Michael_Elliott The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960) ** 1/2 (out of 4)A small town has had three vampire attacks on the full moon and locals are terrified that something evil is stalking them. Not everything believes these myths and that includes a troupe of young dancers who end up staying at a castle but it doesn't take long for the vampire to come after them.THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA, or its original title L'AMANTE DEL VAMPIRO, is credited for being one of the earliest Italian horror films to mix sex and violence. The film today is quite tame in regards to both but it's easy to watch the film and see that it would have been an influence on several others that were to be released but at the same time there's no question that it's a flawed picture to say the least.I think the biggest problem with the film is the fact that there's really not too much that happens throughout its running time. There are very long stretches where we basically see the characters either talking or not doing a thing and this really makes for a slow film and one that you're going to need patience with. There are a couple other extended sequences with the girls doing their dances and this here is just as boring, although I'm sure people in 1960 enjoyed watching these beautiful ladies and their big breasts packed into these tight costumes.With that being said, there are some very good things scattered throughout the movie that makes it worth watching. As I said, the ladies are quite beautiful and easy to look at throughout the picture. There's also some nice atmosphere and especially the opening sequence, which gets the film off to a great start. Then there's the vampire himself who looks wonderful. I really liked the deformed monster look that they gave the vampire and it made the attacks all the more effective. There's also the ending, which I won't spoil but it's wonderful too.THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA isn't a masterpiece but it is an important film in Italian horror cinema. As I said, there are certainly some flaws with it but the picture is certainly worth watching.

Uriah43 This movie begins with a young woman named getting bitten by a vampire late at night in the forest. She is taken to a doctor's house where several young ladies are staying in preparation for an upcoming ballet. Since she seems to be okay she is taken back to the farm where she works but subsequently dies a little later and is buried. At least, all of the villagers believe she is dead. In any case, that same night a young man named "Luca" (Isarco Ravaioli) and two of the women by the names of "Luisa" (Helene Remy) and "Francesca" (Tina Gloriani) get lost in the forest and happen to come upon a castle which they take refuge in from an approaching thunderstorm. Not long afterward they are greeted by a woman named "Countess Alda" (Maria Luisa Rolando) who offers them some tea. When Countess Alda temporarily excuses herself, Luisa decides to look around the castle and it's at this time that she is bitten by the same vampire who attacked the young woman in the woods. From that point on Luisa is irresistibly drawn to the vampire by the name of "Herman" (Walter Brandi) and this endangers everyone who is close to Luisa. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that from what I understand this movie had some difficulty with the Italian censors due—strangely enough--to the graphic images exhibited during the death of the vampires and the special effects related to the mask worn by Herman. While it all seems rather tame in this day and age I suppose it goes with the territory back then. Be that as it may, although this film is definitely dated, it wasn't too bad as far as vampire films are concerned and because of that I have rated it accordingly. Average.

Edgar Soberon Torchia Seen 54 years after its initial release "L'amante del vampiro" (1960) was a most pleasant surprise, a good horror film that introduced vampires with fangs into the golden age of Italian "cinéma fantastique", including (and often mixing) horror, péplum, spy spoof, comic-book heroes, giallo, and even science-fiction. When discussing this film directed by Renato Polselli, most sources indicate the influence of Terence Fisher's "Dracula" (United Kingdom, 1958), but I would say that Fernando Méndez's "El vampiro" (Mexico, 1957) was also a source of inspiration: the constant irruption of the Italian vampire (Walter Brandi) into the house of the ballerinas, is evocative of the menacing presence of a Eastern European vampire in the Mexican hacienda. It is evident that the financial resources were scarce, but this little film was made with conviction, imagination and a lot of humor. I suppose the erotic elements came mostly from Polselli, who would eventually direct a few pornographic films: in this case he handled them with the typical restraint of mainstream cinema of its day, but they are by no means deprived of sensuality. First, the film includes two welcome dance sequences, one even emerging from the beautiful ballerinas' sudden inspiration. Any dance academy would love to have this kind of students, who are good-looking, suggestive, dance well and can choreograph themselves! Then there is the vampire baroness (Maria Luisa Lombardo), a lady constantly in heat, even when she is wearing medieval gowns; while the erotic undercurrent rises whenever hunk Gino Turini (as Giorgio, the choreographer) appears bare chested, in bathing suits or in bed with his lover. The most sensual moment though, is when ballerina Luisa (Hélène Remy) moves ardently in bed, waiting for the vampire to arrive. The castle used as the vampires' lair is superb, with actors obviously working in very cold conditions; the black and white cinematography is a big plus, and even the ugly vampire's evident mask points to one important plot element. But I believe that the great strength of "L'amante del vampiro" is the music by Aldo Piga, even if some find it annoying. He not only added rhythm to scenes shot at a slow pace, but he also did a great job combining suspenseful contemporary music with a portentous and dramatic score that magnifies the terror described. Renato Polselli was not the most inspired director, yes, and it shows that he handled the material just adequately. But everybody involved in this production contributed more than the usual quota of professionalism and enthusiasm, and I believe that this is what has contributed to make "L'amante del vampiro" an attractive and interesting horror work up to this day.

Brian W. Fairbanks I saw this black-and-white Italian made vampire movie at the Cloverleaf Drive-In in Cleveland, Ohio back in the early 1960s. The theater often booked triple feature horror programs (and triple features period. I even saw "El Cid" on a triple bill there). The drive-in's location was part of its appeal. If the movie wasn't worth watching, you could stare at the neon Goodyear sign off in the distance. I only have a vague recollection of this film as it appeared theatrically. Like some others who have commented on it, I know it primarily from a 12-minute Super 8 silent home movie edition that Ken Films distributed in its United Artists series (which was primarily dedicated to condensed versions of the classics UA picked up from Warner Bros). In that abbreviated state, it wasn't at all bad, with a climax as memorable as Christopher Lee's demise in "Horror of Dracula." Helene Remy got top billing, above the title, but I'm not even sure any of her scenes made it into the home movie version. Then again, I don't think I would recognize her anyway.