Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966, Hammer Films)

Dracula: Prince of Darkness is a 1966 British supernatural horror film directed by Terence Fisher.
The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions, and is the third entry in Hammer's Dracula series, as well as the second to feature Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, the titular vampire. It also stars Andrew Keir, Francis Matthews, and Barbara Shelley.

The film was photographed in Techniscope by Michael Reed, designed by Bernard Robinson and scored by James Bernard.

Cast:
Christopher Lee as Count Dracula
Francis Matthews as Charles Kent
Andrew Keir as Father Sandor
Philip Latham as Klove
Suzan Farmer as Diana Kent
Barbara Shelley as Helen Kent
Charles Tingwell as Alan Kent
Thorley Walters as Ludwig
Walter Brown as Brother Mark
Jack Lambert as Brother Peter
George Woodbridge as Landlord
Philip Ray as Priest
Joyce Hemson as Mother
John Maxim as Coach Driver
Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing (uncredited - archive footage only)

Production notes:
Dracula does not speak in the film, save for a few hisses. According to Christopher Lee: "I didn't speak in that picture. The reason was very simple. I read the script and saw the dialogue! I said to Hammer, if you think I'm going to say any of these lines, you're very much mistaken." Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster disputed that account in his memoir Inside Hammer, writing that "Vampires don't chat. So I didn't write him any dialogue. Christopher Lee has claimed that he refused to speak the lines he was given...So you can take your pick as to why Christopher Lee didn't have any dialogue in the picture. Or you can take my word for it. I didn't write any."

The film was written into a novel by John Burke as part of his 1967 book The Second Hammer Horror Film Omnibus.

The film was made back to back with Rasputin, the Mad Monk, using many of the same sets and cast, including Lee, Shelley, Matthews and Farmer. Shelley later remembered accidentally swallowing one of her fangs in one scene, and having to drink salt water to bring it back up again because of the tight shooting schedule, as well as there being no spare set of fangs.

The film was released in some markets on a double feature with The Plague of the Zombies. Plastic vampire fangs and cardboard "zombie eyes" glasses were distributed to audience members as a gimmick.