on Alfred, played by Polanski, and he turns into a vampire and tries to bite Alfred, they end up in this dramatic and hilarious race! Alfred thinks he's reached a hall where he'll escape, but finds out it just goes around in a circle leading him back to the vampire son! His expression was just to die for! I would highly recommend this film any day, it's a great comedy and horror film that anyone could fall in love with. I know, because I still to this day like to slip it into the DVD player.

10/10