El vampiro

Lore & Background

The film follows Marta, a young woman who travels to her childhood village and discovers that one of her aunts is dead and another is under the influence of Mr. Duval, who later reveals himself to be a vampire named Count Karol de Lavud. The cast includes Germán Robles as the vampire, Ariadna Welter as Marta, and Abel Salazar as Dr. Enrique, among others. A sequel, El ataúd del vampiro (The Vampire's Coffin), was released in 1958 with the same producer, director, writer, and three main actors reprising their roles.

Reader's Guide

El vampiro is historically significant as one of the first movies to depict a vampire with elongated canines, predating Hammer's Horror of Dracula by a year. While F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu had elongated incisors, Tod Browning's Dracula did not show teeth at all; for this film, actor German Robles was given visible teeth. The film is credited with initiating the Mexican horror boom of the 1960s. It was released on DVD in 2006 by CasaNegra/Panik House Entertainment, and both El vampiro and its sequel were released on blu-ray by Powerhouse on October 29, 2024. The blu-ray includes a commentary track in Spanish by German Robles, recorded in 2007 when he was 78, as well as interviews with the daughters of producer and actor Abel Salazar.

Did You Know?

• The film's sequel, El ataúd del vampiro, was released in 1958 with the same producer, director, writer, and three main actors.
• Germán Robles, who played the vampire, recorded a commentary track for the blu-ray in 2007 at age 78.
• The blu-ray release includes interviews with the daughters of producer and actor Abel Salazar.