Horror of Dracula (1958)

Jonathan Harker begets the ire of Count Dracula after he accepts a job at the vampire's castle under false pretenses.

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writers:

Jimmy Sangster (screenplay), Bram Stoker (novel)

Stars:

Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Cushing	...	Doctor Van Helsing
Christopher Lee	...	Dracula / Count Dracula
Michael Gough	...	Arthur Holmwood
Melissa Stribling	...	Mina Holmwood
Carol Marsh	...	Lucy Holmwood
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	...	Marx - Undertaker

Storyline

After Jonathan Harker attacks Dracula at his castle (apparently somewhere in Germany), the vampire travels to a nearby city, where he preys on the family of Harker's fiancée. The only one who may be able to protect them is Dr. van Helsing, Harker's friend and fellow-student of vampires, who is determined to destroy Dracula, whatever the cost.

---

Plot Keywords:

vampire | castle | cross | 19th century | race against time | 

---

Taglines:

The chill of the tomb won't leave your blood for hours... after you come face-to-face with DRACULA!

---

Genres:

Horror

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 June 1958 (UK)

Also Known As:

Dracula 1958

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

£81,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Colour by) (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Lee has only thirteen lines in this film.

---

Goofs

Harker is at the castle for the sole purpose of killing Dracula, yet he willingly gives his fiancé's name to Dracula. He should have known this could be fatal for his fiancé.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Jonathan Harker: [narrating his diary] The Diary of Jonathan Harker... Third of May, 1885. At last, my long journey is drawing to its close. What the eventual end will be, I cannot foresee. But whatever may happen, I can rest secure that I will have done all in my power to achieve success.

---

Connections

Referenced in All About Evil (2010)

User Reviews

The best Dracula....

I saw this not only because of the brilliant story but also because of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, two of the best actors I know. And I was not disappointed at all, in fact although I do have respect for the 1931 film and like the 1992 film this 1958 Dracula is the best version. It has atmospheric lighting and cinematography and the costumes and sets are wonderful colourful. The score is also very haunting while never becoming too grandiose, the script is not stilted and flows well and the story apart from the odd slow moment draws you in and does a good job condensing the source material. It is beautifully directed by Terrence Fisher, and there is some very good, great even from some, acting. Jonathan, Mina and Lucy are believable and written in a convincing manner. But this Dracula will be remembered by me for two performances. One is Peter Cushing, who is the ideal Van Helsing, his interpretation is eccentric yet done with charm and grace too, no over-theatricality in sight. The other, and this is my personal favourite, is Christopher Lee as Dracula, who manages to not only be terrifying but also sensual, although I like Lugosi and Oldman a lot in the roles Lee for me of the Draculas is the only one to capture BOTH these qualities. All in all, in my opinion because of the production values, atmosphere, Cushing and especially Lee, this Dracula is the best one. 10/10 Bethany Cox