In 1830, the Karnstein heirs use the blood of the beautiful and innocent Mircalla (played this time around by the stunning Danish beauty Yutte Stensgaard in her first lead role) to bring forth the evil reincarnation of their long-dead vampire relative, Carmilla Karnstein.
Adjacent to their home is a finishing school for girls (location shooting was at Hunton Park in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire) – where having at least a D-cup seems to be a prerequisite for the nubile young ladies to gain admission – which offers rich pickings for the vampires.
Having a school full of half-naked teenage girls right next to an old haunted vampire castle. What could possibly go wrong?!
The school headmaster, Giles Barton (Ralph Bates), is desperate to become Mircalla’s disciple, and occult novelist Richard Lestrange (Michael Johnson), who scams a job teaching English at the school, falls in love with her.
Hammer had originally intended for Peter Cushing to play the lead but he had to bow out shortly before filming so he could look after his seriously ill wife. Ralph Bates was cast at short notice.
Director Jimmy Sangster and star Ralph Bates disowned this sequel to The Vampire Lovers (1970) upon seeing the finished product. It’s a wonderful mix of blood, nudity, lesbianism and some Satanic mumbo-jumbo, but Bates considered it “one of the worst films ever made.”
The casting of Radio Onedisc jockeyMike Raven as Count Karnstein was certainly a bizarre move (they dubbed his voice for the film).
Countess Herritzen
Barbara Jefford Giles Barton
Ralph Bates Janet Playfair
Suzanna Leigh Mircalla/Carmilla Karnstein
Yutte Stensgaard Richard Lestrange
Michael Johnson Miss Simpson
Helen Christie Count Karnstein
Mike Raven Coachman
Christopher Cunningham Inspector Heinrich
Harvey Hall Landlord
Michael Brennan Susan Pelley
Pippa Steel Amanda McBride
Judy Matheson Isabel Courtney
Caryl Little Raymond Pelley
David Healy Arthur Biggs
Jonathan Cecil
Countess Herritzen
Inspector Heinrich
