Rather than outline the story which most (if not all) of us know, I’ll focus more on the characters and their functions; Tim Burton regular Michael Gough (in a very expressive performance many- not me- consider hammy) and Melissa Stribling star as Arthur and Mina Holmwood, who are worried about the fiancé of their friend Lucy (A wonderful Carol Marsh), named Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen, who has a somewhat familiar-sounding voice).
Jonathan has been missing, you see, but the audience already knows that he has been thwarted by the very menace he was trying to stop (though how he came to distrust the Count is never explained in this fairly thrifty film), the refined and well-spoken but utterly nefarious (make that, eeeviiilllll!) and ruthless Count Dracula (Christopher Lee). Enter Prof. Van Helsing (Cushing, who else?), who is on hand to help Gough and co. to destroy the eeeviiilllll Count (though apparently not before attempting to kill his rather bosomy minion…but never mind). The always welcome Miles Malleson has an extremely funny cameo as an undertaker, and Olga Dickie essays what would have to be the dumbest servant in cinematic history (Oh, I thought she could use a bit of fresh air…How was I supposed to know a blood-thirsty vampire would come and have his way with her. Whatever, lady).
This was the first of the Hammer Dracula films, and although it’s the second-to-last I’ve seen, I can honestly say that it’s the definitive Dracula film (even though I’m warming to Lugosi’s version the more I see it. I still don’t like his interpretation of the Count, though, and Coppola’s was supremely self-indulgent and indifferently acted). Not necessarily the definitive Stoker adaptation (like I care…), not necessarily frightening (not always a requirement for me), but a wonderfully entertaining, good-looking (Roger Corman was clearly inspired by this and Ingmar Bergman) and perfectly cast film. Lee and Cushing are so perfect (and deadly serious, I might add, as they most often were in their work) in their respective roles that one might be mistaken for overlooking just how good they are.
Lee in particular is the definitive Count, though much as has been happening to him lately ( Revenge of the Sith ), he could’ve used more screen time. And yet, he achieves so much in the time he is afforded- imposing, refined, yet animalistic, disdainful, and thoroughly eeeviiilllll (even when smiling politely, he’s nothing short of pure…oh, alright I’ll retire that joke, you knew what I was about to say. Love those eyes, by the way).
The score by James Bernard is bombastic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way (Certainly not like the near music-free Browning version). In fact, the only thing that the Lugosi/Browning version has on this film (or any of the others in the Hammer canon, all are fine films, but the gleefully nasty ‘Scars of Dracula’ and more straightforward ‘Dracula Has Risen From the Grave’ are the best ones other than this one), is the sometimes expressionistic touches imbued by Browning and B&W cinematographer Karl Freund.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Hammer fans probably already adore it, but I’d recommend this to any horror fan as this in my opinion is the most successful Dracula film ever made. Atmospheric, well-acted, mercifully short, and highly enjoyable.
