Count Yorga



A pair of horror movies from MGM about said titled vampire

The plot of the movies were pretty much the same. Yorga would arrive in a new neighborhood and insert himself among the residents. He then set his sight on a certain female character, though starts off feeding on her (usually female) friends, turning them and adding to his undead harem. Soon some of the heroes find out what going on and set out to stop him.

If it all sound familiar, that because it is essentially a 70's take of Dracula. Though Yorga was much more genre savvy, cunning and suave. Two films of the series were made. Count Yorga (Original Title: The Loves of Count Yorga) and The Return of Count Yorga. Though neither movie share any continuity with each other, being stand alone stories. Both are very good popcorn horror movie flicks despite the low budgets.

Interesting side note, the first film started off as a softcore porn movie. But Robert Quarry, the actor who played Yorga, agreed to do the film if it was just turned into a horror movie. You can still see some of the original overtones of the film however.

The movies provide the following tropes:
"Yorga: (Over the intercom in his mansion) Dr. Bladwin. This is Count Yorga. You are going to die. You've been a fool doctor and now you are going to die a horrible death."
 * And Then John Was a Zombie
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: The child character from the 2nd movie
 * Cassandra Truth: Both movies have them in some form or another.
 * Choke Holds: Yorga rather favorite method of execution. As he's a vampire and has superhuman strength, its very effective.
 * Death By Sex: Subverted and played straight in the first movie.
 * Downer Ending / You Are Too Late: Both movies. In the first  The second film is a flip of this.
 * Eats Babies: One of the more infamous scenes in the first movie involved one of the bitten characters, temporarily succumbing to her bloodlust, eating her pet cat. A unused scene from the film showed one of the brides actually eating a baby. Though it is mentioned later in the film.
 * Foot Focus: Yorga's brides all move around barefoot.
 * The Igor: Brudah, Yorga's deformed servant.
 * It Was Here, I Swear
 * Kill'Em All: All the characters, including Yorga, are either killed or turned into vampires.
 * Large Ham: Yorga when he taunting his opponents as this phrase show


 * More Teeth Than the Osmond Family: The vampires' fangs in this film look more like a piranha then vampire. Oddly though, when Yorga bites his female victim, he only leaves tiny pinpricks.
 * No Ontological Inertia:
 * Rise From Your Grave: The opening of the second movie. Its also the main pic of the trope.
 * Slasher Smile: A now undead Ellen (Cythia's sister who unlike her parents, joins Yorga's brides) sports one of these while being confronted by her boyfriend in the second movie.
 * Staking the Loved One: Averted. One of the protagonist in the first film is given the chance to stake a female friend of his that been turned (she actually stands there and waits on him). He considers it but ultimately can't do it and leaves her in her undead state.
 * Transhuman Treachery: Anyone turned is instantly evil, obeying Yorga without question and attacking friends and family with no hesitation.
 * Vampire Bites Suck: Oddly not Yorga, but his brides when they feed on anyone.