[3] Directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Peter Cushing, David Peel, Freda Jackson, Yvonne Monlaur, Andrée Melly, and Martita Hunt.

En route to taking up a position in Transylvania, French schoolteacher Marianne Danielle is abandoned at a village inn by her coach driver.

Marianne flees into the night upon seeing this, while the castle's servant Greta blames the dead Baroness for having allowed the baron to be turned into a vampire by Dracula.

Knowing that the transformation was the Baron's revenge on his mother for locking him up, Van Helsing takes pity on her and kills her with a wooden stake the next morning.

The next day, Van Helsing inspects Gina's body and orders that it be placed in a horse stable under constant vigilance.

After waking up, Van Helsing heats a metal tool in a brazier, cauterises his wound and pours holy water on it.

As the Baron attempts to hypnotise her to make her compliant to his will, Van Helsing throws the holy water at his face, which sears him like acid.

The Baron kicks over the brazier of hot coals, starting a fire, and runs outside as the brides make their escape.

Van Helsing runs to the sails and moves them to form the shadow of a cross over Baron Meinster, who is killed by his exposure to the symbol.

Sangster's script was rewritten by Peter Bryan to remove references to Dracula, while adding the character of Van Helsing.

[9] The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "The genuinely eerie atmosphere of traditional Vampire folk-lore continues to elude the cinema.

"[12] Harrison's Reports wrote that Martita Hunt and Freda Jackson were "excellent" in the film and the direction and photography were "first class," but that it was "not overly frightening.

Anaemic David Peel as Baron Meinster is a poor substitute for Lee's more full-blooded undead Count, but that's the only point of contention in a classic Terence Fisher-directed shocker.

The marvellous atmosphere drips with a lingering gothic ghoulishness, the sexuality is remarkably upfront for its time, and the climax set in the shadow of a moonlit windmill is the stuff of fairy tale nightmare.

"[14] Leslie Halliwell said: "The best of the Hammer Draculas, with plenty of inventive action, some classy acting and good sense of place and period.