Le Cauchemar de Dracula Film Poster – 1958 – French Moyenne film poster – Guy Gerard Noel

Le Cauchemar de Dracula Film Poster – 1958 – French Moyenne film poster – Guy Gerard Noel The remarkable talents of renowned poster artist Guy Gerald Noel were called upon for this Moyenne-sized version of the Le Cauchemar de Dracula Film Poster. The poster was created in 1958 to promote the French theatre release of the British film. It was Noel’s second poster promoting the popular horror movie, having already created the magnificent French Grande version which can be found here. The Le Cauchemar de Dracula poster design is completely different in appearance. This version offers a superb and dramatic illustration of Christopher Lee captured in his role as Dracula. His bat-wing eyebrows, long, sharp fanged teeth and high-collared cape have all become now become synonymous characteristics of the blood-thirsty vampire. Dracula is set against a dark blue nighttime background featuring the silhouttes of trees from the woods around his famous castle lair. Below the image of Dracula is frightened woman crawling along the floor. No doubt aware of the fate that will befall her is she is caught, Mina is trying to escape the blood-thirsty monster’s clutches. The overall scene is moody and atmospheric and does it’s job in installing both a certain amount of fear in to the viewer, demanding us to watch the film to discover the outcome. The lower third of this stunning Le Cauchemar de Dracula Film Poster presents the cast list. The film stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling and Christopher Lee in the role of Dracula. The poster goes on to explain that film was produced by Hammer Films and it was directed by Terence Fisher. As was so often the case, many films were given different names to appeal to the country it was to be shown in. In England, where the film was made, this one  was simply titled, Dracula. However, it was later retitled Horror of Dracula, to avoid confusion with Universal’s 1931 movie of the same name. As the poster here shows the film was released in France with the title ‘Le Cauchemar de Dracula’. Literally translated the title becomes ‘The Nightmare of Dracula’. However, as can be seen on this French Dracula film poster, the subtitle below the French heading once again reads ‘Horror of Dracula’. Whichever title you know the film by, there is no denying it’s a classic film and the poster is easily its equal. Noel’s stunning image features a great image of Christopher in character as Dracula. First Dracula film by Hammer Films Dracula or Le Cauchemar de Dracula was the first vampire film Hammer Film studios ever produced. The first film in the Dracula series would once again bring together the on-screen partnership of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Although the pair had been seen in 1948s Hamlet, 1952s Moulin Rouge, and 1956s Alexander the Great they hadn’t ever shared scenes together. It would be Hammer Film’s 1956 film, The Curse of Frankenstein in which Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee would star together for the first time. The pairing of Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing was a triumph. The stellar performances of both actors make their respective roles uniquely their own. The page dedicated to the Dracula film on Wikipedia states ‘As Count Dracula, Lee fixed the image of the fanged vampire in popular culture”. Christopher Frayling writes, “Dracula introduced fangs, red contact lenses, décolletage, ready-prepared wooden stakes and – in the celebrated credits sequence – blood being spattered from off-screen over the Count’s coffin.”[ Lee also introduced a dark, brooding sexuality to the character. The Hammer and Christopher Lee’s version of Dracula was much closer in characteristics to Bram Stoker’s original portrayal of the undead Count. The movie was widely praised for its atmosphere and set design and is considered by some to be one of the best Dracula films ever made. The film set the standard for future vampire films and as well as cementing Lee and Cushing’s legacy as two of the greatest actors in horror history it solidified the Hammer name as a studio known for quality horror films. Hammer would go on to make eight Dracula movies in total. Only three of which featured both Lee’s Dracula and Cushing’s Van Helsing. However, the popularity of these films ensured Hammer Studios would re-establish themselves as a major production studio. These horror and occult films would go on to dominate movie theatres from the late 1950s through the 1970s. How much is Le Cauchemar de Dracula Film Poster worth? This French Le Cauchemar de Dracula Film Poster is not as rare as Noel’s French Grande version. However, it is no less sought-after, no less desirable, and no less dramatic. The still relatively hard to find poster, like Dracula himself, only turns up on very rare occasions. Like a vampire when one turns up, it will cause mayhem and pandemonium, wreaking damage on its victim before disappearing into the nght. On the rare occasions, original copies of the French Moyenne lithographic print show up at auction, in good condition they can command asking prices in excess of €1,750. Of course, if you can find an original copy and can afford to buy it, you’re on to a winner. There’s nothing like owning an original vintage poster and they often make a great investment. Chances are in just a few years you’ll be able to sell it for more than you paid for it. Unfortunately, for most of us, an investment, even at the entry-level prices of the collectible poster isn’t even close to being a possibility. This is where our stunning high-quality reproductions come into their own. They cost a fraction of an original, for example, our high-quality 50x70cm reproduction print of this Le Cauchemar de Dracula poster is available on this listing priced at just £14. If you’d like to get your teeth into our reproduction Dracula film poster order your’s today. It’ll look great decorating the walls of your castle in Transylvania or other vampire lair!