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VHS : Son of Dracula

  
: Son of Dracula
See Larger Image 		Son of Dracula
starring: Lon Chaney Jr., Robert Paige, Louise Allbritton, Evelyn Ankers, Frank Craven
directed by: Robert Siodmak

Amazon.com Details:
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786301005784
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, HiFi Sound, NTSC
ISBN: 6301005783
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Universal Studios
Release Date: March 01, 1992
Running Time: 80 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: November 05, 1943
Sales Rank: 20611



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Editorial Review:

Amazon.com:
It was perhaps inevitable that, after playing the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, and the Mummy, Lon Chaney Jr. would round out his horror resumé with a turn at the great bloodsucker himself (not, as the title would suggest, his son). Looking dapper and dignified under the cape, if not exactly threatening, Chaney plays Count Alucard (that's Dracula spelled backwards), a mysterious Carpathian summoned to America by a "morbid" heiress (Louise Allbritton). Eric Taylor's script is rather clunky, but the story (by horror specialist Curt The Wolfman Siodmak) is often quite clever, playing like a supernatural twist on a psycho-thriller. Allbritton's frustrated fiancé Robert Page accidentally "kills" her while trying to shoot Alucard (who imperiously stands up to the hail of bullets) and then goes stark raving mad as he watches the dead rise to life and the living disappear in wisps of smoke and morph into creaky stage bats.

Future film noir legend (and Curt's brother) Robert Siodmak (The Killers) does wonders with the swampy, misty Deep South setting despite his obviously threadbare budget, transforming the usual clichés into moments of inspired melodrama. Only the clumsy antics of the skeptical cops and the plodding exposition spouted by an old Carpathian doctor (he just happens to be the local MD) get in the way of this moody minor horror gem. --Sean Axmaker



Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - DRACULA SPELLED BACKWARDS IS ALUCARD!
This is the third tale from Universal Studios involving Dracula or a descendant of. Though not as interesting a "Dracula's Daughter" the biggest problem with this film is getting used to Chaney Jr. as Dracula! Chaney Jr. is too big and clumsy for this role but, I have to give him credit as he is the only horror icon from Universal to play all the top monsters at one time or another. He played the Wolfman(The Wolfman, Frankenstein meets the Wolfman,House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein), Frankenstein's Monster(The Ghost of Frankenstein), The Mummy(The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost, The Mummy's Curse) and Dracula(well the son of) not to mention a slew of other maniacs. The film has good atmosphere and some interesting visual FX. This is available on DVD on the Dracula Legacy collection along with 3 versions of Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, House of Dracula and some very good extra material. The DVD transfer to this little known horror film is very good.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - It's far better than its reputation
Probably no horror film of the classic era, or its star, has been as maligned as "Son of Dracula" starring Lon Chaney, Jr. But here's the blatant truth: the film's pretty darn good, despite its dopey and misleading title, and Chaney -- in remarkably flattering makeup and costume -- pulls the role off far more competently than anyone has a right to expect. Sure, he's not Lugosi -- only Lugosi was Lugosi -- but Chaney plays Dracula better than Lugosi could have played Lennie in "Of Mice and Men." The southern setting is logically explained within the story, and in fact it prompts one of the film's creepiest scenes, the one with voodoo princess "Queen Zimba." Even though most of the cast is playing against type, they are proficient, particularly Louise Allbritton as Dracula's bride, and Robert Siodmak's direction is highly effective (even if he did have a perverse penchant for staging Dracula's scenes in front of mirrors, in which he is reflected). As for Chaney, probably only Sofia Coppola in "Godfather III" has endured more abuse for a single performance, which is sadly ironic since "Son of Dracula" is one of his best Universal turns. Really! Throughout his career, Chaney managed to project a child-like, helpless quality that was an asset for roles such as Lennie or even Larry Talbot, and later ones, such as Robert Mitchum's father in "Not As A Stranger," in which he was cast as a desperate alcoholic. But here he abandons his child-like personna completely and plays the role with subtlety, iciness, masterful control and a real sense of knowing evil. Truth is, the only contractee on the Universal lot in 1943 who could have done the part as well or better was Basil Rathbone, who, given his low opinion of horror films, would probably rather have eaten worms. "Son of Dracula" is not a great film, or a particularly important one, but it is nowhere's near the dog that tradition has made it out to be. It's a highly entertaining shocker that shows off Chaney to far better effect than any of those "Inner Sanctum" mysteries that were made around the same time. Try it -- you'll like it.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - AN OK "B" MOVIE HORROR
With 1943's "Son of Dracula" the Dracula series officially became 'b" movie fodder as most of Universals horrors of the 1940's were. The movie opens with Count Alucard (Lon Chaney) coming to stay at the southern home of a wealthy and rather morbid heiress Katherine Caldwell (Louise Albritton) whom he met when she was in Hungary. Katherine has become smitten with the Count and after he kills her father, she asks only to be given the home, while all the rest of the estate can go to her sister Claire (Evelyn Ankers).

