Halloween Bites! Dracula (1931)

“There are far worse things awaiting man than death.”

Happy Halloween! It’s the final day of October and the final day of this year’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror! With that in mind, I decided to make the final post of October about the legendary Dracula (1931). There’s really not a lot that I can say about this film that hasn’t been said already, but I’ll do my best.

The film is considered by many to be the one that sparked the horror genre on the big screen. Sure, films like Nosferatu (1922) and The Phantom Of The Opera (1925) have their place in cinematic horror history, but Dracula pulled in big numbers of viewers and triggered what would eventually become the Universal Monsters Universe. It features one of the most iconic performances of all time: Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula. Plenty of other actors have portrayed the character over the years from Christopher Lee to Gary Oldman to Jack Palance, but when someone mentions the name “Dracula,” most people envision Lugosi in black with his sinister gaze.

The film also features amazing performances from other actors including David Manners, Edward Van Sloan, Helen Chandler, and Frances Dade. Perhaps most notable outside of Lugosi is the performance of Dwight Frye as Renfield. Frye’s fall into madness is one of the best performances in the film. Tod Browning’s direction is excellent as well.

Watch this film for its historical significance, but watch it for the brilliant film that it is as well. I also highly recommend the Spanish version of the film starring Carlos Villarias, Lupita Tovar, Barry Norton, and Pablo Alvarez Rubio. It used the same sets as the Lugosi film, but was directed by George Melford. The film, despite having the same plot, is unique and worth your attention.

I hope that you enjoyed this year’s Thirty-One Days O’Horror theme. I’ll be announcing next year’s theme in the very near future. Thank you so much for joining me this year and I hope that you have a wonderful Halloween!