At 80 years old, I have seen the 1931 Dracula many many times, and even now in watching your great story, there are scenes that still give a chill, and I fight the tears every time I think of Miss Mina Seward and that in the modern movies she has indeed become a good girl vampire and that breaks my heart.
@charlescampbell3895 keep an eye out on Fathom Events, they show them ALL THE TIME on the big screen. I went to LA I 2019 and saw 7 Lugosi/Karloff movies in 35mm for like 20 bucks and all in 1 day/night
Dracula 1931 with Lugosi is still a classic. His height looks and accent were/are perfect for Dracula. I wish he were alive to see how respected and loved he truly is.
I just rewatched Dracula after many years. I had forgotten the beautiful dialogue, Lugosi's magnificent screen presence, the moody, eerie set pieces, and Dwight Fry's great performance. It's not perfect. But it's a classic, and Lugosi *is* Dracula forever and ever.
@@tomatkinson6996Grew up watching Lee and Cushing batling it out, and am a huge fan of Lee; but if you have ever read the book, you'd know there is no other Dracula than Lugosi. His strange intonation and accent are described perfectly by Stoker in the novel. Even his strange looks and movements are there. Which makes sense since Lugosi is from the same country/area that Dracula is from.
Dwight Frye struggled to continue having a career in movies, and actually worked in a factory of sorts, during WW2...he died quite young, of a heart attack.
Dracula 1979 with Frank Langella Donald Pleasence Laurence Olivier Kate Nelligan directed by John Badham it's the best Dracula movie l've seen, no doubt about It. Nelligan directed by John Badham, it's the best Dracula movie
He played the character on stage but only reprised his role twice as Dracula in the movies as the documentary I just watched said. I think it was only twice in movies or three times yet he made such an impression and impact in each of those movies that his portrayal of Count Dracula is the best and the most memorable portrayal. He's my favorite Count Dracula. Any of the other actors who played the character were great but Bela Lugosi's version of Count Dracula is the most loved and most known version of Count Dracula. He is Count Dracula. Later folks. Have pleasant nightmares tonight. If you wake up feeling weak and feel a little bloodless just know that he's the undead and he just came to you for a little carryout snack on his way to cause trouble and have a night on the town. Later folks ! He's such a pain in the neck.
The scene where Dr Van Helsing confronts Dracula with the mirrored box was everything. Dracula's reaction went from one level to another(wanting to rip Van Helsing's throat out quickly to composure) in just a matter of seconds. I thought it was brilliant acting by Lugosi. For me, no one did it better than Lugosi.
Enjoyable video. Lugosi made a huge impact on me when I was young and his performance remains one of the greatest images of horror for all time. Mesmerizing acting.
Lugosi's slow delivery of his lines is appropriate for someone who's grasp of English is not their main language. And his slow exhadurated movements are consistant with someone who is risen from the dead. Masterful!
The stylised presentation, I think, adds to the unreal quality of the subject matter. All the visual elements are on point and contribute to creating an enduring atmosphere of suspense. Thanks for an excellent description of it's production.
Hands-down the 1931 version of Dracula, was and still is the BEST movie ever made. They will never be able to recreate anything like this ever again, and for it's time it was a frightening movie to watch, as it left it to your imagination as to what Dracula was doing to the unfortunate ladies that he met. There was no blood and guts shown as it is today, but just old-fashioned scares for those of us who still love this genre of filmmaking. RIP Bela Lugosi, you will always be the Original Dracula!
Lay off thr crack, the greatest movie ever made??? You can't be serious. The cinematic achievements made over the decades make your claim abysmal. Unless of course you seen 4 movies in your life. Even if your going to use the old cop out, " he's the best because he was the first". That's like saying a Model T is better than a Lamborghini. And truth be told Bela couldn't hold a spark against Christopher Lee's Dracula. Hes like a cartoon being compared to the screens Prince of Darkness, this was Lee's Dracula
@@tomatkinson6996And yet no one emulates Lee's performance when it comes to the character. Lee was a great Dracula but he will never have same impact that Bela Legosi did in the role.
I adore the Universal Classic Monsters, so this is such a treat! Truthfully as much as I love this version and other films, my definitive take of Dracula hasn't been made yet.
Hammers Dracula is the definitive Dracula, its got everything u want in a Dracula film , sexy girls lots of blood gothic sets & lots of fangs !!!! It's by far the best Dracula film that's why it has 7 sequels!!!!
There's a lot of crap on TH-cam but this was very good. Your narration is great, the information is thorough and even someone like me who's seen over 3,000 horror movies found some things I didn't know. Well done.
Fell in love with this version and none of the others measure up for me...every Halloween I watch this, Frankenstein ( Karloff ) , The Mummy, and the Wolfman.
I grew up with these movies. They were always such a treat to stay up late in the 70's on the weekend to watch this film as well as Frankenstein and The Wolfman (my personal favorite).
I live in Derby, UK, where the first ever public UK staging of Dracula took place, in 1924 #derbydracula Lots of events are planned for the centenary, including a festival in May 2025! Thanks for the video - I really enjoyed all the background info.
LOVE this movie. Great retrospective. Didn't know about the cape lining color, and you provided several other tidbits I'd never heard. Thanks for really digging in to this legendary and historical movie!
The Alladin Theater showed Dracula as a silent and a week later swapped to sound. It's become known for being one of the only theaters in the country that still shows classic silent films with a live orchestra. Almost every year they show Metropolis, Phantom of the Opera, both with a live orchestra, and they sometimes do two showings of Dracula, one using the silent film print and another being the synchronized sound film. It is a spectacle when they do it, and they did donate their entire film stock to Universal Studios and Warner Brother's which helped keep the theater open in the late 1980's. They actually received all new prints of the movies they donated including a complete version of Metropolis from the studios that have since developed them. The one film they still have in their vault but had to be sent to be preserved was Metropolis' which was the original US release and it was used in restoring metropolis in 2012.
