A Review of "Dracula" (1931)

Your senior picture is very ominous, Mr. Dracula!

I'm taking us back to the past. Way back. Back to when my grandpa was just a kid. A really, really young kid. 1931, to be precise. When sound first came into movies. All movies were black and white, and they didn't really know how to utilize the lack of sound, because most of these movies sound like the empty spots on vinyl records. What we're starting with is one of the crown jewels of horror movies, and the first staple of the 1930s. While the 1920s gave us horror masterpieces such as Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and the Lon Chaney staples The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera, the 1930s would kick off a massive horror movie renaissance for Hollywood, and it started with 1931's adaptation of Bram Stoker's gothic horror novel Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi.

As is yours, Mr. Renfield!

Renfield (Dwight Frye) is a solicitor traveling to Count Dracula's (Bela Lugosi) castle in Transylvania on a business matter. The people in the local village fear that vampires inhabit the castle and warn Renfield not to go there. Renfield refuses to stay at the inn and asks his carriage driver to take him to the Borgo Pass. Renfield is driven to the castle by Dracula's coach, with Dracula disguised as the driver. En route, Renfield sticks his head out the window to ask the driver to slow down, but sees the driver has disappeared; a bat leads the horses. A bat on a string, no less. OH THE HORROR. Renfield enters the castle and is welcomed by the charming but eccentric Count, who, unbeknownst to Renfield, is a vampire, an unholy creature of the night... and not the kind that shops at Hot Topic. They discuss Dracula's intention to lease Carfax Abbey in London, where he intends to travel the next day. Dracula hypnotizes Renfield into opening a window. Renfield faints as a bat appears and Dracula's three wives close in on him. Dracula waves them away, then attacks Renfield himself to suck his blood and turn him into a demonic presence.

Not really sure what you're going for
here, Dr. Van Helsing

Aboard the Vesta, Renfield is a raving lunatic slave to Dracula, who hides in a coffin and feeds on the ship's crew. Off screen, of course. When the ship reaches England, Renfield is discovered to be the only living person. Renfield is sent to Dr. Seward's sanatorium adjoining Carfax Abbey. Across town, at a London theatre, Dracula meets Seward (Herbert Bunston). Seward introduces his daughter Mina (Helen Chandler), her fiancé John Harker (David Manners) and the family friend Lucy Weston (Frances Dade). Lucy is fascinated by Count Dracula. That night, Dracula enters her room and feasts on her blood while she sleeps. Lucy dies the next day after a string of transfusions.

Renfield is obsessed with eating flies and spiders. Professor Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) analyzes Renfield's blood and discovers his obsession. He starts talking about vampires, and that afternoon Renfield begs Seward to send him away, claiming his nightly cries may disturb Mina's dreams. When Dracula calls Renfield with wolf howling, I guess being good at hunting and animal calls, Renfield is disturbed by Van Helsing showing him wolfsbane, which Van Helsing says is used for protection from vampires. Later that night, Dracula visits Mina, asleep in her bedroom, and bites her. The next evening, Dracula enters for a visit and Van Helsing and Harker notice that he does not have a reflection. When Van Helsing reveals this to Dracula, he smashes the mirror and leaves. Van Helsing deduces that Dracula is the vampire behind the recent tragedies. Pretty smart deduction considering he has no reflection and the problems only started after this exotic dude with a foreign accent showed up from Transylvania.

Just the picture please, thanks Count.
Don't actually bite the poor woman.

Later that night, Mina leaves her room and runs to Dracula in the garden, where he attacks her. She is found by the maid. Newspapers report that a woman in white is luring children from the park and biting them. Mina recognizes the lady as Lucy, risen as a vampire. Harker wants to take Mina to London for safety, but is convinced to leave Mina with Van Helsing. Van Helsing orders Nurse Briggs (Joan Standing) to take care of Mina when she sleeps, and not to remove the wreath of wolfsbane from her neck. Meanwhile, the looney-tune Renfield escapes from his cell and listens to the men discuss vampires. Before his attendant takes Renfield back to his cell, Renfield relates to them how Dracula convinced Renfield to allow him to enter the sanitorium by promising him thousands of rats with blood and life in them. Dracula enters the Seward parlour and talks with Van Helsing. Dracula states that Mina now belongs to him, and warns Van Helsing to return to his home country. Van Helsing swears to excavate Carfax Abbey and destroy Dracula. Dracula attempts to hypnotize Van Helsing, but the latter's resolve proves stronger. As Dracula lunges at Van Helsing, he withdraws a crucifix from his coat, forcing Dracula to retreat. Elsewhere, Harker visits Mina on a terrace, and she speaks of how much she loves "nights and fogs". A bat flies above them and squeaks to Mina. She then attacks Harker but Van Helsing and Seward save him. Mina confesses what Dracula has done to her, and tells Harker their love is finished. Probably the most badass break-up note somebody could get... and one that sounds like it would come out of an Off the Wall store.

Dracula hypnotizes Briggs into removing the wolfsbane from Mina's neck and opening the windows. Van Helsing and Harker see Renfield heading for Carfax Abbey. They see Dracula with Mina in the abbey. When Harker shouts to Mina, Dracula thinks Renfield has led them there. Renfield pleads for his life, but Dracula kills him. Dracula is hunted by Van Helsing and Harker knowing that Dracula is forced to sleep in his coffin during daylight, and the sun is rising. Van Helsing prepares a wooden stake while Harker searches for Mina. Van Helsing impales Dracula through the heart, killing him, and Mina returns to normal...

Count, a senior portrait should have your face--
oh never mind.

Dracula from 1931 loosely adapts the novel, leaving out many things or not fleshing them out all the way. It had to cram the entire novel in a 70 minute runtime. I guess people's attention spans were much shorter back then. Still, Bela Lugosi really defined Dracula for the coming decades, century even. Seeing as how we're a mere twelve years from the movie's centennial birthday, that's a lot of time for Bela to define vampires in popular media. Even to the point of his slicked back hair and his thick Hungarian accent becoming synonymous with vampires. The only unfortunate part is that for the rest of his life, he became typecast; playing mythic gothic figures with foreign accents that commanded screen presence every time you saw him. It affected his career, but appearing in 103 films doesn't sound too bad to me. The only other memorable characters to me are Renfield, Dwight Frye, and Abraham Van Helsing, Edward Van Sloan. Both have their perks in what they bring, but Renfield is more memorable. Edward Van Sloan's speeches can get pretty dry at times. He's not quite as enticing and unnerving as Donald Pleasance in Halloween, but he gets the job done.

Nevertheless, while the entertainment value might be lacking to some of today's audiences, if you get a chance in the few days we have left this Halloween season, check out the classic Dracula. It's a masterpiece of a mood chiller. Set the viewing mood for yourself, too. Lights out, window open (unless it's butt cold outside) and popcorn in hand. Bela Lugosi is one of the old-time horror masters, so you won't be disappointed.