Horror of Dracula is the second entry for Hammer studios in the horror genre. It is also the second time at the helm for Terence Fisher. It is a new take on the Bram Stoker novel. The first being the the blood thirsty count with an English accent instead of Hungarian. Christopher Lee, was a relatively unknown actor, until playing Dracula. He brings a fresh style, despite having very few lines. The true star of the film is Peter Cushing, as Doctor Van Helsing. He is younger than in the previous version, and is fearless and dedicated to eradicating Dracula. There are also changes in character relationships and story. It’s the movie’s and it works, taking nothing away from the core of the story. The sets are very good looking, especially the entrance to the castle, and the library. The sets in the original were great, but color gives them a special appeal.
As in the original, Van Helsing comes in after mysterious happenings, and the death of Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen).He was his friend and fellow vampire hunter/researcher. He knows who is responsible after reading Harker’s journal. Dracula is not content with Harker’s death. He wishes to bring harm on the entire family. This leads to cooperation between Arthur Holmwood, (Michael Gough) and Van Helsing. Holmwood’s sister, Lucy (Carol Marsh) was Harker’s fiancee, Lucy, is bitten by the evil count. The wife of Arthur Holmwood, Mina, (Melissa Stribling) is also endangered. Their is no back and forth repartee between Van Helsing and Dracula. It is just the good guy trying to beat the bad guy.
Christopher Lee’s look in the film, is closer to the book’s description. He pulls off his role very well. It is a very talented actor, who can do this with minimal lines. This is something Karloff did almost effortlessly. Lee more or less succeeded the master with his iconic role as the bloodsucking count. The actor became an international film star, because of his portrayal of Dracula in several films. He later would also bring villainy to the screen in Star Wars films, as Count Dooku.
It is a difficult thing to adapt a novel to the big screen. Jimmy Sangster has succeeded with his screenplay. He has made the count more menacing than in the original. The characters are solid, and the basics of a script are there. Sanger has done a better job adapting Dracula than he did with Frankenstein. That was his first horror movie, and he drastically altered Frankenstein’s character. The film industry always alters works of literature, and that was one example of it not working. Sangster did do two more sequels to Frankenstein and Dracula. He later made the move to television, ironically he wrote an episode of The Night Stalker, called Horror in the Heights. Sangster displays his chops writing horror. It’s a pretty good episode.
Terence Fisher is the man responsible for giving filmgoer’s Hammer Horror. He directed the three remakes of Universal horror films, and succeeded admirably. He put in the gore and violence that many horror movies use today. The hardest job in movies is directing. Actors can be temperamental, and scripts are sometimes not satisfactory. The biggest challenge a director faces is making final cuts during the editing process. The main headache is making budget and time deadlines. Producer’s are sometimes flexible, but many times they aren’t. Terence Fisher probably faced these things during his long career. He obviously overcame them, making quality horror movies.
Horror of Dracula does something that is difficult. That is make a movie that is comparable to the original. It can be appreciated for it’s style. That is the main thing that separates it from the original. The studio continued to be a factory of horror for a generation. Those fans who like Universal horror will also enjoy The House of Hammer entries.
Excellent write up. Extremely informative!