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Horror film

The Return of the Vampire (1943): Cast & Plot

The Return of the Vampire (1943) movie poster

The Return of the Vampire is a 1943 horror film directed by Lew Landers, starring Bela Lugosi as Armand Tesla, Frieda Inescort and Gilbert Emery. It runs 1 hour 9 minutes.

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The Return of the Vampire (1943) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 9m (69 min)
Director
Lew Landers
Genre
Horror
Original language
English
Studio
Columbia Pictures
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Return of the Vampire About?

The premise of The Return of the Vampire without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In 1918 a vampire stalks an English family, forcing a young woman to obey his commands and staining her fiancé with his blood. The family appears to defeat him, but WWII German bombing frees the monster. He reclaims his wolf‑man servant’s soul, assumes the identity of a concentration‑camp‑escaped scientist, and seeks revenge on the family.

The Return of the Vampire Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • female doctor
  • supernatural power
  • servant
  • wolfman
  • undead
  • reference to world war one
  • scientist
  • patient
  • vampire bite marks
  • spike
  • hypnotic possession
  • master servant relationship
+38 more
  • hand from ground
  • hand from the grave
  • hand rising from the earth
  • stolen identity
  • laboratory assistant
  • gentleman's club
  • neck bite
  • crucifix necklace
  • hypnotic trance
  • vampire
  • london blitz
  • revenge
  • 1940s
  • year 1918
  • signet
  • scotland yard inspector
  • graveyard
  • crypt
  • london england
  • vampire bite
  • unofficial sequel
  • speaking to audience
  • prologue
  • melting
  • melting face
  • fog
  • death of title character
  • crucifix
  • breaking the fourth wall
  • assumed identity
  • vampirism
  • lycanthropy
  • werewolf
  • world war two
  • cemetery
  • psychotronic film
  • year 1744
  • narrator
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Cast & crew

The Return of the Vampire Cast & Characters

Bela Lugosi leads the cast as Armand Tesla, with Frieda Inescort as Lady Jane Ainsley and Gilbert Emery as Dr. Walter Saunders. Directed by Lew Landers; 13 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Return of the Vampire

· 9 more
From the director

More from Lew Landers

More films directed by Lew Landers: Terrified, Hot Rod Gang, The Cruel Tower and Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl.

Full filmography
Plot

The Return of the Vampire Plot Summary

What happens in The Return of the Vampire from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

During World War I, the vampire Armand Tesla stalks London, leaving a chilling trail as he preys on the living. His latest victim is brought to the clinic run by Lady Jane Ainsley and her colleague, Walter Saunders. The medical team suspects a severe case of anemia, but the bite marks and the uncanny symptoms reveal something far holier and older than ordinary illness. Tesla infiltrates the clinic, and after failing to finish his prior victim because she dies of shock, he fixes his sights on Saunders’ granddaughter, Nicki Saunders. Saunders himself becomes convinced that a vampire is at work, insisting to Lady Jane that the puncture marks on both patients’ necks point to a supernatural force rather than a mere medical anomaly.

Full summary

The whole story of The Return of the Vampire, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The Return of the Vampire Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Return of the Vampire.

The Return Of The Vampire (1943) - Official Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Return of the Vampire?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrayed the vampire Armand Tesla?
Details

The Return of the Vampire Also Known As

8 alternative titles, including “El regreso del vampiro” and “Die Rückkehr der Vampire”.

Also known as
  • El regreso del vampiro
  • Die Rückkehr der Vampire
  • Η Επιστροφή του Βαμπίρ
  • Die Rückkehr des Vampirs
  • Il ritorno del vampiro
  • Возвращение вампира
  • 吸血鬼归来
  • 吸血鬼蘇る

Seen The Return of the Vampire?
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Movies Like The Return of the Vampire

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Return of Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness and The Vampire.

FAQ

The Return of the Vampire FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Return of the Vampire, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Return of the Vampire?

The Return of the Vampire runs 1 hour 9 minutes (69 minutes).

When was The Return of the Vampire released?

The Return of the Vampire was released on November 11, 1943.

Who directed The Return of the Vampire?

The Return of the Vampire was directed by Lew Landers.

More films by Lew Landers

Who is in the cast of The Return of the Vampire?

The Return of the Vampire stars Bela Lugosi as Armand Tesla, Frieda Inescort as Lady Jane Ainsley and Gilbert Emery as Dr. Walter Saunders, among 13 credited actors.

Does The Return of the Vampire have a post-credit scene?

No. The Return of the Vampire has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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