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Films: Dracula/Dracula – Spanish Version/ Dracula’s Daughter/Son Of Dracula/House Of Dracula
Stars: Bela Lugosi, David
Manners, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan/Carlos Villarias,
Lupita Tovar, Pablo Alvarez Rubio, Barry Norton, Carmen Guerrero, Manuel Arbo,
and Eduardo Arozamena/ Edward Van Sloan, Otto Kruger, Gloria Holden, and
Marguerite Churchill/Louise Albritton, Robert Paige, Evelyn Ankers, Frank
Craven, J. Edward Bromberg, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lon Chaney Jr./Lon Chaney Jr.,
Martha O’Driscoll, John Carradine, Lionel Atwill, Onslow Stevens, Glenn
Strange, Jane Adams, and Ludwig Stossel
Writers: Garret Fort, Hamilton
Deane, and John L. Balderson/Garrett Fort/Garret Ford and Oliver Jeffries/Eric
Taylor and Curtis Siodmak/Edward T. Lowe
Based O The Novel By: Bram
Stoker
Directors: Tod Browning/George
Melford/Lambert Hillyer/Robert Siodmak/Erle C. Kenton
Feature lengths: 74 minutes/104
minutes/71 minutes/80 minutes/67 minutes
Extras: Stephen Sommers On
Universal’s Monster: Dracula Featurette, The Road To Dracula Documentary,
Dracula: Poster and Photo Montage, Feature Length Commentary With Film Historian
David J. Skal, Introduction To The Spanish Version With Lupita Tovar, Theatrical
Trailers
Languages: English Monaural
Sound and Spanish Monaural Sound
Subtitles: English Captions and
French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging: Book Style Digipack
Gatefold Within A Glossy Cardboard Slipcase
Chapter Stops: 18 per film
Sound: Monaural Sound
Years of Theatrical Release:
1931/1936/1943/1945/DVD Release: 2004
Theatrical Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Home Video Distributor:
Universal Studios Home Video
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
At the time of this writing,
Universal Pictures’ “Van Helsing” will be opening in theaters everywhere
in just a few weeks so to pay homage to the classic and in some cases not so
classic monster pictures and their sequels, Universal Studios Home Video has
released “The Legacy Collection” on DVD focusing on the iconic characters of
“Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” and “The Wolf
Man.” These two disc sets
are available separately or within a collector’s box set containing three
busts of the creatures. As a kid I loved monster movies and I still do so
throughout the week of this writing and into next week I’ll be reviewing all
three of Universal Studios Home Video’s “Monster Legacy Collection” sets
and follow-up with Warner Home Video’s three new Dracula and Frankenstein
Hammer Studios discs, which are being released day and date with Universal’s
DVD collections. Hopefully then I’ll be able to wrap my Van Helsing coverage
up with a DVD review of Universal Studio’s animated prequel DVD release of
“Van Helsing: The London Assignment” just in time for the theatrical release
of this highly anticipated Steven Sommers film.
There is no denying that
Universal Studios helped to pioneer these horror icons from the early talkie
films through the 1940s. I think the Hammer Studios did a good job of
reimagining these characters in the 1950s through the 1970s. Then during the
1980s the slasher genre along with new immortal horror icons such as Michael
Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger, and to some extent Pin Head stood in for
Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man. In the early to mid 1990s Francis Ford
Coppola rekindled interest in some of the classic monsters and legends by
directing “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” and serving as Executive Producer on
Kenneth Branagh’s feature film adaptation of “Mary Shelley’s
Frankenstein” and Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.” I think all three of
those films owe as much to the gothic style the Hammer films had as the classic
Universal monster pictures that inspired them. The 1990s also saw an intense
interest in the all too human monster as personified in films like “The
Silence Of The Lambs” and “Seven.” At the end of the 1990s and through the
present it appears that Director Stephen Sommers has rekindled interest in the
Universal monsters with his CGI effects filled popcorn summer blockbusters of
“The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” and now it seems like we are going
to get Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Wolf Man in that same vein (no
pun intended) with “Van Helsing.”