My English and Romanian grandparents loved Bela Lugosi's performance as Count Dracula. Lugosi's slow delivery of certain lines just added to the overall creepiness of his performance. As for me, I give the original version of Dracula four wolf paws, four bat wings and four fangs. To one and all, I bid you naupte buna ("Goodnight" in Romanian). 🐺🦇⚰
Amazing, isn't it? Lugosi was born in Lugoj, a region that is now located in Romania but at that time belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is as if he was born to play the Count.
The quick edits are unexpected. The first scenes within the castle catacomb revealing the count are shocking. Quite a film. Timeless. Excellent backgrounder. Thanks.
I hope he explores more of the Universal Monster movies. My mother brought me up on these. My personal favorites are Revenge of the Creature and Werewolf meets Frankenstein.
@@thebadgamer1967 The visual effects of The Invisible Man aged so well, sometimes I can't believe it was 90 years ago, it's probably my favorite Universal Monster movie, props to Claude Rains' performance, a charming actor.
Fun Fact: Dracula was the first black and white movie I remember watching. While Frankenstein (1931) is my favorite universal movie, Dracula is my favorite universal monster, he’s just so suave and hypnotic
Great review, thanks for posting. Karloff once said that Frankenstein was the best friend he ever had. Too bad Lugosi didn't adopt his monster movie colleague's part-appreciation. Whatever-the-case Lugosi, Karloff, Cheney Jr. are classic monsters whose performances will live on forever.
A LOT OF FACTS AND INFORMATION I NEVER HEARD OF!!!! SUCH AS OTHER ACTORS CONSIDERED FOR THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND THE VARIOUS OPINIONS OF THE ACTORS WHO WERE CAST IN THE FILMS QUALITY
Love the Universal version. I think its a well crafted film. I think a lot of films based on the novel are well done. Legosi should have got more recognition at the time. Thank you for this video. Great watch
👏 Another well done retrospective! I think this film still holds up, but I also pride myself on having a "classical education" in horror films beginning with James Whale's Frankenstein and going down the rabbit hole of the Universal Monsters from there. No matter how many versions of Dracula are presented over the years I feel like Lugosi will always be the go to performance that most people, even without having watched the film, will have in mind when Dracula is mentioned. As far as my favorite Dracula performance (since not all depictions are solely of him) I am partial to Duncan Regehr's from Monster Squad. Sure, it's not Lugosi, Oldman, or even Langella, but I thought his "supervillain mastermind" portrayal was great in the film and presented a more action oriented Dracula. This was before I was aware of Christopher Lee and the Hammer Dracula movies. To rank a top three I'd say 1. Lugosi 2. Lee 3. Regehr.
As a massive Universal Horror fan who has read David Skal"s "Monster Show" and numerous Lugois and Karloff biographies, I really really appreciate that you did this video :)
For me, Bela is Dracula. He was born to play the role! He’s the first Dracula I ever saw, even though I have only recently seen the movie! But I had seen images of him since I was a kid. I’m now 42. My whole life, I knew him as Dracula. And Dracula, he is! Bela, nearly 100 years on, and people still love you!
Bela Lugosi - the quintessential Count Dracula. Lugosi brought to the character a sensual quality that is palpable. He portrayed the character better than all other actors before or after him in the role. There is a great interview with Bela in the prime of his career as Dracula, and he was such a fine gentleman with a depth of understanding still not seen today in 2023. He moved with grace and elegance and always manly.
11/1/24....Just finished watching your review and soooo much background info. 81 now, it is still my fav 'Dracula' movie and still gives the willies and some tears.
Thanks so much for this. I've known the story of the film for years, but as someone who grew up with the numerous home media releases, seeing them all lovingly described and recapped was a treat. Pure nostalgia! :)
Bela Lugosi is my favorite Dracula. I saw the original film during horror flicks on TV as a child. Between Dracula and Zorro (Disney's version) I became OBSESSED with capes. I now own 6 or 7. Neither of my black ones have any kind of lining, but at least one of my purple ones does. When my mother and I priced fabric to make a cape of my own, the $100 (almost) price tag of a premade one looked more reasonable. That was in the fall of 1971. I had a previous short cape I got on Carnaby Street in 1969, it would've been hip long on a man, which I did get in a men's shop, but it came below my miniskirt. In fact, the cape was warmer than the coat we had taken to Europe and I loved it. Yes, I still have that cape too, no I did not count that in the rest of my cape collection.
This is one of the most complete documentaries I have seen about Dracula, all the curious facts about the production of the film, the editing and the use of music are very spot on (especially Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, which I always associate with the film, Wagner's Overture to The Mastersingers of Nuremberg would not have been bad to include, I know, I'm a classical music nerd), I'm 19 years old and yet I always found the Universal Monsters' movies fascinating, they are products of their time and no longer scary by modern standards, but the setting, cinematography and performances make it so interesting for me (I'm a fan of everything classic). I want to add some other facts that: Bela Lugosi actually appaered in Dracula's Daughter, in very few scenes that were not included in the final cut, I was waiting for you to mention that Bela Lugosi appeared in Plan 9 from Outer Space, his last film, director Ed Wood decided to incorporate posthumous footage of Lugosi outside a house, as well as reprising (for the last time) the role of the Count, although he died before the actual filming began.
I like that you included the names of the three uncredited actresses who were those spooky "wives" of Dracula!...Whatever became of those ladies? I already forget their names!
