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  Dracula: Prince of Darkness

  £125.00

  “DEAD for Ten Years DRACULA, Prince of Darkness, LIVES AGAIN!”

  Christopher Lee’s commanding presence dominates this striking original 1966 US black-and-white publicity still for “Dracula: Prince of Darkness”. One of the BEST Dracula images from any of the Hammer series. Photographed from a low angle, his upward gaze and dramatically lit features convey the aristocratic menace that made his portrayal of Count Dracula so memorable. The tightly framed composition gives this iconic image an imposing quality, with deep shadows emphasising Lee’s unmistakable features.

  Directed by Terence Fisher, the film marked Lee’s return to the role following Hammer’s “Dracula” (1958). Set around four travellers whose arrival at an isolated castle leads to the Count’s resurrection, it combines Gothic atmosphere with Lee’s formidable, wordless performance.

  Presented in very fine original condition, this United States publicity still retains its printed film identification and distribution details in the lower border, together with the National Screen Service reference number 66/23. A compelling display piece for collectors of Christopher Lee, Hammer horror and classic cinematic portraiture.

  Trivia: In the scene where Dracula is being “resurrected” from a coffin into which his ashes have been spread, from blood dripping down from a poor victim (provided by Klove) Dracula is made to “manifest himself” over a period of about a minute. This was achieved by overlapping “dissolves” of a series of twelve locked-down camera shots, involving first the ashes, then a skeleton, then some body-fat on the skeleton, et cetera, along with swirling mist, until we finally perceive the full form of Dracula. He doesn’t appear fully dressed as is usually the case. The shot moves to outside the coffin and a bare arm reaches out. The vampire’s clothes were seen in earlier scenes awaiting his return.

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