31 Days of Halloween Finale: Dracula (1931)

Today is Halloween, and what better way to end our month-long celebration than with a look at the film that kicked off the entire cycle of classic horror films in the 1930s? That's right, it's 1931's Dracula, starring the great Bela Lugosi, at the very peak of his abilities!

Solicitor Renfield(Dwight Frye) travels to Transylvania to meet with the wealthy and mysterious Count Dracula(Lugosi) to complete the sale of Carfax Abbey, a house in England. It soon becomes clear that there is far mor to the Count that Renfield ever could have suspected, and he quickly becomes Dracula's demented servant.

Dracula journeys to England via ship, with the cackling Renfield in tow. Destroying the entire crew by the time the ship arrives at its destination, Dracula wastes no time in ingratiating himself with the British upper class. He orchestrates an introduction to Dr. Seward(Herbert Bunston), his daughter Lucy(Frances Dade), her best friend Mina(Helen Chandler), and her fiance Jonathan Harker(David Manners).

Lucy is immediately fascinated with the exotic Count, and she becomes his primary target. Dr. Van Helsing(Edward Van Sloan) is called in to investigate her mysterious illness, and soon deduces that they are dealing with a vampire. Renfield, who has been confined in Seward's sanitarium, unwittingly confirms Van Helsing's suspicions, and he sets about identifying and destroying the undead monster.

 As discussed last week, the first film adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel was 1922's Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Despite the controversy surrounding its illegal status, it was highly praised even then for its artistry. Universal acquired a print of the film, and drew a good deal of inspiration from it for their licensed adaptation of the Dracula story.

Director Tod Browning has been the subject of much criticism for his seemingly lackluster work on this seminal film-- indeed, for whatever reason, the directing in this film is hardly up to his usual standards-- but he helped put together a hell of a cast. Bela Lugosi, obviously, transcends any attempt at criticism in this film. His performance is the stuff of legend, a career-defining masterwork that ensures that he will never be forgotten. Nearly eighty years later, mention Dracula to anyone, and the image that leaps immediately to mind is that of Bela Lugosi. Lugosi's Dracula is quite possibly the single most iconic performance in the history of film. 

 Believe it or not, Universal didn't even want him. Lugosi was only cast seemingly because Universal could find no other suitable candidate after months of searching. Lugosi was paid a paltry $500 per week, while the seemingly comatose David Manners was paid four times that. This kicked off a nasty tradition of Lugosi being constantly underpaid and under-appreciated that would last the rest of his film career. Despite all that, Lugosi's work in this film bought him an immortality that the vast majority of actors can only dream of.

Dwight Frye gives the next most memorable performance in the film. His deranged, tortured performance of Renfield is one of the film's highlights. Edward Van Sloan is in fine form as Van Helsing, a template for the sort of characters he would be cast as in several films to follow.

The rest of the cast is mostly serviceable. Helen Chandler and Frances Dade are very nice to look at, but they aren't given much to work with. David Manners as Harker is basically a non-entity in the film, but it's not really his fault. The part is not written well(it's barely written at all!). For some reason, the Harker character always seems to come off pretty poorly in Dracula films, but I don't think he ever fared worse than in this one.

The sets are very nice overall, but the set for Castle Dracula is a show-stopper. It's a shame we don't get to see more of it. The wonderful Carfax Abbey set is woefully underutilized, as well(although we get to see more of it in the simultaneously-produced Spanish language version of the film).

Dracula is a flawed film. There are long stretches where little happens, and the many scenes feel very stage-bound. Despite the presence of Karl Freund, who pioneered the use of the moving camera in film, many scenes just seem to plant the camera and let it take root while we watch gray people talk incessantly. But that is only a small part of Dracula, and it has some of the biggest guns imaginable in its arsenal that make it worthy of its classic status despite its flaws. Whenever Lugosi is onscreen, the film comes alive, and the introductory scenes are among the best and most atmospheric in all the classic horror films. Spend 70 minutes of your Halloween with this classic, and endure through the few boring stretches. It's worth it. And to truly give yourself a fright, try to imagine a world where Dracula was never made. Film-- not to mention popular culture-- would be inconceivably poorer.

31 Days of Halloween: Son of Frankenstein

 It's Frankenstein Friday, and we're tackling the next installment in the Universal series: 1939's Son of Frankenstein!