I would put Browning's Dracula along with Francis Ford Coppola's and John Badham's Dracula with Frank Langella and John William's score as the top 3 for myself as a fan of the book and the genre. Loved all the info, great vid!
Great job dude! Excellently presented, detailed, professional sounding too! Not sure what you do for a living but being a documentary maker may be your calling as too many have gotten sloppy, histrionic, and downright dumb. This was a breath of fresh air!
Bela Lugosi was Dracula. The way he talks, moves, and acts, is just right for this character. I also like the old b/w cinema photografy. I do understand why Dracula was big then, but today it`s to slow for the younger audience. One movie that holds up just as good today is "Bride of frankenstien" The best of all the Universal monster movies.
I was very pleasantly surprised by this documentary. I clicked on it apprehensively, thinking it might be just another well meaning, but lackluster put together of still photos and uninspired commentary. It is anything but that. It's very informative and entertaining. Great job.
The idea that movies from any era can be "too old fashion" drives me nuts. It's like saying paintings by the old masters or timeless classical music are too old fashioned. I guess some people do. Their loss.
Like a lot of people roughly my age (middle 60s), we became familiar with these movies as kids watching on TV. And even though, by the late 60s, the movie was almost 40 years old, I don't ever remember thinking, what an old fashioned movie.
It's comprehensible, especially if you grew up watching black and white television, that's what it was back then. Fun fact: several of the Universal Monsters' movies were dubbed in spanish for tv broadcasting in Latin America, this was done in the 60s, these dubbings include additional musical scores from other films, they match so well that and really help for the films' pacing, this is only exclussive of these dubbings.
It has always mystified me why Universal has never leaned heavily into their catalog of Universal Monsters for their theme parks. Yes, they'll be seasonally acknowledged with a haunted house during Halloween Horror Nights, but to my knowledge they've never enjoyed a permanent footprint at any location. Epic Universe is suppose to remedy that, but the proof will be in the pudding. I suppose my own personal "favorite" Dracula would be Langella's, as he delivers one helluva menacing, yet terrifically cordial, vamp. Badham's 1979 version is admittedly uneven and lacks scope, but still completely delivers on the creep factor and sports a top-notch cast.
I visited Universal Hollywood in the 70’s as a kid and the monsters were everywhere in the park. They even had an interactive show where two audience members, preferably a couple, would be made up as the monster and the Bride. Unfortunately, the Universal monsters really aren’t in the zeitgeist anymore, and the newer generations don’t know them, are more interested in Marvel and Harry Potter, which is odd, because neither of these franchises are Universal. But like the Parting of the Red Sea exhibit, and the Orca boat from JAWS, the Universal Monsters have disappeared from Universal Studio history (except for Halloween nights, I suppose), to be replaced by a backlot full of Fast and Furious cars.
Watching Lugosi on the big screen in 2023 (I’m lucky to live in Los Angeles where his old films are shown often, especially during October!) takes my breath away. There is only ONE Bela. From todays viewpoint it’s even more truer than ever, now. ❤
Very nice video!!! I read Dwight Frye's book, and apparently he was as popular as any A list star today when he was solely working on Broadway, then absolutely devastated he was stuck after Dracula. Dwight Frye's Last Laugh, it's a great read for any movie buffs.
My 3 favorite films about Dracula are as follows: *"Bram Stoker's DRACULA"* (1992) from director Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves, and Cary Elwes *"BBC's COUNT DRACULA"* (1977) from director Philip Saville and starring Louis Jourdan, Frank Finlay, Judi Bowker, Bosco Hogan, and Susan Penhaligon *"DRACULA"* (1979) from director John Badham and starring Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve, Kate Nelligan, and Jan Francis
While it does run a bit slow in some spots I just love the overall feel and atmosphere that this movie conjures up. It was my favorite Universal Monster movie growing up and it still is to this day. Is it my favorite vampire movie though? Thats very tough since Horror of Dracula, Salem's Lot and Fright Night are all in the running for that spot as well. Great video as always!
I have give Fright Night the number two spot behind Bela's Dracula. Although wasn't presented quite seriously, the actor played vampire was exceptional good. And Roddy McDowell as Van Helsing type character was hilarious.
As usual your quality makes the wait between videos well worth it. I always learn something from your retrospectives even if it's a film I'm very familiar with. As for Dracula, as a child of the 70's I was more familiar with Lee and Langella.. but Oldman is my favorite. While the movie has it's issues his portrayal gave so much emotion and scope to the character, managing to be simultaneously horrifying and sympathetic, with a greatly expanded backstory and motivation. He's just an incredible artist regardless of the role. I also have to mention Max Schreck.. who is terrifying as Nosferatu even today. He just gives me chills, so very inhuman, all without saying a word.
I watch the 1931 version often. No other version can compare to it. I think the beginning up to arrival in England is the best part. The scene with the inn keeper and Renfield, and the "awakening" of bride Ann Dvorak rising in her coffin are also priceless.
It is the best of the genre, for sure!...But I also think that 1922 Nosferatu movie is a classic, and the vampire in that movie is quite scary. The actor who played the vampire, was a very strange dude in real life.
This was a very good documentary! Learned some new tidbits. You're one of the few that touched on the crazy difference of the footage of the Vesta and the storm and Dracula. The storm was raging and the boat was being rocked by waves while Dracula was comfortably surveying the goings on. This has always bugged me. Lol. Just standing there. Also, no one ever seems to mention Lugosi starring in The Black Camel. This was a Charlie Chan movie from 1931 and Lugosi looks greeeaaat! It's on TH-cam and I recommend for Bela fans. 😊
I really should check this flick out. Seen the first Frankenstein films with Karloff, along with his turn as The Mummy. Gotta get some Lugosi under me belt too
Bella Lugosi toured the U.K. in England in 1951 as Dracula. There are a few sites online that detail the tour, with commentaries from people who attended the play.
