Drácula (1931)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

George Melford
(more)

Writers:

Bram Stoker (novel)
Baltasar Fernández Cué (Spanish adaptation)
(more)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Plot:

At midnight on Walpurgis Night, an English clerk, Renfield, arrives at Count Dracula's castle in the Carpathian Mountains...

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Count | Doctor | Abbey | Castle

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Carlos Villarías	...	Conde Drácula (as Carlos Villar)
Lupita Tovar	...	Eva Seward
Barry Norton	...	Juan Harker
Pablo Álvarez Rubio	...	Renfield
Eduardo Arozamena	...	Prof. Van Helsing
José Soriano Viosca	...	Doctor Seward
Carmen Guerrero	...	Lucía Weston
Amelia Senisterra	...	Marta
Manuel Arbó	...	Martín
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Geraldine Dvorak	...	Bride of Dracula (in catacombs) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bela Lugosi	...	Conde Drácula (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cornelia Thaw	...	Bride of Dracula (in catacombs) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dorothy Tree	...	Bride of Dracula (in catacombs) (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
George Melford
Enrique Tovar Ávalos		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Bram Stoker		(novel "Dracula")
Hamilton Deane		(play "Dracula") uncredited &
John L. Balderston		(play "Dracula") uncredited
Garrett Fort		(play script) uncredited
Dudley Murphy		(additional dialogue) uncredited
Baltasar Fernández Cué		(Spanish adaptation) (as B. Fernandez Cue)

Produced by
Paul Kohner	....	associate producer
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer

Cinematography by
George Robinson

Film Editing by
Arthur Tavares		(as Arturo Tavares)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles S. Gould	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jay Marchant	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
C. Roy Hunter	....	recording supervisor

Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Heinz Roemheld	....	conductor (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Dracula, Spanish Version (USA) (DVD box title)
Spanish Dracula (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | Hungarian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Certification:

Finland:K-11 (2004) | Spain:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:Unrated | Sweden:7

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

For decades, the only surviving print, while in mint condition, was missing several minutes worth of material that encompassed Renfield's seduction by the Dracula's brides and the voyage to England. The "lost" reel was eventually located in Cuba, and has been restored to complete the film as much as possible. Though much more worn and aged than the rest of the film, the additional footage differs strikingly from the English-language version, probably more so than any other part of the film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: "Carlos Villarías" is misspelled in the opening credits as "Carlos Villar".

Quotes:

Eva: [English subtitle] The next morning, I felt very weak as if I had lost my virginity.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bloodsucking Cinema (2007) (TV)

Atmospheric alternate version

This Spanish version of DRACULA is interesting and odd, running nearly a half-hour longer than the English version with Lugosi. It was filmed by Universal simultaniously with the Lugosi version, using the same sets but with a Spanish-speaking cast. The Lugosi version was filmed during the day, and the Spanish version was filmed at night.

Carlos Villarias is excellent as Dracula. There is more use of sound effects in this version, with doors creaking and other moody sounds along the way that are not in the English version. Also, the costumes for the women are more revealing.

Lugosi still has the upper fang as far as being ominous, especially with that one-of-a-kind accent. But Villarias does a great job as the blood-thirst Count, especially with the use of his eyes, giving a very spooky look to the old boy. This is an enjoyable alternative version of the venerable classic.