Katherine slips away to a nearby swamp as the Count's coffin rises from the depths of the swamp and he emerges in a cloud of mist which was a very effective special effect in its day. The two are married and Katherine breaks the news to her fiancee Frank. Frank confronts them back at the house and tries to shoot the count, but the bullets simply pass through him, and kill Katherine who was standing behind. Soon Professor Brewster realizes that Alucard is Really Count Dracula and contacts a Hungarian professor Laszlo for assistance to help destroy the vampire.

Son of Dracula does have some things going for it. The additions to the vampire mythology of turning to mist is very effective and allows Dracula to sneak up on his enemies or to escape when Laszlo shows him a crucifix when Dracula tries to strangle Brewster. The film also shows Dracula levitating across the swamp which one makes the guess was basically his mist form given shape. Son doesn't have the gothic trappings of the original but the set pieces are still fairly effective. And of course any movie with Evelyn Ankers is always a treat.

Unfortunately a major drawback is star Lon Chaney Jr. While Chaney was fine playing the tortured Larry Talbot, Dracula is a role that requires much more charisma and presence, particularly sexual presence which Chaney was sorely lacking in. He comes off much too stiff and monotone in delivering his lines and there's not a hint of Hungarian accent to him.

Also there is no "Son" at all here. He proclaims himself as Dracula and while maybe this was intended to be more in title than literal, there was still no explanation on he being Dracula's son. But then, Continuity was never much of an important factor to Univeral back in those days.

Certainly no classic, it is one of Universal's better B movies of the 1940's. Call it 3 1/2 stars.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Entertaining vampire yarn
Dracula shows up on a southern plantation to claim his vampire bride in this enjoyable slice of horror from Universal Studios. Surprisingly, the special effects are pretty good for the era, and Lon Chaney, Jr, doesn't make a bad vampire. It's no masterpiece, but it's fun.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - His Father's Son
Universal's 1943 "Son Of Dracula" is a great contribution to it's stable of gothic horror films. Universal departed in several ways in the creation of this film. Firstly, the story is placed in a contemporary southern setting in the U.S., rather than in the non-descript "euro setting" of many of it's other gothic films. This film also features the first "man to bat" transformations that still hold up today. It also expands the vampire legend by adding to the film vampire's powers not only the ability to transform into bats or wolves, but also to a swirling mist, also visually well executed by the film's makers. An interesting controversy surrounds this film and most horror film buffs know what I am talking about. But believe me, despite traditional arguments to the contrary, as to whether the vampire of the title is actually Dracula or his son, the answer is actually left ultimately for the viewer to decide. In an exchange between vampire hunters Dr. Lazslo and Dr.Brewster, Count Alucard (Dracula spelled backwards),is described as being either Dracula himself or a "descendent" of Dracula- it is never actually determined which in the film it is. However, I believe most viewers, like myself, are satisfied that the vampire in question is indeed Dracula himself. The story line is completely orginal and well done in that it explores the relationship between human beings and the undead on an entirely new level with a human being "willingly" becoming a vampire in order to obtain eternal life- an interesting take on the Dracula formula, raising interesting questions about human existence, recalling "Faust".
Lon Chaney Jr.'s performance, despite what some critics have dismissed as a bad case of miscasting, in fact, brings a youthful power to the role that would later be improved upon by Christopher Lee in Hammer Film's 'Horror of Dracula" in 1958. His Dracula is both cruel and powerful, and as is the case with many a vampire, he has a weakness for a beautiful neck. In this case that neck belongs to the wonderful Louise Allbritton, playing a victim who in her own way victimizes Dracula himself-but enough about the plot, lest I give it away. Son of Dracula is well worth seeing. It is a great example of Universal's second cycle of gothic horror films released during the 1940s. If you love vampires, you'll love "Son of Dracula'. Highly recommended.