I watched this as a little girl and I was frightened.But when I was a teenage I recognized how handsome Bela Lugosi was and how thrilling and sexy and chilling his Dracula was. Needless to say this is my favorite Dracula of all time.
Amazing, that Lugosi was a 48yo, middle-aged man, when he finally hit it big in films. His maturity did not take away from his rather sensual, disturbing portrayal.
@@wisdom9916 I never downloaded it. I did buy it on DVD on Ebay. I did not need to download it when I watched it on TH-cam the entire movie. Google free movie download sites. I bet that there are some of those.
By the way, your Salem's Lot documentary is the best I have ever seen! That's my favorite vampire movie and book since I saw the premiere when I was 6 years old..lol it ruined me for a few years too😊
It would be wonderful if the appearance by Edward van Sloan from behind the stage curtain at the very end of the movie, "Dracula"(1931) in which van Sloan tells the audience that such things as vampires exist, could be located and restored to the original film, but sadly that film clip and its' accompanying audio may have been destroyed in the 2008 fire at Universal Studios in which tragically the original (New York Times estimate of 120,000 -175,000) master recordings/tapes of hundreds of famous musicians and music groups were forever lost.
39:00, the mention of the color red being photographed as being too dark is interesting to me. I have used the relatively modern "Panchromatic" black and white film which renders red as too light and indistinguishable from flesh color. I had often wondered why actors did not need makeup to properly photograph the color of lips. Now I see that the alchemy of the film emulsion was quite different in the days of Universal's monsters. What a great and informative video this is.
I used to have the special box set of the Legacy Collections of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman that came with the little busts. Wish I still had them.
Director Browning had chops in silence films before Dracula. He was uncomfortable in using sound; a relatively new technology. The much heralded silent segments of Dracula were actually Browning's discomfort with sound.
Your videos and stories of these films are amazing! Thanks so much for your hard work and dedication to appreciate all the work and history that goes into these movies. My story request would be True Lies 😊 That movie is in my top 5 for sure. Maybe you can look into why this movie hasn’t been released on Bluray or 4k yet. Thanks again for all you do! You brighten my day.
True Lies, my mother and I love that film, not bad for being James Cameron's only comedy film, in the best way he knew, combining action, a perfect mix. Also Jamie Lee Curtis was really hot back then.
Excellent presentation, highlighting many aspects of the film history of which I was unaware. I have several copies of the film on the Universal Monster Collections, as well as single DVDs. One day, I hope to have a good reproduction of the classic cape - to wear to operas presented at the nearby university, of course. 😮😮😮🦇🦇🦇
At 80 years old, I have seen the 1931 Dracula many many times, and even now in watching your great story, there are scenes that still give a chill, and I fight the tears every time I think of Miss Mina Seward and that in the modern movies she has indeed become a good girl vampire and that breaks my heart.
Dracula made so many girls suffer.
I just viewed Dracula last week in the theater on the Big screen. Bela was hypnotic and truly a great performance...🦇
I would love to see any Universal monsters film on the big screen.
@@charlescampbell3895 When Bela came down the stairs, everyone applauded….
I can't get it on download
Be trying to get a copy
@charlescampbell3895 keep an eye out on Fathom Events, they show them ALL THE TIME on the big screen. I went to LA I 2019 and saw 7 Lugosi/Karloff movies in 35mm for like 20 bucks and all in 1 day/night
@@charlescampbell3895 Fathom Events. Sign up for it. They show The Universal films all the time
Dracula 1931 with Lugosi is still a classic. His height looks and accent were/are perfect for Dracula. I wish he were alive to see how respected and loved he truly is.
How tall was he?
@VladislavBabbitt 6ft 1 inch
I just rewatched Dracula after many years. I had forgotten the beautiful dialogue, Lugosi's magnificent screen presence, the moody, eerie set pieces, and Dwight Fry's great performance. It's not perfect. But it's a classic, and Lugosi *is* Dracula forever and ever.
Until Christopher Lee played, and owned, the role
@@tomatkinson6996Grew up watching Lee and Cushing batling it out, and am a huge fan of Lee; but if you have ever read the book, you'd know there is no other Dracula than Lugosi. His strange intonation and accent are described perfectly by Stoker in the novel. Even his strange looks and movements are there. Which makes sense since Lugosi is from the same country/area that Dracula is from.
I love the 1931 Dracula! Bela Lugosi was born for it.
Cheers for the great documentary.
Both Bela Lugosi and Dwight Fry knocked it out of the freaking park in their roles!
Dwight Frye struggled to continue having a career in movies, and actually worked in a factory of sorts, during WW2...he died quite young, of a heart attack.
Bela Lugosi, the quintessential motion picture Dracula. :)
Although Christopher Lee and Frank Langella were just as good.
@@wstine79 Won't argue. :)
And stage! Since he originated his role on stage! ❤
Dracula 1979 with Frank Langella Donald Pleasence Laurence Olivier Kate
Nelligan directed by John
Badham it's the best Dracula
movie l've seen, no doubt about It.
Nelligan directed by John Badham, it's the best Dracula movie
He played the character on stage but only reprised his role twice as Dracula in the movies as the documentary I just watched said. I think it was only twice in movies or three times yet he made such an impression and impact in each of those movies that his portrayal of Count Dracula is the best and the most memorable portrayal. He's my favorite Count Dracula. Any of the other actors who played the character were great but Bela Lugosi's version of Count Dracula is the most loved and most known version of Count Dracula. He is Count Dracula. Later folks. Have pleasant nightmares tonight. If you wake up feeling weak and feel a little bloodless just know that he's the undead and he just came to you for a little carryout snack on his way to cause trouble and have a night on the town. Later folks ! He's such a pain in the neck.
