Part of Universal Monsters + Restored Halloween Classics.
The dashing, mysterious Conde Drácula (Carlos Villarías), after hypnotizing British soldier Renfield (Pablo Álvarez Rubio), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Drácula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires.
Filmed simultaneously alongside Tod Browning’s English language version, this alternate take on Bram Stoker’s titular Count has become the more revered of the two in some circles in the intervening years.
“Shot in half the time the Lugosi vehicle was allotted, and on a much smaller budget, Drácula contains revealing differences. It’s 29 minutes longer the Browning’s film, with more dialogue — we see more of Dracula’s castle; and the framing of shots are argubly superior — thanks to Melford’s crew having access to Dracula’s dailies when they arrived at night, thereby being able to make revisions to lighting and camera angles.” —James McMahon, The Guardian
