You know that feeling when a sequel actually lives up to the hype? That's the 1970 Hammer Films classic we're talking about today. Honestly, when people discuss the cast of Taste the Blood of Dracula, they usually just shout "Christopher Lee!" and call it a day. But that's doing a massive disservice to one of the most interesting ensembles in British horror history. This wasn't just another "vampire bites girl" flick. It was a generational clash, a middle-finger to Victorian hypocrisy, and a weirdly personal revenge story all rolled into one.
Christopher Lee is back, obviously. It wouldn't be a Dracula movie without that towering, crimson-eyed presence. But what makes this specific film pop is how the supporting players—the "respectable" fathers and their rebellious kids—carry the emotional weight. We’re looking at a group of actors who were, at the time, some of the most reliable faces on British television and stage.
The Dark Trio: Geoffrey Keen, Peter Sallis, and John Carson
The movie starts with a bang, or rather, a blood-soaked ceremony. We have three bored, wealthy Victorian gentlemen who want to spice up their lives with a little black magic. They aren't young adventurers. They’re established, stuffy dads.
Geoffrey Keen plays William Hargood. You might recognize Keen from the James Bond films—he played the Minister of Defence in six of them. Here, he’s absolutely loathsome. He’s the kind of father who beats his daughter for wanting to go for a walk while he’s secretly out getting drunk and summoning demons. Keen plays the role with this stiff-necked arrogance that makes his eventual demise feel earned.
Then there’s Peter Sallis as Samuel Paxton. Yes, that Peter Sallis. The voice of Wallace from Wallace and Gromit. Before he was obsessed with cheese and crackers, he was a Hammer regular. His performance is softer than Keen’s, showing the genuine fear of a man who realized too late that he's playing with a cosmic wood chipper.
Rounding out the trio is John Carson as Jonathan Secker. Carson was the king of the "distinguished gentleman with a dark secret" vibe. He appeared in everything from The Avengers (the spy show, not the superheroes) to Doctor Who. In this film, he provides the bridge between the cruelty of Hargood and the cowardice of Paxton.
Christopher Lee: More Than Just a Cape
Let’s be real. By 1970, Christopher Lee was getting a bit tired of the fangs. He famously felt the scripts were getting thinner, but you wouldn't know it from his performance here. In the cast of Taste the Blood of Dracula, Lee is less a character and more a force of nature.
👉 See also: When Was Kai Cenat Born? What You Didn't Know About His Early Life
He doesn’t actually have that many lines. He doesn't need them.
His Dracula in this film is a vengeful spirit. He isn't just looking for a snack; he's systematically destroying the men who murdered his servant, Lord Courtley. The way Lee uses his height—he was 6'5"—to loom over the Victorian sets is a masterclass in physical acting. He makes the red-lined cape look like a weapon.
The Sacrifice: Ralph Bates as Lord Courtley
If you want to talk about "what could have been," you have to talk about Ralph Bates. Hammer actually intended for Bates to replace Christopher Lee as the face of the franchise. He plays Lord Courtley, the charismatic, drug-addicted occultist who leads the three older men into the dark arts.
Bates had this sharp, angular face and an intensity that felt very "New Wave." He wasn't the classic, broad-shouldered hero. He was edgy. While he's only in the first act of the film—his character literally gets beaten to death so Dracula can be resurrected from his ashes—his presence haunts the rest of the movie. It’s a short, explosive performance that proved Hammer was trying to modernize.
The Youth Rebellion: Linda Hayden and Isla Blair
The real heart of the story belongs to the kids. Linda Hayden, playing Alice Hargood, was only about 16 or 17 when they filmed this. She had already made a name for herself in the controversial Baby Love, and she brings a surprising amount of grit to Alice.
Alice isn't a "scream queen." She’s a victim of her father’s abuse who finds a twisted kind of liberation through Dracula. When she turns on her father with a shovel? That was a huge moment for audiences in 1970. It subverted the idea of the "damsel in distress."
