Dracula (1979)

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Bram Stoker (novel)
Hamilton Deane (play) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 July 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Romance

Tagline:

Throughout history he has filled the hearts of men with terror, and the hearts of women with desire.

Plot:

When a ship is wrecked off Whitby, the only survivor, Count Dracula, is discovered lying on the beach by the sickly young Mina...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire Human Love | Bloodsucker | Village | Male Female Relationship | Victorian Era

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Frank Langella	...	Count Dracula
Laurence Olivier	...	Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
Donald Pleasence	...	Dr. Jack Seward
Kate Nelligan	...	Lucy Seward
Trevor Eve	...	Jonathan Harker
Jan Francis	...	Mina Van Helsing
Janine Duvitski	...	Annie
Tony Haygarth	...	Milo Renfield
Teddy Turner	...	Swales
Sylvester McCoy	...	Walter (as Sylveste McCoy)
Kristine Howarth	...	Mrs. Galloway
Joe Belcher	...	Tony Hindley
Ted Carroll	...	Scarborough Sailor
Frank Birch	...	Harbormaster
Gabor Vernon	...	Captain of Demeter
Frank Henson	...	Demeter Sailor
Peter Wallis	...	Priest

Directed by
John Badham

Writing credits
Bram Stoker		(novel)
Hamilton Deane		(play) &
John L. Balderston		(play)
W.D. Richter		(screenplay)

Produced by
Marvin Mirisch	....	executive producer
Walter Mirisch	....	producer
Tom Pevsner	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Gilbert Taylor

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Peter Murton

Art Direction by
Brian Ackland-Snow

Costume Design by
Julie Harris

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Susie Hill	....	hair stylist
Colin Jamison	....	hair stylist
Peter Robb-King	....	makeup artist
Jane Royle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Hugh Harlow	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gerry Gavigan	....	second unit director
Anthony Wave	....	assistant director

Art Department
Andy Andrews	....	property master
Terry Apsey	....	construction manager
Reg Richards	....	construction manager
Peter Young	....	set dresser
Dennis Murray	....	plasterer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound editor
Robin Gregory	....	sound mixer
Gerry Humphreys	....	sound re-recordist
Terry Sharratt	....	boom operator
Jeremy Hume	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Roy Arbogast	....	special effects
Michael Dawson	....	special effects assistant
Tad Krzanowski	....	special effects (uncredited)
Michael White	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Maurice Binder	....	visual consultant
Brian Smithies	....	models
Albert Whitlock	....	special visual effects
Henry Schoessler	....	matte crew (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie Powell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Berner	....	assistant camera
Leslie Dear	....	additional photographer
Wick Finch	....	electrician
Roy Ford	....	camera operator
Ray Hall	....	grip
Harry Oakes	....	additional photographer
Bob Penn	....	still photographer
Laurie Shane	....	gaffer
Peter Taylor	....	assistant camera
Roy Larner	....	best boy (uncredited)
Marc Wolff	....	pilot: camera helicopter (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Brenda Dabbs	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Chris Ridsdale	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)

Other crew
Gordon Arnell	....	publicist
Jim Brennan	....	location manager
Bee Broomfield	....	production secretary
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Len Cave	....	production accountant
Reg Dent	....	horse master
Jan Francis	....	dance arranger
John Holmes	....	animal coordinator
Philip Kohler	....	location manager
Judit Thompson	....	assistant: Mr. Badham
Joyce Turner	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures
• Mirisch Corporation, The

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Video (????) (France) (VHS)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1979) (France) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Effects Associates

Other Companies

• Camera Effects  credits
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• London Symphony Orchestra, The (LSO)  music performed by

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Dutch | Romanian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | UK:X (theatrical rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Carlyon Bay, St Austell, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This is a film adapted from a hit Broadway play. Frank Langella was nominated for a Tony Award for his stage performance of the title character.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the vampire woman jumps through the window, Annie chases her down the corridor. Approaching the window (from her POV) we can see that the central part of the broken frame is dangling, and swinging from side to side. The view switches to outside the window (looking into the building), and the broken frame is suddenly no longer swinging.

Quotes:

Count Dracula: Jonathan Harker tells me you speak some Romanian.
Lucy Seward: Well, hardly, I know...
[Dracula says a sentence in Romanian and Lucy smiles]
Count Dracula: There, you do understand.
Lucy Seward: [still smiling] Not really. I have no idea what you said.
Count Dracula: I said it would be nice to see you smile.
Lucy Seward: [pause] Then you should be pleased.
Count Dracula: Oh, I am.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Darakula (1982)

1979: "Dracula" vs "Love at First Bite" vs "Nosferatu the Vampyre"

OK, so this is mostly another movie in which the title character goes around drinking blood, but it's not a bad movie by any stretch. Frank Langella plays the Count, with Laurence Olivier as Prof. Abraham Van Helsing, Donald Pleasance as Dr. Jack Seward, and Kate Nelligan as Lucy.

As it is, that cast makes for something really interesting: Frank Langella was Whoopi Goldberg's beau for some years (Dracula hooking up with Whoopi Goldberg?), Laurence Olivier had played a man looking for Nazi fugitives in "The Boys from Brazil" the previous year and was now playing a man looking for a vampire, Donald Pleasance had played Dr. Sam Loomis in "Halloween" the previous year, and I best remember Kate Nelligan as Mercedes in the TV version of "The Count of Monte Cristo". What a combination! Also, 1979 saw three Dracula movies: this one, "Love at First Bite" and Werner Herzog's "Nosferatu the Vampyre" (which I consider the best Dracula movie ever). The things that we see in life. All in all, "Dracula" is definitely worth seeing.