Hollywood Gothic by David J. Skal

Pages dripping with blood-soaked tales….

I’ve been meaning to read Hollywood Gothic by David J. Skal for weeks now, but between two hurricanes and an ongoing onslaught of overtime at work thanks to said hurricanes, I’ve only recently completed the book. It’s an informative read with plenty of humor laced throughout. Skal does a great job of giving readers, from hardcore vampire fans to casual cinema goers, a plethora of facts, figures, legal fights, and other twisted tales as Bram Stoker’s beloved book takes its journey from the page to the stage and eventually to the silver screen.

The first half of the book covers Stoker’s creation of the novel and then its arrival on the stage and all of the issues that come along with such things. Skal talks of Stoker’s struggles with publishers, contemporaries such as Oscar Wilde, and other colorful characters. He also goes into a great deal of detail on the many difficulties that writers faced while attempting to transition the book to the stage.

The second half of the book is roughly split into two sections: One covers the production and release of Universal’s 1931 classic film (and its Spanish language counterpart) and the other rushes through later cinematic and theater productions of the story and/or variations of it. Much attention is given to Bela Lugosi, as is expected, but Skal also talks about Carlos Villarias (the Spanish language version of Count Dracula) and the contrasting directing styles of Tod Browning and George Melford (with a few nudges from Paul Kohner). From there, Skal rushes somewhat through later versions of the film including the Hammer Horror productions starring Christopher Lee, Francis Ford Coppola’s over-the-top film starring Gary Oldman, and eventually ends with films and plays produced in the early 2000’s.

Skal also includes some great photographs from the history of Dracula and all of the films and plays that it spawned. Many of the photos come directly from Skal’s own collection. Also included are images of posters and advertisements. Skal also includes two appendices. One covers the release of films and the other covers a number of the plays that have been released over the years that are either adaptations of Stoker’s story or a variation of it.

Skal’s book is an informative and entertaining read. You’ll gain a new appreciation for people such as Florence Stoker, Horace Loveright, and Carl and Junior Laemmle. You’ll also learn of the fallout after the release of Dracula and the way that it destroyed some careers and lifted others. My only complaint is that the last quarter of the book feels rushed. It has been revised and hopefully Skal will add more to later editions of the book. Until then, consider Hollywood Gothic to be the best source for all things Dracula.

Thanks for reading my review. I’ll be posting more later this week.