Son of Dracula (1943)

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Curt Siodmak (story)
Eric Taylor (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 November 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Can You Take It? More Startling . . . More Blood-Curdling Than Anything You've Ever Seen!

Plot:

Count Alucard (read his name backwards) finds his way from Budapest to the swamps of the Deep South; his four nemeses are a medical doctor, a university professor, a jilted fiancé and the woman he loves.

Plot Keywords:

Count | Occult | Swamp | Professor | Doctor

Cast

Robert Paige	...	Frank Stanley
Louise Allbritton	...	Katherine Caldwell
Evelyn Ankers	...	Claire Caldwell
Frank Craven	...	Doctor Brewster
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Professor Lazlo
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Judge Simmons
Adeline De Walt Reynolds	...	Madame Zimba (as Adeline DeWalt Reynolds)
Pat Moriarity	...	Sheriff Dawes (as Patrick Moriarity)
Etta McDaniel	...	Sarah
George Irving	...	Colonel Caldwell
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Count Dracula (as Lon Chaney)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Bates	...	Tommy Land (uncredited)
Joan Blair	...	Mrs. Land (uncredited)
Jess Lee Brooks	...	Stephen, the Valet (uncredited)
Cyril Delevanti	...	Dr. Peters, the Coroner (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	Jonathan Kirby, Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Ben Erway	...	Deputy Shooting at Frank (uncredited)
Robert F. Hill	...	Deputy Shooting at Frank (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Andy, Servant Who Greets Dracula (uncredited)
George Meeker	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Charles R. Moore	...	Matthew, Plantation Worker (uncredited)
Jack Rockwell	...	Jack, Deputy (uncredited)
Walter Sande	...	Mac, Deputy (uncredited)
Emmett Smith	...	Servant (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Siodmak

Writing credits
Curt Siodmak		(story) (as Curtis Siodmak)
Eric Taylor		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ford Beebe	....	producer
Donald H. Brown	....	associate producer
Jack J. Gross	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Hans J. Salter		(as H.J. Salter)

Cinematography by
George Robinson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Saul A. Goodkind		(as Saul Goodkind)

Art Direction by
John B. Goodman
Martin Obzina

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)
Edward R. Robinson		(as E.R. Robinson)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Emmy Eckhardt	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Jack P. Pierce	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Melville Shyer	....	assistant director
Ford Beebe	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Wally Kirkpatrick	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
Charles Carroll	....	sound technician
Edwin Wetzel	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Walter Bluemel	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Max Nippell	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Roland Smith	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ann Fielder	....	wardrober: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Carl Himm	....	assistant cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Werner R. Heymann	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Charles Previn	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Mary Chaffee	....	script clerk (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (as Universal Pictures Company Inc.)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (video)

Also Known As:

Destiny (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Sweden:15 (original rating) | Sweden:7 (re-rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #9194) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-11 (2004)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

In the film, Dracula and Katherine (after she becomes a vampire) never display any fangs.

Goofs:

Continuity: In his first scene, Professor Lazlo recalls the events from Dracula (1931) in which the vampire count is finally destroyed. However, he makes reference to this taking place in the 19th century. While the novel Dracula was written in the 19th century, the film itself was set in the 20th century as indicated by the modern style of dress and cars passing on the streets during the auditorium scene.

Quotes:

Harry [townsman bit]: How are ya, doctor?
Prof. Harry Brewster: Hi, Harry.
Frank Stanley: Hey, Charlie!
Charlie, station agent: Hello Dr. Brewster, Mr. Stanley.
Frank Stanley: How are ya. Say, uh, those all the passengers you have?
Charlie, station agent: Just the four.
Prof. Harry Brewster: You didn't put anyone off at the wrong station, did you? We're here to meet a friend of the Caldwells, a Count Alucard.
Charlie, station agent: There was no Count on this train. All customers. Say - there was a lot of stuff in the baggage car that might belong to your Count.
Prof. Harry Brewster: Thanks, we'll take a look at it.
Train Conductor Voice: [offscreen] All aboard.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in House of Frankenstein (1944)

With a puff of smoke. Dracula appears!

Katherine Caldwell is an occult-obsessed southern girl who's awaiting Hungarian Count Alucard (Dracula) to arrive at her father's plantation home in the small town of Dark Oaks. Her father dies on the arrival of Alucard, and she starts sneaking around to meet with him, while her fiancée Frank follows her around. Soon enough she's secretly marries Alucard and soon becomes one of the undead when there's a confrontation between Frank and Alucard. Local doctor Brewster begins to suspect something is not quite right about Count Alucard and questions Katherine's intentions.

Well, this is the first Universal Dracula film that I've watched and it might be a superfluous sequel to the original. Otherwise there's no doubting that this atmospherically Gothic and noir-like b-grade presentation breaths a touch originality in its curiously morbid premise and makes great use of some neatly handled effects involving seeping mist, bat transforming and an emerging coffin from the bottom of a dank swamp. Now that final note was one haunting scene. What it wants to be is nothing but simple fun. Which it gladly fits right into without any problems.

Hitting you straight away is Lon Chaney Jr.'s tubby representation of Dracula. Since I haven't seen the other films, it's hard for me to compare him with the likes of Bela Lugosi and John Carradine. I don't mind Chaney Jr. in the creepily stern role, but he does lack that sensually dominating presence and deadly suave one would associate with Dracula. He brings his own little touch to the landmark character with mixed results, but this didn't spoil the film for me in any shape. The rest of the performances were very well rounded and Louise Allbritton is admirably good in her selfishly sly performance of Katherine Caldwell. The perverse sub-plot involving her character is a compelling idea that's fleshed out nicely. Frank Craven is solid as Dr. Brewster and Robert Paige is sympathetically able as the heroine Frank. Curt Siodmak (story) and Eric Taylor (screenplay) cooked up a dark and moody awe from this tragically nightmarish and complex romance tale filled with dreaded suspense and strangely eerie twists. The opening question is not much of a mystery and it isn't played as one either. The smooth flowing script is tightly conceived and the pacing is judge to perfection. These refreshing aspects do go down well with Robert Siodmak's stylishly spooky treatment and surreal set-up in directing many effective moments and visions. Crisp photography and a broodingly cracking music score are handled with precise timing in depicting the film's right vein as well.

I really enjoyed myself with this Universal outing and now I look forward into getting amongst the rest of their Dracula features.