Blacula (American International Pictures) (1972)

SYNOPSIS (Not for Publication) “L-curse you with my name — you will be BLACULA, a vampire like myself. A living fiend.” Dracula cursed African Prince, Mamuwalde (WILLIAM MARSHALL) in 1815 when the Black Prince and his wife, Luva, (VONETTA McGEE) dared to entreat him to sign a petition abolishing salvery. Blacula was sealed in a coffin doomed to be torn by an unquenchable lust for blood. Until today! Billy (RICK METZLER) and Bobby (TED HARRIS), two gay, young, decorators, know they’ll make a fortune with all the antiques they’ve bought from Castle Dracula, especially the ornate coffins. But, the two unwittingly release Blacula and become his first victims — slaves to his will. Tina (VONETTA McGEE) and her sister Michelle (DENISE NICHOLAS) have brought Dr. Gordon Thomas (THALMUS RASULALA), Michelle’s boss and fiance, who is a police pathologist, to the funeral home to see their friend Bobby’s body. Sending the girls home, Gordon examines the body and finds strange neck wounds. He becomes even more curious when Swenson (LANCE TAYLOR, SR.) the mortician, tells him there is no blood in the body. Chasing Tina, who looks exactly like his Luva, Blacula is hit by a taxi. His fury is uncontrollable and Juanita Jones (KETTY LESTER), the cab driver is soon another slave-victim. Gordon is stunned when a routine examination of Juanita’s body reveals the same strange wounds. Homicide detective Jack Peters (GORDON PINSENT) has no leads on the killings, but promises to check the reports. Tina, Gordon and Michelle are at the Ethiopia Club celebrating Michelle’s birthday when Blacula appears and Tina feels an overpowering attraction. He apologizes for frightening her and introduces himself as Mamuwalde, but leaves quickly, furious, when the club photog CAST Bidcdig eee... cae ete res WILLIAM MARSHALL ak eae aw secon ue. «cee VONETTA McGEE Whehele:. eee a eee DENISE NICHOLAS Ordon -Thomds22.05) Se ee THALMUS RASULALA AY, FOES oo ok dic sols ee GORDON PINSENT SPE 8 pin assis gst = ssotvads stam omega CHARLES MACAULAY PEGE 5 2 cedevse ceded. Ceres ae eee ee ee EMILY YANCY BOONGON na Fe ee LANCE TAYLOR, SR. PIN Si crow eee Maite wor aee eat ate «os cae TED HARRIS BN ise ncansciiects~ 2: pce ee ee ee RICK METZLER | a as aOR IS SUNN tat peanenare felnr Ucn JITU CUMBUKA 1 | ann seeped nega een ang, ear ct LOGAN FIELD ps geek ascent Set Ses 2 ann aR Gee BREE. KETTY LESTER DM ob. 5ootss pace. Rae I ee ee ELISHA COOK Real Estate Agent .-....25-5.... 2S ERIC BROTHERSON A SAMUEL Z. ARKOFF PRESENTATION Running time: 92 min. Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Rating: PG Color by Movielab An American International Picture rapher, Nancy, (EMILY YANCY), takes his picture with Tina. Blacula soon has another victim. Tortured by his desire for Tina, Blacula goes to her apartment telling her his horrible story and begging her to join him as a vampire. Gordon and Michelle are attacked by Billy’s body after digging up the grave looking for evidence. Realizing that Juanita must also be a vampire, Gordon takes Peters to the morgue to prove his story. When they arrive Sam (ELISHA COOK, JR.), the attendant, can’t be found but suddenly Juanita attacks. Gordon thrusts a cross in her face, forcing he to a window where the early morning rays kill her. Peters is now totally convinced that vampires really are loose in the city. When Gordon discovers Mamuwalde is the vampire, he realizes that Tina is in grave danger. Gordon and Peters find the resting place of the vampires and destroy them by setting fire to the building. But, Blacula is still loose. Using his telepathic powers he guides Tina to a huge underground complex. Michelle, Gordon and the police are not far behind and spread out to find the couple. Blacula and Tina make a desperate attempt to escape through the maze of passages. One of the police fires at Blacula but Tina falls to the ground. Knowing that she is dying. Blacula clutches her from death by making her a vampire. Gordon and Peters find Blacula’s coffin and quickly open the lid plunging a stake into the sleeping body. They discover too late that it is Tina they have destroyed, not Blacula. His love lost again, Blacula takes no more revenge. Without Tina he knows he cannot endure the life he has been cursed to live. He walks quietly up the stairs and into the deadly rays of the rising sun. When Gordon and the others arrive all they find is a cape covering a rotting skeleton. CREDITS Executive producer ...................22....... SAMUEL Z. ARKOFF Fiemuced Sys. ee ea JOSEPH T. NAAR Executive production supervisor -..... NORMAN T. HERMAN 2 | Bt Cy ae an pen sar eater Seto ME se WILLIAM CRAIN Written Dy soi. 6 a) ee, ee ee JOAN TORRES & RAYMOND KOENIG Director of photography ..................2.....-JOHN STEVENS Music composed and conducted by ................ GENE PAGE Music co-ordinator 2220)... 3c AL SIMMS Pil eqiOr~'2..:, 4: 52.0sea....cacdhsaaeneen oe ALLAN JACOBS ArigiGeter 0 ee ee WALTER HERNDON SOUNO Fars a5 cons isis ee ee CHARLES KNIGHT WatiOne «2-52... A eee ERMON SESSIONS, SANDY STEWART CRONOUS oo 52 tp ae eee ee FRED PHILLIPS WIRELESS oo Sas ae epee eee ca LOLA KEMP mlunt ec-Ordinglen] =~ oe GEORGE FISHER Spécial ehisets <3. Ba ROGER GEORGE Songs: ‘‘WHAT THE WORLD KNOWS” “THERE HE IS AGAIN” “PM GONNA GET YOU" Performed by THE HUES CORPORATION Wit ene o3. ee WALLY HOLMES Produceer BY sn eee WALLY HOLMES and NORMAN RATNER NEWSPAPER AD INDEX lines Page 11 lines Page lines Page lines Page lines Page 24 3/8" = lines Page 2507/8 = lines Page 3235" lines Page 9 AD MAT 102 1 AD MAT 1 AD MAT = 1 AD MAT =1 AD MAT AD MAT AD MAT AD MAT