DRACULA 1931
Bela Lugosi (Count Dracula), Helen Chandler (Mina), David Manners (John Harker), Dwight Frye (Renfield), Edward Van Sloan (Van Helsing)
Directed by Tod Browning
The Short Version: It may not hold up nearly as well as the later FRANKENSTEIN (1931), but Tod Browning's classic horror film has remained an iconic example of horror cinema due in large part to Bela Lugosi's genre defining interpretation of Count Dracula. The first twenty minutes are truly mesmerizing while the remaining fifty-five sputter with little energy, few notable moments of horror, and no music to enliven things. DRACULA (1931) remains essential viewing if for no other reason than to see the blueprint for the thousands of vampires that have feasted on the fears of moviegoers for decades since.
Renfield, a lawyer residing in Great Britain, travels to Transylvania to procure the signature of Count Dracula for the purchase of Carfax Abbey back in London. Warned by frightened villagers to stay away from the Count's castle, Renfield ultimately becomes a slave to Dracula. Upon arriving by boat at their destination, Dracula sets about vampirizing Lucy Weston and Mina Seward while attracting the attention of Professor Van Helsing. Familiar with legends of vampires, Van Helsing sets out to destroy the Transylvanian Count.
Without doubt the most famous interpretation of Bram Stoker's wildly popular novel is Universal's B/W spooker from famed silent film director Tod Browning. The first horror talkie (as well as the first vampire film shot with sound), Browning's movie often feels like a silent picture, or even a stage play with its exaggerated performances. It benefits from a staggeringly surreal atmosphere that's most noticeable, and successfully implemented during the films first 20 minutes. The remainder of the movie rarely captures, nor is it able to maintain this macabre momentum.
James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN (1931) released ten months later is far more consistent, but it's worth mentioning that DRACULA was influential on it just the same. It retained some of DRACULA's cast members such as Edward Van Sloan and Dwight Frye -- the latter of which played a similar character with the same amount of bug-eyed, insane reverence.
The influence of Browning's groundbreaker is unmistakable some 80 years later. There had been a 1922 German production, the silent classic NOSFERATU, that used Stoker's novel as inspiration. While Murnau's movie is deserving of its critical accolades, Browning's 1931 version has since become the benchmark for vampire cinema; and much of the adulation is due to its star, Bela Lugosi.
Lugosi set the template for the hundreds of cinematic vampires that have followed since. He gets a bit too theatrical at times, and often breaks up his lines with occasional pauses in his delivery. His mannerisms are memorable, if overdone looking at it now. Again, his best moments are during the first 20 minutes with only sporadic instances of menace from there on out. His entrance is still immensely imposing as is his first utterance of "I bid you welcome."
The Hungarian film star became synonymous with this role, and more in a similar vein followed -- testifying to DRACULA's speedy penetration into American iconography. While his vampiric interpretation lasted decades, Lugosi's career did not. Roles of prestige for the actor rapidly declined by the dawn of the 1940s. At that point, he was relegated to supporting roles for pictures that seemed more interested in using his countenance for marquee value as opposed to his acting ability. His occasional co-star Boris Karloff saw his star maintain its brightness. In contrast, Lugosi's dimmed, ending his career toiling in low-end comedy spookers and Ed Wood movies.
Regardless of the rocky avenue his career eventually veered onto, the esteemed actor headlined and co-starred in a nice smattering of 30s horror thrillers that are signature of Lugosi's talents. MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS and WHITE ZOMBIE (all 1932), THE BLACK CAT (1934), THE RAVEN, MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (both 1935), THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) and SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) are among the man's best works.
Lugosi wasn't the only actor who left a lasting impression in this movie. American actor Dwight Frye did for homicidal servants what Bela did for the undead. Frye's mannerisms and line delivery are unforgettable. His wild-eyed visage and preoccupation with rodents and insects are among the films highlights. By the midway point, Frye's Renfield balances out the occasional absence of Dracula which serves to keep the film from plodding for too long. Frye is notable for appearing in four major horror films of the Golden Age -- these being DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935).
Regarding Dracula's popularity, the film received a sequel in 1936 that aborted the return of Lugosi's iconic bloodsucker, but instead focused on DRACULA'S DAUGHTER. In 1943, the character was resurrected once again with SON OF DRACULA. Lon Chaney Jr. took up the role that is never quite clear if it's Dracula or his son. At any rate, Chaney's performance lacks bite although the special effects are very well done. Other Dracula movies followed of varying quality; most in name only in their relation to Universal's original.
