Trivia / Dracula A.D. 1972

• Contractual Obligation Project: This was the first of two films that Caroline Munro made under her Hammer contract. The second was Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter.
• Creator Backlash: Christopher Lee was appalled by the quality of the script.
• Follow the Leader: The success of Count Yorga was one of the reasons why Hammer decided to update Dracula to a modern-day setting.
• Late Export for You: The film was renamed Dracula '73 for its French and Spanish releases because it reached cinemas there one year later.
• Role Reprise: Peter Cushing returns to the role of Van Helsing 12 years after his last appearance.
• Underage Casting: Peter Cushing, who was 58 at the time, plays the grandfather of Jessica (played by Stephanie Beacham, who was 24). The original script had Jessica as Van Helsing's daughter, but Peter Cushing looked much older than his years following the death of his wife, which was why Van Helsing was re-written to be Jessica's grandfather.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Jessica was originally intended to be Van Helsing's daughter (which makes sense given the 34-year age gap between the actors). However, the death of Peter Cushing's wife aged him considerably, so the script was quickly re-written to make him Jessica's grandfather.
  • The band Stoneground, who are seen playing at the party, were a late replacement for the Faces.

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