Bertha Zemis (Diana Lorys) is the local pub bartender in the 1969 film, "Fangs of the Living Dead", which was originally entitled, "Malenka, the Vampire's Niece".
We first see the beautiful Bertha who is running a pub in a small village along with her sister, Freya (Rosanna Yanni). They meet voluptuous model from Rome, Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) who has just inherited the local castle from her mother, and is due to meet her "uncle" the Count. The town people upon hearing that Sylvia is part of the family that resides in the castle, is terrified.
Sylvia is later led to the castle, where she meets her uncle, Count Walbrooke (Julian Ugarte), and learns of the evil curse of her great-grandmother, Malenka, who was a practicing witch, and dabbed in alchemy and discovered the key to eternal life. Malenka was burned at the stake by the superstitious locals. The Count tells her that she can never associate with the outside world due to the curse, and that includes her fiancé, Dr. Piero Lufuani (Gianni Medici). She also learns that her uncle is a vampire and later is visited by the Count's handmade or slave, Glinka (Adriana Ambesi), who attempts to bite Sylvia.
Back to Bertha, she is visited by Sylvia's fiancé, Dr. Piero Lufuani and his friend, Max (Cesar Benet) at the pub. Freya tells the doctor that her sister Bertha has been getting weaker and weaker by the day, and asks if he could take a look at her. After running some tests, he determines that Bertha needs some rest and to increase her intake of iron, since she seems to be anemic. That night, Bertha passes away, and is buried the following day. However, we find out that Bertha has been the Count's willing reliable source of blood when he has the need to feed, and is now part of the undead.
At night, Bertha comes back from the dead, and goes to the castle to visit the Count. The Count tells her that he is not ready for her, and may call for her the following day. Later, Bertha meets Sylvia who is attempting to escape the castle and her uncle. Bertha reveals her fangs to Sylvia, and chases her back to the pub. When she tells Freya about being chased by her sister, she is confused. Freya, Max and Dr. Lufuani reveal to her that she was buried earlier in the day.
Later we see Bertha coming out from under tombstone, and she attacks the caretaker. Before she can feed on him, Max and Pietro are able to chase her away.
Back at the castle, Max is strongly attracted to the well endowed Glinka, and Piero is tied up by the Count. As Sylvia attempts to free Piero, Bertha and Glinka engage in a catfight. However, since both were members of the undead, I guess it should be called a bat fight. Glinka has the upper hand since she has a fire torch that she is waving around at Bertha who is hunkered in a corner of the castle. However, Bertha is able to turn the tables on her, and grabs Glinka by her long black hair and drags her across the floor. The Count demands that they stop. Piero is able to get free and uses the discarded fire torch to stab the Count through the heart. The Count is killed and his flesh dissolves leaving only a decomposing skeleton. Bertha and Glinka look on in horror. We don't see anything happen to Bertha or Glinka, whether they also died a final death, or what, The next day, we see Sylvia and Piero leaving the castle, on their way back to Rome. They are followed by Max, who is approached by Freya, and tells him, that since she won't be needed by her sister, she would like to go to Rome with him. She asks if she would be a hit in Rome, and while saying this she accentuates her figure for him. Max immediately forms a smile on his face, and it shows his fangs. Apparently, Max was turned by Glinka to a member of the undead. As the credits raise, we see Max chasing Freya across the mote of the castle.
Trivia[]
- Diana Lorys appeared as Dolores in the 1971 Spaghetti Western Comedy "Bad Man's River"".
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