After the first cycle of horror films ended with Dracula's Daughter in 1936, stars identified with the horror film had something of a rough time in Hollywood. Some, such as Boris Karloff, fared well, but no one really had as tough a time as Bela Lugosi. (The horror icon's financial situation was so bad by 1938 that he had to swallow his pride and appeal to the Hollywood Actors' Fund to pay for the birth of his son.)

The new owners of Universal saw the kind of money theaters were raking in with re-releases of their classics Dracula and Frankenstein. With visions of dollar signs dancing in their heads, the top brass at Universal decided a new film in the same vein would make even more money.

 Rowland V. Lee was hired to direct Son of Frankenstein. Universal, always full of heart, took advantage of Lugosi's well-known financial difficulties by hiring him at the insulting payrate of $500 per week. When Lee found out about this, he was livid. He expanded Lugosi's part, and put him in the background in scenes where he really had nothing to do, so that he could keep Bela on the payroll for the entire length of the production.

The film opens as Wolf Frankenstein(Basil Rathbone), his wife Elsa(Josephine Hutchinson), and their son Peter(Donnie Dunagan) are on a train, bound for the village of Frankenstein. Wolf has inherited his infamous father's estate, and is moving the family in. They receive a cold reception from the townsfolk("We're here to greet you. Not to welcome you!").

Moving into the large, foreboding castle, the Frankensteins are paid a visit by Inspector Krogh(Lionel Atwill). Krogh assures Wolf that he will be on hand to assist him in the event the surly, superstitious villagers threaten him or his family. When Wolf questions the vailidity of all the horrible tales about the Monster his father created, Krogh relates the tale of how he lost his arm as a small boy("One does not forget, herr Baron, an arm torn out by the roots!").

Exploring the estate the next day, Wolf goes up to the ruined laboratory. There he encounters broken-necked Ygor(Lugosi), who eventually takes Wolf into a secret passageway where he sees the Monster! The Monster is unconscious, having suffered severe damage during a violent thunderstorm. Ygor wants Wolf to make his friend well("He is my friend. He... does things for me!"). Wolf agrees, wishing to restore the monster and replace his brain, vindicating his father and the family name.

Once the Monster is revived, however, it immediately becomes clear that he does the bidding of his friend Ygor. As Ygor resumes sending the monster out to murder his enemies, the already unruly villagers grow more and more suspicious of the Frankensteins, and that tension eventually reaches a fever pitch. This, along with disputes between Wolf and Ygor, leads to the film's climax.

Rathbone is quite good as Wolf, scenery-chewing and all. Some have criticized his performance as being too "over-the-top," but I find his bombastic performance right at home in the film. (This character also served almost as a template for Gene Wilder's Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein).

Rathbone may have top billing, but few would argue that Lugosi is the star of the film. His wonderful performance as the sinister Ygor is one of his finest, and his relationship with the monster is both complex and oddly touching. Ygor is a scheming, dangerous fiend, yet Lugosi also gives him a charming roguish quality that almost makes us root for him.

Karloff's Monster in this film doesn't get as much screen time as in the two previous films, but he is given some good scenes, and Karloff makes the most of them. Karloff got his wish in this film, as the Monster no longer speaks-- in story terms, this can be chalked up to the damage he has suffered-- and that also means he could remove his dental plate again, so the deeply sunken cheek is back. Both of Karloff's other performances as the Monster are better, but he does not disappoint here, either. This was Karloff's last appearance on film as the Frankenstein Monster; at this point, he felt the character had really gone as far as he should go, and that the Monster was becoming little more than a prop(Karloff was proved right in subsequent films).

Lionel Atwill gives an excellent performance as Krogh, bringing a quiet dignity to the character that makes him memorable in a film already packed with memorable characters. There has been much debate over Dunagan's performance as Peter, with many feeling that he is a detriment to the film. He's almost unbearably cute, and doesn't display much acting ability(he was only 5 years old); on the other hand, as a small child playing a small child, he is undeniably genuine in the role, and I feel he adds to the film, rather than detracts from it. Your mileage may vary, but even if you dislike him, he doesn't have enough screen time to really hurt the film.
Also, keep an eye out for Dwight Frye in a small role as a villager.

The sets in the movie are marvelous. Evoking a dark, Gothic atmosphere, they border on expressionism at times, and add to the mood immeasurably. The music is also excellent, standing as one of the finest scores in any horror film.

