It’s just never a good sign when you’re honeymooning in the early 20th century Bavarian countryside and your brand new automobile runs out of petrol. The opening of a rather lesser known Hammer horror film (following a little bit of early staking action), The Kiss of the Vampire (1963), directed by Don Sharp, is shockingly without stalwarts Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing.
The couple: Gerald (Edward de Souza) and Marianne (Jennifer Daniel), are left with little option. With the former walking ahead hoping for some aid, the latter is soon scared by a storm, bumping into the rather inimical Professor Zimmer (Clifford Evans). . . coming across more like a morose vagabond than a learned man. All the while, a man from a hilltop manor, Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman), looks on with intrigue with the use of his telescope.
Eventually finding some limited help, the pair are forced to spend the night at the ramshackle local inn that looks as if it hasn’t welcomed a guest in some time – despite the owner Bruno’s (Peter Madden) warm greeting. In fact, the whole village seems a bit backwards. . . that is, except for the good doctor, who sends an invitation for a nice dinner. . . something recommended by Bruno, who warns of his wife’s infamous cooking.
Meeting Ravna, his piano playing son Carl (Barry Warren) and gracious daughter Sabena (Jacquie Wallis), they seem like class personified. . . surrounded by their beautiful art and architecture, their love of the classics, and their fantastic cuisine. Plus, they’re so kind – the doctor even requests that they allow him to take care of getting the gasoline from the next far off town.
Despite the villagers numerous odd attitudes, its secluded feeling, very few young people around, and some other more subtle warning signs, the couple decides to take Ravna up on his most recent invitation to his glamorous eldritch masquerade ball. The alcohol flows, the band plays, and Ravna asks for a dance with the lovely Marianne, separating the pair. When Gerald wakes from a wild drunken night, his spouse is gone, and no one he has met seems to remember his unforgettable wife. Something foul is afoot, but what has happened to Marianne? Might that aloof Professor be the only one with answers to the dark secrets of the area? And, most pressingly, will Gerald be able to save his wife from having a permanent allergy to the sun?
Though missing the zest brought on by an appearance from Lee or Cushing, you can’t say that The Kiss of the Vampire is not striking. Juxtaposed between the gothic glamour of the chateau and the shadowy dreariness of the town, both set a certain vibe. . . eerily moody, otherwise, utterly bleak. Though not the climax, the most sinister it gets is when the couple are surrounded by the above mentioned masked masqueraders. They stare unflinchingly, trance-like, at Marianne in their unearthly vizards, completely unnoticed by the couple as they are entertained by the wealthy family. The other rather unnerving moment reveals Professor Zimmer’s cure to a vampire bite. . . it’s surprisingly gruesome. One last cool tidbit worth knowing – the climax was actually originally meant to be the ending of The Brides of Dracula (1960), but Peter Cushing rejected it, so it was used here.
A worthy discovery for Hammer fans, The Kiss of the Vampire is a serviceable blood sucking horror adventure that is more atmospheric than scary. Director Sharp, from his own mouth, was not a huge fan of the genre, instead steering this picture in a slightly different direction, making it a bit unique compared to some of the others from around the same time. So, a nod is as good as a wink to a blind bat, so you already know to check this one out.