Count Dracula’s Great Love

Count Dracula’s Great Love

Year: 1973

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: Spanish

Director: Javier Aguirre

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsGothic and eerie haunting horrorCreepy chilling and terrifying horrorBloody vampire horror

Four women seek shelter for the night in an abandoned mountain sanitarium, only to encounter a malevolent doctor who preys on them. The doctor’s twisted thirst for female flesh and human blood leads each woman into a terrifying fate within the decaying walls.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 19th century

The story unfolds in a pre-modern era marked by stagecoaches and old-world superstition. A storm-lashed Borgo Pass funnels strangers into a secluded sanctuary that becomes a trap. The setting blends isolation, antiquated medicine, and ancient dread typical of gothic horror.

Location

Carpathian Mountains, Borgo Pass, Sanatorium

Set in a remote Carpathian sanatorium perched near the Borgo Pass, the location anchors the gothic mood. Storms drive travelers inside where secrets fester behind its walls. The bleak mountains, creaking halls, and dungeon-like corridors heighten the threat of Dracula's nocturnal plan.

🗺️ Carpathian Mountains 🏥 Sanatorium 🗺️ Borgo Pass

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:54

Main Characters – Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973)

Meet the key characters of Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Count Dracula / Dr. Wendell Marlowe (Paul Naschy)

The vampire host of the sanatorium, Dracula wields charm and menace to lure his guests. He seeks the ritual to resurrect his daughter Radna and to claim Karen as an immortal bride. He seduces the women and imprisons them in a dungeon, orchestrating a deadly transformation. Ultimately, he sacrifices himself by stake to spare Karen from becoming undead.

🧛 Vampire 🎭 Villain 💔 Romance

Karen (Haydée Politoff)

The virginal focal point who resists Dracula's seduction while others fall under his spell. She remains human amid the encroaching horror and becomes the core of Dracula's conflicted feelings. Her humanity anchors the narrative against the vampire's dark ambitions. Dracula's love for Karen drives his ultimate self-sacrifice to protect her humanity.

💖 Protagonist 🛡️ Courage 🌹 Love

Elke (Mirta Miller)

A glamorous traveler among the stagecoach party who seeks shelter from the storm. She draws Dracula's attention and becomes entangled in his sinister plans, highlighting the peril that befalls the group. Her fate underscores the vulnerability of glamor under vampiric manipulation.

🎀 Glamour 🧭 Traveler 🩸 Victim

Senta (Rosanna Yanni)

One of the quartet of passengers who enters the sanatorium with the group. She becomes another casualty of Dracula's seduction, adding to the rising sense of peril within the manor.

🎭 Drama 👗 Fashion 🩸 Victim

Marlene (Ingrid Garbo)

Another member of the stagecoach party drawn into Dracula's trap. Her fate mirrors the others as the Count's influence spreads through the group.

🎭 Drama 🩸 Victim 🌑 Gothic

Imre Polvi (Víctor Barrera)

The male companion accompanying the travelers, caught up in the Count's web. He helps drive the group's dynamic toward the perilous encounter with Dracula.

🎭 Drama 🧭 Adventure 👫 Companion

Porteador (Álvaro de Luna)

A porter who assists the travelers during their journey and their unexpected stay at the sanatorium.

🧳 Helper 🌗 Supporting 🗺️ Travel

Porteador (José Manuel Martín)

Another porter accompanying the group, sharing in the journey and the looming danger inside the sanatorium.

🧳 Helper 🌗 Supporting 🚶 Travel

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:54

Major Themes – Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973)

Explore the central themes of Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Love vs Death

Dracula's pursuit of Karen pits mortal love against the curse of undeath. He alternates between seduction and menace, revealing a more humane facet when he claims to love Karen and refuses to let her join the living dead. Karen's humanity stands as the last bulwark against eternal darkness. Dracula's self-sacrifice to spare her undead fate shows a tragic, love-driven twist to the monster.

🧛 Vampire Lore

Dracula's ritual revolves around resurrecting his daughter Radna and turning the guests into an undead army. The Count uses charm and domination to extend his immortality and control. The film leverages classic vampire myth to explore power, temptation, and the fear of becoming one of the living dead. The remote sanatorium setting heightens the ceremonial horror surrounding the undead.

🔒 Captivity

Travelers are diverted from safety into a claustrophobic maze of halls and dungeon-like spaces. The sanatorium serves as a fortress that traps guests as Dracula conducts his dark ritual. Trust fractures and fear intensifies as doors close and despair grows. The ending ties romance and death to a cruel, intimate confinement at the heart of the story.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:54

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Count Dracula’s Great Love Summary

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Count Dracula’s Great Love Timeline

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Count Dracula’s Great Love Timeline

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Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

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