The scene where Dr Van Helsing confronts Dracula with the mirrored box was everything. Dracula's reaction went from one level to another(wanting to rip Van Helsing's throat out quickly to composure) in just a matter of seconds. I thought it was brilliant acting by Lugosi.
For me, no one did it better than Lugosi.
Enjoyable video. Lugosi made a huge impact on me when I was young and his performance remains one of the greatest images of horror for all time. Mesmerizing acting.
Lugosi's slow delivery of his lines is appropriate for someone who's grasp of English is not their main language. And his slow exhadurated movements are consistant with someone who is risen from the dead. Masterful!
It is a classic! I do like the 1990 something version with Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder etc.
The stylised presentation, I think, adds to the unreal quality of the subject matter. All the visual elements are on point and contribute to creating an enduring atmosphere of suspense.
Thanks for an excellent description of it's production.
Hands-down the 1931 version of Dracula, was and still is the BEST movie ever made. They will never be able to recreate anything like this ever again, and for it's time it was a frightening movie to watch, as it left it to your imagination as to what Dracula was doing to the unfortunate ladies that he met. There was no blood and guts shown as it is today, but just old-fashioned scares for those of us who still love this genre of filmmaking. RIP Bela Lugosi, you will always be the Original Dracula!
I AGREE AND DRACULA PLAYED LUGOSI THE BEST! NOT KIDDING!!!!
Lugosi is simply magnificent in this, the best film version of DRACULA.
Original but the not thr greatest embodiment of the character, this bel9ngs to the 6ft 5inch Prince of Darkness..sir Christopher Lee
Lay off thr crack, the greatest movie ever made??? You can't be serious. The cinematic achievements made over the decades make your claim abysmal. Unless of course you seen 4 movies in your life. Even if your going to use the old cop out, " he's the best because he was the first". That's like saying a Model T is better than a Lamborghini. And truth be told Bela couldn't hold a spark against Christopher Lee's Dracula. Hes like a cartoon being compared to the screens Prince of Darkness, this was Lee's Dracula
@@tomatkinson6996And yet no one emulates Lee's performance when it comes to the character. Lee was a great Dracula but he will never have same impact that Bela Legosi did in the role.
1930’s, the best decade for the Horror genre.
I adore the Universal Classic Monsters, so this is such a treat! Truthfully as much as I love this version and other films, my definitive take of Dracula hasn't been made yet.
Agree. All have their flaws.
But Hammer's 1959 with Christopher Lee is easily my favourite.
Hammers Dracula is the definitive Dracula, its got everything u want in a Dracula film , sexy girls lots of blood gothic sets & lots of fangs !!!! It's by far the best Dracula film that's why it has 7 sequels!!!!
There's a lot of crap on TH-cam but this was very good. Your narration is great, the information is thorough and even someone like me who's seen over 3,000 horror movies found some things I didn't know. Well done.
Fell in love with this version and none of the others measure up for me...every Halloween I watch this, Frankenstein ( Karloff ) , The Mummy, and the Wolfman.
I watched them every Halloween too.
I grew up with these movies. They were always such a treat to stay up late in the 70's on the weekend to watch this film as well as Frankenstein and The Wolfman (my personal favorite).
I live in Derby, UK, where the first ever public UK staging of Dracula took place, in 1924 #derbydracula
Lots of events are planned for the centenary, including a festival in May 2025! Thanks for the video - I really enjoyed all the background info.
Well, now I have plans this evening. Day made, thank you Layton!
The time and effort that goes into these really shows mate. Every single one is always a really engaging watch. 👍
Thank you!
interesting Van Sloan did a final scene that was discarded ..i did not know that.
LOVE this movie. Great retrospective. Didn't know about the cape lining color, and you provided several other tidbits I'd never heard. Thanks for really digging in to this legendary and historical movie!
The Alladin Theater showed Dracula as a silent and a week later swapped to sound. It's become known for being one of the only theaters in the country that still shows classic silent films with a live orchestra. Almost every year they show Metropolis, Phantom of the Opera, both with a live orchestra, and they sometimes do two showings of Dracula, one using the silent film print and another being the synchronized sound film. It is a spectacle when they do it, and they did donate their entire film stock to Universal Studios and Warner Brother's which helped keep the theater open in the late 1980's. They actually received all new prints of the movies they donated including a complete version of Metropolis from the studios that have since developed them. The one film they still have in their vault but had to be sent to be preserved was Metropolis' which was the original US release and it was used in restoring metropolis in 2012.
My English and Romanian grandparents loved Bela Lugosi's performance as Count Dracula. Lugosi's slow delivery of certain lines just added to the overall creepiness of his performance. As for me, I give the original version of Dracula four wolf paws, four bat wings and four fangs. To one and all, I bid you naupte buna ("Goodnight" in Romanian). 🐺🦇⚰
Amazing, isn't it? Lugosi was born in Lugoj, a region that is now located in Romania but at that time belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is as if he was born to play the Count.
@@jesustovar2549 Thank you for your knowledge of Eastern European history. With care -- W
The quick edits are unexpected. The first scenes within the castle catacomb revealing the count are shocking. Quite a film. Timeless. Excellent backgrounder. Thanks.
I hope he explores more of the Universal Monster movies. My mother brought me up on these. My personal favorites are Revenge of the Creature and Werewolf meets Frankenstein.
The invisible man is amazing especially the visuals
I humbly recommend the channel Dark Corners Reviews if you dont already watch it. They've done some fantastic Universal monsters/actors documentaries.
