Malenka
Just two weeks from her marriage, model Sylvia Morelle [Anita Ekberg] receives a
letter from her Uncle, Count Waldrick [Julián Ugarte], informing her that her mother has
died and that she has inherited a castle and the title of Countess.
Consequently, Sylvia leaves her fiance, Dr Piero Lufuani [John Hamilton], in Rome while
she goes to Castle Waldrick to sign papers and check out her good fortune.
However, the afternoon she arrives at the castle, her uncle is not there
to greet her, and she is told that he never rises this early and will see
her at 10 PM. At precisely 10 PM, Sylvia's uncle appears. For an "uncle",
he looks very young, and Sylvia can't help but notice the chill in his
cheeks. The first thing Uncle does is to show Sylvia a portrait of her
grandmother Malenka and point out how much alike they look (except that
Sylvia is blonde and Malenka has dark hair).Later that night, after Sylvia has gone to bed, she is awakened by a
dark-haired woman who calls herself Blinka [Adriana Ambesi] and who tells Sylvia that her
"Uncle" is not her Uncle, explains how he would lock Sylvia's mother in
her bedroom each night, and warns that he wants Sylvia to do something her
mother refused to do. As Blinka bends down to "kiss" Sylvia's neck, Uncle
interrupts Blinka and, angrily, escorts her to the dungeon where he
proceeds to whip her. When Sylvia confronts her Uncle, he tells her the
family curse. Seems that Grandma Malenka was a witch. It was her
mysterious alchemical rituals and her search for immortality that scared
the villagers, so they burned her at the stake. They didn't know, however,
that Malenka was successful in her search. In fact, Uncle claims to be
Malenka's husband and now lives on as an immortal nosferatu.Uncle commands that Sylvia cancel her plan to wed Piero, but Piero
isn't about to be put off so easily. He and friend Max [Guy Roberts] travel to Waldrick,
but they are turned away at the castle. They go to the village inn where
Piero is asked to examine Bertha Ziemsen [Diana Lorys], who has lately been feeling unwell. It's
a mild case of anemia, says Piero and writes her a prescription for iron.
Later, following a visit from the Count, Bertha is found dead by her
sister Freya [Rosanna Yanni]. Dr Horbinger [Carlos Casaravilla],
the local physician and drunkard, points out
the two holes in Bertha's neck and tells Piero the local legends about
Malenka. Of course, Piero doesn't believe in vampires, and the next day
Bertha is buried without the usual precautions.Meanwhile, back at the castle, tonight is the night of the ritual
that will make Sylvia immortal. First, the Count slices his arm and fills
a chalice with his blood. Then he bades Sylvia to drink it, but Sylvia
refuses. As the Count is about to pour it down her throat, Bertha comes
calling. As the Count is distracted by Bertha, promising to call her
tomorrow, Sylvia dumps out the blood and makes her getaway. Helpful Blinka
shows her a way out of the castle. Sylvia runs to the village inn and into
the arms of Piero, but when she tells him that she saw Bertha, he doesn't
believe her until one of the villagers wanders by and says that he also
saw Bertha.Dr Horbinger advises that they must drive a wooden stake through
Bertha's heart, so that night he, Piero, and Max go to the cemetery to
await Bertha's awakening. Meanwhile, the Count's coachman Vladis [Fernando Bilbao] comes to
the inn and forces Sylvia to return to the castle with him. When Piero
hears that Sylvia has been taken, he, Max, and Dr Horbinger pay the Count
a visit, but Sylvia tells Piero to go away, explaining that she is bound
by her heritage to remain at the castle. When Piero confronts the Count,
the Count has him placed in chains and then explains his plan to have
Sylvia declared insane by virtue of her believing herself to be a vampire,
her Uncle to be over 150 years old, and then killing Piero in order to
drink his blood.Seemingly in a trance and obeying her uncle's commands, Sylvia
approaches Piero to drink his blood. Blinka suddenly enters the room,
announcing that none of this is true. Bertha attacks Blinka, and, while
the Count watches them tussle, Sylvia releases Piero's bonds. Piero
punches the Count and sets him afire. The Count ages before his eyes, and
Malenka's picture begins to burn.Epilogue: The next morning, Sylvia and Piero prepare to return to Rome.
Freya stops Max and asks if she can go to Rome with him and become a
model. Max smiles widely, showing vampire fangs and chases her.
[Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]
gothic, flashback