Universal Studios Home
Video’s “Dracula: The Legacy Collection” features the 1931 classic
starring Bela Lugosi along with the Spanish version and two sequels as well as a
spin-off of sorts. Tod Browning’s film adaptation of “Dracula” is in part
and adaptation of the stage play as well as the book, but like other
“Dracula” dramatizations, it is not one hundred percent faithful to the
book, but given the limitations of what could be done back in 1931 as well as
the difference between the two media forms, it is easy to forgive and accept the
films for what they are as long as they are done well on their own merit. My
personal preference is for Browning’s 1931 version of “Dracula” over the
Spanish version, which was shot simultaneously using the same sets, but with a
different Spanish-speaking cast at night. Technically Director George Melford
does use the camera to create a more dramatic effect, but Carlos Villarias
cannot hold a candle to Lugosi’s performance. I also prefer Edward Van Sloan
as Dr. Van Helsing. Unfortunately the three other films included in the set are
inferior when compared to both Tod Browning’s and George Melford’s
adaptations.
In the first sequel
“Dracula’s Daughter” Professor Van Helsing, played again by Edward Van
Sloan, is arrested for Dracula’s murder since the film picks up right where
the previous one left off. He is also blamed for Renfield’s death since he is
the only person discovered at the scene of the crime. I guess the Harkers must
have slipped by the police when they arrived at the scene and they must have
skipped town afterwards since they don’t even bother to appear and offer
testimony in Van Helsing’s defense. (Talk about being ungrateful.) So
Van Helsing calls a psychiatrist pupil to his aid as the Countess Marya Zaleska
(Gloria Holden) and presumably Dracula’s undead daughter arrives in London
looking for a bite. The film culminates in a somewhat anticlimactic
confrontation at Dracula’s castle in Transylvania.
“Dracula’s Daughter” is
nothing like “Dracula.” Gloria Holden’s performance seems somewhat stilted
though she does manage to elicit some compassion as a victim of Dracula’s evil
who wishes to become mortal again before giving up and feasting on unsuspecting
English folk. There is a little too much comic relief in this picture too and
after a while Edward Van Sloan’s pious performance as “Van Helsing” almost
makes one wish someone with put a stake through his heart. The setting of the
film seems a bit off too. “Dracula” had a nineteenth century like feel while
“Dracula’s Daughter” looks as though a few years have passed well into the
20th century despite the fact the film takes place minutes after
where the first film concluded.
“Son Of Dracula” has Lon
Chaney, Jr. as Count Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards), who arrives in
the Southern Bayou of the United States looking for new place for his coffins
and some new victims to occupy them. “Son Of Dracula” is simply dull. Lon
Chaney, Jr. is little more than a guest star and the story lacks any
imagination.
Finally “House Of Dracula” is actually a sequel
of sorts to “House Of Frankenstein,” which is included on the
“Frankenstein” Legacy collection DVD set. The story starts off well enough
with John Carradine playing the Count, who is now looking for a cure to his
vampirism. He is not alone. Lon Chaney, Jr. appears seeking a cure for his Wolf
Man affliction too. Then in some cave beneath the Doctor’s castle like
dwelling are the remains of Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange). There is
even a pretty faced hunchbacked nurse who pines for the Doctor. “House Of
Dracula” has too many monsters and too little time. The screenplay feels out
of alignment with the Dracula plot suddenly taking a backseat to the Wolf Man
plot and then the whole Frankenstein’s monster angle just seems to fall face
forward into the flames as the film reaches a flat climax after some crazy
montage where the Doctor goes mad after getting some of Dracula’s blood in a
transfusion. SPOILER
WARNING: The only reason why I would suggest anyone to see this
film is to witness Lon Chaney Jr.’s character finally being cured of his
lycanthrope affliction.
END SPOILER.
Had the screenplay been better balanced and equal time given to the characters,
this could have been a fun quasi-B-movie, but as it is I think they should send
this one up to the Satellite of Love if they have not already and let the
“Mystery Science Theater 3000” people take a crack at it. (I know the
show is no longer in production, but I have no doubt their writers could do
wonders to it.)