@@smacksaladthank you! 🌹
@@thebadgamer1967 The visual effects of The Invisible Man aged so well, sometimes I can't believe it was 90 years ago, it's probably my favorite Universal Monster movie, props to Claude Rains' performance, a charming actor.
@@smacksalad Dark Coners Revies also has really good breakdowns on Hammer's horror films.
Fun Fact: Dracula was the first black and white movie I remember watching. While Frankenstein (1931) is my favorite universal movie, Dracula is my favorite universal monster, he’s just so suave and hypnotic
Hammer did Dracula better though.
i like Blacula 1973 version
Fun fact: no one cares.
Fun fact: I never saw this movie.
@@jaymann5180 you have been living in the dark ages .i presume
Great review, thanks for posting. Karloff once said that Frankenstein was the best friend he ever had. Too bad Lugosi didn't adopt his monster movie colleague's part-appreciation. Whatever-the-case Lugosi, Karloff, Cheney Jr. are classic monsters whose performances will live on forever.
A LOT OF FACTS AND INFORMATION I NEVER HEARD OF!!!! SUCH AS OTHER ACTORS CONSIDERED FOR THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND THE VARIOUS OPINIONS OF THE ACTORS WHO WERE CAST IN THE FILMS QUALITY
Fantastic coverage here. Really spectacular work.
Your movie reviews/BTS/docus are the most interesting and entertaining out there, bar none. Simply a joy to watch.
Love the Universal version. I think its a well crafted film. I think a lot of films based on the novel are well done.
Legosi should have got more recognition at the time.
Thank you for this video. Great watch
👏 Another well done retrospective! I think this film still holds up, but I also pride myself on having a "classical education" in horror films beginning with James Whale's Frankenstein and going down the rabbit hole of the Universal Monsters from there. No matter how many versions of Dracula are presented over the years I feel like Lugosi will always be the go to performance that most people, even without having watched the film, will have in mind when Dracula is mentioned. As far as my favorite Dracula performance (since not all depictions are solely of him) I am partial to Duncan Regehr's from Monster Squad. Sure, it's not Lugosi, Oldman, or even Langella, but I thought his "supervillain mastermind" portrayal was great in the film and presented a more action oriented Dracula. This was before I was aware of Christopher Lee and the Hammer Dracula movies. To rank a top three I'd say 1. Lugosi 2. Lee 3. Regehr.
Amazing Love to see more of the Classic Monsters
I plan on covering them all eventually ...
As a massive Universal Horror fan who has read David Skal"s "Monster Show" and numerous Lugois and Karloff biographies, I really really appreciate that you did this video :)
Yes, that is an excellent book!
What’s the best Lugosi biography you’d recommend? ❤
For me, Bela is Dracula. He was born to play the role! He’s the first Dracula I ever saw, even though I have only recently seen the movie! But I had seen images of him since I was a kid. I’m now 42. My whole life, I knew him as Dracula. And Dracula, he is! Bela, nearly 100 years on, and people still love you!
Thanks for the wonderful documentary. I have the newest DVD sets of Dracula and Frankenstein❤
Bela Lugosi - the quintessential Count Dracula. Lugosi brought to the character a sensual quality that is palpable. He portrayed the character better than all other actors before or after him in the role. There is a great interview with Bela in the prime of his career as Dracula, and he was such a fine gentleman with a depth of understanding still not seen today in 2023. He moved with grace and elegance and always manly.
They also changed the story for nosferatu so that vampires are big wussies for sunlight, which didn't hurt Dracula in the novel.
Thank you for including the Spanish version of Dracula. I think it is superior to the American version
I think this was a "woke" moment for the presenter.
@@curbozerboomer1773 what does that even mean lmao
Dracula: "Listen! Layton Eversaul of the afternoon. What music he makes."
11/1/24....Just finished watching your review and soooo much background info. 81 now, it is still my fav 'Dracula' movie and still gives the willies and some tears.
This is so neat! I think Bela Lugosi's Dracula is my favourite...well other than Leslie Nielsen's Conde Dracula.😂
Dracula and all the universal movies are my most favourite movies! Thank you for this brilliant documentary absolutely fantastic well done.
Thanks so much for this. I've known the story of the film for years, but as someone who grew up with the numerous home media releases, seeing them all lovingly described and recapped was a treat. Pure nostalgia! :)
Bela Lugosi is my favorite Dracula. I saw the original film during horror flicks on TV as a child. Between Dracula and Zorro (Disney's version) I became OBSESSED with capes. I now own 6 or 7. Neither of my black ones have any kind of lining, but at least one of my purple ones does. When my mother and I priced fabric to make a cape of my own, the $100 (almost) price tag of a premade one looked more reasonable. That was in the fall of 1971. I had a previous short cape I got on Carnaby Street in 1969, it would've been hip long on a man, which I did get in a men's shop, but it came below my miniskirt. In fact, the cape was warmer than the coat we had taken to Europe and I loved it. Yes, I still have that cape too, no I did not count that in the rest of my cape collection.
This is one of the most complete documentaries I have seen about Dracula, all the curious facts about the production of the film, the editing and the use of music are very spot on (especially Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, which I always associate with the film, Wagner's Overture to The Mastersingers of Nuremberg would not have been bad to include, I know, I'm a classical music nerd),
I'm 19 years old and yet I always found the Universal Monsters' movies fascinating, they are products of their time and no longer scary by modern standards, but the setting, cinematography and performances make it so interesting for me (I'm a fan of everything classic).
I want to add some other facts that: Bela Lugosi actually appaered in Dracula's Daughter, in very few scenes that were not included in the final cut, I was waiting for you to mention that Bela Lugosi appeared in Plan 9 from Outer Space, his last film, director Ed Wood decided to incorporate posthumous footage of Lugosi outside a house, as well as reprising (for the last time) the role of the Count, although he died before the actual filming began.
