Tag: 1970s

Ingrid Pitt as Carmilla
Ingrid Pitt as Carmilla, at the ball where she meets Laura (Pippa Steele) (Hammer Films)
07 MAY

A Tale of Two Carmillas- part 2: The Vampire Lovers (1970)

The second film in this analysis of two film adaptions of the gothic vampire novella Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.

The first part of this article dealt with a little known French adaption of the classic short story (if you haven’t already- read Part 1 here). Next, we will look at the more widely released The Vampire Lovers, British studio Hammer’s take on the story. Although their source material is the same, Et Mourir de Plaisir and The Vampire Lovers are very different films in terms of tone, style and execution.

Read more about A Tale of Two Carmillas- part 2: The Vampire Lovers (1970) …

Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, vividly introduced during the opening titles of The Persuaders! (ITC/Network)
30 APR

The Persuaders! (1971) – An Anglo American Alliance!

As soon as that distinctive theme tune commences… you know you’re in for an hour of enjoyable escapist entertainment!

……from Professor Spool’s archive

Towards the end of the 1960s, Roger Moore was hanging up his halo as Simon Templar, making a lightweight British cinema thriller Crossplot (1969) with his ‘The Saint’ (1962-1969) TV series producer Robert S. Baker – and he was being touted as the next James Bond.  Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Hollywood matinee idol Tony Curtis had been receiving critical acclaim for playing against type as the real life serial killer Albert DeSalvo in The Boston Strangler (1968).  Little did either actor probably know at this time that media mogul Lew Grade had plans that would bring them both together in The Persuaders! It would be, in the early seventies, one of the most expensive British TV series.

Read more about The Persuaders! (1971) – An Anglo American Alliance! …