From The Vault

A closer look at Universal's 'Dracula,' the grandaddy of all vampire movies

By JOHN VINCENT
6-20-2009

Welcome to the very first edition of From the Vault! In the following weeks, I'll be opining about anything and everything to do with horror movies. As a director of horror films myself (my fourth film drops this fall), I have a great respect about this often maligned genre of film making. And what better way to start things off then a discussion about the granddaddy of all scary movies, the film that was immediately beloved and decried - Universal's "Dracula."

Long before "Twilight" was sweeping the MTV movie awards, "Dracula" was fascinating the American movie-going public. "Dracula" wasn't the first horror movie ever - arguably Edison's version of "Frankenstein" gets that honor circa 1910 - nor was it the first vampire film (Germany's "Nosferatu" most famously), but it may be the most important.

Almost from birth, we learn to associate Dracula (and vampires in general) with a man wearing a tuxedo dinner jacket, medallion, slicked back black hair, and speaking with a thick Hungarian accent. From cardboard cutouts in doorways to halloween costumes, Bela Legosi's portrayal of the viscous Count remains in our cultural consciousness.

So why would this be?

To a modern audience, "Dracula" now seems extremely dated - downright musty - there's almost no camera movement and the only music in the film is from Swan Lake at the very start of the film. Most of the the acting is wooden and the only special effects are a model ship, a rubber bat and some dry ice fog. To our jaded eyes, there's nothing particularly scary about the film. ...

All true enough ... but back in the day (1931) "Dracula" was a sensation.

It was the first big budget Hollywood film to deal directly with a supernatural villain. The book, which was 34 years old when the movie debuted was still popular and the Broadway play based on it was a huge smash hit in New York. The sexuality of Dracula and his brides was heady stuff back in '31 and there is an atmospheric beauty to Karl Freund's photography. Dwight Frye's performance as Reinfield - Dracula's insane human minion - is still creepy as heck. So much so that much of it was cut when the film was rereleased under the rules of the production code (as was the stake to Drac's heart). The film was so successful that it - along with "Frankenstein" - literally saved Universal from bankruptcy. And would change how Hollywood dealt with horror films forever.

The character of Dracula should get some of the credit. Bram Stoker's version of the Count has staying power because - in part - it relies on the traditional mythos of the blood suckers - much more so then later movies in fact. For instance, sun light light doesn't kill the Count (the film shows him walking around London in daylight) and yes, a cross can ward off the monster. And that's how Stoker - and the later the film - portrays the Count - as a monster. A charming, smooth talking monster, but a monster none the less.

Which brings us to Legosi. There have at least 200 films based in some way on the Count, and hundreds more dealing with vampires, but I would argue that it's Legosi's Count that remains most memorable. He is simultaneously sexy and threatening, even without fangs - that's right, he wears no fangs for the film. Legosi's genius was that he somehow remains scary while being sympathetic. He brings a level human tragedy to the performance that no one else has reached. Christopher Lee made the Count purely evil, while Frank Langella's Count was a sexy beast. Bela - with his perfect-for-the-role accent - is somehow both.

Sometimes the first is best, and it seems to be the case here. Much as been said about Bela's up and down life after "Dracula" - including Tim Burton's brilliant tribute movie "Ed Wood." But regardless of what happened to him later in life, for one shinning moment, Bela Legosi and his performance of lifetime would forever change horror films.

So if you haven't seen it or seen it in a while, give "Dracula" another bite. The Universal DVD has some great docs on it as well as the Spanish-speaking cast version shot on the same sets at night.

So my good friends, until we meet again, stay scary.

About the Author: John Vincent knew he wanted to be a movie director when he saw "Star Wars" and "Night of the Living Dead" at a drive-in when he was 8. After he graduated from film school, he shot & sold his first feature film, "Deadeye." Since then he's directed 3 horror films, including "The 6th Extinction." He resides in Ypsilanti, Mich., with his lovely wife and a horde of children.