Possibly the worst Rock and Roll Horror Movie of all time, Apple Films' 1974 release Son of Dracula committed the historically unpardonable sin of being neither good, nor bad enough to be funny. But it wasn't for lack of trying; the film starred Ringo Starr as Merlin the Magician and Harry Nilsson as Count Down, Dracula's music-lovin' vampire son who is trying to go mortal. Ringo's first choice for the lead was David Bowie, but he settled for Nilsson, on the condition that he got his teeth fixed for the role. Also sticking their necks out for the cinematic disaster were Keith Moon, John Bonham, Peter Frampton, Nicky Hopkins and Beatles-pal Klaus Voorman.
Here's a clip including the crypt scene where Nilsson and the band lip synch their way through Jump Into The Fire, featuring Keith Moon (the song starts about 6:20 into this clip):
At least Ringo had no illusions. He was quoted by Q Magazine on the project in 1998:
I produced it for Apple. We had this script, Drac takes the cure, marries the girl and goes off into the sunlight - and it was the only movie we wanted to make. I called Harry because he was a blonde bombshell and we had his teeth fixed, which his mother was always thankful for. We had a lot of fun, there's a lot of musicians in it - John Bonham, Keith Moon, Peter Frampton. We had the premiere in Atlanta, the first movie since Gone With the Wind to open there, and we had 12,000 kids screaming, we had bands ... but we left town the next day, and so did everyone else. In America, the movie only played in towns that had one cinema, because it it had two, no matter what was on down the road, they'd all go there! It's a bit of a shambles now - we went into a studio with Graham Chapman and re-voiced a lot of it, so it makes even less sense now.
The pre-Graham Chapman shambles is available for viewing on the film's myspace page, or in eleven parts on youtube, courtesy of Michael Snyder:
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six (above) | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven
Believe it or not I have the LP soundtrack to this movie. I've never seen the movie, but some of the music on this LP is some prety good stuff. "Jump Into The Fire", "Moonbeam Song" and "Without You" are my favorites. I had always figured just from seeing the character names on the back of the LP that it was more than likely pretty cheesy stuff.
Dave
Posted by: Dave | March 30, 2007 at 03:49 PM
i had a copy as well - on the Rapple lable (RCA and Apple joint venture). early or promo copies had an iron on transfer for a t shirt. tres cool !
Posted by: Bob | March 30, 2007 at 08:00 PM
My Videos on you tube have been removed. I will be reposting the entire movie in a few days on another site. I will keep you posted.
Posted by: Michael Snyder | July 06, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Nilsson - Son of Dracula Parts 1-5 back up on youtube.
Pt. 1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBYIIZdlprY
Pt. 2)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm8Am79dwKA
Pt. 3)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbRvl91JRzo
Pt. 4)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q1xtU-svuI
Pt. 5)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJUITiJovwY
Posted by: Michael Snyder | July 16, 2007 at 08:56 PM
Pt. 6)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nyd4E9WY3ss
Pt. 7)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxMjmw3yySs
Pt. 8)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghh4Xu0nISE
Pt. 9)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-FE5xdafNM
Pt.10)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjm8-vT6rmI
the Whole Movie is now reposted in a 10 part series with better audio.
Posted by: Michael Snyder | July 18, 2007 at 07:53 PM
I actually saw the movie in Toronto when it was released and it was so bad it was good. Where can I get a copy?
Posted by: Linda | October 31, 2008 at 08:31 PM
I saw this movie in Orlando, FL., where I grew up.(which has MANY theaters, by the way) Maybe it was just the high times of the 70's...but I enjoyed this movie....or maybe I just enjoyed the music---of---John Bonham, Keith Moon, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr.......
Posted by: Lona | November 23, 2008 at 05:51 PM
I saw this movie at a drive-in theater (best place to watch this movie)in Spokane, Wa.
I'd love a copy along with Harry Nillson's "The Point"
Posted by: Jamie | September 01, 2009 at 03:53 AM
I was one of the 12,000 screaming kids as one of my eight-grade buddies won passes to the movie on the local radio station promoting it. I experienced my first pre-rock show crush of humanity as me and my middle school buddies found ourselves between most of those 12,000 and one of the four most famous musicians on the planet, i.e. Ringo. What I would like to find out is whether John Lennon and Keith Moon were on hand, because the radio promos said they would be there. But in my minds eye I only remember seeing Ringo.
Posted by: Edwardo | December 03, 2009 at 04:36 PM
I was there at the premiere as well, and have pictures of Ringo and Nilsson on a stage out in fromt of the Cheorkee Theatre. A picture of us in the crowd, taken from the stage by their entourage, is on the inside cover of the LP Album "Pussycats" featuring John Lennon and Nilsson.
Posted by: Rick Hendricks | June 27, 2010 at 06:26 PM
I saw the movie in Phoenix and still have the LP sound track. It was a fun movie. I would like to have a dvd of it.
Posted by: Roger | April 14, 2012 at 06:32 PM
Like everyone else. I would like a good copy of it too. I have one that is barely viewable.
Posted by: Terry | April 21, 2012 at 07:32 PM