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El Vampiro

(1957)

A once magnificent Mexican hacienda stands almost lifeless, bereft of its former glory, cursed by a one hundred year old folklore of its former occupier, the vampire Count Karol De Lavud. The surrounding town is in similar decline, and its people fear to leave their own homes after dark. There has been a recent spate of local deaths, and all of the unfortunate victims have two puncture marks on their necks. It is believed that one of Count De Lavud’s descendant’s has come to resurrect the long since entombed vampire, near to the time of a century passed. The count’s remains are buried in the ancestral sepulchre of the hacienda. One hundred years has all but past, and the hacienda has an interested party in making its purchase his priority. The mysterious European Mr. Duval cannot wait to sink his teeth into its life blood !.

Attractive young woman Marta Gonzalez is contacted by her uncle, the current owner of the hacienda, to come quickly as his wife, her aunty, is seriously unwell. Marta’s arrival at the small towns railway station sets the scene for a gothic garnish of what is to follow. She is assisted by a lone man, and lost looking fellow visitor to the region, as they wait together for onward transportation. It is dusk, and the fearful locals dare note venture out anywhere after dark !. A heavily set man arrives upon horse driven open cart, his purpose to collect an elongated wooden crate, apparently containing specially shipped in soil from Bulgaria !. His master is the well to do mysterious European, Mr. Duval. The stranger speaks with the man and manages to get him to give Marta a ride to her destination. He decides to travel with her, to assist with her luggage and due to the night time closing in. The gruff servant to Mr. Duval drops the two just short of Marta’s final destination, as he breaks off for his own journeys end.

The walk to the hacienda by Marta and her altruistic companion is a visual treat, as the composition of the hauntingly mesmerising scenery, and the hollow sounds of evening broken up by the blowing of the wind and indigenous wildlife, is perfectly creepy. Their arrival at the hacienda setting off the moment, with its distinctive grandeur of eeriness personified.

Marta’s uncle greets her with news of her aunts recent death. She is as distraught at the news as with the appearance of her second aunt, who despite not having seen for many years, looks as though she has not aged one extra day !. The remainder staff of a loyal maid, and a handy man, whisper tales of vampires, and remain steadfast to the former lady of the house, keeping an astounding secret at her written behest, which later on reveals its integral purpose to proceedings !.

The remarkably well preserved aunt seems to have an aversion to mirrors, and her interest in the arrival of Marta is more evident in her nieces inheritance to one third of the hacienda. The uncle does not wish to sell, but if Marta decides to cast her vote in with her aunt then the majority will be against him, and the highly interested Mr. Duval will secure the purchase as desired.

Sub plots and creepy occurrences play out as the movie unravels its secrets. The man who aided Marta to the homestead in fact is a doctor, secretly called upon by the uncle to help his troubled wife. Doctor Enrique (Abel Salazar) proves to be the heroic lead, as the link between the living resident aunt, and Mr. Duval (Germán Robles), becomes clearer, and the superstitions about vampires are proven absolute !.

Marta is singled out by the vampiric Mr. Duval, and like her aunt before her she is mesmerised under his hypnotic spell. The first sampling of her blood has her readied for an eternity at his side, just one further feasting from turning her into a vampire. Doctor Enrique and the house servants to the rescue, along with a surprise return from the lower depths of the haciendas ancestral crypt !.

Seeking to resurrect the long dormant Count Karol De Lavud, and turn Marta into one of his un-dead brides, Duval strikes out with all his vampire might. Just before dawn brings the light of a new day Duval steals away Marta to the seclusion of his own abode, where his coffin awaits its masters return. Doctor Enrique, with assistance, battles against the nefarious vampire, the immortalised aunt, and a couple of man servant daylight hours guards, to save Marta and bring an end to the curse of the vampires.

A sterling effort built upon the classic traditions of the old Universal Studios horror pictures, and infused with the popular rebirth of the genre by Hammer Films, El Vampiro stands tall in itself in setting a high standard for Mexican horror movies. The stature of the film sets are all enhanced with the visualisation through the use of black and white film stock, and the slow building tension builds perfectly to the exciting climax. A great treat for fans of old school horror, black and white motion pictures, and good old fashioned story telling.