I like that you included the names of the three uncredited actresses who were those spooky "wives" of Dracula!...Whatever became of those ladies? I already forget their names!
Pleasure to watch 👍 great job 👊
I would put Browning's Dracula along with Francis Ford Coppola's and John Badham's Dracula with Frank Langella and John William's score as the top 3 for myself as a fan of the book and the genre. Loved all the info, great vid!
No one could compare to Bela, he will always be Dracula and still one of the all time vampire films
Great job dude! Excellently presented, detailed, professional sounding too! Not sure what you do for a living but being a documentary maker may be your calling as too many have gotten sloppy, histrionic, and downright dumb. This was a breath of fresh air!
Bela Lugosi was Dracula. The way he talks, moves, and acts, is just right for this character. I also like the old b/w cinema photografy. I do understand why Dracula was big then, but today it`s to slow for the younger audience. One movie that holds up just as good today is "Bride of frankenstien" The best of all the Universal monster movies.
My dracula impression: Listen to them! Children of the night! What music they make!
I was very pleasantly surprised by this documentary. I clicked on it apprehensively, thinking it might be just another well meaning, but lackluster put together of still photos and uninspired commentary. It is anything but that. It's very informative and entertaining. Great job.
The idea that movies from any era can be "too old fashion" drives me nuts. It's like saying paintings by the old masters or timeless classical music are too old fashioned. I guess some people do. Their loss.
Like a lot of people roughly my age (middle 60s), we became familiar with these movies as kids watching on TV. And even though, by the late 60s, the movie was almost 40 years old, I don't ever remember thinking, what an old fashioned movie.
It's comprehensible, especially if you grew up watching black and white television, that's what it was back then.
Fun fact: several of the Universal Monsters' movies were dubbed in spanish for tv broadcasting in Latin America, this was done in the 60s, these dubbings include additional musical scores from other films, they match so well that and really help for the films' pacing, this is only exclussive of these dubbings.
Thanks. Thisis my 1st look at yiour channel. This is the most thorough analysis of this movie I have ever had the privilege of watching Great job.
Thank you!
It has always mystified me why Universal has never leaned heavily into their catalog of Universal Monsters for their theme parks. Yes, they'll be seasonally acknowledged with a haunted house during Halloween Horror Nights, but to my knowledge they've never enjoyed a permanent footprint at any location. Epic Universe is suppose to remedy that, but the proof will be in the pudding.
I suppose my own personal "favorite" Dracula would be Langella's, as he delivers one helluva menacing, yet terrifically cordial, vamp. Badham's 1979 version is admittedly uneven and lacks scope, but still completely delivers on the creep factor and sports a top-notch cast.
I visited Universal Hollywood in the 70’s as a kid and the monsters were everywhere in the park. They even had an interactive show where two audience members, preferably a couple, would be made up as the monster and the Bride. Unfortunately, the Universal monsters really aren’t in the zeitgeist anymore, and the newer generations don’t know them, are more interested in Marvel and Harry Potter, which is odd, because neither of these franchises are Universal. But like the Parting of the Red Sea exhibit, and the Orca boat from JAWS, the Universal Monsters have disappeared from Universal Studio history (except for Halloween nights, I suppose), to be replaced by a backlot full of Fast and Furious cars.
This was EXCEPTIONAL. PLEASE Keep up these INCREDIBLE Retrospectives. Frankenstein next!!!!
It won't be my next video, but it will definitely happen!
Keep up the AMAZING WORK my friend
Watching Lugosi on the big screen in 2023 (I’m lucky to live in Los Angeles where his old films are shown often, especially during October!) takes my breath away. There is only ONE Bela. From todays viewpoint it’s even more truer than ever, now. ❤
Frankenstein is the most logical follow up but please do The Invisible Man as well!
Very nice video!!! I read Dwight Frye's book, and apparently he was as popular as any A list star today when he was solely working on Broadway, then absolutely devastated he was stuck after Dracula. Dwight Frye's Last Laugh, it's a great read for any movie buffs.
Watched it over 100 times and never burn out on it.
Nice documentary. Thanks!
Very well done on this
My 3 favorite films about Dracula are as follows:
*"Bram Stoker's DRACULA"* (1992)
from director
Francis Ford Coppola and starring
Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder,
Sir Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves,
and Cary Elwes
*"BBC's COUNT DRACULA"* (1977)
from director Philip Saville
and starring Louis Jourdan,
Frank Finlay, Judi Bowker,
Bosco Hogan, and Susan Penhaligon
*"DRACULA"* (1979)
from director John Badham
and starring
Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier,
Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve,
Kate Nelligan, and Jan Francis
Thanks for this story telling of Dracula. I enjoy all the Universal monster movies.
While it does run a bit slow in some spots I just love the overall feel and atmosphere that this movie conjures up. It was my favorite Universal Monster movie growing up and it still is to this day. Is it my favorite vampire movie though? Thats very tough since Horror of Dracula, Salem's Lot and Fright Night are all in the running for that spot as well. Great video as always!
I have give Fright Night the number two spot behind Bela's Dracula. Although wasn't presented quite seriously, the actor played vampire was exceptional good. And Roddy McDowell as Van Helsing type character was hilarious.
Salems lot stinkos
A classic movie if there ever was one.
As usual your quality makes the wait between videos well worth it. I always learn something from your retrospectives even if it's a film I'm very familiar with. As for Dracula, as a child of the 70's I was more familiar with Lee and Langella.. but Oldman is my favorite. While the movie has it's issues his portrayal gave so much emotion and scope to the character, managing to be simultaneously horrifying and sympathetic, with a greatly expanded backstory and motivation. He's just an incredible artist regardless of the role. I also have to mention Max Schreck.. who is terrifying as Nosferatu even today. He just gives me chills, so very inhuman, all without saying a word.
