MovieChat Forums > The Brides of Dracula (1960) Discussion > Hammer's Van Helsing Chronicles

Hammer's Van Helsing Chronicles

posted 20 years ago by BijouBob8mm
4 replies | jump to latest

Although some have expressed disappointment that this film was not a Dracula movie, per se, I think it holds up as a superior vampire tale, and makes one wonder why Hammer didn't use the character of Van Helsing more. After this semi-sequel to HORROR OF DRACULA, Peter Cushing doesn't reprise the role of Dr. Van Helsing until DRACULA AD 1972...over a decade later! Hammer could have easily had a Van Helsing series, pitting the good doctor against the vampiric Karnstein family or other undead denizens. The studio seemed to hit upon the idea too late, alas. After the poor distribution of/reception to THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES, plans for KALI: DEVIL-BRIDE OF DRACULA were scrapped. Had the film gone before the cameras, we would have seen Dracula in India...where he would have encountered a young British lancer named Van Helsing! Who knows; if Hammer could have continued its Gothic output, maybe Van Helsing would have eventually been teamed with their other vampire slayer, Captain Kronos....

[–] bellatrix79 19 years ago

i agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] dougglenn1215 19 years ago

I agree with Bijou Bob. Peter Cushing was marvelous any time he was on screen. A series of Van Helsing films would have been tremendous. Not only could he have gone up against the Dracula and Karnstein lines of vampires, but all sorts of other nasties.

Of course, they tried throwing the whole catalog at Van Helsing in the Hugh Jackman vehicle. Unfortunately it was way too over the top and totally went in the wrong direction. They completely lost the dignity and intellectual sophistication of Cushing's Van Helsing.

Correct me if I wrong, but doesn't Kronos take place much earlier in the 19th century? I had always thought of it as slight post the Napoleonic Wars.

If so, Captain Kronos could perhaps even have been a mentor for Van Helsing.

[–] blackswan50 18 years ago

cushing is the one and only van helsing.!

[–] startrekkin58 17 years ago

It's been a while since I've seen Kronos, so I'm not too sure about the time period. I do remember, though, that the movie had different rules than the Dracula movies. Instead of sucking blood, the vampires in Kronos were sucking life/youth. I think it would've been interesting to see how Hammer dealt with its own vampire rules in a teaming of Kronos and Van Helsing. And if Kronos was much earlier, than so what? Peter Cushing could've been Abraham Van Helsing's father or grandfather, etc.

The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe.