By the early seventies, the vampire genre was in dire need of some new blood. Hammer Studios' popular Dracula franchise with Christopher Lee had become increasingly formulaic and horror fans were becoming bored by their predictability. But change was in the air and the vampire film would soon enjoy a resurgence led by the arrival of the low-budget sleeper Count Yorga, Vampire in 1970. The movie's unexpected box office success not only spawned a sequel, The Return of Count Yorga (1971), but paved the way for Deathmaster (1972), Blacula (1972) and a number of more sexually explicit vampire thrillers such as Vampyres (1974).
Sixties couples Michael and Donna and Paul and Erica become involved with the intense Count Yorga at a Los Angeles séance, the Count having latterly been involved with Erica's just-dead mother. After taking the Count home, Paul and Erica are waylayed, and next day a listless Erica is diagnosed by their doctor as having lost a lot of blood. When she is later found feasting on the family cat the doctor becomes convinced vampirism is at work, and that its focus is Count Yorga and his large isolated house.
Count Yorga continues to prey on the local community while living by a nearby orphanage. He also intends to take a new wife, while feeding his bevy of female vampires.
