why no peter cushing?
if this is set 10 years after "Dracula" and is ( as far as i know) a sequel , then why no Peter Cushing?
sharePeter Cushing was to be in it, reprising his Van Helsing role, but his wife Helen - who had a prolonged illness - was particularly unwell and he had to bow out so the part of Sandor was created for Andrew Keir to replace the missing Van Helsing. When Helen passed away in 1971 Peter had just begun filming on Blood From The Mummy's Tomb, and it was Andrew Keir again who stepped in to replace him.
shareI, too, always wondered why Cushing was absent from many of these movies, but when you think about it, it was Lee who was absent from the first sequel, "Brides of Dracula," which did feature Cushing as Van Helsing.
And if you consider "Kiss of the Vampire" the third of the Hammer Dracula films, neither Lee or Cushing appeared in it. This would mean "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" is the fourth Hammer Dracula film and only the second to feature Lee.
The three films after "Dracula: Prince of Darkness" also did not feature Cushing. Those films include "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave," "Taste the Blood of Dracula," and "Scars of Dracula." I wonder whether Hammer considered Cushing for any of those films?
Of course, Cushing did return as Van Helsing's descendent in "Dracula A.D. 1972," "Satanic Rites of Dracula," and finally in the Lee-less "The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires."
I used to think "Satanic Rites ..." was a poor film, but found it highly enjoyable after subsequent viewings.
Actually Dracula - Prince of Darkness is the actual Second dracula vehicle if you think about because in Brides of Dracula and Kiss of the Vampire, there was no sign of dracula anywhere to be found.
Now if your speaking of vampires in general then yes this is the fourth vampire film for Hammer
We can DO IT ALLLL DAY LONG, (We'll have to pay more for the light bill if we do it at night!)
That's a damn shame. I loved Peter Cushing as Van Helsing.
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