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The Vampire and the Ballerina

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5.7/10 • 21

1960-05-231h 25m

Horror

BLOOD-LUSTING FIEND WHO PREYS ON GIRLS! VAMPIRE-QUEEN WHO FEEDS ON LIFEBLOOD OF MEN!

A troupe of beautiful dancers find themselves stranded in a sinister castle, not knowing it is home to a group of vampires.

Directors
Renato Polselli
Editors
Renato Cinquini

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Hélène Rémy

    Hélène Rémy

    Luisa

  2. Tina Gloriani

    Tina Gloriani

    Francesca

  3. Walter Brandi

    Walter Brandi

    Herman

  4. Isarco Ravaioli

    Isarco Ravaioli

    Luca

  5. María Luisa Rolando

    María Luisa Rolando

    Countess Alda

  6. Gino Turini

    Gino Turini

    Giorgio

  7. Pier Ugo Gragnani

    Pier Ugo Gragnani

    The Professor

  8. Brigitte Castor

    Brigitte Castor

  9. Lut Maryk

    Lut Maryk

Reviews1

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Aug 11, 2025

6/10

The precursor to Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” When a troupe of mostly female dancers stay at a professor’s mansion southeast of Rome, two of them (Helene Remy and Tina Gloriani) and a male friend make the mistake of seeking shelter at a nearby abandoned castle during a storm. The problem is, it’s inhabited by two predatory vampires, one male and the other female. “The Vampire and the Ballerina” (1960) is a B&W Italian production originally called “The Lover of the Vampire” (translated from Italian). The old, hideous vampire transforming into a normal-looking male after drinking fresh blood is a concept borrowed by Francis Ford Coppola & (writer) James Hart for their "Bram Stoker's Dracula" 32 years later. Hammer’s “Horror of Dracula” came out two years earlier, but was shot in lush color; the same with the contemporaneous “The Brides of Dracula.” Regrettably, this one is bogged down by flat B&W cinematography. Nevertheless, it evokes the expected spooky Gothic atmosphere, not to mention is highlighted by the authentic castle locations and the stunning female cast augmented by filmmakers who actually know how to shoot beautiful women (no pun intended). Don’t get me wrong, there’s no nudity or sleaze; instead, there’s a sense of beauty to the proceedings, as well as reverence, despite the diabolical vampirism. I should add that Helene Remy as Luisa is reminiscent of Candace Hilligoss in “Carnival of Souls,” which was also shot in B&W. I bring this up because the filmmaking is similar; if you like one, you’ll appreciate the other. It runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at the Palazzo Borghese in Artena, Italy (aka the castle of Artena), which is a half hour drive southeast of Rome. Studio work was done in the city at LUCE Studios. GRADE: B-

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  • The Vampire and the Ballerina poster
  • The Vampire and the Ballerina poster
  • The Vampire and the Ballerina poster
  • The Vampire and the Ballerina poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
Italian
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
dancerfuneralvampireitalycastlecountessballerinaburialgroup of young womenancient castlelusting monster