Dracula 1931

 

Dracula -1931

* glasses used to show smarts




         Wow I had a busy Halloween week, sorry for not writing till now. I was fortunate in being able to see a 35 mm print of 1931 Dracula starring Bela Lugosi  thanks to the Philadelphia Film Society.

      If  you are not familiar with the story of Dracula;
This version starts with Renfield(Dwight Frye) traveling to Transylvania to meet Count Dracula. Renfield works in real estate and travels to Transylvania for business reasons. He is to have Count Dracula sign some papers to own a home in England. The castle Dracula lives in Transylvania and the castle his moves to in England look very similar.  Renfield falls under the Count's spell and for return of eternal life, aides the Count on his trip to England.
 
 Oh by the way, in case you did not know Count Dracula is a vampire.

 He also doesn't drink wine.
  
Vampires can not cross water, well not like we people do. Count Dracula has to be emended in dirt from his homeland during the journey. His new buddy Renfield,(who is now crazy and has a crazy laugh) is with Dracula  on the boat to make sure no one disturbs The Master.

        In England Renfield is put into an mental institution. Dracula starts on having some victims. The first lady Lucy, (yes Lady in this he only preys on rich women in fabulous gowns)  sad to say she does not make it. Her friend Mina (Helen Chandler) falls under Dracula's spell too. The rich folk don't know what to do. Are they sick? Why are they having strange dreams?

 In comes Dr. Van Helsing,(Edward Van Sloan) who is considered the best doctor around. He is older and wears glasses with heavy lenses. Van Helsing was sent from Germany to figure out what disease these ladies have. Yet it is not a disease they have, they are victims of a vampire.
 
Vampire myths belong to other parts of Europe,

they are superstitions,

folk tales;

Old World.

A new, industrialized, modern country such as England do not believe in such things. 

Van Helsing even though he studied medicine, believes that there are vampires. He ultimately proves Dracula is a vampire and saves the day. Mina's father eventually trusts Van Helsing, and Van Helsing becomes the hero of this story.
 Van Helsing, wears glasses through out the film. He portrayed as intelligent, sure of himself, not akward or nerdy at all.  At times he removes his glasses when talking to someone seriously face to face. These glasses look heavy, his removal of them when he talking close to someone is understandable.  He does not fit in with these English blue bloods, it takes much convincing to make them believe Dracula is a vampire.

     What I like most about Dracula  (other than vampires, bats and Bela) is the old world versus the new world.  Count Dracula who is from the old world, with his accent his flashy cape and he embodies folktales because he is one, a vampire. The rich English folk are of the new world, they don't believe in "silly" things, John Harker (David Manners) who is Mina's fiancée  refuses to think a Dracula is out to get her, even when all the evidence is staring right at him. Dr. Van Helsing is of both worlds. He too comes from a modern country, yet he is not so removed from the old world. He see that there may be some truth to the old ways, and he uses that to his advantage.  He out smarts Dracula and defeats the vampire.