Santo vs. the Vampire Women

Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro (also known as Samson vs. the Vampire Women) is a 1962 supernatural action horror film starring the wrestling superhero Santo. The film was featured on a 1995 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.



Plot
A coven of hideously decayed vampire women awaken in their crypt after 200 years of sleep. Their leader, Queen Zorina, plans to return to Hell to be with her husband Lucifer, and must appoint a successor. Two hundred years earlier, the vampire priestess Tundra had attempted to capture a woman, but she escaped; Tundra now vows to capture the woman’s granddaughter, Diana. Tundra transforms into a beautiful young woman, so that she can infiltrate human society.

Diana is about to turn 21 and happily engaged to a man named George. That evening, Tundra appears outside her window and attempts to hypnotize her, but is interrupted by George and Diana’s father, Professor Orloff. Tundra transforms into a bat to escape. The professor worries that she is in danger because of an old family prophecy, though he does not tell Diana. He alerts the local inspector, Charles Andrews, but does not tell him the full story either. The professor contacts wrestler Santo to come to that evening’s masquerade ball to protect Diana.

After his wrestling match, Santo arrives in the professor’s office. The professor shows him the prophecy, which proves that Santo is the only person who can save Diana, just as his ancestor once saved her grandmother. Santo deduces that since vampires cannot survive in sunlight, they must have a lair, but the professor has been unable to decode that information from the prophecy. The vampires infiltrate the party and attempt to kidnap Diana, but Santo attacks the henchmen and they flee without her. In their lair, Tundra blames Santo for foiling their plan. Zorina scolds Tundra for failing once again, and decides to accompany her the next evening to ensure the job is successful.

The inspector comes up with a plan to send Diana out as bait, so they can follow the vampires to their lair and Santo can destroy them. However, one of the vampires’ henchmen disguises himself and steps into the ring to fight Santo. Santo narrowly defeats the masked henchman, who he unmasks to reveal as a werewolf.

Even though the police are carefully watching Diana, Tundra and the henchmen attack and kidnap her. Santo arrives and fights off the henchmen, but Tundra has already escaped with Diana. The professor finally breaks a code in the prophecy, revealing the location of the vampires’ lair, and alerts Santo. Santo arrives at the crypt, but is captured alongside Diana. Once he is restrained, Tundra seizes the opportunity to know Santo’s true identity, and demands her henchmen unmask him. However, she is too late, as the sun rises behind her and she bursts into flames. Santo escapes and defeats the remaining henchmen, sets fire to the vampire women in their coffins, and frees Diana.

Outside the crypt, Diana is reunited with George and her father, and Santo speeds off in his convertible.