Bela Lugosi

DRACULA

Universal 1931. Directed by Todd Browning.  Camera:  Karl Freund.  With Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Charles Gerrard, Frances Dade, Herbert Bunston, Joan Standing, Anna Bakacs, Nicholas Bela, Daisy Belmore, Barbara Bozoky, Todd Browning, Moon Carroll, Geraldine Dvorak, Anita Harder, Carla Laemmle, Donald Murphy, Cornelia Thaw, Dorothy Tree, Josephine Velez, Michael Visaroff.

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English businessman Renfield has a harrowing journey to Transylvania, where he is to arrange a lease of the Carfax Abbey in England for Count Dracula.  Unknown to Renfield, Dracula is a centuries-old vampire, who lives off the blood of humans and cannot withstand the light of day.  Renfield is greeted at Dracula's castle by Dracula himself but, after he passes out from drinking drugged wine, his host descends upon him to feed on his blood.

Renfield, weakened by the attack, and Dracula board an England-bound ship which also carries the coffin in which Dracula sleeps during the day and several coffins filled with his native soil, which is required for his survival.  When the ship docks in Whitby Harbor, the entire crew is found dead.  Only Dracula and Renfield, who appears to have gone insane, survive.  Renfield is installed in Dr. Seward's sanitarium, where the physician studies his strange habit of consuming the blood of small animals.

Meanwhile, Dracula drains the blood of the female population of London.  One night at the opera, Dracula introduces himself to Dr. Seward and meets his daughter Mina, her fiancée, John Harker and friend Lucy.  Lucy is enchanted by Dracula's romantic manner and, later, Dracula attacks and kills her.

German scientist Van Helsing arrives in London to assist Dr. Seward, and correctly assesses the situation.  As Carfax Abbey is next to Seward's estate, Dracula has easy access to its occupants, and he takes advantage of his ability to transform himself into a bat to attack his next victim, Mina.  However, she does not die immediately, but undergoes a change over several nights.  Van Helsing confirms for Seward and Harker that Dracula truly is a vampire when Dracula's reflection does not appear in the mirror of a cigarette box.

Meanwhile, Renfield constantly escapes from the hospital as ordered by his master, Dracula.  Despite the precautions of Van Helsing to prevent Dracula's entry into Mina's room, he hypnotizes her maid to open the windows to admit him.  Mina succumbs to a final bonding with Dracula and becomes a vampire.  She confesses to Van Helsing that she has seen Lucy since she was buried, which confirms his suspicions that the "woman in white" who has been attacking young children is Lucy.

Dracula tries to hypnotize Van Helsing to force him to do his will, but Van Helsing resists and is saved by his crucifix, upon which Dracula cannot look.  Dracula, followed by Renfield, takes Mina to Carfax Abbey, where he plans to make her final transition to vampirism.  Van Helsing and John follow Renfield there but, when Dracula discovers their presence, he kills Renfield.  Dawn approaches and, when Van Helsing finds Dracula in his coffin, he drives a stake through his heart, killing him for eternity.  At the same time that Dracula is killed, Mina is released from her spell.  With the horror ended, John and Mina reunite.

American Film Institute Catalog

Poster artwork courtesy of Rikke and Ivan