Discuss The Fearless Vampire Killers
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Title?
posted by SirHatchporchSTAFFMOD on May 26, 2023 at 10:50 AM
I'm not sure Dance of the Vampires would qualify as the "original title" here, although I understand it was Polanski's originally intended title. The contribution bible section on this (https://www.themoviedb.org/bible/movie#59f3b1749251414f2000000c) states:
"The original title should be the title used for the first official release, not a title only used as a working title before the release or a title only used for festival screenings. For example, the correct original title for most big-budget American movies is the title used during their initial run in U.S. theaters. When there is an official title change before the theatrical release, the festival or working titles are added to the alternative titles field."
The American Film Institute's page on the film states that the title was changed to The Fearless Vampire Killers in July 1967, four months before its U.S. theatrical release:
https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/19888
As far as I can discern, it was not released as Dance of the Vampires until its French premiere in February 1968, or possibly the UK theatrical run that year.
Reply by michaelhutchins
on October 11, 2023 at 6:31 AM
I came to say the same thing as the previous post. I can find NO original source that gives this film any other title than THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS. Its US premiere was in New York City in November 1967 with that title, as shown in this New York Times review.
https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/14/archives/screen-fearless-vampire-killersbaronet-shows-picture-its-author.html?
Reply by SirHatchporch
on March 22, 2024 at 10:03 AM
Still no progress on this? Moderators?
Reply by StevenCarrier
on March 27, 2024 at 4:57 AM
Seriously! What the heck! Where are they??
Reply by lineker
on April 3, 2024 at 5:00 PM
Hi, I have now looked into this case in detail. Title was changed after a report about a year ago, but I believe that change was wrong. This is a US / UK co-production not a UK only production. This means the title used in the first release in either country, should be the one we use here. US release came first (UK release came a year later) and I have added the short title as original. If someone has actual proof that the longer promotional title was the original on-screen title in 1967, then we could change it to that one. However, I could find no such proof. The restored version that came out on Blu-Ray is using the short title. Thanks.