A Spanish version of DRACULA from 1931 was shot on the same sets as Browning's movie, but at night. This version is often referred to as being superior to the American production. Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy interpreted Dracula in the silly, but sexy and heavily atmospheric COUNT DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE (1972). Mexico did their own version of the legend with the excellent, Universal style infused THE VAMPIRE (1957). Toho of Japan even got in on the act with LAKE OF DRACULA (1971) and EVIL OF DRACULA (1975).
The most famous of course, is Christopher Lee's massively popular rendition of Stoker's phenomenally popular vampire in Britain's HORROR OF DRACULA (1958). Lee went on to play the character six more times for Hammer Films in movies that increasingly featured very little Dracula who was reduced to a bit player in his own movie. Lee also played the role again under the aegis of Jess Franco in the anemic COUNT DRACULA (1970).
1979 saw a comedy version of Dracula that featured a myriad number of iconography laid down by Tod Browning's picture with the release of AIP's hilarious LOVE AT FIRST BITE. In that film, George Hamilton played Dracula and Arte Johnson expertly essayed Dwight Frye's Renfield.
The 1931 film was remade in 1992 from Francis Ford Coppola in an overblown, effects heavy production, and again most recently in a laughably bad envisioning of Dracula by famed Italian horror director Dario Argento.
While Lugosi and DRACULA were largely responsible for the innumerable big screen bloodsuckers that entranced audiences for years afterward, director Tod Browning suffered a worse fate than Lugosi ultimately did. After directing the controversial FREAKS (1932), Browning's career was more or less ruined by this dark revenge movie that featured a cast made up of real life freaks. He did two more horror pictures -- one of which was MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935), which featured Lugosi in a sort-of remake of Browning's own LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT (1927). The other was THE DEVIL DOLL (1936) about a mad scientist devising a serum to shrink the Earth's population.
Lacking the steady visual intensity of FRANKENSTEIN (1931), DRACULA (1931) runs out of steam before it's even half over. In its favor, Bela Lugosi made horror movie history with an array of mannerisms and indelible dialog. It will always be an important motion picture in the annals of American cinema. It not only started a profitable flood of Universal monster films, but laid the groundwork for the Silver Screen's classic vampire.
This review is representative of the Universal DVD.
THE BRIDES OF DRACULA 1960
Peter Cushing (Professor Van Helsing), Martita Hunt (Baroness Meinster), Yvonne Monlaur (Marianne Danielle), David Peel (Baron Meinster), Freda Jackson (Greta), Miles Malleson (Dr. Tobler)
Directed by Terence Fisher
"There's a wolf howling down there... he'll get'em all a' stirred, trust him. You don't know what you've done..."
The Short Version: Following their triple threat of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Mummy, Hammer went a different route upon revisiting the realm of European bloodsuckers. BRIDES has everything a fan of fanciful Gothic horror could hope for and more save for Christopher Lee's iconic presence. David Peel rarely, if ever resonates the vile nature of Lee's vampire with his blonde haired, effeminate Baron Meinster. He does swing a mean chain, and nearly converts Van Helsing to vampirism, though. His polar opposite interpretation is boyish, if occasionally riveting thanks in part to Peter Cushing as a noticeably invigorated Professor Van Helsing. It's essential viewing, and a great entry for fans unfamiliar with Hammer's celebrated brand of horror cinema.
Abandoned by her coach, French schoolteacher Marianne Danielle ends up at the feared residence of the Baroness Meinster. During a late dinner while a storm stirs outside, Marianne learns of the house's dark history and of its young, shackled owner, the Baron Meinster. Warned to stay away from him, the curious girl converses with the young man anyways. The Baron pleads with her to release him, and in so doing lets a great evil onto the world. Learning what has happened, Professor Van Helsing intervenes to halt this new plague of the undead.
Hammer Films follow-up to HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) has Dracula in the title but no Dracula in the movie. The film is reputed to have bore the title of DRACULA 2 in the early scripting stages, yet these are merely disciples of Dracula. The absence of the lord of the undead doesn't hurt the film, though, as Fisher and company fashioned one of Hammer's greatest achievements with sumptuous costumes and art decor. There's a macabre ambiance present that would be methodically drained away from Hammer's future vampire entries -- particularly noticeable in the 70s films.
Ostensibly an action-horror picture, BRIDES sets itself apart from the rest by enabling a more athletic protagonist and antagonist. Peter Cushing gets into the spirit of things more than he did in the previous vampire outing. He has a stronger presence this second go round; magnified because David Peel (as the vampire Meinster) isn't Christopher Lee by any stretch, but then he doesn't try to be. This is arguably Cushing's best film playing Van Helsing out of the five he did.
