House of Dracula (1945)

Count Dracula and the Wolf Man seek cures for their afflictions; a hunchbacked woman, a mad scientist and Frankenstein's Monster have their own troubles.

Director:

Erle C. Kenton

Writer:

Edward T. Lowe Jr. (original screenplay) (as Edward T. Lowe)

Stars:

Onslow Stevens, John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr.

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Lawrence Talbot / The Wolf Man (as Lon Chaney)
John Carradine	...	Dracula / Baron Latos
Martha O'Driscoll	...	Miliza Morelle
Lionel Atwill	...	Police Inspector Holtz
Onslow Stevens	...	Dr. Franz Edelmann
Jane Adams	...	Nina
Ludwig Stössel	...	Siegfried (as Ludwig Stossel)
Glenn Strange	...	The Frankenstein Monster
Skelton Knaggs	...	Steinmuhl

Storyline

Dracula arrives at Dr. Edelman's office asking for a cure to his vampirism. However, this is a ruse by Dracula to get near Dr. Edelman's beautiful female assistant and turn her into a vampire. Meanwhile, a sincere Lawrence Talbot, AKA the Wolfman, arrives seeking a cure for his lycanthropy. When Dr. Edelman's first attempt fails, Talbot tries to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, but instead finds a network of underground caves where Frankensteins Monster is in stasis. Chaos ensues as the three monsters fight for dominance of each other.

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Plot Keywords:

female hunchback | shared universe | monster movie | dracula | frankenstein's monster | 

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Taglines:

Frankenstein's Monster ... Wolf Man ... Dracula ... Mad Doctor ... Hunchback

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wolf Man vs. Dracula

Filming Locations:

Little Europe, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Most of the sets for this "Universal" movie were filmed with low lighting. The reason for this, was to conceal the low budget.

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Goofs

When the vampire bat is flying, the strings guiding it are visible.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Edelman: What are you doing here? Who are you?
Count Dracula: I am Baron Latos. I have come to you for help.
Dr. Edelman: It's five o'clock in the morning.
Count Dracula: I must apologize for the intrusion. But travel is very difficult for me, and I've come a long way.
Dr. Edelman: I don't understand.
Count Dracula: Perhaps you will, after you've led me to the basement room of this castle.
Dr. Edelman: Eh - a very strange request. This castle is my home!
Count Dracula: Have no fear, doctor. Had conditions permitted, I would have presented myself in the usual manner.
Dr. Edelman: Well, it is most ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits ooze down from the top of the screen, ending in a straight line of words.

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Connections

Follows The Invisible Woman (1940)

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Soundtracks

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor 'Quasi una fantasia'
, Op. 27, No. 2, popularly known as the "Moonlight Sonata"
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Not as good as the first film to star all three...but not bad either.

House of Dracula works from the same basic premise as House of Frankenstein from the year before; namely that Universal's three most famous monsters; Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and The Wolf Man are appearing in the movie together. Naturally, the film is rather messy therefore, but the fact that all three monsters are there is usually enough to ensure that the film's sixty seven minutes don't become boring. It's obvious that the idea of making another monster mash came into the writer's head before an actual plot did, as the yarn we're given isn't exactly without holes. The plot sees Count Dracula arrive at Dr. Edelman's home asking for a cure for his vampirism. Then, what can only be described as a coincidence, sees Lawrence Talbot, a.k.a. The Wolf Man turn up asking for a cure for his affliction! It turns out that Dracula is on the prowl for Edelman's daughter, but Talbot really is serious. When it turns out that he can't be stopped from turning into a wolf, The Wolf Man throws himself into the sea...where he ends up finding Frankenstein's Monster.

Overall, this film isn't as good as the earlier House of Frankenstein. The 1944 film put its plot together better than this entry in the series does, as the plot here doesn't give equal time to each Universal monster. Dracula's plot is the biggest at first, but soon fizzles out only to resurface at the end. The Wolf Man is the star of the show, but his story never really develops, and is essentially just another version of the plot he always finds himself in. Frankenstein's Monster is given the coldest hand, as he appears in the movie merely as an afterthought, and an obvious excuse to ensure that all three monsters appear in the movie. The story of the doctor who binds all three together is the most interesting, but this is a little disappointing as he isn't the reason why people will see this film. The acting is good enough, with John Carradine showing his sinister side and Lon Chaney Jr once again making sure that his character is bathed in tragedy. Glenn Strange is given nothing to do, and Onslow Stevens proves the real highlight as Dr Edelman. Overall, this film won't do much for anyone that isn't a fan of Universal horror; but as silly monster movies go, House of Dracula is worth seeing.