I was looking forward to this Hammer Films color remake of the H. Rider Haggard classic, after having re-acquainted myself with the fine 1935 black-and-white version last year. I was also glad to be able to get another Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee collaboration under my belt: this was, in fact, followed by another - Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) - but, alas, both films turned out to be duds!
Even if it retains the desert setting of the novel (whereas the earlier version had transposed the narrative to the Arctic, albeit effectively), the film doesn't capture the imagination of the audience, so to speak, and emerges a dullish venture overall. Indeed, even the Hammer stalwarts - Cushing, Lee and composer James Bernard - seem uninspired by the material and their individual contribution is surprisingly below-par! To make matters worse, the two stars were largely relegated to the sidelines to make way for the insipid three-way romance comprising Ursula Andress, John Richardson and Rosenda Monteros (though the girls, at least, constitute undeniable eye-candy). Having just viewed THE CREEPING FLESH (1973), I appreciated Cushing's healthier-looking appearance here - though the Dracula film, needless to say, brought me back to his impossibly gaunt physique which resulted from the untimely death of his beloved wife!; as for Lee, ridiculously decked with a beehive-shaped headset during the climactic scenes, he was obviously the villain of the piece. The cast also featured Bernard Cribbins as Cushing and Richardson's companion/servant and a bare-chested(!) Andre' Morell as Monteros' father.
Despite having previously helmed two Boris Karloff horror vehicles - GRIP OF THE STRANGLER (1958) and CORRIDORS OF BLOOD (1958; which also featured Lee), both of which I've yet to catch up with myself {where are those rumored Criterion/Eclipse SE DVDs?} - this was Robert Day's only film for the Hammer stable, and it's easy to see why!
Even if it retains the desert setting of the novel (whereas the earlier version had transposed the narrative to the Arctic, albeit effectively), the film doesn't capture the imagination of the audience, so to speak, and emerges a dullish venture overall. Indeed, even the Hammer stalwarts - Cushing, Lee and composer James Bernard - seem uninspired by the material and their individual contribution is surprisingly below-par! To make matters worse, the two stars were largely relegated to the sidelines to make way for the insipid three-way romance comprising Ursula Andress, John Richardson and Rosenda Monteros (though the girls, at least, constitute undeniable eye-candy). Having just viewed THE CREEPING FLESH (1973), I appreciated Cushing's healthier-looking appearance here - though the Dracula film, needless to say, brought me back to his impossibly gaunt physique which resulted from the untimely death of his beloved wife!; as for Lee, ridiculously decked with a beehive-shaped headset during the climactic scenes, he was obviously the villain of the piece. The cast also featured Bernard Cribbins as Cushing and Richardson's companion/servant and a bare-chested(!) Andre' Morell as Monteros' father.
Despite having previously helmed two Boris Karloff horror vehicles - GRIP OF THE STRANGLER (1958) and CORRIDORS OF BLOOD (1958; which also featured Lee), both of which I've yet to catch up with myself {where are those rumored Criterion/Eclipse SE DVDs?} - this was Robert Day's only film for the Hammer stable, and it's easy to see why!