The Vampire

The Vampire

Year: 1957

Runtime: 76 mins

Language: English

Director: Paul Landres

HorrorScience FictionHorror the undead and monster classicsChilling experiments and classic monster horrorCreepy chilling and terrifying horror

A small‑town doctor mistakenly drinks an experimental drug made from vampire‑bat blood, which inexplicably transforms the caring physician into a savage, blood‑thirsty monster. The story follows his terrifying metamorphosis and the town’s struggle against this new kind of killer stalking their streets.

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Timeline & Setting – The Vampire (1957)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Vampire (1957). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

San Francisco

San Francisco, a bustling West Coast city, provides the backdrop for the story with its foggy bay, steep hills, and busy downtown streets. The setting allows scenes to unfold between laboratories and everyday urban life, placing a scientific nightmare right in a recognizable cityscape. The city serves as a familiar frame for mid-century horror with a scientific edge.

🌉 City 🧪 Science 🕵️ Mystery

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:14

Main Characters – The Vampire (1957)

Meet the key characters of The Vampire (1957), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dr. Paul Beecher (John Beal)

A physician whose judgment is compromised by Campbell's pills, leading to dangerous blackouts and a gradual slide into vampiric violence. His clinical exterior masks a growing willingness to cross lethal boundaries.

🧪 Scientist 🧠 Obsessed 🩸 Monster

Betsy Beecher (Lydia Reed)

Paul's daughter, whose accidental substitution of vampire blood pills sparks the chain of events. She becomes a catalyst for the unfolding danger, though she remains largely unaware of its full consequences.

👧 Daughter 🕰️ Catalyst 🕯️ Witness

Carol Butler (Coleen Gray)

Paul's nurse who notices the strange changes and tries to warn others, ultimately fleeing from danger. She represents moral clarity and courage in the midst of a scientific nightmare.

🧑‍⚕️ Nurse 🏃‍♀️ Courage 🕊️ Hope

Buck Donnelly (Kenneth Tobey)

Sheriff investigating the unusual deaths and disturbances in the lab. He provides practical resolve and pursues the truth as the situation spirals out of control.

🛡️ Sheriff 🕵️ Investigator ⚔️ Pursuit

Dr. Will Beaumont (Dabbs Greer)

Head of the university's psychiatric department and Campbell's supervisor, skeptical of Paul's claims yet entangled in the consequences of the pills. His detachment becomes a liability as events escalate.

🏥 Psychiatrist 🧪 Overseer ⚖️ Skeptical

Henry Winston (James Griffith)

A researcher assisting with the experiments who is found dead with puncture wounds, underscoring the escalating danger behind the scientific enterprise.

🔬 Researcher 🕳️ Victim 🧭 Mysterious

Marion Wilkins (Ann Staunton)

A patient with congenital heart problems whose fate highlights the stakes of medical experimentation and the vulnerability of patients under experimental medicine.

🫀 Patient 🧭 Stakes 👁️‍🗨️ Vulnerable

Dr. Matthew J. Campbell (Wood Romoff)

The visionary researcher whose mind-regression work and vampire-blood pills set the plot in motion, ultimately facing the consequences of his scientific hubris.

🧪 Visionary 🔬 Researcher ⚖️ Ethical breach

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:14

Major Themes – The Vampire (1957)

Explore the central themes of The Vampire (1957), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧪 Scientific hubris

Researchers push beyond ethical boundaries, pursuing mind-regression and biological experiments that blur the line between science and danger. Campbell's pills and the search for greater intellect become catalysts for catastrophe, exposing the risks of unchecked ambition.

🧬 Transformation

Paul's blackouts trigger a literal transformation into a vampire, driving fear and unreliable perception. The change propels a cascade of violent acts and moral conflict as his humanity fights a monstrous instinct.

⚖️ Ethics of experimentation

The story centers on the ethical failure of medical research—mind-altering pills, experimental procedures, and their potential weaponization. It contrasts compassionate intentions with dangerous methods and raises questions about responsibility when science goes too far.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:14

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The Vampire Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Vampire, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Vampire Summary

The Vampire Timeline

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The Vampire Timeline

More About The Vampire

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