The Satanic Rites of Dracula
01:00 am - 02:50 am, Tuesday, December 23 on Legend Xtra (69)
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About this Broadcast
Blood-sucking Transylvanian Count Dracula rises from the grave to terrorise Seventies London, with a plan to unleash a deadly plague on the world. But a descendant of the unflappable vampire hunter Van Helsing is hot on his trail. Shoddy Hammer horror marking Christopher Lee's last appearance as the vampire, which is a pale shadow of its predecessors. Peter Cushing, Joanna Lumley, Freddie Jones and William Franklyn also star
1973
Horror
Movie/Drama
Cast & Crew
Christopher Lee
(Actor)
.. Count Dracula
Peter Cushing
(Actor)
.. Van Helsing
Joanna Lumley
(Actor)
.. Jessica
Freddie Jones
(Actor)
.. Professor Keeley
William Franklyn
(Actor)
.. Torrence
Michael Coles
(Actor)
.. Insp Murray
Valerie Van Ost
(Actor)
.. Jane
Richard Vernon
(Actor)
.. Col Mathews
Barbara Yu Ling
(Actor)
.. Chin Yang
Alan Gibson
(Director)
More Information
Did You Know..
Christopher Lee
(Actor)
.. Count Dracula
Born:
May 27, 1922
in
Belgravia, London
Best Known For:
Playing Dracula.
Early-life:
Born Christopher Frank Carandini Lee on May 27, 1922, in Belgravia, London, the son of an Italian aristocrat and a soldier. He had an older sister, Xandra, whose daughter is actress Harriet Walter. When their parents divorced, the children were raised by their mother and her second husband, a banker. Lee attended Wellington College, then worked in a London shipping office before serving in the RAF during the Second World War. On being demobbed, he was snapped up by Rank Studios, but failed to get a big break, appearing instead in several small roles.
Career:
Lee hit the big time in 1957 when his formidable height landed him the role of the monster in Hammer's The Curse of Frankenstein. It marked the beginning of his horror movie partnership with Peter Cushing, which also included such films as Dracula, The Mummy, and The Gorgon. Lee went on to become one of the world's most prolific actors. Star Wars episodes II and III and The Lord of the Rings introduced him to a new generation of fans. Other significant titles include The Wicker Man, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gremlins II, The Man with the Golden Gun and The Golden Compass. He also appeared in Alice in Wonderland, Burke and Hare, Season of the Witch and The Hobbit. He died on June 7, 2015, at the age of 93 due to respiratory problems and heart failure.
Quote:
"There are many vampires in the world today - you only have to think of the film business."
Trivia:
Lee was knighted in 2009. Away from acting, he was an accomplished singer and had an intriguing sideline as a heavy metal star.
Peter Cushing
(Actor)
.. Van Helsing
Joanna Lumley
(Actor)
.. Jessica
Born:
May 01, 1946
in
Srinagar, Kashmir
Best Known For:
Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous.
Early-life:
Joanna Lamond Lumley was born on May 1, 1946, in Srinagar, Kashmir. As a child she lived with her family in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, where her father was a major in the Ghurkas. She came to England aged nine to attend boarding school in Kent, and later a convent school in Hastings. At 16 she auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but was turned down and decided to become a model instead, despite initially being told she was "too fat and too ugly".
Career:
Lumley's first film was 1969's Some Girls Do, followed by Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Her most notable early role was as Ken Barlow's girlfriend Elaine in Coronation Street. Lumley became famous thanks to The New Avengers in 1976. After Sapphire and Steel in the late 1970s, she turned her attention to the theatre and had a stint as a Times columnist. In 1992, Jennifer Saunders cast her as Patsy in sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. Since then, she has appeared in numerous TV dramas and films, including Maybe Baby, James and the Giant Peach, Jam & Jerusalem, Sensitive Skin, The Making of a Lady and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Quote:
"I can't see any difference in having your hair dyed, your teeth fixed, your nose done, or your face smoothed out or lifted."
Trivia:
Lumley received an OBE in 1995.
Freddie Jones
(Actor)
.. Professor Keeley
Born:
September 12, 1927
in
Stoke-on-Trent
Best Known For:
Appearing in several David Lynch films.
Early-life:
Born Frederick Charles Jones on September 12, 1927, in Stoke-on-Trent. He never intended to become an actor; in fact, he spent the first decade of his working life as a laboratory assistant at a ceramics factory, only taking to the stage in amateur productions. On eventually deciding on a career-change, Jones won a scholarship to study at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in Kent. He then spent time working with repertory companies.
Career:
Jones quickly gained a reputation as a fine character actor while working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Early TV roles came in Z Cars, The Baron and The Avengers. His first film was Marat/Sade in 1967. He and Dudley Sutton are the only actors to have appeared in the original and revamped versions of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased). Other TV work has come in the likes of Jackanory, Inspector Morse, The District Nurse and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. Jones has become a cult hero thanks to his film work for legendary studio Hammer (Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed and The Satanic Rites of Dracula) and director David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Dune, Wild at Heart, On the Air and Hotel Room). Jones has played Sandy in Emmerdale since 2005.
Quote:
"Time has eroded my memory of those early films. All I remember is not being paid very much!"
Trivia:
He is the father of actor Toby Jones.
William Franklyn
(Actor)
.. Torrence
Michael Coles
(Actor)
.. Insp Murray
Valerie Van Ost
(Actor)
.. Jane
Richard Vernon
(Actor)
.. Col Mathews
Barbara Yu Ling
(Actor)
.. Chin Yang
Alan Gibson
(Director)
