House of Dracula (1945)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Erle C. Kenton

Writer:

Edward T. Lowe Jr. (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

7 December 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

HORROR UPON HORROR in the HOUSE OF DRACULA

Plot:

Count Dracula and the Wolf Man seek a cure for their afflictions; a hunchbacked woman, a mad scientist and the Frankenstein monster have their own troubles.

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Monster | Cure | Frankenstein's Monster | Cave

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Lawrence Stewart Talbot / The Wolf Man (as Lon Chaney)
John Carradine	...	Count Dracula
Martha O'Driscoll	...	Miliza Morrelle
Lionel Atwill	...	Police Inspector Holtz
Onslow Stevens	...	Dr. Franz Edlemann
Jane Adams	...	Nina
Ludwig Stössel	...	Siegfried (as Ludwig Stossel)
Glenn Strange	...	The Frankenstein Monster
Skelton Knaggs	...	Steinmuhl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Brahms - Coroner (uncredited)
Fred Cordova	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Dick Dickinson	...	Villager (uncredited)
Beatrice Gray	...	Mother (uncredited)
Casey Harrison	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Boris Karloff	...	Frankenstein Monster in Dream Sequence (archive footage) (uncredited)
Harry Lamont	...	Villager (uncredited)
Gregory Marshall	...	Johannes (uncredited)
Jane Nigh	...	Villager (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Directed by
Erle C. Kenton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dwight V. Babcock		story (uncredited)
George Bricker		story (uncredited)
Edward T. Lowe Jr.		writer (as Edward T. Lowe)

Produced by
Joseph Gershenson	....	executive producer
Paul Malvern	....	producer

Original Music by
William Lava		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Robinson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Russell F. Schoengarth		(as Russell Schoengarth)

Art Direction by
John B. Goodman
Martin Obzina

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Arthur D. Leddy

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph Slosser	....	assistant director
William Tummel	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	director of sound
Jess Moulin	....	sound technician

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photography

Stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt double: Onslow Stevens (uncredited)

Music Department
Edgar Fairchild	....	musical director
Paul Dessau	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Charles Henderson	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Charles Previn	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Hans J. Salter	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Paul Sawtell	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Walter De Palma	....	stand-in: Lon Chaney Jr. (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1945) (USA) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Video (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (video)

Other Companies

• Deluxe Digital Studios  DVD authoring (2004 Dracula Legacy DVD)

Also Known As:

The Wolf Man's Cure

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Spain:13 | Canada:G (Quebec) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (Certificate #11300) | Finland:(Banned) (1947) | USA:Unrated (DVD) | Sweden:7 | Sweden:15 | Germany:12 | Finland:K-11 (2004)

Filming Locations:

European Village set, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This is the only film in which the character Lawrence Talbot sports a mustache.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the blood of Dracula has overtaken Dr. Edlemann, we see his reflection in the mirror disappear. However, later in the film, as the doctor leads Larry Talbot out into the garden as the full moon rises, we clearly see his visible reflection in the window.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dr. Edelman: What are you doing here? Who are you?
Count Dracula: I am Baron Latos. I have come to you for help.
Dr. Edelman: It's five o'clock in the morning.
Count Dracula: I must apologize for the intrusion. But travel is very difficult for me, and I've come a long way.
Dr. Edelman: I don't understand.
Count Dracula: Perhaps you will, after you've led me to the basement room of this castle.
Dr. Edelman: Eh - a very strange request. This castle is my home!
Count Dracula: Have no fear, doctor. Had conditions permitted, I would have presented myself in the usual manner.
Dr. Edelman: Well, it is most unusual...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: House of Dracula/The Lady and the Monster (#1.22)" (1971)

Not as good as the first film to star all three...but not bad either.

House of Dracula works from the same basic premise as House of Frankenstein from the year before; namely that Universal's three most famous monsters; Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and The Wolf Man are appearing in the movie together. Naturally, the film is rather messy therefore, but the fact that all three monsters are there is usually enough to ensure that the film's sixty seven minutes don't become boring. It's obvious that the idea of making another monster mash came into the writer's head before an actual plot did, as the yarn we're given isn't exactly without holes. The plot sees Count Dracula arrive at Dr. Edelman's home asking for a cure for his vampirism. Then, what can only be described as a coincidence, sees Lawrence Talbot, a.k.a. The Wolf Man turn up asking for a cure for his affliction! It turns out that Dracula is on the prowl for Edelman's daughter, but Talbot really is serious. When it turns out that he can't be stopped from turning into a wolf, The Wolf Man throws himself into the sea...where he ends up finding Frankenstein's Monster.

Overall, this film isn't as good as the earlier House of Frankenstein. The 1944 film put its plot together better than this entry in the series does, as the plot here doesn't give equal time to each Universal monster. Dracula's plot is the biggest at first, but soon fizzles out only to resurface at the end. The Wolf Man is the star of the show, but his story never really develops, and is essentially just another version of the plot he always finds himself in. Frankenstein's Monster is given the coldest hand, as he appears in the movie merely as an afterthought, and an obvious excuse to ensure that all three monsters appear in the movie. The story of the doctor who binds all three together is the most interesting, but this is a little disappointing as he isn't the reason why people will see this film. The acting is good enough, with John Carradine showing his sinister side and Lon Chaney Jr once again making sure that his character is bathed in tragedy. Glenn Strange is given nothing to do, and Onslow Stevens proves the real highlight as Dr Edelman. Overall, this film won't do much for anyone that isn't a fan of Universal horror; but as silly monster movies go, House of Dracula is worth seeing.