Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter (1974), dir. Brian Clemons, Hammer Film Productions
Nearing the end of Hammer Films but man, this could have been a hell note to end on.
Somewhere in Europe, two girls are having a nice day in the woods. Anne (Elizabeth Dear) wanders off to gather some wildflowers, leaving Myra (Joanna Ross) alone. When she returns, she finds Myra aged almost to the point of death. Local physician Dr. Marcus (John Carson) is utterly baffled.
So much so he opts to call for outside help, namely his old army buddy Captain Kronos (Horst Janson). Kronos and his assistant Professor Grost (John Carter) arrive soon thereafter, with local gal Carla (Caroline Munroe) in tow. They rescued her from some stocks she had been placed in for the crime of dancing on a Sunday.
Here we get some info. Kronos hunts vampires, all kinds. Yes, all kinds. It seems there are as many different breeds of vampire as there are predators in the wild. Some can be killed stakes through the heart, yes, but some can only be killed by beheading, or hanging, or drowning. Kronos and Grost then proceed to try and track down what kind of vampire they are dealing with and who it could be.
A possible suspect is Lady Durwood (Wanda Ventham). She is known to Dr. Marcus, as her husband, renowned swordsman Lord Durwood was once a patient of the good doctor. Given that everyone speaks of him in the past tense one can assume the doctor's treatment was less than successful. The Durwood children, Paul (Shane Bryant) and Sarah (Lois Daine) are also suspects, given how obsessed they seem with staying young. Their mother also seems far more aged than normal.
When Kronos and Grost head into the local pub for some info, they are confronted by local thug Kerro (Ian Hendry). Kronos easily dispatches him, but unknown to the captain, Kerro was paid rather handsomely by the Durwoods butler Barlow (Perry Soblowsky) to make sure Kronos didn't leave the pub alive.
While they are fighting, a shadowy figure pays a visit to Dr. Marcus. The result-the good doctor is now undead. He still has his will, however, and he helps Kronos find a way to kill him and thus the head vampire as well.
I'm not mad, just disappointed. This could have been so good, yet it falls short. Janson isn't a bad actor by any means, but he lacks the charisma needed to pull off the character. Which is a great pity, as Kronos could have been Hammer's salvation. As it is we have a disappointing almost was, which is almost worse than nothing.
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