IMDb RATING
7.0/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
Centuries-old vampire Dracula preys upon the innocent Eva and her friends.Centuries-old vampire Dracula preys upon the innocent Eva and her friends.Centuries-old vampire Dracula preys upon the innocent Eva and her friends.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
Carlos Villarías
- Conde Drácula
- (as Carlos Villar)
Pablo Álvarez Rubio
- Renfield
- (as Pablo Alvarez Rubio)
Geraldine Dvorak
- Bride of Dracula (in catacombs)
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Dwight Frye
- Renfield
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
John George
- Scientist
- (uncredited)
Bela Lugosi
- Conde Drácula
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Cornelia Thaw
- Bride of Dracula (in catacombs)
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Dorothy Tree
- Bride of Dracula (in catacombs)
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFor decades, the only surviving print, while in mint condition, was missing several minutes worth of material that encompassed Renfield's seduction by Dracula's brides and the voyage to England. The "lost" reel was eventually located in Cuba, and has been restored to complete the film as much as possible. Though much more worn and aged than the rest of the film, the additional footage differs strikingly from the English-language version of Dracula (1931), probably more so than any other part of the film.
- GoofsThe famous quote "The next morning, I felt very weak, as if I had lost my virginity" is a mistranslation of the English subtitles in the home video version. What Eva is actually saying in Spanish is, "The next morning, I felt as weak as if I had lost my vitality."
- ConnectionsAlternate-language version of Dracula (1931)
- SoundtracksSwan Lake, Op.20
(1877) (uncredited)
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (uncredited)
Excerpt played during the opening credits
Featured review
Spanish-language version of Dracula filmed at the same time as the English-language version. While Tod Browning directed that one during the day, George Melford would direct this one at night using the same script and sets. Many consider this to be the superior version of the two, at least from a directing perspective. This film has a more polished look in most scenes than its English-language counterpart. The direction isn't as stiff or stagey as it often is with Tod Browning's Dracula. To be fair, however, director George Melford had the benefit of watching Browning's footage so he had a template with which to work and improve upon. This version is also longer by almost half an hour. There are no added scenes but each scene plays out longer with added dialogue. Often it's just a case of an extra shot or two per scene, with Melford taking his time and building tension. The added length is good and bad . Good because it allows for scenes to play out properly without feeling rushed, as sometimes was the case with Browning's film. Bad because the added time is mostly added dialogue, which makes the long stretches with little action seem interminable. There are also more sound effects in this one as well as bits of music. It helps things considerably, especially in the creepy castle scenes.
The ultimate shortcoming with the Spanish version of Dracula is the cast, particularly the lead actor. Bela Lugosi, for all his hamminess, was an undeniably menacing presence in his film. Comical-looking Carlos Villarías seems a poor imitation, with his constant crazy eyes and goofy smile. It's hard to take him seriously, let alone find him a threatening or alluring character. Pablo Álvarez Rubio is good and probably a better actor than Dwight Frye, but somehow his Renfield is less memorable in comparison to Frye's over-the-top performance. Eduardo Arozamena is decent as Van Helsing but he lacks Edward Van Sloan's screen presence. The guy looks like Eugene Levy! The only solid improvements in the cast are in the romantic pair of Juan and Eva (John and Mina in the other). Barry Norton is a more grounded actor than the theatrically-inclined David Manners. Lupita Tovar is much sexier and livelier than Helen Chandler's pallid Mina.
It's certainly a great movie and not just a curio. Stronger in some ways than Browning's Dracula but weaker in others. I would say they're both about even, with a slight edge to the Browning version simply because of the iconic performances of Lugosi, Van Sloan, and Frye.
The ultimate shortcoming with the Spanish version of Dracula is the cast, particularly the lead actor. Bela Lugosi, for all his hamminess, was an undeniably menacing presence in his film. Comical-looking Carlos Villarías seems a poor imitation, with his constant crazy eyes and goofy smile. It's hard to take him seriously, let alone find him a threatening or alluring character. Pablo Álvarez Rubio is good and probably a better actor than Dwight Frye, but somehow his Renfield is less memorable in comparison to Frye's over-the-top performance. Eduardo Arozamena is decent as Van Helsing but he lacks Edward Van Sloan's screen presence. The guy looks like Eugene Levy! The only solid improvements in the cast are in the romantic pair of Juan and Eva (John and Mina in the other). Barry Norton is a more grounded actor than the theatrically-inclined David Manners. Lupita Tovar is much sexier and livelier than Helen Chandler's pallid Mina.
It's certainly a great movie and not just a curio. Stronger in some ways than Browning's Dracula but weaker in others. I would say they're both about even, with a slight edge to the Browning version simply because of the iconic performances of Lugosi, Van Sloan, and Frye.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $66,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.20 : 1(original ratio)
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