Shortcomings aside, there are a
few tidbits in all the films that may be of interest. Each of them in some small
way take elements from Bram Stoker’s novel that was not used in the first film
so in “Dracula’s Daughter” we do go back to Transylvania while the effect
of Dracula turning into a cloud like vapor is seen given what they could do
optically in “Son Of Dracula.” The effect of Dracula turning to a bat and
back again using animation is seen in “House Of Dracula,” which was in some
ways the precursor to the monster bash comedy “Abbott & Costello Meet
Frankenstein,” where Bela Lugosi as “Dracula” transforms to and from a bat
through animation that still looks great today considering the age of the film.
It is also interesting to note
that Bela Lugosi only played “Count Dracula” in feature films twice. The
first being Tod Browning’s “Dracula” and the second time in the above
mentioned Abbott & Costello spoof. I always thought he played the character
more than that, but the testament to his talent perhaps is the fact that in the
collective unconscious of humanity, when we think of “Dracula” Lugosi is the
first image that comes to mind. Anecdotes and observations like this are
revealed in the feature length audio commentary for “Dracula” with Film
Historian David J. Skal. He gives so much information that one film is not
enough since he refers to the other Dracula films briefly during his commentary.
He also participates in the documentary “The Road To Dracula” (35:04), which
features interview clips with acclaimed Author and Filmmaker Clive Barker and
Makeup Master Rick Baker. Stephen Sommers gives viewers a brief look
behind-the-scenes at his new film “Van Helsing” where he discusses some of
his inspirations from the classic “Dracula” pictures. He notes the idea of
having his vampires morph into giant human size bat creatures came from the fact
that it was one of things he always wanted to see happen in Tod Browning’s
original. Brief interview clips with Richard Roxburgh, who plays Dracula, Hugh
Jackman, who plays Van Helsing and Kate Beckinsale are included in the
featurette too (6:43). A montage of
poster art and still photographs (9:12) and the theatrical trailer for
“Dracula” (1:52) wrap up the bonus features on disc one. The second disc is
a DVD-18 with side one containing the Spanish version of “Dracula” and
“Dracula’s Daughter” and side two containing “Son Of Dracula” and
“House Of Dracula.” The introduction with Lupita Tovar for the Spanish
version of “Dracula” (4:18) and theatrical trailers for “Dracula’s
Daughter” (1:26) and “Son Of Dracula” (1:39) are featured on side one of
disc two as well.
All five “Dracula” feature
films are presented in their original (1.33:1) theatrical release aspect ratio.
The picture quality is mixed with “Dracula” in particular still showing
scratches and jump cuts from the original print used. The other four features
look much better with the three English language films in particular looking
very clean with a nice grayscale. The Two-Channel English Monaural Soundtrack on
“Dracula” is a good though at times I couldn’t help but wonder if some of
the background noise was not sound effects so much as it was just crackle from
the original source materials. There is an alternate score composed by Philip
Glass and performed by the Kronos Quartet and mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1
Surround Sound, but it does nothing to improve the film’s original dialogue
track and at times overshadows it. I prefer the original soundtrack to the
Philip Glass score. To me tampering with a classic like “Dracula” is almost
as bad as the way George A. Romero’s 1968 classic “Night Of The Living
Dead” was butchered for a 30th anniversary edition release a few
years back that featured a new score and new scenes shot that just did not fit
in with what was originally presented. The English Two-Channel Monaural
Soundtracks for “Dracula’s Daughter,” “Son Of Dracula,” and “House
Of Dracula” is all remarkably clear. A Spanish Language Two-Channel Monaural
Soundtrack accompanies the other version of “Dracula” with Spanish Language
Captions for the hearing impaired and French and English Language Subtitles
encoded as options. The rest of the films feature English Captions for the
hearing impaired and French and Spanish Language Subtitles.
The interactive menus are well
rendered and easy to navigate. “Dracula: The Legacy Collection” is available
now at retailers on and offline separately or in a deluxe gift set from
Universal Studios Home Video and is a must for any person’s horror DVD
library.
© Copyright 2004 By Mark A.
Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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