The Return of the Vampire is a horror film released in 1944 by Columbia Pictures. The movie was directed by Lew Landers and was written by Randall Faye and Griffin Jay. The movie was filmed in Black and White and had a running time of 69 minutes. The film features a Vampire and a Werewolf as main characters. The film starred Bela Lugosi, Nina Foch, Frieda Inescort, and Miles Mander.
Plot summary
The plot of the movie is about the two encounters an English Lady,as well as her family and friends,have with an 18th century vampire in the shadow of two of history's most terrible wars.
The plot is actually divided into three connected parts. The first part takes place in October 1918. This segment is told in flashback. It details the efforts of two London doctors to find out what has caused the anemia of one of their patients. The doctors are Walter Saunders(Gilbert Emery) and Lady Jane Ainsley (Inescort). Their investigation puts them on the trail of Armand Tesla, a former Romanian scientist who became a Vampire after his death in 1744 because of his obsession with the supernatural. Tesla has moved to London and has a Werewolf servant named Andréas Obry(Matt Willis), and preys on the cities residents. Dr. Saunders reads an 18th century book that was written by Tesla, an authority on vampires,and learns how to find and get rid of them. By this time Dr. Saunders granddaughter,Nikki, is being preyed on by Tesla. Dr. Saunders and lady Jane track Tesla to his coffin during the day and stake him. This frees Andreas not only from servitude to Tesla but also being a werewolf. Andreas is given a job at lady Jane's clinic and counseling. Teslas coffin is buried in an unmarked grave in what is hoped will be forever.
The second part of the plot takes place 24 years later. This segment begins in the office of Sir Fredrick Fleet(Mander) of Scotland Yard. The entire first segment has been a record of the 1918 incident written by Dr. Saunders that Sir Fredrick was reading. Lady Jane is in the office with him and Dr. Saunders has since died. Sir Fredrick does not believe the Vampire tale and wants to investigate further. From here on the plot clearly takes place during World War Two. The rest of the segment describes each characters war time life. The Segment also describes Lady Jane's efforts to react to Sir Fredrick's investigation. Lady Jane's son,John(Roland Varno) has joined the RAF and Saunders granddaughter Nikki(Foch) has join the WAC. They are engaged to be married. Lady Jane continues to run her clinic where Andreas works. Lady Jane has become involved in helping people escape from the Concentration Camps.
The third and final part of the plot begins when Tesla's grave is disturbed by air raid dropped bombs. Gravediggers who have to rebury the overturned graves decide not to bury Armand with the stake, pulling it out. He then claws out of the ground. He seeks out Andreas. When Tesla find him he turns him back into a werewolf as well as his slave. Andreas now, after being turned back by Armand, has the power to change form at will. Tesla then sets out to take revenge on the family that had staked him. With Dr. Saunders gone Tesla decides to go after Lady Jane's loved ones. That means going after the now grown Nikki in order to turn her into his vampire bride. In order to aid Tesla with his plans,Andreas kills never seen Concentration camp refuge Dr. Hugo Bruckner when he enters the country at the time and place Lady Jane set up. This enables Andreas to give Tesla Bruckner's identification and clothes. Tesla then assumes the mans identity. The rest of the film describes Tesla and Andreas attempt to do that as well as Lady Jane and Sir Fredrick's attempts to stop them. In the end, Andreas is shot by Sir Fredrick while trying to give Nikki back to Armand. Dying from his wound, Andreas asks Tesla for aid. Tesla,now totally focused on Nikki, refuses to aid him. Andreas changes back into a human and finds a cross buried in corner of the church Armand has made a home. He pulls it out and starts forcing Armand up the stairs toward the sun. A bomb dropped from a passing German bomber lands in the church creating a huge hole in the side of the building. Andréas then drags the weakened Armand out of the church where he disintegrates forever in the sunlight. Teslas death releases Nikki from his spell. Then Andreas finally dies from his bullet wound.
Directed by Lew Landers - Produced by Sam White - Written by Randall Faye, Griffin Jay - Starring Béla Lugosi, Frieda Inescort, Nina Foch, Miles Mander, Roland Varno - Cinematography L. W. O'Connell - Editing by Paul Borofsky - Distributed by Columbia Pictures Corporation - Release date(s) 1944 (UK) - Running time 69 min. - Language English
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Return_of_the_Vampire
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