Thu 17 Nov 2016
A Belated Halloween Movie Review: COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE (1970).
Posted by Steve under Horror movies , Reviews[6] Comments
COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE. American International Pictures, 1970. Alternative title: The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire. Robert Quarry (Count Yorga), Roger Perry, Michael Murphy, Michael Macready, Donna Anders, Judy Lang. Narrator: George Macready. Screenwriter-Director: Bob Kelljan.
We first meet Count Yorga as he is conducting a seance attended by six couples in modern day (1970s) Los Angeles, as they try to contact the deceased mother of one of the young women in the party. Several of those attending do think it is a party, making jokes and general fun of the proceedings. They shouldn’t have.
After the seance, one of the couples takes the Count, a recent arrival from Bulgaria, home to what looks like a veritable castle somewhere in the Hollywood Hills. They have trouble leaving and have to stay the night stranded on the castle grounds in their Volkswagen bus, unknowingly allowing a strange visitor enter while they are sleeping.
Matters progress very well from these, at least from Count Yorga’s perspective. The others investigate, even to the extent of calling in a doctor who is an expert in blood disorders. It slowly dawns on them who (or what) they are dealing with. A direct confrontation is in order, and and from the viewer’s perspective, it proves most amusing as well as chilling.
And this is the effect of the entire movie, which when it started out was intended to be a soft-core pornography film, a few hints of which still remain. This may be one of the first vampire films to take place in a modern day setting, and in spite of its low budget, it manages to take good advantage of that fact very well. The ending, by the way, is one well worth waiting for.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:03 am
The film and Quarry both turned out better than anyone could have hoped for, and, as has happened a few times, they ended up with a much better, and more profitable, film than a soft core porn might have been.
It is that rarity, a film that rose above its origins and turned out better than anyone could imagine.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:10 am
Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, before the video revolution, I used to attend the local drive-ins and see the horror double and triple features. I would pack up my wife, beer, and Arbys and fries. My wife always fell asleep after the first feature but I’d keep watching until the end. There must have been a dozen drive-ins that we attended.
Then along came video tapes in the early 1980’s and that was the end of leaving my living room TV. I still watch at least one horror, film noir, western or drama each day, usually by dvd. I have thousands of the things. Some movies are still only VHS tapes and I still have a workable video player.
I vividly remember COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE at the drive-in. One of the better and more witty horror films back then.
November 18th, 2016 at 2:17 am
When Count Iorga, Vampire (that’s how it’s spelled in the opening titles) became a surprise hit, a sequel was rushed into production: The Return Of Count Yorga (apparently the count got an official name change), with a (slightly) bigger budget and more recognizable supporting actors, led by Mariette Hartley as the Damsel in Distress.
I saw the premiere at the State-Lake Theatre in downtown Chicago, with Robert Quarry appearing in person for a Q&A before the performance.
Good crowd, and the sequel was a hit as well.
After this, attempts were made to establish Robert Quarry as “the Horror Man of the ’70s”.
That didn’t happen; Quarry ultimately became a portly character man, specializing in official windbags.
If you want an idea of what he came from, check out the Perry Mason repeats on MeTV – Quarry did a bunch of those.
November 18th, 2016 at 12:12 pm
At some time along the way, Iorga became Yorga. I remember trying to be careful and go by the opening credits of the DVD I watched, but it no longer nearby for me to check. As you see from the poster, his name had become Yorga by then.
Robert Quarry was perfectly cast as Count Yorga, and he went on from here to have numerous roles in other horror films, a career which ended for a while in 1980 when he was involved in a horrible automobile accident.
November 18th, 2016 at 9:00 pm
I just remembered a pre-Yorga part for Robert Quarry.
It was on Shirley Temple’s Storybook, circa 1958: their version of “Sleeping Beauty”, with Anne Helm in the title role.
In this version, the handsome Prince had competition from two Knights of the Realm.
Pernell Roberts, pre-Bonanza (and pre-toupee and with a full beard) played Sir Thorabore, who was a two-fisted brute who slugged anyone who looked at him crosseyed.
Robert Quarry played Sir Perriscale the Precious, who was – well, precious …
I don’t recall who played the Handsome Prince.
I do recall Anne Helm, but that’s another story …
I saw this show long after its network airing, in syndication, some time in the mid-to-late ’70s.
I recall recognizing the pre-fame Roberts and Quarry, and being somewhat thrown by their performances … but I guess that too is another story …
November 18th, 2016 at 9:49 pm
I always enjoy your stories, even the ones you don’t tell, Mike, and this is one of your best.
And here’s the link, folks: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0699635/reference
It’s all there, in black and white.