I watch the 1931 version often. No other version can compare to it. I think the beginning up to arrival in England is the best part. The scene with the inn keeper and Renfield, and the "awakening" of bride Ann Dvorak rising in her coffin are also priceless.
1931's Dracula is a CLASSIC!
It is the best of the genre, for sure!...But I also think that 1922 Nosferatu movie is a classic, and the vampire in that movie is quite scary. The actor who played the vampire, was a very strange dude in real life.
This is one of the best documentaries I have seen....Well done!
A few recommendations of films with interesting production stories: Platoon and Deliverance.
Very well done presentation and depicting my favorite Dracula. Thanks for the upload.
As a fellow documentarian, I appreciate the detail and skill of your presentation. Excellent!
I look forward to further videos on other Universal Monster Icons.
This was a very good documentary! Learned some new tidbits. You're one of the few that touched on the crazy difference of the footage of the Vesta and the storm and Dracula. The storm was raging and the boat was being rocked by waves while Dracula was comfortably surveying the goings on. This has always bugged me. Lol. Just standing there. Also, no one ever seems to mention Lugosi starring in The Black Camel. This was a Charlie Chan movie from 1931 and Lugosi looks greeeaaat! It's on TH-cam and I recommend for Bela fans. 😊
I really enjoyed Lugosi and Dwight Frye in the Charlie Chan film The Black Camel of the same year, was fun to see them in it as well as Dracula
I really should check this flick out. Seen the first Frankenstein films with Karloff, along with his turn as The Mummy. Gotta get some Lugosi under me belt too
It's my favorite of the Universal monster films. I remember watching it as a kid.
Bella Lugosi toured the U.K. in England in 1951 as Dracula. There are a few sites online that detail the tour, with commentaries from people who attended the play.
I watched this as a little girl and I was frightened.But when I was a teenage I recognized how handsome Bela Lugosi was and how thrilling and sexy and chilling his Dracula was. Needless to say this is my favorite Dracula of all time.
Please can you give me hint on how to download it
Amazing, that Lugosi was a 48yo, middle-aged man, when he finally hit it big in films. His maturity did not take away from his rather sensual, disturbing portrayal.
Wow! He was 48! I had no idea he was that old! He did not look 48! I guess that I never thought about his age. He did look young in that film!
@@wisdom9916 I never downloaded it. I did buy it on DVD on Ebay. I did not need to download it when I watched it on TH-cam the entire movie. Google free movie download sites. I bet that there are some of those.
A film that, much like its eponymous villain, shall never die!
Excellent research and very entertaing doc of a timeless classic. Thank you so much. Please create more.👍🙏🏻
By the way, your Salem's Lot documentary is the best I have ever seen! That's my favorite vampire movie and book since I saw the premiere when I was 6 years old..lol it ruined me for a few years too😊
It would be wonderful if the appearance by Edward van Sloan from behind the stage curtain at the very end of the movie, "Dracula"(1931) in which van Sloan tells the audience that such things as vampires exist, could be located and restored to the original film, but sadly that film clip and its' accompanying audio may have been destroyed in the 2008 fire at Universal Studios in which tragically the original (New York Times estimate of 120,000 -175,000) master recordings/tapes of hundreds of famous musicians and music groups were forever lost.
Did Van Sloan also do the very beginning little speech, seen at the start of Frankenstein?
39:00, the mention of the color red being photographed as being too dark is interesting to me. I have used the relatively modern "Panchromatic" black and white film which renders red as too light and indistinguishable from flesh color. I had often wondered why actors did not need makeup to properly photograph the color of lips. Now I see that the alchemy of the film emulsion was quite different in the days of Universal's monsters. What a great and informative video this is.
I used to have the special box set of the Legacy Collections of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman that came with the little busts. Wish I still had them.
Terrific analysis and video, as always. This is one of your most consummate works!
Love your videos. Always entertaining and informative.
A well-researched, well-nigh definitive analysis. Well done, sir!
I saw a screening of a restored “Nosferatu” recently and I gotta say it still rips.
I believe that even today, people think of the image of Bela Lugosi when confronted with the name Dracula.
Director Browning had chops in silence films before Dracula. He was uncomfortable in using sound; a relatively new technology. The much heralded silent segments of Dracula were actually Browning's discomfort with sound.
Your videos and stories of these films are amazing! Thanks so much for your hard work and dedication to appreciate all the work and history that goes into these movies. My story request would be True Lies 😊 That movie is in my top 5 for sure. Maybe you can look into why this movie hasn’t been released on Bluray or 4k yet. Thanks again for all you do! You brighten my day.
Thanks! True Lies is definitely in the cards.
True Lies, my mother and I love that film, not bad for being James Cameron's only comedy film, in the best way he knew, combining action, a perfect mix. Also Jamie Lee Curtis was really hot back then.
Another fantastic doc, Layton. I think you’re the best in the business!
these are the movies i grew up with. awesome job on bringing all this to light! well done! Lugosi is the true Dracula!
Great job on these videos
Thank you!
Excellent presentation, highlighting many aspects of the film history of which I was unaware. I have several copies of the film on the Universal Monster Collections, as well as single DVDs. One day, I hope to have a good reproduction of the classic cape - to wear to operas presented at the nearby university, of course. 😮😮😮🦇🦇🦇
I never knew Dracula was tinted in its original release. It’s also apparently never been officially released in the correct aspect ratio (1:2:1).
Your skills are Extraordinary!
Thank you!