Horror of Dracula (1958)

After Hammer Studios' tremendous success with The Curse of Frankenstein, they struck a deal to adapt Universal's catalog of classics and set their sights first on Dracula. Christopher Lee removes the monstrous makeup from the earlier film and makes his entrance as an elegant, confident, altogether seductive Dracula, a frightening figure of flashing eyes and erotic allure. Peter Cushing, with his hawklike profile and piercing eyes, turns his rationalist intensity to Van Helsing: man of science as crusading vampire hunter. Director Terence Fisher and screenwriter Jimmy Sangster make a few changes to Bram Stoker's tale; gone are Renfield, Transylvania, howling wolves, and transformations into bats. The Count is an old-world aristocrat firmly ensconced in a castle in England and Van Helsing a crusading vampire hunter who plots his demise with an elaborate plan. This is the first film to really mine the erotic appeal of vampires: Dracula seduces Mina and Lucy like a devil tempting good to the dark side through sex--more suggestive than explicit, but daring for 1958. Lee is electric as the ferocious Count, despite his limited screen time, and Cushing turns Van Helsing into a virtual swashbuckler of a hero, leaping and diving through the climax like an aging action hero. Cushing reprises his role in The Brides of Dracula, while Lee absented himself from the series until 1966's Dracula: Prince of Darkness. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

One of Hammer's finest!

"Horror of Dracula" may not be a faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic Gothic vampire tale, in fact far from it, but it is a fine take of Stoker's novel.In this version, Jonathan Harker goes to Dracula's castle at the beginning under the guise of a librarian, but he actually knows what Dracula is and his purpose is to destroy him. Unfortunately, he is killed by Dracula and the vampire goes to London to prey upon Harker's fiancee, Lucy Holmwood [yes, they changed the names too], and later on Mina Holmwood, Lucy's sister-in-law. It is left to Van Helsing [Peter Cushing] and Arthur Holmwood [Lucy's brother and Mina's husband] to destroy the monster.

Christopher Lee, in his first portrayal of the evil Count Dracula, may not have much screen time, but he makes the most of the limited time he does have. His Count is sensual and evil at the same time - exerting a hypnotic effect upon his female victims that have them eagerly disrobing for the count's pleasure [and fangs:)].

Peter Cushing does an amazing job as Dr Van Helsing, vampire hunter and his commanding presence and determination to hunt down and destroy the monster that is Dracula is so credibly done that I was cheering him on all through the movie.

The female victims are suitably beautiful and helpless in the face of Dracula's charm and manipulations, and though this movie doesn't exactly scream big budget, I thought the production values were pretty decent - the vivid colors, the sets and scenery all enhanced the movie experience.There is a genuine atmosphere of menace that is effectively conveyed via the creepy score and sets.

This is the first horror movie I watched [back on TV when I was ten] and I remember being so absolutely terrified that I slept with a pillow covering my neck for a long time afterwards! Watching it now, the terror effect may be somewhat diminished but my appreciation of the movie and the acting is very much intact. A must-have for fans of Dracula and especially Lee and Cushing. November 11, 2008

Christopher Lee's Greatest Horror Role

This film marked a new beginning for vampire movies being in color and actually showing stakings. Christopher Lee was savage and yet sexual in his approach to his victims, combining the suaveness of Bela with a beastial attitude. "Dracula" as this film is known in the UK, was a great success for Hammer Films and led to six sequels. The cast is well chosen and they play their roles to the hilt. I believe this is the best Dracula movie ever made. I highly recommend it to anyone. November 9, 2008

THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS

Horror of Dracula
SAW THE MOVIE, ONCE AGAIN, FROM MY DAD'S COLLECTION. CHRISTOPHER LEE IS CINEMA'S GREATEST COUNT DRACULA. SCENE AFTER SCENE STAYS IN THE MEMORY: HARKER(JOHN VAN EYSSEN)ENTERING THE TOMB OF THE SLEEPING VAMPIRE WOMAN, AND DRIVING A STAKE INTO THE BEAUTIFUL CREATURE'S HEART; AS THE STAKE ENTERS, A WELL OF BLOOD GUSHES INTO THE CAMERA AND, TERRIFYINGLY, SHE IS TURNED INTO A HIDEOUS OLD CRONE, AS DEATH FINALLY OVERTAKES HER. HARKER LOOKS UP IN TRIUMPH, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE SUN HAS NOW GONE DOWN, LEAVING HIM TRAPPED WITH DRACULA. IN AN ENDING OF SHEER CINEMATIC MAGIC, CUSHING USING A CRUCIFIX CREATED OUT OF TWO CROSSED CANDLESTICKS, FORCES LEE INTO THE POOL OF SUNLIGHT. THE COUNT DISINTEGRATES HORRIBLY, UNTIL ALL THAT IS LEFT ARE SOME STRANDS OF HAIR, SOME DUST, AND THE CRIMSON SIGNET RING OF DRACULA REFLECTING THE SUNLIGHT.

November 2, 2008

Classic Hammer Horror!!!

