Film Road to Halloween: Dracula (1931)

The road to Halloween is paved with good films. Wherein we countdown to the spirited season with a hundred doses of horror. 96 days to go.

Although 1931’s Dracula wasn’t the first incarnation of the famous story to screen, it could be argued that it was the first one which captured the public’s imagination. While F.W. Murnau’s silent masterpiece Nosferatu is still widely regarded – and for my money the greatest of all vampire films. Todd Browning’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s tale brought to life so many elements that have become part of what know about Dracula. A lot of that has to do with the iconic performance of Bela Lugosi.

Although when the film was in pre-production the thought of Lugosi as Dracula was considered laughable. The reason being was Universal, who was the studio behind production of the film thought the only person the public would accept to play Dracula would be Lon Chaney. Chaney made a name for himself in silent films and was nicknamed “The Man of 1000 Faces”. This was due to the innovative make-up work he would apply to himself to create iconic horror performances. Chaney was best known for his masterful creations in silent horror classics such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. His make-up for those monsters were so memorable, there would be no doubt he would be find something just as momentous for Dracula.

“Todd Browning’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s tale brought to life so many elements that have become part of what know about Dracula.”

Chaney was all but signed up for the role with Browning as director. But alas, it was not to be when he succumbed to lung cancer in 1930. This opened the door for a new face, and although he played the part on stage, Lugosi was still not the first choice. Producers felt his thick Hungarian accent was too hard to understand. However, due to the film’s budget constraints they went with Lugosi after he agreed to a smaller salary.

Indeed, the gamble worked out and when you watch Dracula today, it’s Lugosi’s performance that is the most memorable thing about the film. There is something in the way he deliver’s Dracula’s lines that feel hypnotic. It’s important to remember that this being an early sound film, it was the first time anyone would be able to hear what Dracula sounded like. When Lugosi first appears on that creaky old stairway in his mansion, and addresses Mr. Renfield (Dwight Frye) with his “I bid you….welcome”, you can sense the shivers down your spine. The tenor of Lugosi’s voice gives his count an otherworldly quality which has stayed with the character ever since. One needs only to watch Gary Oldman’s interpretation in the 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula to see he’s clearly paying homage to Lugosi.

But Dracula was influential in other ways as well. It catapulted what we would call today the movie franchise. The film was the first in Universal Studio’s legendary Movie Monster series. This included titles such as Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man and The Creature from the Black Lagoon. For the first part of the twentieth century, these films were staples in Hollywood horror. Until they were deemed no longer scary to the general public and were relegated to comedy relief in a series of Abbott and Costello comedies.

“The production design and sheer craft is highly imaginative.”

However, the charm of these films still remains in tact. And although what we see in them could now mostly be considered cliche, the production design and sheer craft is highly imaginative. In the case of Dracula, much credit should be given to German cinematographer Karl Freund. He worked on Fritz Lang’s classic epic Metropolis, and brought a chilling macabre air to the film. Freund’s camera also makes fluid use of the space, particularly through Dracula’s castle when we first see him.

The use of shadows and fog permeate throughout the film, particularly when Dracula is stalking his next victim. One such effective scene happens in the streets of London, when he notices a young woman and attacks her. The close up of Lugosi’s face with his entrancing eyes make a menacing, yet seductive intensity. The lack of music score creates a certain tension, and although all the deaths happen off screen, we are left with a chilling feeling.

Along with Lugosi, there are a few other memorable performances worth noting. As Renfield, Dwight Frye is sympathetically campy and off the wall. You can tell he’s having a great time, and to me he’s still my preferred version of the character. His devilish grin when he is under Dracula’s hypnosis, and his partiality to rats and spiders is still part of the deranged lunacy of this film.

As Dracula’s main foil Professor Van Helsing, Edward Van Sloan gives a quiet dignified performance. In fact, aside from Lugosi, he was the only other actor who reprises his role from the original play. Although Sloan is mostly there to give some exposition about the mythology of vampires in general, he brings with him a certain theatricality that is much appreciated. It’s no wonder he appeared later that year playing a similar character in Frankenstein.

“As Renfield, Dwight Frye is sympathetically campy and off the wall.”

Despite these great performances, and production design, the film still does falter in some ways. This might mostly be do to the tight budget, leaving a good chunk of the film looking stagy and non-dynamic. Some of the actors such as David Manners who plays the lovelorn Jonathan Harker , and Helen Chandler as his wife Mina are rather bland and wooden giving off zero chemistry.

Overall, there seems to be a lack of risk involved when it comes to the overt sexuality of Dracula the character. Although this was a pre-code film, meaning it wasn’t relegated to the usual censorship commonly associated with classic movies, it never fully explores the dangerous erotic themes. In the end, Dracula is done away with in a cheap way off screen, and the film feels very anti-climactic. (Although an epilogue involving Van Sloan addressing the audience was cut out, and has never fully been restored)

Yet despite this, Dracula remains to be a classic film thanks mostly to Lugosi. Although he had brief fame, thanks to this part, Lugosi was mostly relegated to small character roles for the rest of his career. He was a staple in horror films appearing in many with his Universal Studios counterpart Boris Karloff. As well as other classics of the genre such as The Island of Lost Souls and The Wolf Man. Besides Dracula, Lugosi has had memorable leading roles such as White Zombie and The Black Cat. 

“If Dracula should be remembered for anything it’s that Lugosi gave a voice to this legendary horror movie monster.”

Sadly, by the late 1940s, he was considered a wash-up and famously ended his career in a string of films by the infamous Ed Wood. Although he was given a fitting tribute on film by the late great Martin Landau’s Oscar winning depiction of him in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, Lugosi never got the same recognition while he was alive.

If Dracula should be remembered for anything, it’s that Lugosi gave a voice to this legendary horror movie monster. And for some, remains the definitive version of the character. It’s no doubt that when someone impersonates Dracula, they are really impersonating Lugosi. He made it all real for us, from the accent, to the cape, to that voice. Which has captured generations of horror movie fans, from the very young, to the very old.