In 1971,about forty years ago American International Pictures released a low budget independent horror film called COUNT YORGA VAMPIRE that became a surprise hit both comercially and critically at that time(it was the third highest grossing film in AIP history costing $48,000 to make and making about % million dollars in it's first weekend of release back in 1971). The immediate success of the first Yorga film gave way to a sequel one year later called THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA both starring American character actor Robert Quarry as the undead Count Yorga,making him the new horror film star of the 1970's and AIP's new King of Horror after Vincent Price.
COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE(1971)*** out of **** Written & Directed by Bob Kelljan Starring Robert Quarry,Roger Perry, Michael Macready, Michael Murphy, Donna Anders,Marsha Jordan Rated PG 93 minutes Released by MGM/UA Home Video
Originally planned to be a softcore horror sex film called THE LOVES OF COUNT IORGA, the first Yorga film has Romanian vampire Count Yorga posing as a medium/mystic in modern day Los Angeles to use his vampiric powers to allure innocent young girls to be his vampire brides. But a doctor played by Roger Perry recognizes Yorga for being the vampire that he really is and then enlists the help of the boyfriends of the missing girls to battle the vampire at his mansion. But Count Yorga proves himself to be way superior in intellect and animal cunning to his human adversaries and he sets a deadly trap for them with the help of his brutish mute manservant Brudah. The film really benefits from the great performance by veteran film character actor Robert Quarry in the lead role in which he plays the vampire Count Yorga with much more freedom and greater relish than Christopher Lee could ever did in his Hammer Dracula films. The script by director Kelljan and actor/producer Michael Macready(son of veteran character villain actor George Macready who narrates the film.)presents the really interesting idea of a cunning vampire fighting against his unprepared human enemies proving the old saying that the vampire's greatest power is that the majority of people don't believe that vampires really exist which the vampires take advantage of such a situation. The MGM/UA DVD has the complete uncut uncensored version of the film including some gore scenes especially a vampire girl viciously attacking a cat and also has the theatrical trailer of the film.
THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA(1972) **1/2 out of **** Written and Directed by Bob Kelljan. Starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Mariette Hartley, Craig T. Nelson, Rudy De Luca, Yvonne Wilder, Edward Walsh, Rated PG 97 minutes Released by MGM/UA Home Video.
The sequel to the first Count Yorga film returns the Count and his mute manservant Brudah, although both characters died in the previous film and no explanation is made whatsoever for the return or resurrection of both characters in the film.This time the Count has plans to seduce and make his vampire bride the young teacher of the orphanage that lies next to Yorga's mansion with the help of a young orphan that is under the Count's power. Yorga sends his vampire brides to kill the school teacher's family and capture her to bring to his mansion to put her under his power. But her fiance played by Roger Perry(playing a similar role that he did in the first Yorga film) enlists the police to raid Yorga's mansion to save his fiance but it turns out to be disastrously unsuccessful to all involved in the film's bloody climax.Once again Robert Quarry excels in his role as Yorga just like he did in the first film and both Mariette Hartley & Roger Perry are equally great in their roles.Unfortunately the second film's script is virtually a repetition of the first film's plot points right down to the movie's "surprise ending" which is an inversion of the film's first pessimistic ending.The DVD of the second Yorga film is the uncut uncensored version with the film's theatrical trailer.There were plans for a third Yorga film but the only result was Robert Quarry playing a similar but different vampire count named Khorda in THE DEATHMASTER(1972).
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