✨ Don't miss: Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family: What You Didn't Know About Morticia
Isla Blair plays Lucy Paxton. Blair is a phenomenal actress who stayed active in the industry for decades, appearing in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. In Taste the Blood, she represents the more traditional Hammer heroine, but she still brings a level of elegance that elevates the material.
Then we have Anthony Corlan (now known as Anthony Higgins) as Paul Paxton. Corlan was the quintessential 70s heartthrob—long hair, intense eyes. He’s the one who has to go on the "hero’s journey," but the movie smartly focuses more on the psychological trauma of the families than on his sword-fighting skills.
Behind the Scenes: The Crew That Made the Cast Shine
The cast of Taste the Blood of Dracula wouldn't have worked without the specific eye of director Peter Sasdy. This was his first big feature for Hammer, and he brought a more "European" style to the visuals. He liked close-ups. He liked lingering on the actors' faces to catch the flicker of fear or guilt.
The cinematography by Arthur Grant also deserves a shoutout. He used a lot of deep reds and purples, which complemented the performances. When you see Christopher Lee standing in the ruins of a church, the lighting makes him look like a painting by Fuseli.
Why This Specific Cast Worked
Most horror movies of this era followed a strict formula:
- Vampire shows up.
- Vampire bites a few locals.
- Professor with a beard kills vampire.
Taste the Blood of Dracula flipped it. By casting actors who could play "disgusting Victorian moralists" so convincingly, the movie made you almost root for Dracula. You wanted to see Geoffrey Keen’s character get what was coming to him. The cast made the social commentary work.
🔗 Read more: Isaiah Washington Movies and Shows: Why the Star Still Matters
Technical Mastery and Casting Risks
Hammer took a gamble by killing off Ralph Bates so early. They were testing the waters to see if a younger, more "mortal" villain could carry a movie. While the fans ultimately demanded Lee stay in the role, Bates' performance remained a highlight for critics.
Even the smaller roles were filled with talent. Roy Kinnear shows up briefly as a shopkeeper. If you know British comedy, you know Kinnear. Seeing him in a grim Hammer horror film is like seeing a bright splash of color in a monochrome room. It adds texture to the world.
The Legacy of the Ensemble
When you look back at the cast of Taste the Blood of Dracula, you're seeing a snapshot of the British acting pool at its peak. These weren't just "horror actors." They were Shakespearian-trained professionals who treated a script about drinking powdered blood with the same gravity as Hamlet.
That’s why the movie holds up. It’s not the special effects—which are admittedly a bit "strawberry jam" by today's standards. It’s the way Linda Hayden looks at her father with pure hatred. It’s the way Peter Sallis trembles when he hears a noise in the hallway.
Putting It Into Practice: How to Watch Like an Expert
If you're going to revisit this film (or watch it for the first time), don't just wait for the fangs. Watch the dynamics between the fathers and their children.
- Look for the "Hammer Rep" faces: Try to spot how many of these actors appear in other Hammer films like The Curse of Frankenstein or Quatermass and the Pit.
- Notice the age gap: Pay attention to how the movie uses the physical differences between the "Old Guard" (Keen, Sallis) and the "New Breed" (Hayden, Corlan).
- Focus on the eyes: Christopher Lee famously used contact lenses that were incredibly painful to wear. In the high-definition restorations, you can see the sheer intensity (and physical discomfort) in his gaze.
The cast of Taste the Blood of Dracula succeeded because they played the drama, not the horror. They acted like they were in a tragedy by Ibsen that just happened to have a vampire in it. This dedication to the craft is why we’re still talking about a movie made over fifty years ago.
To truly appreciate the performances, seek out the Warner Archive Blu-ray release. The restoration is crisp, allowing you to see the nuance in the actors' expressions that was lost on old VHS tapes and grainy TV broadcasts. Watch it as a double feature with Dracula Has Risen from the Grave to see the evolution of the characters and the changing landscape of 1970s cinema.
The next time someone dismisses Hammer Horror as "just camp," point them toward Geoffrey Keen's sneer or Linda Hayden's cold stare. That's where the real terror lives. It’s not in the coffin; it’s in the family dinner.