There are so many vampire films that two were released in 1957 with the title The Vampire. The other one is a bit of a mash of elements from vampires, werewolves and Jekyll & Hyde. This is the earliest Great Horror film to come from Mexico. It works because the lore sticks to the basics and does very little that’s illogical or stupid. Performances are charming and there’s a lot of great atmosphere. This serves as a transition out of the classic Universal monster movies and coming right before Hammer’s Dracula films. While Christopher Lee is often credited for being the first to wear vampire fangs, that actually started with the vampire here. The film was so successful there was a quick sequel made with the director and cast. It’s not bad, but something that was clearly conceived in a hurry. This film is a gem, discovered once it received a proper restoration.
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