The Brides of Dracula

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Transylvania...

Land of dark forests...

Dreaded mountains and black unfathomed lakes.

Still the home of magic and devilry

as the nineteenth century draws to its close.

Count Dracula, monarch of all vampires...

...is dead.

But his disciples live on...

...to spread the cult and corrupt the world.

Not so fast, please.

Not so fast.

Easy, there. Steady!

What happened?

Hang on there. Hang on, my beauties.

There is nothing to be scared of,

nothing to be afraid of.

Mother of God, it's a corpse!

I thought you were a corpse.

What's the matter?

Why have you stopped?

Just movin' this log out of the way, miss.

It was right in the middle of the road.

There, now.

Now we can get on our way.

Won't take long, miss.

We'll make good time now, I promise you.

Now, my beauties, let's

Get out of here. Come on.

Get a move on. Hup! Hup!

Good evening, miss.

- Welcome to The Running Boar, Frulein.

- Thank you.

Our menu is simple,

but I think you'll find it good.

Hot goulash, a dish of sauerkraut

and our own red wine from the valley.

Will you be eating alone or

with the rest of the passengers?

Alone, if you please. You see,

I am the only passenger, so I must.

- What? You're travelling alone?

- Yes, to the Academy Badstein.

It is not very much further on, is it?

I come from Paris

and I am due tomorrow at the latest.

Look, if you are travelling alone,

you better get back to the coach.

My lads will have fresh horses

between the shafts in a trice.

What I mean is

You don't want him to go without you.

But he won't. The coachman knows I'm here.

I know he does, but he will want

to get away as soon as possible.

Ho!

Stop!

- What did I tell you?

- But he had no right to leave without me.

I don't know what right he had or hadn't,

he's gone and that's all there is to it.

What can we do?

Very well. I shall have to stay here tonight.

- For the night? You can't. I have no room.

- But what else I can do?

Johann, go to the farm at once

and ask to borrow their cart.

Get along with you.

Just you sit down here and

let me fetch you something good to eat.

We'll get you away tonight.

- We must.

- But...

Not having a room, you understand.

There.

This will put some warmth into you

for the journey.

- Yes, Johan?

- I have got the cart in the back.

- Come on, we've no time to lose.

- But...

Johan is right. You must go.

Is that the stagecoach coming back?

- Don't open it.

- I must.

Wine.

For your journey

- Thanks, but I've already...

- Another glass.

This Tokaj is the twin brother

to the rest of the Emperors cellar.

Rather different from the

wine of the valley you were drinking.

- What a very wild night.

- Yes, isn't it?

I hope you have not far to go.

I am on my way to

the Ladies Academy at Badstein.

The Lang School? I know it well.

But I thought I passed the stagecoach

as I came down here.

Left me here, I'm afraid.

Forgive me but...

...I was wondering if, by any chance,

you might be going that way.

They can't put me up here

and I don't know what to do.

If you'll excuse me,

my husband was mistaken.

We have a room if you want.

So you're going to the Langs of Badstein?

Yes.

I've got my first appointment there

as a student teacher.

I start tomorrow and I did not want to

give a bad impression by arriving late.

You needn't do that.

I can't take you over tonight...

...but I shall see that

you get there early in the morning.

Meantime, you cannot stay

in a poor place like this.

- There is nowhere else.

- Indeed there is.

I'm the Baroness Meinster.

My castle is in the hills,

just above the village.

Please give me the pleasure

Of being my guest tonight.

- I shall be more than grateful.

- Let us waste no more time, then.

Come.

- You are very kind, Madame.

- I'm nothing of the sort.

I am a very lonely old woman

who often longs...

...for the company of someone with

a little breeding.

A rare thing in these parts.

Let me introduce myself, Madame.

My name is Marianne Danielle.

Thank you, Mademoiselle Danielle.

Greta, this young lady

is staying the night with us.

See that she is comfortable.

We will have dinner in 10 minutes.

Can you be ready by then?

Yes, Madame.

Madame la Baronne is very kind,

but still I'm intruding most terribly.

I had no idea she was expecting a guest.

Nobody is expected.

The Baroness always has a second place laid

in case somebody should come.

And I have come, haven't I?

Yes.

Ten minutes.

Please do not keep Madame waiting.

You'll see more by daylight.

Madame is waiting.

Greta, you said

she wasn't expecting anyone.

A guest, I mean.

But I saw a man on the balcony below.

He didn't look like a servant.

I am the only servant

left at castle Meinster.

I felt sure I saw a young man.

- Madame is waiting. Are you about ready?

- Almost.

Aren't you having any soup?

I have very little appetite.

Greta tells me that you saw someone

in the balcony below your room.

I thought I did.

I thought I saw a man, a young man.

- But I must have been wrong.

- You were not wrong. You saw my son.

- But I thought...

- You thought what I wanted you to think.

That I was an old woman living here alone.

Now you know that I'm not alone.

I have a son.

- Please, I don't wi...

- My son is ill.

I'm so very sorry.

His illness has destroyed my

peace of mind in these last years.

You may not believe it, but

we've had gay times here.

Balls, dinners...

- ...life.

- I'm sure.

People used to come from all over Europe,

even from Paris to be my guests...

...until he ruined it all.

He ruined it all? How?

It hurt me too much not to be able to

present my only child to my friends.

To have to keep him locked up.

Is he ill in his mind?

I never see him myself.

Greta looks after him.

She is his old nurse.

- You never see him yourself?

- He has made me suffer so appallingly.

He has his own rooms apart from

the rest of the castle...

...only reached through that door.

But all that is nothing.

The vital thing is that you

discovered its existence...

...and I have explained the situation.

But, Madame, are you sure

he is happy there?

Are madmen happy?

Surely something can be done.

- Is there no doctor?

- We pray for death, he and I.

At least, I hope he does.

The people around here think

he is dead already.

So I am told

and I encourage that belief.

Encourage?

I see you are passing judgment

on me, my child.

Sleep before you pronounce sentence.

I am feeling very tired.

May I say goodnight?

Of course, Madame. Good night.

Thank you and may I say...

...God bless you.

If only he could.

No. Don't do that.

Who are you?

Who are you?

- Why have you come here?

- I called to you from my window.

I've come to help you, if I can.

Help me?

Have you?

Come here, will you?

No, don't be frightened.

I want to look at you.

You are very beautiful.

So you have come to help me,

have you?

Well, no one can do that,

Mademoiselle. No one can do that.

I was terrified you were going to

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