Dracula was on stage and screen before this. In 1921 Károly Lajthay wrote and directed a film titled Dracula's Death. It is the very first known film based on the story of Dracula, although it doesn't actually follow the same story as Stokers book. The film is now lost.
1922 saw the release of Nosferatu. Nosferatu is a truly great film. The lighting and the odd scenery, typical of German expressionism, gives the film a unique macabre atmosphere. Ironically, unlike Dracula's Death, it follows the story of the book but doesn't use the name Dracula or any of the other character names in the book. This was because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel.
Dracula next appeared on stage in 1924, played by Raymond Huntley. In 1927 the play went to Broadway. John L. Balderston revised the script for the American audience and Bela Lugosi was cast as Dracula.
Soon it was 1931 and Universal released Dracula, with Lugosi in the role of the Count.
This, along with Frankenstein, was the birth of the golden era of horror. Tod Browning was director after much success with silent films such as London After Midnight. Dracula was made during the infant stages of sound cinema and it shows as there is no music in the film besides the opening credits when an excerpt from Swan Lake is played. A piece by Wagner is used later during a scene in a theatre.
I can't speak for anybody else, but everytime i hear the piece from Swan Lake, i think of Dracula.
It should also be mentioned that a silent version was made as some theatres had not yet been wired for sound at the time.
Lugosi is brilliant in the role of Dracula. His stare and his voice has become a thing of legend and has become the stereotype of Dracula even to younger generations that may never have seen the film.
The dialogue in the film is fantastic and tied in with the voice of Lugosi makes for some amazing moments.
Lugosi provides some very quotable lines such as "To die, to be really dead, that must be glorious" along with great lines from even the lesser characters, "They're all crazy. They're all crazy except you and me. Sometimes I have my doubts about you." and of course the stunning Dwight Frye as Renfield. He has such good lines and delivers them so well, he almost steals the spot light from Lugosi.
Frye manages to play humble gentleman and completely insane, so convincingly you would be forgiven for thinking he went mad during filming. His performance is both funny and disturbing in equal measure. He submissively obeys Dracula's every command, even while locked up in a sanatorium, feeding on spiders. One of the highlights of Frye's performance is his laugh. It's so manic and demented, it's wonderful.
Edward Van Sloan is also very good in the role of Van Helsing. The characters quick wit bounces off of and works well with Renfields ravings.
Frye would go on to play Fritz in Frankenstein, later that year.
This film is a classic for a reason. The haunting sets, the dark settings, the stunning performance from both Lugosi and Frye and of course the creation of the seductive vampire. Stoker had described Dracula as anything but suave or sexy. This version of the character was created in the stage production but was established and perfected in this film. Legosi was perfect for that style of Dracula, with his accent and dark mysterious foreign aura.
To me, this film IS Dracula. Anybody who has never seen it, really should. Put aside the cheap looking bats on strings and forget CGI, watch the acting, the settings, the dialogue. It is a masterpiece.
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