An 18th century African prince is turned into a vampire while visiting Transylvania. Two centuries later, he rises from his coffin attacking various residents of Los Angeles and meets Tina, a woman who he believes is the reincarnation of his deceased wife.
Acting
William Marshall's operatic gravitas in a cheap cape.
Production
LA locations repurposed as gothic nightmare on a shoestring.
Costume
That cravat situation deserves its own film studies thesis.
Director
William Crain
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during peak blaxploitation era, this was AIP's attempt to diversify horror—Marshall reportedly took the role to subvert negative Black stereotypes, insisting on his character's nobility.
William Marshall was a trained Shakespearean actor who'd played Othello multiple times; he rewrote much of his own dialogue to give Mamuwalde tragic dignity the script lacked.
US
