The Return of the Vampire [SEP] distributor
The Return of the Vampire
The Return of the Vampire is a horror film released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures. The film presents an Englishwoman's two encounters with a vampire. The first encounter takes place during World War I, and the second during World War II.
The film stars Bela Lugosi as the vampire Armand Tesla. "The Return of the Vampire" is not an official sequel to Lugosi's 1931 Universal Studios film "Dracula", but the film has been interpreted by many critics and Dracula scholars as
, Hammer intended to replace Lee and Dracula in the franchise with the Lord Courtley character played by Ralph Bates, who would rise as a vampire after his death and seek revenge on Hargood, Paxton, and Secker. Hammer's American distributor refused to release the film if it lacked an appearance by Dracula; this prompted Hammer to convince Lee to return, with Dracula replacing the resurrected Courtley.
- The scenes of the gentlemen's visit to the local brothel were heavily edited on the film's original release. They are fully