Atomic Age Vampire

Echelon Films

Singa Home Entertainment

All Region NTSC

Atomic Age Vampire was made in Italy in 1960 under the title Seddok, l'erede di Satana, it also became known as Atom Age Dracula and Son Of Satan. It was released in 1963 in the United States as a black-and-white horror/science fiction film with influences ranging from a fear of radiation to vampire films and Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. It was directed by Anton Giulio Majano (who in the US edition is listed as Richard McNamara), produced by Mario Fava (probably Mario Bava, though there is some debate on this) and stars Alberto Lupo. The original Italian film was adapted and shortened for the US market by about 18 minutes and dubbed. It has a rather impressive jazzy score by Armando Trovajoli.

Singer Jeanette Moreneau (Susanne Loret) is a successful singer and has a sailor lad for a lover, but when she refuses to give up her career for him he leaves in a huff. Following him in a hysterical rush (she spends a lot of time hysterical in this film), she crashes her car and is left badly disfigured. After all medical treatments fail she is convinced by Dr.Levin and his assistant to try an experimental treatment.

Dr. Levin spent some years studying the effects of radiation in post-Hiroshima Japan and along the way became exposed to radiation. He found his physical state constantly degenerating and need to develop a serum to keep himself alive. He first develops “Derma 25” from the glands of Japanese refugees he kills but it is imperfect. He moves on to create Derma 28 which while regenerating tissue requires regular treatment. When he runs out of refugees to experiment on he uses Derma 25 to turn himself into a sort of “Mr.Hyde” figure whose bestial strength is used to capture and kill young women to gain access to their tissue and skin.

The vampire in the tale is, of course, Dr.Levin. The Japanese refugees describe a bestial killer who bites out sections of the throat, of course they see this as proof of vampirism while we know it is Dr.Levin collecting his glandular product. The vampire and Dr.Jekyll aspects of the tale are nice “post science” adaptations of traditional horror motifs.

Levin restores Jeanette beauty but becomes obsessed with her along the way. He kills his assistant when she gets in the way and keeps killing in the hope of keeping Jeanette beautiful and by his side. But her love lays elsewhere and she is just a “canary in a cage” and soon the police are on his trail and a clash between love, obsession and the law entails.

This is an unusual film with moody black and white cinematography, a jazzy score and a cross genre plot of sci fi and horror. The special effects are reasonable for the period with some nice work on the transformation of Levin into the beast.

It also has some nice club scenes, punch ‘em moments and mad science lab set pieces. The atomic age paranoia adds to the interest of the film and gives it more of a 1950’s feel, which adds to its retro sci fi appeal.

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