Directed by Peter Sasdy / Screenplay by Jeremy Paul

At the beginning of the 1970s, the already prodigious output of Hammer Productions hit something of a peak, with no fewer than six horror titles released in 1971 alone. Perhaps not all of them are masterpieces, but they include some underrated gems. Not a vampire story in the strictest sense, Countess Dracula is inspired by tales of the real-life Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Báthory, who in 1611 was found guilty of the torture and murder of hundreds of women and girls. Modern opinions differ about whether Báthory was a genuine serial killer or the victim of a grotesque political smear, but we can safely dismiss the myth that she bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth. Still, you can’t keep a good story down, and the lurid Báthory legend was a perfect fit for Hammer. The studio’s glamorous new star Ingrid Pitt, who had turned heads in the previous year’s boldly erotic offering The Vampire Lovers, begins the picture grey-haired and wrinkled as the ageing Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy, who stumbles upon the miraculous discovery that she can reverse the ravages of time - at least temporarily - by bathing in the blood of young girls. Rejuvenated and voluptuous, she poses as her own daughter to court a handsome young officer, but as the local tally of missing girls begins to pile up, the court is plunged into intrigue, and the net tightens around the Countess. With an elegant script, an evocative score, and a strong supporting cast including Maurice Denham, Nigel Green and Peter Jeffrey, Countess Dracula is an overlooked jewel in Hammer’s crown, and a classy vehicle for one of the studio’s immortal scream queens.

Framed Dimensions: 300mm x 350mm

Acrylic on Strathmore toned card
Glazed, mounted and framed

Supplied with signed letter of authenticity from Barnaby.

Please note, this is the original artwork by Barnaby. It is unique and not a reproduction.