Dracula Mania: Dracula (1931)

You know when shit just doesn’t go the way you think it will?  I’m talkin’ about simple things.  Like you get in the shower and forget that you’re out of shampoo which forces you to use someone else’s.  It doesn’t feel right and it’s in the back of your mind the whole day that there’s a foreign substance mixed in with your body.  You sure as shit will remember to pick some of your own shampoo later.  Or let’s say you want to make meatloaf for dinner but you’re out of breadcrumbs.  You can’t fucking make meatloaf without breadcrumbs.  You just can’t.  So you do something else that night but it’s not satisfying because you really wanted a loaf of fucking meat.  And this discontent doesn’t get corrected until the next dinner meal so you’re fucked for 24 hours.

What I’m saying is one thing leads to another.  I hadn’t seen the ’31 Dracula in a long ass time so it was due and Halloween was the perfect opportunity to check it out again.  I had never seen a Hammer horror picture and I figured Horror of Dracula (or just Dracula for you UK-ers out there) would be a good introduction.  After that I remember that I had noticed that the 1979 Dracula was available on demand (for free too) and thought what the hell let’s do it.  That was the tipping point and just made me want to see the 1992 Dracula again because it had been a couple of years since I’ve watched that.  These films are pretty much the major productions of Dracula not counting sequels, TV movies or foreign language versions like Nosferatu or the ‘31 Spanish Dracula (I’m curious to check that out though).  Goddamn, I did not expect this whirlwind of Dracula to appear.  I’ll tell ya though, it was pretty interesting to see how these pictures stacked up against one another.  I could directly compare since I saw them all almost immediately in sequence (three one day, one the next).  Let’s get started with the ’31 Drac.

Overall not quite as good as I remembered.  Lugosi does have the iconic look that we all associate with the character so that’s the big advantage this one has.  However the man isn’t the greatest actor.  It’s really his delivery of dialogue that’s a little flat.  I guess he was used to doing the play version so maybe it worked better in that context but on film some of his movements and speech are a bit robotic.  With that said it’s impossible to not like Lugosi in this part.  He looks like he’s enjoying it immensely which is nice to see because he wanted the role very very badly.  The suit, the stare and the way he carries himself all work well.

The only other role I want to talk about in this version is Van Helsing played by Edward Van Sloane (Frankenstein, The Mummy) because he’s handled a little differently in each movie I saw.  Here he’s the unshakable sage that knows exactly what’s going on and how to stop Dracula.  We feel safe with this portrayal because he’s our guide through the darkness and evil.  Sloane does a great job exuding confidence, leadership, etc.

In this one we’re shown Renfield’s journey to Castle Dracula and that passage and the scenes inside the castle are probably my favorite parts of any version of the story.  The Count has lured you into his lair and now he’s holding you prisoner.  He doesn’t have to chain you up because the place is so fucked that you’re scared to venture outside your room.  It’s brilliant.  And we don’t totally get this again until 1992.  For the ’31 Dracula the castle sets look fantastic and I appreciate that they added this part in.

Some interesting bits are that Lugosi doesn’t sport fangs here, the only blood shown (as far as I can remember) is from the nick that Renfield gets from a paperclip towards the beginning, this is the only version (of the ones I saw) that takes place in modern day or at least close to it (1920’s) and Lucy doesn’t get killed after becoming a vampire.

That last point is very strange.  It was in the script to stake her through the heart like the novel but for whatever reason it either wasn’t filmed or was cut out during editing and is lost forever.  I mean that’s a pretty big loose end to not tie up.  There’s a full-fledged fucking vampire on the loose out there still. 

Also the ending is sorta weird.  Van Helsing says he still has some shit to do before he can join Harker and Mina.  We see the lovebirds walk up the stairs and then it’s over.  I’m not really sure what Van Helsing is alluding to.  I mean if he had to cut off Dracula’s head or burn his body or something why even go there?  The audience knows that Dracula’s dead so leave it at that.  Van Helsing’s last words imply that the movie’s not over which makes the ending seem very abrupt.  Maybe that’s nitpicking but it still bothered me enough to mention it here.

Lugosi being a little stiff at times, the uneven pacing and the last couple of things I brought up detract from an otherwise good solid telling of the tale.  It’s not my favorite one but definitely worth watching, especially if you’re a horror buff.  In fact I’d probably say it’s essential viewing if you’re big on film in general.

Creep factor: Just a little.  The castle parts and Carfax Abbey were the only things that looked even a little scary.

Romance factor: They balanced man and monster ok.  Dracula is…sorta…charming?  I dunno, he comes off as a weirdo in this one with his long gaze and distancing demeanor I think.  So not that romantic then.

One last thing, for what it’s worth I love the story of Dracula but I like the ’31 Frankenstein better than the ’31 Dracula.  The execution is superior in every area in my opinion.