Doc Rotten's 666 Revelations: Horror Icons of 1970

In 1970, the horror icons of the sixties were firmly in place and getting prime roles, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. Horror studios, however, were hungry to find eager young stars to take their place. Some would be successful (Robert Quarry) and most would make little (but not unimportant) impact on horror history (Ralph Bates). Even TV horror stars (Jonathan Frid) would get an opportunity to shine. Below are six of the horror icon male performances of 1970.

ROBERT QUARRY as COUNT YORGA in COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE

Count Yorga is Robert Quarry's breakout role, the drive-in hit would establish him as a horror icon and AIP would begin to steer him to replace Vincent Price in their string of horror hits. An overnight success after working in the business for over twenty years. Quarry's performance as Yorga would lay the foundation for the modern vampire. No longer trapped in Victorian England, his vampire could walk the walk and talk the talk of 1970's Los Angeles. He was perfect for the role. He would follow the role up with The Return of Count Yorga (1971), Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972), Deathmaster (1972), Madhouse (1974) and Sugar Hill (1974). AIP's plans for his rise to stardom would fall apart in the late 70's and Quarry would never get his chance to shine. He would quietly disappear from acting in the early 80's, but would return by 1990. He would star in low budget horror fare such as Evil Spirits (1990), Teenage Exorcist (1991) and Evil Toons (voice 1992), mostly for director Fred Olen Ray.

RALPH BATES as VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN in HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN

Throughout the Sixties Hammer had been capitalizing on the horror icon status of it principal stars, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. During the Seventies, they would try to forge new stars with younger casts. Ralph Bates found himself as one of those stars-to-be. In 1970, they cast him as Lord Countley in Taste the Blood of Dracula (opposite Christopher Lee) and as Victor Frankenstein in Horror of Frankenstein, an attempt to reboot their successful Frankenstein series. With Horror of Frankenstein, he was obviously positioned to be the replacement for Peter Cushing and was even photographed with the legend on the film's Elstree set with Cushing 'handing over' the title role. The film did not perform as well as Hammer had hoped and Bates star never quite reached icon status. However, he would continue to star in Hammer films such as Lust for a Vampire (1971), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) and Fear in the Night (1972).

DAVID PROWSE as THE MONSTER in HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN

As much as Ralph Bates was designed to replace Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein in Horror of Frankenstein, David Prowse was set to step into the shoes of Christopher Lee as the monster. Cast primarily on his muscular build and physical presence, he certainly looks the part. The special effects artists and designers for Horror of Frankenstein would not create an indelible creature design as Christopher Lee received for The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and would find himself struggling to leave a mark on the role. Threatening only in size and strength, Prowse's monster lacks the repulsion and terror necessary to frighten audiences. David Prowse would continue to make films for Hammer studios in movies like Vampire Circus and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, neither of which would give him any lines of dialog. In 1977, he would rise to international fame portraying the greatest villain in film history, Darth Vader in Star Wars, even if the character was not voiced by Prowse himself (instead voiced by James Earl Jones).

JONATHAN FRID as BARNABAS COLLINS in HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS

Jonathan Frid would rise to fame portraying Barnabas Collins on the gothic cult television soap opera Dark Shadows beginning in the mid-sixties. In 1970, he would bring the role to the screen with House of Dark Shadows directed by the show's creator, Dan Curtis. The feature's story focuses on Barnabas' story alone and his persuit of a cure with the help of Doctor Juila Hoffman. A cure is found, but it only works for a short while. In one scene, Barnabas is aged to 175 and Frid wears the same makeup created by Dick Smith and worn by Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man earlier that same year. By 1971, times would change and the TV series would get canceled. When a sequel to House of Dark Shadows is filmed, Barnabas is nowhere to be found, replaced by Quentin Collins (David Shelby). Following House of Dark Shadows, Jonathan Frid would act primarily in theater but would get the opportunity to star opposite Shelly Winters in the TV movie of the week The Devil's Daughter (1973) directed by Jeannot (Bug and Jaws 2) Szwarc and to star in Oliver Stone's first feature film, Seizure (1974).

CHRISTOPHER LEE as COUNT DRACULA in TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA

1970 was a busy year for Christopher Lee, who would star in no less than 10 motion pictures, most of which would be horror films. Remarkably, the man many still consider the Count Dracula would star as the vampire king in three different releases: Taste the Blood of Dracula and Scars of Dracula for Hammer studios and Count Dracula for Jesus Franco. Frustrated with Hammer's take on Dracula he stars in Franco's attempt at a "faithful" interpretation of the Bram Stoker classic. In Scars of Dracula, Dracula was presented in a more heinous light, more cruel and sadistic that previous Hammer films. Taste the Blood of Dracula would be the last "classic" Hammer Dracula portrayal to the screen. After Scars of Dracula, Hammer would bring the vampire to the present to compete with Count Yorga and other modern vampires with Dracula A.D. 1972. Hammer quickly follows it up with The Satanic Rites of Dracula, with the Count still set firmly in the present and still facing his enemy Van Helsing (or at least Van Helsing's decedents). Lee would refuse to play Dracula after that and for Hammer's final Dracula picture, the Count would be played by John Forbes-Robertson in The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires. But, in 1970, Christopher Lee WAS Count Dracula; he owned the role, so much so that even today he is still closely associated to the role and anyone who plays the Count is compared to Lee.

