Lemora, Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural, The Legendary Curse of Lemora, or Lemora, Lady Dracula is a 1973 American horror film written and directed by Richard Blackburn, and starring Cheryl Smith, Hy Pyke, and Lesley Gilb. It follows a young girl in Prohibition-era America who travels to a mysterious town to visit her father, and uncovers a coterie of vampires.
Set in the 1930's American deep south, Lemora is the tale of a young girl's journey to visit her ailing father and her unwilling involvement in a battle between human-like vampires and vampires who have grown ugly and demon-like. Along the way, she is exposed to the worst of mankind and a strangely appealing woman who calls herself Lemora.
Synopsis[]
The movie begins with notorious gangster Alvin Lee killing both his adulterous wife and her lover while they lay in bed. Having committed his deed, he flees the scene, and, while evading authorities, finds himself in a strange little town with strange people, where he is captured. The leader of these odd inhabitants finds a picture of his daughter, Lila, in his pocket.
Meanwhile, thirteen-year-old Lila Lee is introduced as a choir singer for the church where she has been raised for the last three years after being separated from her parents and taken in by the conflicted and lecherous Reverend. Lila receives and letter from an unknown sender stating that her father is very ill, and that she must come alone to the town of Astaroth to see him. Disturbed by this message, Lila runs away to see her father one last time and forgive him for his sins. Along the way, she is exposed to all manner of sinful acts that run the gamut from leering looks to a man beating his wife in the street.
Lila finally manages to get on a bus towards Astaroth, where she is warned of the queerness of the town's inhabitants by the driver. When the bus breaks down on the road, it is attacked by monstrous man-like creatures who devour the driver and attempt to take Lila as well. Lila is saved, but when she awakens, she is trapped in a cell like a prisoner. Meanwhile, the Reverend has realized that Lila is gone, and embarks on a quest to find her.
Eventually, Lila is invited in as a guest of the house by the owner, a beautiful, intense woman named Lemora, who claims that Alvin is still too ill to be seen. Though the house is strange and frightening, Lila is strangely drawn to Lemora, who treats her kindly. Still, she seeks to escape the house, and while doing so, Lila sees Lemora about to feast upon a young boy. Lila flees the scene and is chased by both the human-like vampires who live with Lemora and the banished, monstrous vampires who had previously attacked the bus. In a grand final battle, Lila is forced to slay her own father, who has been turned into one of those monstrous vampires. Finally, Lila succumbs to Lemora, and is turned into a vampire herself. In one of the final scenes, she revenges herself on the Reverend, seducing him and feeding upon him.
Other Information[]
- The movie has been released under several titles, including Lermora: Lady Dracula, which likens the character to the more well known Dracula character.
- While never explicitly depicted, there are several sexual undertones to the movie, including pedophilia, lesbianism, and incest.