Cushing almost didn't do the film until after changes were made in the script. A few scenes intended for this picture were shoveled over into KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (1963) such as a bloodsucker being staked with a spade through a coffin; and an astonishing finale where Van Helsing summons hell-sent bats to do in the vampires. Other plot points were just dropped altogether like Marianne being vampirized.
The backstory for the Meinster's (sort of a malapropism on the word monster) likens vampirism to drug addiction. The Baroness and Greta the mad matron mentions the gaiety that once thrived at the estate, but alludes to her son having infested her circle with this "addiction". It also flirts with the incestuous nature, and proposed decadence of the aristocracy, and its latent preying on the human sheep in the villages below. This societal perversion is likewise analogous with the decline of western civilization via the dissolution of the 50s nuclear family into the radical, revolutionary, and controversial 1960s era of free love.
In Hammer's next vampire movie, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (1963), Don Sharp's film fleetingly feels like a sequel of sorts; or at least develops some of the ideas presented in the earlier movie. It expands on the morally corrupt aristocracy talked about in BRIDES by visualizing them as a circle of satanic bloodsuckers who throw macabre masquerades whereby new victims are brought into their fold.
"First it's you clericals, Father, with your monolithic superstitions. And the peasants like her with their troglodyte indifference."
BRIDES OF DRACULA touches on other avenues, yet never lingers for too long on them. It strikes an engaging dichotomy between science and religion. Dr. Tobler (slight comedy relief via Miles Malleson's quasi bumbling, clueless physician) believes in the tangible, quickly disregarding the local superstitions of the peasants, as he calls them. The priest of course is well aware of the deviltry around him. Van Helsing provides a nice bridge between the two. He's a scientist, but also well versed in metaphysics and the supernatural. His vast knowledge is his greatest ally aside from the soul saving, vampire vanquishing accouterments he carries with him. The film doesn't spend much time on this clash of ideals, not that it needed to, but it's there whether intentional or not.
Peter Cushing is stoic and impeccably dressed throughout; and is always carrying his "doctors bag" full of crucifixes, wooden stakes, hammers and holy water. He gets to use them regularly here. One of the films major highlights is a sequence where he's actually bitten by the vampire(!). It's probably the most shocking bit of business in the films 86 minutes. You don't expect it, but when it happens, it's a wonderful cliffhanger moment in the annals of Hammer horror. The method by which Van Helsing escapes becoming one of the vampires brood will make you wince and squirm in your seat. It's highly effective.
David Peel as Baron Meinster isn't quite up to the villainy of Lee's genre defining vampire. A bit on the effeminate side, Peel does exude menace in certain shots, but most of the time, he makes one long for Christopher Lee. He never maintains that sense of evil that Lee brought to the role two years earlier. The delivery of his background and how he came to be in his blood-drinking state is far more terrifying. Peel's performance is a nice diversion till Lee donned the cape again in 1966, although he's certainly better than Noel Willman's Dr. Ravna in the otherwise poetically haunting KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (1963).
Freda Jackson nearly steals the show from everybody with her domineering stare and her unforgettable moments of voracious line delivery and mannerisms. She was well suited to these sorts of witchery enhanced roles. She was far more subdued, but no less scowling in Jim O'Connolly's VALLEY OF GWANGI (1969). Her last big screen credit was her wildest interpretation of a hunched over messenger of sinister reverence -- she was one of the blind cannibalistic Stygian witches in Desmond Davis's excellent fantasy adventure CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981).
One could argue that BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960) is a better film than 1958s HORROR OF DRACULA. It does surpass that film in a number of ways. Terence Fisher definitely fills the screen at every turn leaving nary an inch of wasted space. As mentioned earlier, the studio sets and costuming are sumptuous; and go far in radiating a dark fairy tale quality. The score by Malcolm Williamson is vastly different from the signature work of James Bernard, who'd defined the Hammer style of music in the previous Frankenstein and Dracula pictures. Williamson's orchestral cues are accompanied by some eerie organ strains that do much to allow BRIDES to stand out as a defining work in Hammer horror.
Aside from some lapses in logic (the Baron frequently transforms into a bat, but seems to forget this ability at the most inopportune times), BRIDES OF DRACULA is among the classiest, if not the classiest of Hammer's horror canon. It's certainly a sterling effort of the Bray years, and puts the bulk of the latter period at Elstree to shame with its superior production values and meticulous qualities.
