At its core, Lemora could be categorized as a vampire movie, but that doesn't begin to describe this dark, twisted fairytale.
Made in the 1970s, and set in the 1920s or 1930s - it is not explicitly stated - the movie never feels like it's set during a real time or place. The cold, eerie atmosphere is what makes this film work. The plot is weak, and the acting is mostly forgettable, aside from our leads: Cheryl Smith, and Lesley Gilb. Lesley is fantastic as the creepy titular character of Lemora, a gaunt, pale, mysterious woman living in a spooky, old house with her "children." Even though the movie is titled Lemora, it actually focuses on Cheryl's character, Lila.
The first act of the movie feels very disjointed, as if it's from the second act of a different film. Our story gets interesting when Lila arrives in the town of Astaroth, which is populated by warring groups of vampires - it's never properly explained, but that's how it reads; one side is comprised of traditional vampires, while the other are mutants that look more akin to werewolves.
There are some strange edits in the third act, and the ending is intentionally vague. However, this is a feature, and not a bug... Lemora feels as if you're watching a nightmare, and that's what is so appealing about it.

_**Cult flick of dreamy gothic horror with Cheryl Smith**_

In early 30’s America, a girl (Smith) who lives with a minister is summoned by letter to the town of Ashtaroth to visit her dying father, a gangster. There she encounters horrific beings in the woods and the curiously calm and collected Lemora (Lesley Taplin), who welcomes her into her Victorian mansion. Horror ensues.

“Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural” (1973) is colorful dreamlike horror by one-shot director, Richard Blackburn, a college student who concocted the story with a pal inspired by “Count Yorga, Vampire” (1970). Blackburn, by the way, plays the minister.

An alternative title is “Lady Dracula,” which is fitting since the story is reminiscent of the first part of Dracula, just exchanging a teenage blonde for Jonathan Harker and Lemora for the Count, not to mention switching the setting to Prohibition Era America. It’s similar in ways to the haunting “Messiah of Evil” (1973) except with a younger protagonist and the milieu of the early 30s. Francis Ford Coppola presumably borrowed bits for his horror fantasy “Twixt” (2011).

The lovely Cheryl "Rainbeaux" Smith was only 17 during shooting and has a genuine innocent quality. She appeared in many ‘B’ flicks throughout the 70s/early 80s, but fell prey to hard drugs and contracted hepatitis, which ultimately killed her by the too-young age of 47 in 2002.

The film runs about 1 hour, 25 minutes, and was shot in Pomona, California, e.g. the Phillips Mansion, and nearby San Dimas (to the north), both a 20-minute drive east of Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-/C+