V
Variety
Praised its 'remarkably effective background of creepy atmosphere' and Bela Lugosi's 'unmatched' performance in the vampire role.
A British estate agent travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula, who is interested in leasing a London castle. After Dracula enslaves the agent and drives him to insanity, the pair return to London together, where Dracula, a secret bloodsucker, begins preying on socialites.
Directed byTod Browning
Written byJohn L. Balderston, Hamilton Deane, Bram Stoker, Dudley Murphy, Frederick Stephani, Garrett Fort, Tod Browning, Louis Stevens, Louis Bromfield, Max Cohen
Budget$341,191
Critical Consensus
7.3
IMDb
71
Metacritic
7.2
TMDB
Dracula was a commercial and critical success upon its release, with many critics praising its atmospheric direction and Bela Lugosi's iconic performance, although some found it less scary than the stage version or lacking illusion.
The Cast
Trivia
The film's sets were reused at night for the filming of a concurrently produced Spanish-language adaptation of the same name by Universal.
The title role was originally intended for Conrad Veidt, then Lon Chaney, but both fell through, leading to Bela Lugosi being cast after his Broadway performance.
An original "StyleA" poster from the film's release sold for $525,000, setting a world record for the most expensive film poster in 2017.
Lugosi's portrayal of Dracula established the character as a cultural icon and the archetypal vampire in later works of fiction, influencing popular culture.
Scenes of the ship's crew struggling in a storm were lifted from a Universal silent film, causing a jerky, sped-up appearance when projected at sound film speed.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
FD
Film Daily
Declared it 'a fine melodrama' and noted Bela Lugosi created 'one of the most unique and powerful roles of the screen'.
T
Time
Described it as 'an exciting melodrama' that was 'a cut above the ordinary' mystery film, though 'not as good as it ought to be'.
JY
John Mosher, The New Yorker
Wrote a negative review, stating 'there is no real illusion in the picture' and 'this whole vampire business falls pretty flat'.
TT
The Chicago Tribune
Found it less scary than the stage version with 'too obvious' framework, but still deemed it 'quite a satisfactory thriller'.
MT
Mordaunt Hall, The New York Times
Called it 'the best of the many mystery films,' praising Tod Browning's 'imaginative' direction and Helen Chandler's 'excellent' performance.
Audience
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