This review is representative of the Universal Franchise Collection 2 disc set.
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Renfield, a lawyer residing in Great Britain, travels to Transylvania to procure the signature of Count Dracula for the purchase of Carfax Abbey back in London. Warned by frightened villagers to stay away from the Count's castle, Renfield ultimately becomes a slave to Dracula. Upon arriving by boat at their destination, Dracula sets about vampirizing Lucy Weston and Mina Seward while attracting the attention of Professor Van Helsing. Familiar with legends of vampires, Van Helsing sets out to destroy the Transylvanian Count.
Without doubt the most famous interpretation of Bram Stoker's wildly popular novel is Universal's B/W spooker from famed silent film director Tod Browning. The first horror talkie (as well as the first vampire film shot with sound), Browning's movie often feels like a silent picture, or even a stage play with its exaggerated performances. It benefits from a staggeringly surreal atmosphere that's most noticeable, and successfully implemented during the films first 20 minutes. The remainder of the movie rarely captures, nor is it able to maintain this macabre momentum. 
James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN (1931) released ten months later is far more consistent, but it's worth mentioning that DRACULA was influential on it just the same. It retained some of DRACULA's cast members such as Edward Van Sloan and Dwight Frye -- the latter of which played a similar character with the same amount of bug-eyed, insane reverence.
The Hungarian film star became synonymous with this role, and more in a similar vein followed -- testifying to DRACULA's speedy penetration into American iconography. While his vampiric interpretation lasted decades, Lugosi's career did not. Roles of prestige for the actor rapidly declined by the dawn of the 1940s. At that point, he was relegated to supporting roles for pictures that seemed more interested in using his countenance for marquee value as opposed to his acting ability. His occasional co-star Boris Karloff saw his star maintain its brightness. In contrast, Lugosi's dimmed, ending his career toiling in low-end comedy spookers and Ed Wood movies.
Lugosi wasn't the only actor who left a lasting impression in this movie. American actor Dwight Frye did for homicidal servants what Bela did for the undead. Frye's mannerisms and line delivery are unforgettable. His wild-eyed visage and preoccupation with rodents and insects are among the films highlights. By the midway point, Frye's Renfield balances out the occasional absence of Dracula which serves to keep the film from plodding for too long. Frye is notable for appearing in four major horror films of the Golden Age -- these being DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) and BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935).
Regarding Dracula's popularity, the film received a sequel in 1936 that aborted the return of Lugosi's iconic bloodsucker, but instead focused on DRACULA'S DAUGHTER. In 1943, the character was resurrected once again with SON OF DRACULA. Lon Chaney Jr. took up the role that is never quite clear if it's Dracula or his son. At any rate, Chaney's performance lacks bite although the special effects are very well done. Other Dracula movies followed of varying quality; most in name only in their relation to Universal's original. 
A Spanish version of DRACULA from 1931 was shot on the same sets as Browning's movie, but at night. This version is often referred to as being superior to the American production. Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy interpreted Dracula in the silly, but sexy and heavily atmospheric COUNT DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE (1972). Mexico did their own version of the legend with the excellent, Universal style infused THE VAMPIRE (1957). Toho of Japan even got in on the act with LAKE OF DRACULA (1971) and EVIL OF DRACULA (1975). 
1979 saw a comedy version of Dracula that featured a myriad number of iconography laid down by Tod Browning's picture with the release of AIP's hilarious LOVE AT FIRST BITE. In that film, George Hamilton played Dracula and Arte Johnson expertly essayed Dwight Frye's Renfield.
While Lugosi and DRACULA were largely responsible for the innumerable big screen bloodsuckers that entranced audiences for years afterward, director Tod Browning suffered a worse fate than Lugosi ultimately did. After directing the controversial FREAKS (1932), Browning's career was more or less ruined by this dark revenge movie that featured a cast made up of real life freaks. He did two more horror pictures -- one of which was MARK OF THE VAMPIRE (1935), which featured Lugosi in a sort-of remake of Browning's own LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT (1927). The other was THE DEVIL DOLL (1936) about a mad scientist devising a serum to shrink the Earth's population.
Lacking the steady visual intensity of FRANKENSTEIN (1931), DRACULA (1931) runs out of steam before it's even half over. In its favor, Bela Lugosi made horror movie history with an array of mannerisms and indelible dialog. It will always be an important motion picture in the annals of American cinema. It not only started a profitable flood of Universal monster films, but laid the groundwork for the Silver Screen's classic vampire.
