Mark of the Vampire

Aristocratic patriarch Sir Karell Borotyn is found murdered, marking the start of a tense inquiry. His death—with two pinpoint neck wounds—drives suspicions of vampiric violence and sets the cast of suspects in motion. The castle’s halls and drawing rooms become the stage for the mystery, where truth and pretence clash. The case hinges on distinguishing real danger from elaborate deception.

Sir Karell’s daughter, Irena becomes the target of the supposed vampires and moves through the castle under threat. She lies at the heart of the investigation and collaborates with the occult expert to uncover the truth. Her loyalty to fiancé Fedor Vincente helps ground the plot in human stakes. She embodies the tension between fear and reason as the deception unravels.

Count Mora is initially suspected in the vampiric scare but emerges as a theatrical figure who uses the vampire premise as a show. He is an aristocrat who sees the vampire myth as a potential new act and a source of dramatic publicity. His involvement hints at opportunistic manipulation rather than supernatural danger. The character’s quip about turning vampires into a new act foreshadows the film’s twist.

Luna is Count Mora’s daughter and an actress involved in the vampire charade. She participates in the staged attacks and the illusion surrounding the murder. Her presence underscores the play-like nature of the crime and the reliance on performance to shape perception. She embodies the theatre troupe’s role within the plot.

Baron Otto von Zinden is the plot’s true killer, driven by a motive to marry Irena that her father opposes. He stages the murder to resemble a vampire attack and relies on the actors’ illusion to mislead the investigation. His confession, extracted through the hypnotic reenactment, reveals the depth of his manipulation. Otto’s actions expose the dangers of vanity and jealousy fueling crime.

Professor Zelin is an occult expert who arrives to aid the investigation. He orchestrates the hypnotic reenactment and uses mind-control to probe memories and force a confrontation with the truth. His actions blur the lines between science, suggestion, and showmanship. The character drives the central mechanism by which deception is tested and revealed.

Prague Police Inspector Neumann is skeptical of the vampire explanation but pursues the case with determination. He navigates the tension between superstition and evidence, challenging the theatrical ruse. His role anchors the investigation within procedural reality, even as illusion complicates the search for truth. He remains a steady figure as the plot pivots toward a confession.

Dr. Doskil is the attending physician who is drawn into the vampire theory about Sir Karell’s death. He participates in the early misgivings about the cause and helps drive the investigation forward. His perspective adds a medical viewpoint to the debate between real danger and staged illusion. He remains part of the ensemble that challenges the murder’s apparent cause.

Fedor Vincente is Irena’s fiancé who believes vampires might be real at first and stands by her side through the investigation. Unlike others entangled in the deception, he represents the human stakes and loyalty within the story. His perspective helps ground the plot in personal relationships rather than purely theatrical intrigue.