PETER CUSHING as GENERAL VON SPEILSDORF in VAMPIRE LOVERS

Beginning in 1970, Hammer would transition the focus of their scripts more toward the titillating features of their horror films, making stars of their female leads (such as Igrid Pitt and Caroline Munroe). This would not keep their primary horror icon out of work however; someone had to chase the monsters down, stake them and behead them. And no one could do it better than Peter Cushing. Vampire Lovers is the first of the Karnstein Trilogy and would focus more on the female vampires than previous hammer blood sucking classics. As General von Spielsdorf, Peter Cushing uncovers Carmilla's plans and confronts her, stakes her and then cuts off her head in glorious Hammer gory fashion. He would return in Twins of Evil (1971), the third in the trilogy, in a similar role as Gustav Weil. Mostly known as Professor Van Helsing or Baron Frankenstein (and as Grand Moff Tarken to many), Peter Cushing would only continue to cement his role as one of the greatest horror stars with roles such as General von Speilsdorf.

Doc Rotten's 666 Revelations: Scream Queens of 1970

Scream Queens from horror movies of 1970 introduce us to a few stars of the decade and close the chapter on few stars from decades before. They must face murderers, mad magicians, vampires, Frankenstein Monsters and cavemen. Important female roles are few and far between. Below are six female scream queens who made an impact on horror film history.

PAMELA FRANKLIN as JANE in AND SOON THE DARKNESS

While not her first horror movie, previous featured in both The Innocents (1961) - at the age of 11 - and The Nanny (1965), Pamela Franklin would begin her adult horror career with And Soon the Darkness and would follow this role up with films like Necromancy (1972), The Legend of Hell House (1973) and The Food of the Gods (1976) before leaving acting altogether in the early 1980s. With this movie, the actress, now in her early 20s, stars as Jane bicycling across the Paris countryside with her flirty friend, Cathy (Michele Dotrice). When Cathy disappears, Jane must uncover the whereabouts or, perhaps, the demise of her friend.

SANDRA DEE as NANCY WAGNER in THE DUNWICH HORROR

The H. P. Lovecraft classic tale, The Dunwich Horror, is adapted by Curtis Hanson and is directed by Daniel (Die, Monster Die!) Haller. Sixties teen actress and star Sandra Dee stars as Nancy Wagner who is entranced by the strange powers of the warlock Wilber (Dean Stockwell) Whateley. The Dunwich Horror is one of Sandra Dee's final film appearances as she was suffering in both public opinion (recently divorced from star husband, Bobby Darin) and in personal health (suffering from anorexia nervosa, depression and alcoholism). Dee know more for her earlier roles (Gidgit and The Reluctant Debutante) never took too many genre roles, besides The Dunwich Horror, she would guest star in some TV supernatural thrillers such as The Sixth Sense (1972) and Night Gallery (1971-1972).

VERONICA CARLSON as ELIZABETH HEISS in HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN

Previously starring in two other Hammer horror films, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), Veronica Carlson starred as Elizabeth Heiss in Hammer's attempt at a Frankenstein reboot, The Horror of Frankenstein. In this version she found herself being chased by David (Darth Vader from the Star Wars trilogy) Prowse and pursued by a new Baron Victor Frankenstein played by Ralph Bates. After two more genre roles in Old Dracula (1974) and The Ghoul (1975), she would all but retire from acting.

JOAN CRAWFORD as DR. BROCKTON in TROG

In her last on screen appearance, the legendary Joan Crawford takes another dive into the horror halls of fame. Her previous efforts include Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Straight-Jacket (1964), Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1965) and Beserk! (1967). Mrs. Crawford stars in Trog as Dr. Brockton, an anthropologist who believes she has found the missing link. She continues to defend the creature after it escapes and wreaks havok across the countryside. The reception to Trog was so poor, by critics and Crawford alike, that she publicly trounced the film many times and retired from making feature films.

INGRID PITT as CARMILLA KARNSTEIN in VAMPIRE LOVERS

In her first horror film for Hammer Films, Ingrid Pitt plays Carmilla Karnstein in the first of the Karnstein trilogy of films, Vampire Lovers. It would make her an instand horror icon, the Queen of Horror. She would bring the role a sexuality little seen in mainstream horror prior, but would become the staple of Hammer horror films since. This is her defining role and she holds her own along side of horror legend Peter Cushing. She would continue making horror films in the early Seventies, including Countess Dracula (1971), The House That Dripped Blood (1971) and The Wicker Man (1973). Today, she is a successful writer, has a large International fan club (Ingrid Pitt Fan Club) and continues to make appearances at horror conventions.

