The Vampire (1957)
Claiming that he found the secret a dying Dr. Campbell hands
a vial of pills to Dr. Paul Beecher who slips the pills into his pocket. When his young daughter accidentally gives him
one of the pills during a migraine, the kind family doctor finds himself swept
up in horrifying events beyond his control. Can the good doctor stop the
madness in time?
Although the film has several flashes of iconic horror
scenes, a mysterious old house, creepy laboratory with bats, lovely woman fleeing
in terror, vampire fans expecting the suave elegance of Bella Lugosi will be
kept waiting. Despite a number of bodies
with the tell-tale fang marks in the neck, the title monster’s transformation
and storyline is more The Wolf Man than Dracula.
Those horror fans that love their monsters whether they’re fanged, furry
or with fins will enjoy The Vampire even without the cape and the smooth
accent. Vampire purists may prefer to stick to the classic Dracula or even Fright Night (the 1985 original or
the 2011 remake).