Meet Ingrid Pitt – A “Vampire Lover” And So Much More!
I’m kicking off “Shocktober 2022” with one of the most iconic Horror Movie Queens of all time – Ingrid Pitt!
Ingrid Pitt’s career was incredible – some of the most acclaimed horror films of the 70’s -so let’s focus on several films that made her one of my favorite “Queens Of Horror!”
All month long, I’m going to share profiles of some of the great cult movie queens from the world of horror – and Ingrid’s credits make her the perfect place to start!
“The Vampire Lovers!“
This is one of the great Hammer horror films – as the company moved into the genre of erotic horror in the best way. As the ad screams:
“Caution: not for the mentally immature!”
Pitt got her start in horror in this classic tale of vampire lust from 1970 – check out the vintage trailer!
Pitt plays seductive vampire Carmilla Karnstein, who along with her family target the beautiful and the rich in a remote area of late eighteenth-century Germany.
According to IMDB:
While filming, Ingrid Pitt and the girls have a great deal of trouble getting through scenes without giggling. In the scene where Ingrid has to drink from Kate O’Mara, her vampire teeth kept falling out and into Kate’s cleavage. She eventually had to steal some gum from one of the stagehands to stick the fangs back in.
This was the beginning of the era of “erotic horror” – with empowered women who were the predators, and the films included a lot of nudity and sexual situations as well.
Pitt’s next film in 1971 cemented her status as a Queen of Horror!
“Countess Dracula!“
How about this for a plot:
In 17th-century Hungary, elderly widow Countess Elisabeth Nádasdy maintains her misleading youthful appearance by bathing in the blood of virgins!
Hammer’s foray into erotic horror was proving to be a huge box office win for the studio.
Here is the trailer:
While the film was a huge hit, IMDB says that Ingrid Pitt’s voice was dubbed. Supposedly, she was so furious at director Peter Sasdy that she vowed never to speak to him again!
Ingrid was quite a provocative Actress, across a wide range of genres.
Remember that this was all happening in the early 70’s, when films were adding erotic elements to stay ahead of the times – and Actresses like Ingrid were more popular than ever.
That same year she was part of an ensemble cast in one of horror’s first – and best anthology films!
“The House That Dripped Blood! “
The film is a collection of four stories about strange happenings inside this house…here is the trailer:
Interestingly, Pitt wasn’t nude in the film, and after a small role in “The Wicker Man” she left the business for almost a decade.
In 1999, Ingrid told her life story when her autobiography, “Life’s a Scream” was published.
The autobiography detailed the harrowing experiences of her early life—in a Nazi concentration camp, her search through Europe in Red Cross refugee camps for her father, and her escape from East Berlin…a she said:
“I always had a big mouth and used to go on about the political schooling interrupting my quest for thespian glory. I used to think like that. Not good in a police state.”
Other writing projects include a bedside companion for fans of “The Vampire Lovers!”
“Always In Hot Water!”
I love that she signed publicity photos with that line…bravo to her!
Sadly, Pitt died in 2010, but leaves behind a rich treasure trove of great horror films!
Ingrid had a gorgeous co-star in “The Vampire Lovers”:
Madeline Smith was also a “Hammer Horror Queen” – click here to see more of her work:
It’s going to be a great month of Shocktober – here’s a clue as to what’s to come – a “Scream Queen” who just LOVES TO DANCE:
Yes, Linnea Quigley had a blast making her films, and click here is a look at some of the wildest ones!
If you like these stories, you can go to my website’s front page and sign on to follow me – there are NO ads at all, just lots of stories to come about the wild world of exploitation and cult films!
Click here and see the “follow” button on the upper right!
Bravo to Ingrid Pitt for all of the great movies she left us!
Categories: 70's Films, Artsploitation, Books / Media, Classic Horror, Cult Classics, Euro-Sleaze, Exploitation Films, Extreme Cinema, Grindhouse, Horror films, JRsploitation, Nudity, sex kittens, Talent / Celebrites
JR-Sploitation! 
No wonder Cinerama Releasing’s defunct – what with getting Robert Bloch’s name wrong on the poster for “The House That Dripped Blood”.
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HA! I didn’t notice that but what a stupid mistake!
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One of the greats! Gorgeous with a terrific personality. She was always fun in interviews. And she had a refreshing attitude about nudity. She talked about one time when two producers were sulking in the studio hallways because they were kicked out while Pitt was filming a nude scene. So she ended up opening her robe and full frontal flashing them as she passed them to cheer them up. 😊
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HA! Thanks for sharing that! Great hearing from you!
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It seemed there was a time when Ingrid was in everything! She had a great career indeed.
I have ‘Vampire Lovers’ on DVD.
Best wishes, Pete.
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She was a true icon and a great lady who always loved to meet her fans. Hammer could and should have made more films with her, but they were losing their way by this point.
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That’s a terrific point…they let the “erotic horror” genre fade away at a time when there was more frank sexuality in mainstream films…they could have modernized or created a sub-genre that could have been very successful…thanks for the comment!
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