Dracula (1958)

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)
Bram Stoker (novel)

Release Date:

8 May 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Don't Dare See It...Alone!

Plot:

After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle (apparently somewhere in Germany), the vampire travels to a nearby city...

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Count | Vampire | Castle | Psychopath

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Doctor Van Helsing
Christopher Lee	...	Count Dracula
Michael Gough	...	Arthur
Melissa Stribling	...	Mina
Carol Marsh	...	Lucy
Olga Dickie	...	Gerda
John Van Eyssen	...	Jonathan
Valerie Gaunt	...	Vampire Woman
Janina Faye	...	Tania (as Janine Faye)
Barbara Archer	...	Inga
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Doctor Seward
George Merritt	...	Policeman
George Woodbridge	...	Landlord
George Benson	...	Official
Miles Malleson	...	Undertaker

Also Known As:

Dracula 1958 (USA)
Horror of Dracula (USA)

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:12A (re-rating) (2007) | Norway:16 (1958) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | USA:Approved (PCA #18981) | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | Argentina:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1958) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:(Banned) (1958-1970)

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Hammer Film Productions

Trivia:

The film takes numerous liberties with the story of Bram Stoker's novel, including (SPOILERS FOLLOW): In the novel Dracula can transform into a bat, a wolf, a horde of rats, and a mist, while in the film he does not have these abilities. * Dracula is an old man at the beginning of the story in the novel and becomes younger as he feeds on blood, while in the film he stays the same age throughout. * Dracula has only one bride in the film and is killed by Jonathan Harker, while in the novel Dracula has three brides and they are killed by Van Helsing. * In the film Mina is Arthur's wife and Lucy is Arthur's sister and Jonathan's fiancée, while in the novel Mina is Jonathan's fiancée and unrelated to Arthur, and Lucy is Arthur's fiancée. * Dr. Seward, a major character in the novel, appears only briefly in the film. * Dracula is killed in the film by Van Helsing, who exposes him to sunlight, while in the novel Dracula is killed by Jonathan Harker and Quincey Morris (a character not included in the film), who cut his throat and impale his heart simultaneously with knives. * Sunlight is lethal to vampires in the film, while in the novel it merely reduces their supernatural powers. * In the novel Jonathan Harker visits Dracula's castle to sell him real estate, unaware that he is a vampire, while in the film he visits Dracula's castle with the knowledge of his vampire nature and the intention to kill him, posing as a librarian. * In the novel Jonathan Harker survives the events of the story, while in the film he is turned into a vampire and killed by Van Helsing. * In the novel Dracula's castle is in Transylvania and Jonathan, Mina, Lucy, and Arthur live in England, while in the film Dracula's castle is in Klausenburg and only a short distance from the city in which Jonathan, Mina, Lucy, and Arthur live. * In the novel Dracula hides in England in Carfax Abbey, a property he purchased from Jonathan Harker, while in the film he hides in the cellar of Arthur's home. In the novel he transports a large number of crates of his native soil to England via ship, and in the film transports only a single coffin filled with his native soil to Arthur's home via carriage.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In Dracula's crypt, the now-aged vampire woman can be seen still breathing, even after she has supposedly been destroyed.

Quotes:

Count Dracula: I am Dracula and I welcome you to my house. I must apologize for not being here to greet you personally, but I trust you've found everything you needed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monster Mania (1997) (TV)

Is This The Best Dracula Film? Maybe!

I'm not a big fan of horror films but I was very impressed with this one, titled "Horror Of Dracula." (For some reason, it's just called "Dracula" here on the IMDb site.

This is a solid re-telling of the Dracula story with some legitimate thrills provided to the viewer along with pretty photography and sets and a tasteful lack of blood.

I'm curious how this looks and sounds on DVD. Story-wise, they might have embellished some of the action scenes and made Dracula a little more powerful. (I can't see him feeling a regular human being which he did here in the end.) Other than that, it's a well-done movie with no exaggerated characters, nice colors, no problem understanding accents....one of the better Dracula films ever made, just maybe the best. It's that good!

It also features two of the best classic 'horror" actors of all-time: Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Highly recommended, particularly for people who might be hesitant to watch a "Dracula" film. I'll think you'll like this version.