The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

Undeterred that both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing had (temporarily) left the franchise, Hammer made a third vampire flick. It doesn't advance the formula much, but it’s still entertaining in a limited way.
A pair of naïve newlywed Brits abroad get stranded in an area that has a shady doctor and a weird guy who patrols the local graveyard at night. It’s not hard to guess which is the villain and which the saviour.
As always, it looks beautiful; the blood red gowns and candlesticks do their job. Also of note is the excellent use of music that doesn't hide in the background. It’s enough to make me forgive the rubber bats on strings.
Wiki mentions that a bloodless US version retitled Kiss of Evil once again disrespects the Studio by making cuts and adding nonsense. I've not seen it, nor do I care to, because the chances are high that it's inferior.

3 superheroine masks for the ladies out of 5