MADELINE SMITH as EMMA MORTON in VAMPIRE LOVERS

In 1970, young and beautiful Madline Smith would make a quick and lasting mark on horror scream queens as one of Hammer films leading ladies in both Vampire Lovers as Emma Morton and Taste the Blood of Dracula as Dolly. Later she would appear in Theatre of Blood (1973) with Vincent Price and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974). She would also become a Bond girl in Live and Let Die (1973). In Vampire Lovers she works opposite the legendary Ingrid Pitt, she would be the heroine to Pitt's antagonistic Karnstein.

Doc Rotten's 666 Revelations: Movie Monsters of 1970

Movie monsters in 1970 are still living off the creatures dominating films of the sixties, Dracula and Frankenstein from Hammer films or Toho's Godzilla and giant monster films. The zombie from Night of the Living Dead has yet made an impact as the film is still making rounds in drive-ins across the US. Films based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe are gasping their last breathe. Planet of the Apes has made a big impression on the movie goers (and makers) of the time and special effects makeup would begin to make its mark. Below are six monsters from 1970 that made an impact (some large, some small) on horror movie history, from vampires (Count Yorga) to kaiju rubber suited beasties (Yog, the Space monster).

COUNT YORGA
In 1970, director Bob Kelljan introduced the world to a new vampire named Count Yorga, played by Robert Quarry. At the time, there weren't too many named vampires besides Dracula or vampires related to Dracula: sons (Count Alucard - Son of Dracula), daughters (Countess Marya Zaleska - Dracula's Daughter) or look-a-likes (Count Mora - Mark of the Vampire). Even Nosferatu is a version of Dracula (although decidedly different visually from the US Dracula). Only Barnabas Collins, the lead from the gothic TV soap Dark Shadows, would be in the public's mind during this time. Also, Count Yorga would be placed in modern Los Angeles and not restricted to the confines of Victorian history, although he still dons the "classic" attire. Count Yorga's reception was strong enough to warrant a sequel in 1971 and would propel it's star Robert Quarry to become a genre star of the 70's.

FORBIDDEN ZONE MUTANTS
The sequel to Planet of the Apes would bring with it the human mutant monster with the survivors of the Forbidden Zone. Removing their masks to reveal hideously scarred flesh and possessing powers of the mind strong enough to cast illusions and instill pain in the minds of both the Astronauts (James Fransiscus and Charlton Heston) and Apes alike. If that wasn't enough, they also worship the Doomsday Bomb, which they have propped up inside their subterranian church. In a world inhabited by talking apes that hunt, cage and dissect humans, only mutant human monsters can become more frightening and destructive.

BARNABAS COLLINS
Television in the Sixties would create some household monster franschises, The Addams Family, The Munsters and Scooby-Doo. In 1970, one franchise would leap to the theaters, the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, with the film House of Dark Shadows. The Dan Curtis directed feature spotlights its vampire star, Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid. Like most vampires of the time, Barnabas doesn't stray too far from the gothic Victorian vampire stereotypes or Dracula's visual influences. Legendary makeup artist Dick Smith would provide a frightening aged, old-man version of Barnabas even using the same skull cap placed on Dustin Hoffman in Little Big Man earlier the same year. This would prove to be Barnabas' only film appearance as the sequel would spotlight other creatures from the series.

TROG
When a primitive troglodyte is found living in a cave, an anthropologist (Joan Crawford) attempts to domesticate the beast. A trouble-making land developer (Michael Gough) sets him free and introduces the world to Trog. The Z-grade monster of the year, Trog's makeup pales in comparison to effects found in Planet of the Apes. In fact, only the headpiece is makeup with the rest being a rather unconvincing costume. However, the whole concept is deliciously oversimplified and silly making for an unforgettable creature, perhaps for the wrong reasons, of a different time both in his own sense and movie monster history.

CARMILLA KARNSTEIN
In 1970, much like today (2010), vampires were huge. We've already discussed Count Yorga and Barnabas Collins. Christopher Lee's Count Dracula for Hammer Films would make two appearances this year with Taste the Blood of Dracula and Scars of Dracula. Christopher Lee would also play a mustachioed version in Jesus Franco's Count Dracula. However, Hammer Films would bring the first of its Karnstein Trilogy films, Vampire Lovers and introduce the world to Ingrid Pitt as Carmilla Karnstein. No more vampire bride for this vampire, she's the king in her kingdom. Carmilla is Dracula's equal, just as threatening, just as enchanting and just as tragic. The female vampire finally has a name and a face.

YOG, THE SPACE MONSTER
A mostly forgotten kaiju creation would appear this year, Yog, the Space Monster also known as the Space Amoeba, but also simply named Gezora. Yog resembles a giant walking squid with a highly imaginative design, perhaps too innovative for its own good. Yog would never reach the audiences or fame of its cousins Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan or Gamera. However, Yog benefits from having some equally imaginative foes: Ganimes, a gigantic crab and Kamoebas a gigantic water turtle. While still obviously a man in a rubber suit, who can forget a upright walking squid with large bulging eyes. While never appearing in another film, unlike many of his Toho Studios counterparts, Yog would at least gain cult status over the years.