This British-produced film, the first Dracula film from Hammer Studios, is brilliantly directed by Terence Fisher and is a true classic in the long-standing tradition of Hammer Horror. The story is slightly different from the original novel and also from the Bela Lugosi 1931 version, in that the budget only allowed for the story to take place basically within the same area of land. Arriving at Castle Dracula, Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) meets the Vampire Prince (played wonderfully by Christopher Lee), but does not survive his experience unscathed. His undead corpse is found by friend Professor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing, once again turning in a strong performance and playing off Lee very well), and Van Helsing releases Harker's soul. He then travels to the town Harker lived in and informs Arthur Holmwood (Michael Gough) and his wife, Mina (Melissa Stribling) as well as Holmwood's sister, Lucy (Carol Marsh). A series of occurrences bring Dracula to the town, where he vampirizes Lucy and she is found out and released also by Van Helsing. Then, Mina begins acting strange, and Van Helsing begins to suspect the Prince of Darkness has something to do with it. A climactic chase, the confrontation between Dracula and Van Helsing and the terrific ending really highlight this stellar production. The DVD of this production is a bit bare-boned when it comes to special features, with only a trailer and cast and production biographies, but it is still a true classic 50 years after its original release. I do highly recommend seeing this one and getting it if you can find it. 4 3/4 stars out of 5. October 30, 2008

A Bloody Good Tale

In the 1950s, the classic horror monsters of old had been abandoned in favor of the more trendy atomic monsters. Most of these new monsters were giant bugs or lizards, which naturally have no personalities or psychological motivations for the destruction they caused. Many of the actors who were featured in the classic horror films had passed away, Boris Karloff being the great exception. And no one had seen the likes of vampires, werewolves, or zombies for some time. British audiences, who had no taste for large mutant vermin wreaking havoc on major cities, craved the gothic horror films that had once been so prolific in the 1920s, `30s, and `40s. But then came a sign f hope when a small English studio, Hammer Studios, released their first horror film, The Curse of Frankenstein, in 1957. A year later they would surpass that film with their take on the Dracula mythos.
It's ironic, but many of the best Dracula films are those that stray from the original Bram Stoker novel. Take for example the classic 1931 Tod Browning film, which starred Béla Lugosi as Dracula. That particular film was based more on the Hamilton/Deane stage play than on Stoker's novel, and yet it's probably the most iconic and most beloved Dracula film ever made. So it may be said that a film about the infamous vampire count doesn't necessarily need to be faithful to the novel in order to be considered a great film. With that in mind, I passionately recommend the Hammer Studios' 1958 film, Horror of Dracula.

Intrepid vampire hunters Jonathan Harker and Dr. Van Helsing set out to destroy the most deadly of vampires, Count Dracula. While Jonathan goes ahead to Dracula's castle under the false pretense of serving as Dracula's librarian, he is bitten by a seductive vampire and then imprisoned by the fearsome Count himself. When van Helsing arrives, he releases Jonathan from the cruel fate of the vampire, by driving a stake through his heart. But Count Dracula has disappeared, so van Helsing returns to England. There he goes to the home of the Holmwoods, where Jonathan's fiancée, Lucy, has been suffering from a bizarre sickness that resembles anemia. Lucy, it turns out, has been bitten by a vampire and soon she dies from blood loss. But later there are sightings of Lucy walking through the streets and attacking little children. Obviously she has become a vampire herself. Van Helsing hunts Lucy down and he realizes that Dracula has come to London. With the help of Lucy's elder brother, Arthur Holmwood, Van Helsing dispatches Lucy, once again with a stake through the heart. While Van Helsing and Arthur search for Dracula, Arthur's wife, Mina becomes Dracula's next victim. With the hopes that Dracula will come after Mina again, Van Helsing and Arthur use her to lure him out of hiding. Dracula, always at least one step ahead of his opponents, strikes again. After discovering Dracula's hiding place, Van Helsing and Arthur chase Dracula back to Transylvania where they must confront Dracula in order to save Mina from damnation.

Like all of Hammer's horror films, Horror of Dracula was made on a tight budget. The film featured all of the hallmarks of the Hammer films including melodramatic acting, suspenseful music, a thrilling story, campy humor, and generous helpings of voluptuous damsels in distress and dastardly villains. Directed by auteur horror filmmaker Terence Fisher, Horror of Dracula is the first in a series of great Dracula films released by Hammer Studios.
The cast includes the inimitable Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing and the venerated Christopher Lee as the snarling Count Dracula. Other cast members include Michael Gough as Arthur Holmwood, Melissa Stribling as Mina, and Carol Marsh as Lucy.
Though the story barely resembles Stoker's and the characters have been switched around and shuffled to the point that they lose their original identities, the film remains a classic among horror fans. Some might complain about the changes in the plot, historical inaccuracies, continuity errors, or the flat dialogue, but Horror of Dracula has its strengths as well. First of all, you can't deny that whenever Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee appear in the same film that the result is magic. Secondly, Terence Fisher revolutionized the horror genre with his wining combination of bloody violence and lustful antics. Most importantly, the film is just fun to watch whether you're a diehard film fanatic (like myself) or just a casual moviegoer.
In conclusion, Horror of Dracula is truly a classic.

With this year marking the 50th anniversary of the film, you would expect Warner Bros. to re-release Horror of Dracula in some special commemorative edition, but they have announced no plans to. For this reason and this reason alone, I give this DVD 4 stars. It deserves an elaborate 2-disc set!

Also recommended:
The New Annotated Dracula by Bram Stoker, edited by Leslie S. Klinger
Hammer Horror Collection
Hammer Horror Series
Dracula - Prince of Darkness
Scars of Dracula
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter
The Hammer Story
October 18, 2008

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