It may not be quite on the same lofty level of the two previous Universal Frankenstein films, but Son of Frankenstein is an excellent film, and is highly enjoyable. It's also the last horror film Universal made in this era that boasted high production values, as most of the horror films that followed were low-budget programmers. The film is a good last hurrah for Karloff's Frankenstein Monster, and it is a wonderful showcase for Lugosi. Even if, like me, you feel that the Universal Frankenstein story really ends with The Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein remains an excellent film that is truly worth your time.

That's Bela Lugosi Jr. with Karloff!

31 Days of Halloween: The Bride of Frankenstein

 It's Frankenstein Friday, and today we'll be looking at what is widely considered the greatest horror movie of all time: The Bride of Frankenstein!

After the runaway success of the original Frankenstein, Universal immediately began considering a sequel. James Whale was initially uninterested, but studio head Carl Laemmle Jr. had decided he was the only man for the job, and Whale eventually acquiesced. (He was able to use this as a bargaining chip to get Universal to agree to fund One More River.)

Originally titled The Return of Frankenstein, the project was held up until a satisfactory script could be written. After several drafts that Whale deemed unusable, he tapped John L. Balderston to write a new script. It was Balderston who took the idea of the Monster's mate from the novel and worked it into the screenplay. He also came up with the prologue featuring Mary Shelly and friends discussing the Frankenstein story.

Once the prologue is over, The film beings immediately where the previous film ended, with the Monster (Karloff) trapped in the burning windmill. As the angry mob leaves, satisfied that "justice" has been served, it becomes clear that the Monster has survived, falling into the reservoir.

Meanwhile, Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his new bride Elizabeth (Valerie Hobson) are intruded upon by Dr. Pretorious(Ernest Thesiger). Pretorious convinces Frankenstein that the two of them should create a mate for the Monster.

The Monster has a series of misadventures in the meantime, eventually befriending a blind hermit(O. P. Heggie). The Monster learns to speak(although he does not progress to the point of the articulate, expressive Monster of the novel). After this idyllic existence is ruined by intruders(one of which is a young John Carradine), the Monster encounters Pretorious. Treating the Monster as a fellow human being, Pretorious enlists the aid of the Monster in his plans. the Monster is able to coerce the wavering Frankenstein to commence creation of the Monster's mate!

Karloff is a marvel in this film. He did not want the Monster to speak, but the rudimentary speech imbues the Monster with a whole new dimension that the previous film's mute Monster necessarily lacked. Karloff is able to bring even more pathos and humanity to the role. However, a speaking Monster meant that Karloff could not remove his dental plate as he did in the first film, so the Monster does not have the deeply sunken right cheek he had in the previous film.

The rest of the performances are excellent across the board.Colin Clive brings all of the manic energy to the Frankenstein role that he had in the first film. Hobson is more than adequate as Elizabeth, replacing Mae Clarke, who was reportedly ill at the time. Dwight Frye, delightful as always, plays Karl, the requisite lab assistant. Ernest Thesiger is fantastic as Pretorious, bringing to the role every bit of charm and sardonic wit he could muster, and that's quite a lot. Wonderful as Horace Femm in Whale's The Old Dark House, Thesiger is given more time to shine in Bride, and the film is the better for it. Elsa Lanchester pulls double duty as Mary Shelley in the film's prologue and as the titular Bride. She doesn't get a lot of screen time, but she makes the most of what she is given, and stands as the only iconic female monster that is in the same class as the rest of the Universal pantheon.

Makeup artist extraordinaire Jack Pierce went above and beyond in this film, creating several different versions of the Monster's makeup so that his hair re-grows and his wounds actually heal over the course of the film! The design of the Bride was reportedly a collaborative effort with Whale; the hairstyle, based on Egyptian queen Nefertiti, was achieved with the use of a wire frame.

Kenneth Strickfaden again contributed the marvelous lab equipment. Franz Waxman's excellent score contributes a great deal to the effectiveness of the film, giving it a decided edge over its predecessor.

The Bride of Frankenstein had only grown in stature in the decades since its release. Today, it is almost universally regarded as the crown jewel in the classic cycle of horror films, and I find myself in complete agreement with that. It remains one of the greatest films from Hollywood's golden age, and is absolutely required viewing for anyone with even a passing interest in classic horror films.