Son of Dracula (1974 film)

Infobox_Film
name = Son of Dracula


caption = 1974 Movie Poster
imdb_id = 0072189
amg_id =
director = Freddie Francis
writer = Jennifer Jayne
starring = Harry Nilsson
Ringo Starr
producer = Jerry Gross
Ringo Starr
Tim Van Rellim
music = Paul Buckmaster
cinematography= Anthony B. Richmond
distributor = Cinemation Industries (USA)
released = flagicon|USA April 1974
runtime = 90 min.
language = English
budget =
Infobox Album |
Name = Son of Dracula
Type = Album
Artist = Harry Nilsson


Released = 1974
Recorded = 1971-1972, 1974
Genre = Pop Music
Length = 40:00
Label = Rapple (RCA/Apple)
Producer = Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bn831vsjzzca link]
Last album = "A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night"
(1973)
This album = "Son of Dracula"
(1974)
Next album = "Pussy Cats"
(1974)

"Son of Dracula" is a musical comedy film released in 1974 by Apple Films, starring Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr. It is also the title of a Harry Nilsson album released in conjunction with the film. It includes Nilsson songs that were showcased in the film as well as portions of dialogue, used as bridging sequences. All song tracks with the exception of "Daybreak" are from "Nilsson Schmilsson" (1971) and "Son of Schmilsson" (1972), albums previously released.

Ringo Starr appears as Merlin the Magician, who follows the birth and rise of young Count Downe, played by Harry Nilsson. Starr and Nilsson were longtime friends, and Starr had played drums on "Son of Schmilsson", which had spoofed horror movie motifs. A year or so later, Starr decided to make a rock and roll Dracula movie, and invited Nilsson to come on board. Nilsson thought at first the whole idea came from his recent album; as it turned out, Starr hadn't followed its release, and until then-wife Maureen brought him a copy, he didn't even know Nilsson had already used a similar theme.

Making the movie, both Nilsson and Starr came to realise it wasn't going to be a great piece of cinematic art, though they still enjoyed their time on the set. After its release, not even wooden stakes were needed to put the movie in its coffin, seemingly once and for all. Showings over the years have been limited to midnight movies and similar outlets, no official home video release has ever been made, and reviewers including Leonard Maltin have little positive to say about the film.

The LP release of the soundtrack album included a T-shirt iron-on advertising the movie, and a companion songbook included a reproduction of the movie poster. The single version of "Daybreak" edited out the words "it's pissing me off" (referring to daylight), repeating the lyric "it's making me cough" instead, and the fadeout is longer than in any LP or CD release of the song. ("Daybreak" was covered later by Nilsson friend and former Monkee Micky Dolenz.)

John Bonham, legendary drummer of English rock band Led Zeppelin, makes an appearance in the film, playing the drummer in the Count's band.

It is unknown if the film will ever come out officially on DVD. Harry Nillson brought a VHS copy of the film to show at the 1982 New Jersey Beatlefeast convention to be shown only at a special Friday night party that Convention host Mark Lapidos gives for the convention guests and vendors.Fact|date=November 2007 Most party attendees ignored the film. According to journalist Peter Palmiere, Ringo has said in the late 1980s that he had a copy of the video lying on top of his TV set, but couldn't bear to look at it. Fact|date=November 2007

oundtrack listing

#It is he who will be king (Paul Buckmaster) – 3:07
#"Daybreak" (Nilsson) – 2:43
#"At My Front Door" (Ewart B. Abner, John C. Moore) – 2:40
#Count Downe meets Merlin and Amber (Buckmaster) – 2:10
#"The Moonbeam Song" (Nilsson) – 3:20
#Perhaps this is all a dream (Buckmaster) – :47
#"Remember" (Nilsson) – 4:09
#Intro, "Without You" (Pete Ham, Tom Evans) – 3:47
#The Count's vulnerability (Buckmaster) – 2:10
#"Down" (Nilsson) – 3:07
#Frankenstein, Merlin and the operation (Taverner) – 3:20
#"Jump into the Fire" (Nilsson) – 3:16
#The abdication of Count Downe (Buckmaster) – 1:10
#The end (Moonbeam) – :49

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F1ABCF1F6AE0BCE6 Son of Dracula on YouTube]
* [http://www.harrynilsson.com/page-son-of-dracula.html Son of Dracula at HarryNilsson.com]

*imdb title|id=0072189|title=Son of Dracula