Dracula (1931) | 31 Days of Horror: Oct 4

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This granddaddy of the vampire film doesn’t suck!

The original and iconic Dracula flaps into 31 Days of Horror. As one of the true H-Origins films, a classic film that sets precedent of genre and defined characters and styles, Dracula created the definition of vampires in film and TV for decades to come.

Before Viewing

The trailer for the film indicates that Dracula is synonymous with “pure evil!” Never does it use the word vampire, but knows the audience knows the character. It sets up this evil character, played by Bela Lugosi, that lures innocent young women to a fate worse than death. Seemingly a racy film for 1931! Make sure you have your garlic and crucifix because there’s plenty at stake as 31 Days of Horror looks at the original vampire, Dracula.

Presented below is the trailer for the film.

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After Viewing

In the Borgo Pass area of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania a carriage stops at a small village just before sundown. Renfield (Dwight Frye), an English solicitor, is catching a connection to Castle Dracula at midnight, but the villagers warn him away from that place believing it cursed with vampires. The coachman delivers him, but stays only to toss the bags from the coach. Renfield finds his connection which takes him up a narrow trail to the castle. Leaning out to ask the new coachman to slow down, he sees no one driving the coach, and a bat flying alongside.

At the castle he is greeted by Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) who offers him some food and wine (he never drinks…wine himself) before looking over the papers Renfield has delivered. The Count is leasing Carfax Abbey outside London, planning to leave the following evening with only three boxes. Renfield opens a window after being hypnotized by Dracula and passes out. Dracula’s three wives approach Renfield but Dracula drives them back, leaning into the solicitor’s neck himself.

Later, Renfield is now a raving mad slave to Dracula as they sail on the ship Vesta headed towards London. When the boat docks, the crew is found to be dead, with Renfield the only living soul aboard. He is shipped off to Dr. Seward’s Sanitarium. Dracula wanders the streets feeding on a flower girl before finding his way to the symphony. There he meets with Dr. Seward (Herbert Bunston), his daughter Mina (Helen Chandler), her fiancé John Harker (David Manners) and their friend Lucy (Frances Dade). Later that evening Dracula visits Lucy in her room and drains her blood, leaving two strange marks on her throat.

Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is brought in to examine Renfield’s blood to see if he can provide any sense of the solicitor’s mania. Van Helsing says they are dealing with the undead and gets some wolfsbane to help ward off the vampire. Renfield is afraid harm will come to Miss Mina unless he is sent away. Dracula visits Mina that evening, but the next morning she is not dead, only run down from bad dreams.

When Dracula visits again that evening Van Helsing realizes that he casts no reflection in a mirror convincing Van Helsing that he is indeed a vampire. Mina visits Dracula in the garden again after he uses his hypnotic powers on her. Renfield tells Van Helsing that he’s on the right path and begs them to take Mina away. Elsewhere a mysterious woman in white assaults two boys that evening whom Mina realizes is an undead Lucy. Harker wants to take Mina away, but Van Helsing disagrees and says that they must kill Dracula by driving a stake in his heart.

When Dracula tries to attack Van Helsing with hypnosis, Van Helsing proves his will is too strong for the vampire. Dracula captures Mina and returns her to the Abbey, where Harker and Van Helsing follow. Dracula thinks that Renfield told them where to find him and kills his servant. Van Helsing finds Dracula’s coffin and rips the lid apart making a stake and drives it through his heart (off screen in this version). Mina awakens from her stupor and Harker takes her safely away from the madness.

“To die, to be really dead, that must be glorious!” – Count Dracula

As I have done the past few years, there will be different themes running throughout October. Dracula is part of the first theme, which is the origins of horror (hence the H-Origins tag). 31 Days of Horror will be looking at some of the earliest horror films that are true classics and then following up with a more modern version the next day. Early films, like Dracula, are notable because they provide the basis for many films that come after them. This 1931 classic vampire film was not the first vampire film, but it provided the tropes and inspiration for the depiction of vampires ever since.

As many know, the story of Dracula is based on a novel by British author Bram Stoker written in 1897. The movie is not a strict adaptation of the novel however, but based on the 1924 stage play that was adapted from the novel instead. A more accurate version of the novel was filmed 9 years earlier as Nosferatu, by German director F.W. Murnau, but did not receive as widespread viewings due to the fact that it was an unlicensed adaptation. While that film languished, Carl Laemmle Jr. acquired the proper rights and produced this version for Universal Studios.

This film started the successful 24 year run of the Universal Monster Movies by introducing the public at large to the concept of vampires and specifically Count Dracula as well as many other classic monsters like Frankenstein’s monster, werewolves and the Invisible Man. Ask almost anyone to describe a vampire and they will most likely describe something that looks and acts like Bela Lugosi’s version. A handsome count with a cloak, hypnotic eyes, dark hair with a widow’s peak, and a fine suit. And because of this version of the story, everyone also knows how to tell a vampire from other monsters: he casts no reflection, is affected by a crucifix or cross, and can turn into a bat or a wolf. And of course you can kill a vampire by driving a stake through its heart. All these elements are part of the lore of the 1931 Dracula film, and were reused in nearly every other adaptation.

Dracula also introduced other important characters to the vampire mythos such as Van Helsing, who is usually an older, mature professor that is wise in the lore of vampires–and may even be a vampire hunter. It also introduced the sycophantic sidekick in Renfield, who is Dracula’s servant, that feasts on bugs and rats. Dwight Frye, who created such a memorable character in Renfield, was also famous for playing similar assistants in the Frankenstein films. In the Dracula-mythology there was also always a couple (at least one), in this case Mina and John, that were in danger of being ripped apart by Dracula. The vampire wanted the woman for his bride or her soul, while the man is sometimes the hero, but oftentimes an unknowing observer. Variations on these character types exist in many other vampire films with films like Fright Night using the young lovers–Charlie and Amy, the older vampire expert–Peter Vincent, and Ed, who becomes the helpful servant to the vampire.

Dozens of versions of the Dracula story have been made by all sorts of producers. Universal made three more films based on the character: Dracula’s Daughter, Son of Dracula, and House of Dracula. He also appears in House of Frankenstein and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Hammer Films, in England, started their Dracula franchise in the 50’s with Christopher Lee as the titular character, encompassing nine films between 1958 and 1974. Other famous remakes include the 1979 version with Frank Langella, and the Francis Ford Coppola version from 1994 with Gary Oldman as the charming vampire–which more closely followed the events of the novel.

Of course as audiences became more familiar with this material the stories and mythology changed to keep everyone on their toes. Movies from the 80s like Fright Night and The Lost Boys updated the mythos to modern day suburbia. Vampire films continue to change and evolve, merging with other genres, like From Dusk Til Dawn (a fugitive action story), Lifeforce (a sci-fi film) and Once Bitten (comedy). If you’ve never seen the original Dracula, take a few moments to watch in one evening. It may move a little slowly at times, but the mythic elements of the character will make you better appreciate this particular type of horror film more.

Assorted Musings

• Dracula opened in wide release on February 14, 1931 – Valentine’s Day.
• Director Tod Browning was near the end of his career when he made Dracula. He did make two other “horror” films, 1932s Freaks and 1935s Mark of the Vampire, also with Lugosi.
• A Spanish language version of the film was shot at night on the same sets that Tod Browning’s version used, and was released just a month later.